Mia knew their wedding was likely to be another big one. Angela was new to Nantucket but her fiancé, Philippe, was a celebrity of sorts. Several of his books had been made into movies and TV series so he spent a good deal of time in Los Angeles, and he seemed to know just about everyone on Nantucket and considered them all friends. Angela was easy going and hard-working. Mia knew she would be fun to work with.
“I’d love to. Let me know when you’re free to sit down and go over things.”
“Maybe next week? Monday mornings I clean the Beach Plum Cove Inn and usually come early to have breakfast with Lisa. We could do it then. I’d love her input, too, if you don’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
“Mom will love that,” Kristen said. “She adores you, and she’s in her glory with all these weddings.”
“She has a wedding coming up soon too, doesn’t she?” Mia asked. She knew Lisa was engaged, but she hadn’t mentioned the date.
Kate, Kristen, and Abby all exchanged glances before Kate spoke. “She and Rhett are not on the same page about when to have it or how big. If it was up to Rhett, it would be tomorrow with the whole town invited. Mom doesn’t want anything big and fussy, and she doesn’t want to overshadow our weddings. Which we, of course, told her was ridiculous.”
* * *
Lisa could tell by the smell that her meatballs were ready to come out of the oven. She opened the oven door and, as suspected, they were perfectly browned. She inhaled deeply as the scent rushed towards her. She’d been trying to cut back on red meat so she hadn’t made spaghetti and meatballs in ages. But it was Rhett’s favorite dish. She carefully dropped each meatball into the large pot of sauce simmering on the stove, took a small taste of the sauce and added another shake of Italian seasoning, a pinch of sugar and a splash of red wine from the glass she’d just poured. She gave it all a stir, then settled at her kitchen island with her laptop and glass of wine and hopped onto Facebook for a minute to see what her friends were up to.
Thirty minutes later, she heard the front door open, indicating that Rhett was home for the evening. She’d barely touched her wine—she’d been so busy chatting with friends online and was surprised by how quickly the time had passed. Rhett looked surprised and happy when he reached the kitchen.
“Something smells good. You made meatballs? I thought you were off meat. Glad to see you came to your senses,” he teased her.
“I’m not off totally, just cutting way back. But I love meatballs, too. Are you starving? Or do you want to have a glass of wine first? We can snack on some cheese and crackers. I got that cheddar you like, the one that has a hint of parmesan.”
“I did like that one. Let’s do it.” Rhett poured himself a glass of wine while Lisa got the cheese and crackers out and set them on the island between them.
“How was the restaurant today? Were you busy?” Lisa asked. Rhett had come to Nantucket when Lisa first opened the inn and decided to stay on indefinitely while he got his newly purchased restaurant ready to open for the season. It had been a hit and even though he owned several other restaurants off-island, he had good managers for those and focused his hands-on attention on the Nantucket one and on Lisa.
“It was a really good day, actually. Our new chef introduced a few items that we are running as specials and if they do well, we’ll add them onto the menu. It’s early to say for sure, but if the response today is anything to go by, they’ll all be on the menu soon.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic. What are they?” As a foodie, Lisa loved to cook and go out to eat pretty regularly. And since she and Rhett had gotten serious, a solid five pounds had crept onto her, as Rhett enjoyed food as much as she did and that’s mostly what they did for their social life, entertain friends or go out to eat. She loved it, but she was trying to make some better choices, which is where eating less red meat came in. But she knew Rhett loved her meatballs, and she had a plan for tonight and wanted him to be in a really good, receptive mood.
“Wasabi crusted tuna with lightly fried avocado wedges and asparagus risotto. Swordfish with a fresh mango salsa, and Caesar salad topped with either fresh lobster meat or grilled scallops.”
“I’ll have to get in there soon to test them all.”
They chatted comfortably over cheese and crackers, and then over meatballs and spaghetti with freshly grated parmesan. Rhett raised his eyebrows when Lisa pulled out the grater and offered him some.
“Wow. We’re going all fancy tonight. Sure, load me up.”
Lisa grated a fine pile of parmesan over his meatballs and then did the same to hers.
“Save room for dessert. I picked up some Tiramisu from that new Italian bakery. You loved it the last time we had it.”
“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” Rhett smiled as he tucked into his pasta and meatballs. When they finished, Lisa added a bit of wine to their glasses and set a generous serving of tiramisu in front of Rhett. After he took his first bite, she took a deep breath and told him what was on her mind.
“So, do you really have your heart set on a big wedding?” She asked.
He paused and set his fork down. “Define big?”
“You’ve said you want to have a big celebration with everyone we know. Are you okay with just people we really care about?”
“You don’t really want a big wedding? I just didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t do that. I thought every woman wanted a huge wedding? As long as you’re there, I don’t honestly care who else shows up,” he admitted.
Lisa smiled and relaxed a little. “I’ve already done that. I don’t need a fancy dress and everyone in town at my wedding. What would be perfect would be me in my favorite pink sundress, and you in shorts and that aqua blue golf shirt that you love. And our kids and the minister in the back yard, followed by a cookout. Super casual and beachy. How does that sound to you? It’s not very traditional.”
Rhett grinned. “Who needs traditional? I’ll take comfortable and casual any day. When are you thinking?”
“Well, I had an idea. Your birthday is in two weeks and it’s on a Sunday. What if I just tell the kids that we’re having a birthday cookout for you and when they all get here, we can surprise them with a wedding, too. That way they don’t have to worry about getting us gifts or doing anything else.”
“I like it. We don’t need a thing. And they have their own weddings to worry about.”
“You’re sure about this? As long as it’s okay with you, I’ll go ahead and start planning for it.”
Rhett leaned over and kissed her, and she marveled that she still felt butterflies every time he did that. When they pulled apart, he said, “Start the planning. I can’t wait to be married to you. Two more weeks is long enough.”
Chapter 7
Mia was surprised that she hadn’t run into Ben yet at breakfast. Saturday morning, while chatting over a blueberry muffin and coffee, Lisa asked if she’d seen him again. As usual, all her girls and even the baby, Natalie, had joined her for Saturday breakfast.
“No, not since I saw him for about two seconds at his family’s house. I think he is mostly out late and sleeps in.”
Lisa nodded. “If he makes it to breakfast, it’s usually about five or ten minutes before ten.”
Kate looked intrigued. “Who is Ben?”
“He’s Mia’s next-door neighbor. About the same age, I’d guess. Very handsome.”
“Is he single?” Abby asked.
“I think he might be. I thought he could be a good candidate, if Mia was ready to start dating?”
Mia shook her head and automatically said, “I’m not ready.” She wondered if she ever would be. Dating just wasn’t something she thought about these days. It didn’t feel right, not when she still often felt so sad about Mark.
Lisa reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll know when it’s the right time. And when you do, be sure to let us know so we can keep an eye out for you.”
Mia relaxed and smiled, grateful that Lis
a understood and didn’t push. “Thank you. I’ll do that.”
“So, Kristen, what’s new with you?” Lisa asked.
“I have some news. I just heard back from Andrew at the gallery, and I have a show there in a few weeks, on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, and the paintings will stay up after that, until they sell.” Kristen was a local artist, and Mia had one of her paintings in her condo. It had quite a bit of damage, though, and Will was doubtful that it could be restored.
“Oh, that’s great, honey,” Lisa said. “I’ll make sure Rhett knows to keep that night free.”
“Izzy and I will make sure to come by, too,” Mia added.
“How’s Tyler doing?” Abby asked.
“He’s really good. He’s halfway through his newest book now, so it’s going much easier. He said he might even be done two weeks before his deadline, which would be a first.” Tyler was a famous mystery writer and he and Kristen lived next to each other, in matching cottages. Mia knew that Tyler had gone through a rough period after his mother died unexpectedly, and he had relapsed and started drinking again. He got the help he needed, though, and it seemed like he was back on the wagon and things were going really well with him and Kristen.
“Are you all going to Will’s cookout on Sunday?” Kate asked.
“I’ll be there,” Mia said.
“Tyler and I are planning to go.” Kristen took a sip of her coffee and reached for a bite of the muffin that was mostly untouched on her plate. Mia didn’t think she’d ever seen Kristen finish anything. There wasn’t a crumb left on Mia’s plate.
“Jeff and I are going to his mother’s for dinner, so we’ll miss it. It will be strange without Caroline there. I was so surprised to hear they broke up,” Abby said.
“I always thought he was too nice for her,” Kate said. “I’m not surprised that she moved off-island.”
Mia nodded. “I know what you mean. I liked Caroline, but I think Will would be better with someone a little more laid-back.”
Kate glanced at her sisters and smiled. “I couldn’t agree more. Do you know of anyone for him?”
Mia was surprised by the question. “No. They just broke up. I doubt he’s ready to start dating again.”
“You might be surprised. Guys often rebound faster, it seems,” Kate said.
“Jeff’s friend Michael broke up with his girlfriend of seven years and less than three months later, he was engaged to someone else,” Abby added.
Mia didn’t see that happening with Will, but she didn’t say anything. When they all finished eating and went their separate ways, Mia went upstairs. She was going to take Penny for a walk on the beach. She’d taken her out quickly to do her business before breakfast but didn’t have enough time earlier for her usual walk.
Penny was all excited when Mia returned to the room and said the magic words, “Want to go outside?” The little dog jumped around, wagging her tail and moving so much that Mia had to grab hold of her to get her leash on. Once they were ready, she pulled on a lightweight jacket and opened the door to head out. She’d just locked the door behind her when Ben came out of his room and stopped short when he saw her. He was wearing sweatpants and sneakers, and nodded at the leash.
“Are you two going out for a walk? I was just heading out for one, too. Mind if I join you?”
Mia was surprised that he’d want to, but nodded and said, “Of course. We were going to walk down the beach and back.”
“Perfect. Lead the way.”
Ben followed them down the stairs, and they all walked to the beach, which was just a few steps past the back yard. A well-worn path led down to the water’s edge. They walked along the sandy part that was packed down and firm. Now and then Penny tried to pull them closer toward the water so she could dip her toes and nose in. Ben peppered her with questions as they walked, asking her about her family and when she was last in the city.
“It’s been a little over a year. I went there for a few weeks right after Mark died, but I haven’t been back since. That’s not really my world anymore.”
Ben looked at her curiously. “I heard about that. I’m sorry.” He was quiet for a moment before asking, “You’re really here full-time now? You don’t think you’d ever want to go back?”
She nodded. “This is my home now. I love it here.”
“Oh, I love it, too. I bought that condo so I can come here whenever I want, but I doubt I’ll be here much, if at all, in the winter. Seems like it would be way too quiet for me.”
“It would be,” Mia assured him. “If you love the hustle and bustle of summer and of Manhattan every day, you might go stir-crazy here in the winter.”
He smiled. “Not you, though?”
“No.”
“So, you’re a wedding planner? Bethany and my mom only hire the best, so you must be good.”
Mia was pleased by the compliment. “I hope so. I try. What do you do?”
“Real estate investing and an online course on how to do it. I do most of the property purchasing and development in Manhattan and in the summer focus more on my online course business. That’s easy to do from anywhere.”
“That sounds interesting. I’ve always been fascinated by real estate,” Mia admitted. She and Izzy often talked about how fun it would be to do a flip together, to find an underpriced property and fix it up. Though neither one of them had any construction experience and Nantucket wasn’t a good place to find real estate bargains, and they didn’t have the money to do it. But whenever they watched one of those flipping shows on TV, they always thought it looked fun.
“Real estate is great. Do you do any investing?”
“No. I bought my condo a few years ago, and that’s about it. Do you flip properties?”
He nodded. “Sometimes, yeah. But lately, I’ve been more into buying rental properties, which generate a steady income.”
They chatted a bit more about real estate and the various restaurants they both liked. By the time they got back to the inn, Ben said he was starving.
“I really need to get up earlier. I’m going to take a drive into town and grab a bite. I don’t suppose you’re hungry yet?”
Mia laughed. “No, I just ate.”
“Right. Well, enjoy the rest of your day. Anytime you want company for a walk, let me know. If I’m around, I’ll gladly join you.
“Thanks, Ben. I’ll keep that in mind. See you soon.”
* * *
After going to Kate’s appetizer party the night before and with Will’s cookout coming up on Sunday, Mia didn’t mind at all that she found herself without any plans on a Saturday night. She stopped by the grocery store and stocked up on some junk food—potato chips and her favorite Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt. She had a couple of good books that she’d been meaning to dive into, and she knew that Penny certainly would welcome her company for the evening. Her only plans were to maybe get some takeout, then head back to her room and hunker down.
But as she was driving home from the grocery store, her cell phone rang, and she was surprised to see that it was Izzy. Surprised because they had already spoken earlier in the day. They usually talked most days, even if it was just a quick call to catch up.
“Hey, Mia. I’m not catching you in the middle of anything, am I?”
Mia laughed. “No, I’m just out grocery shopping. Nothing too exciting. What’s up?”
“Well, I know it’s kind of short notice—you probably already have plans tonight?”
“No plans. I was actually going to stay in. Why, what are you up to?”
“Just wondered if you felt like doing something? Maybe having a girls’ night sleepover, like we talked about?”
Something in Izzy’s voice sounded a bit off.
“Sure, I’d love to.” Mia paused for a moment before asking, “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” There was a moment of silence followed by a heavy sigh. “Rick got some bad news yesterday at work, and he’s not taking it well. I thought I�
��d give him a break and get out of his hair for the night.”
“Okay. Well, I’m heading home now. So, come on over anytime.”
“Thanks, Mia. I’ll see you in about an hour.”
* * *
Mia stopped at Bradford’s Liquors on the way home to pick up a bottle of Izzy’s favorite wine. She had a feeling that they were going to need it.
An hour later, Izzy arrived with her overnight bag and a bottle of wine as well. She gave Mia a hug, set her bag down, and handed her sister the wine. It was Josh Cabernet, Mia’s favorite red.
“Oh, this is so nice!” Izzy looked around the room, walked over to a window and took in the view. It was a sunny day, and the tide was coming in. Mia had the window open a few inches to let in the crisp air. The sea was calm, and the sound of the waves was soothing.
“Thanks. We are liking it here.” Penny ran over to Izzy, wagging her tail and barking to get her attention. Izzy laughed as she bent over, scooped the small dog up and gave her a hug.
“I’ve missed you, Penny!” Izzy put her down after a moment, then sat on the edge of Mia’s bed and Penny jumped up next to her.
“So, what do you feel like doing?” Mia asked. “We could grab a bite somewhere or we could stay in, but all I have is potato chips, ice cream and wine.”
Izzy laughed nervously. “I wouldn’t mind going out somewhere casual. Millie’s, maybe? It’s early enough that we shouldn’t have to wait too long, and then we can come back here and relax.”
“I’m always up for Millie’s. That sounds great.” Mia sensed that Izzy wasn’t ready to talk yet but, after some guac and chips and a drink, she might be. They took Penny out for a quick walk and fed her before heading over to Millie’s.
The restaurant wasn’t crowded yet, as predicted, so they went upstairs to the bar area and sat at one of the high-top tables. They were tempted to get margaritas, but since they had wine for later, they both decided to stay with red wine. They also put in an order for shrimp, and scallop and bacon tacos and some guacamole and chips to share.
Nantucket Weddings Page 4