A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina

by Annalisa Daughety

  Her family sided with her ex? Justin hoped he hid his shock at that statement and resisted the desire to ask why they would do such a thing. Might be best to leave the topic for another time. “Well, Charleston is a great place to live, so you made a good choice. I grew up here and don’t plan on ever leaving.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been happy here. I love what I do.” She gestured around. “I found a home that suits me.” She shrugged. “That’s my story. Now how about you?”

  Justin shook his head. “I told you most of it already. I guess I have this habit of choosing women who have problems.” He grinned. “Luke gives me a hard time about it.” He glanced at her. “That’s one of the things I liked about you. You seem to have it all together. Even Luke says what a help you are to Summer’s business. That’s not exactly what I’m used to.” Even his own mama got on his case about the women he chose to date. Samantha had been the one who’d caused his family the most grief though. They’d been friends in college, even though they didn’t have much in common. She’d always been fun to hang out with. And when they’d reconnected a couple of years ago, she’d been pregnant with Colton. She said she didn’t know who the father was, and Justin could tell she was terrified at the thought of raising a child alone. She’d considered putting the baby up for adoption but had changed her mind at the last minute.

  Justin would readily admit that the two of them were morefriends than sweethearts, but he’d chosen to stick beside her as she adjusted to motherhood. She’d been totally overwhelmed. Then he’d fallen in love with the baby and had stayed a part of Samantha’s life so he could have a relationship with Colton. These days Samantha had moved on, even had another child, but Justin had remained her friend.

  He wondered how Ashley would react to his relationship with Colton. The guys gave him a hard time about being a pseudo daddy to the child. But he figured he was still on shaky ground with Ashley, so this was no time to bring it up.

  “I haven’t always had it together. But over the past couple of years, I’ve worked hard to simplify my life. I enjoy work, have a few close friends, and am involved with my church.” She grinned. “I think I’ve finally found that ever-elusive balance.”

  Justin appreciated her outlook. “That’s great. I think so many people search for that their whole lives. They put work in front of their family and in front of their spiritual life. And really, without those things, how do they enjoy their success?”

  Ashley looked at him with surprise. “Exactly.”

  “So…” He trailed off with a grin. “Any chance you’d be able to put the other night behind us and consider going with me to a movie or something this weekend?”

  “I’d love to. As long as you leave your race car driving skills at home.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  Chapter 16

  Luke sat on the boat and stared out at the water. He’d been expecting his phone to ring and to hear Summer’s voice on the other end, asking him to come home.

  But his phone had been silent all night. Not even a text.

  He knew he’d done a lot of things wrong in his life. And the past year had been one of the toughest he’d ever endured. It ranked right up there with the year he was ten and his mama died.

  Grief did funny things to a person. Luke learned that lesson more than twenty years ago. After Mama died, his dad had turned to the bottle, and it had almost been as if he’d died, too. Rose had started staying at their aunt’s house most of the time, and Luke and Bobby had been left to fend for themselves. “I’ve always got your back, little brother.” How many times had he said that to Bobby? He’d covered for his brother through the years, taking the blame for everything from breaking a lamp to forgetting to mow the yard. He’d protected Bobby from as much pain as he could.

  But he hadn’t been able to protect him from the semi whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and drifted into the wrong lane.

  People kept saying the pain would go away in time.

  Luke felt certain those people had never experienced sudden loss, never received that phone call that blares out in the middle of the night, and before you even answer it, you know bad news is on the line.

  Mama’s death had been expected. Still hard. Still life-changing. But expected. She’d fought her cancer like a warrior, but in the end she’d been too tired to fight anymore. Knowing she was finally at peace gave him some comfort, though he was only a child.

  But Bobby’s accident had blindsided him like a bullet from a sniper’s gun. There’d been no preparation. No last good-bays or final words. His brother was there one day and gone the good-bye next. Luke had called Bobby’s phone out of habit many times over the past few months. As soon as it would ring, he’d remember. Bobby would never answer his calls again.

  Luke had been tough his whole life. But putting his brother in the ground had been the hardest thing he’d ever done.

  The cell phone rang beside him, and the light from the screen lit up the darkness.

  “Hello,” he said, not even bothering to check who was on the other end. He was ready to go home to his wife.

  “Luke,” Rose said. “I can’t believe I actually connected with you. I’ve been trying for weeks. Don’t you ever check your voice mails?”

  He sighed. “Sorry. Things have been a little crazy. How are Dave and the kids?”

  “They’re great. Of course, you would know that if you ever came for a visit. Katie Beth asks me all the time why her uncle

  Luke doesn’t come see her anymore.”

  He had all but lost contact with his sister and her family after Bobby’s accident. It made him too sad to be around them. “Sorry.” He sighed.

  “Well, I need you to come out to the house soon.” Rose’s voice sounded identical to Mama’s. She’d even acquired that tone that told him there was no declining her request.

  “I’m not sure when I can make it out there.”

  “Find the time. You know we’ve moved into the house. Not that you offered to help us, but we finally got all moved in. And I’ve got to get rid of some of the stuff that’s here. I don’t think Daddy ever threw anything away.”

  “Why do you want me to come out there?” Luke asked. He’d avoided his childhood home for years.

  “Bobby’s stuff is here. If you want anything of his, you need to come look through it.”

  “Can’t you just store it somewhere?”

  “I’ve been storing it,” Rose said sharply. “It’s been almost a year. I’ve got to do something with it.” She let out a loud sigh. “It’s been hard on all of us, Luke. But we’ve got to deal with his belongings.”

  “I can pay for a storage building.”

  “You don’t get to throw money at this and make it go away,” Rose said quietly. “Come out here and look through it. Besides, there’s still a ton of your old things here anyway. I don’t want to toss it all without you at least seeing it.”

  He knew it was time to man up. “Okay. I’ll come out Saturday if that’s okay.”

  “Perfect. I’ll cook lunch, and you can stay for a visit. I hope

  Summer can come, too.”

  Luke let out a breath. “She’s probably busy, but thanks.” His sister would hit the roof if she thought there was trouble between him and Summer. She’d often told him over the years that Summer was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

  And she was right.

  “See you Saturday. The kids will be thrilled.”

  They said their good-byes and hung up. He looked at the clock on his phone. It was after ten. If Summer had planned to call him, she would’ve done it by now.

  Guess it was time to see if the living quarters in the boat were as nice as the salesman had promised.

  Summer peeled herself off the tile floor and looked at the clock. She couldn’t believe she’d slept there most of the night.

  “Come on, boy,” she said to Milo.

  The big dog opened one eye and rolled over.

  Summer went into
the bedroom where she’d dropped her purse and phone yesterday. She picked up her phone. No missed calls.

  She sank onto the bed, wide awake. Even though she’d never been angrier at Luke, she couldn’t help but worry about him. Had he slept on the boat? Checked into a hotel?

  She considered calling Justin to see if he’d stayed there but thought better of it. There was no reason to involve anyone else in their problems. She already regretted telling Ashley what had happened yesterday.

  She’d always been a private person and had never liked people to know when she had problems. Even in high school when she’d struggled with math, she’d hired a tutor from a different school so none of her friends would ever know.

  Today she felt better though. More at peace. She’d woken up a couple of times and each time had prayed that God would see her through. Today’s peace was undoubtedly a result of those prayers. She still had a lot to deal with and knew that she and Luke had problems to face—but she didn’t feel alone anymore.

  She got up and quickly got ready for work. She and Milo would walk to the office, hopefully before Luke came to the house. She knew he’d have to come home to get a uniform. And she didn’t plan on being there when he did.

  An hour later, she and Milo walked through the deserted downtown streets. She’d forgotten how peaceful it could be. At this hour, the tourists were still sleeping, tucked away in their historic bed and breakfasts. The residents were just beginning to wake.

  And she and Milo had the city all to themselves.

  Chapter 17

  You sure do yawn a lot,” a little boy said, peering at Luke from his spot next to a cannon.

  Luke gave him a smile. He’d just delivered what might be the worst ranger talk in park service history. It was a good thing none of his coworkers had listened to him stumble through. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  The child looked at him with wide eyes. “My bedtime is eight. Maybe your bedtime should be eight, too.”

  Luke chuckled despite himself. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Sorry,” the boy’s mother said, walking over and putting an arm around her son. “Tommy has never met a stranger.”

  “Not a problem.” Luke smiled at the boy again. “Hope you enjoy the rest of your tour.” He watched them walk off, hand in hand. Kids sure kept you on your toes. A pang of sadness hit him hard. Not a day went by that he didn’t think of the child he and Summer had lost.

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out a tattered black and white ultrasound picture. The edges had become frayed, but the picture was clear. That tiny speck of life frozen in time on the page had once given him such happiness. He couldn’t count the times he’d stared at the photo, wishing things hadturned out differently. When Summer miscarried, they’d been close to finding out if it was a boy or a girl. Luke would’ve been happy with either but had secretly longed for a son of his own.

  “Everything okay?” Walter Young asked.

  Luke jumped at the sound of his boss’s voice. “Yes sir.” He hurriedly stuffed the photo back in his wallet, but not before Mr. Young had seen it.

  The older man peered at him. “Are congratulations in order?” he asked. “The idea of becoming a father for the first time is certainly enough to distract a man.”

  Luke frowned. “No sir. Summer’s not…she’s not pregnant anymore.”

  His boss clasped him on the back. “I’m sorry to hear of your loss.” He motioned toward the museum. “Listen, if you need to take some time off, say the word.”

  Mr. Young’s obvious concern touched him. “Thanks. I don’t need time off, at least not right now.” Would time off give him the chance to fix his crumbling life? Probably not. “But thank you.”

  Mr. Young nodded. “We like you here, Luke. You do a good job. The visitors enjoy your programs.” He furrowed his brow. “But I’ve noticed that these past weeks you’ve been struggling.” He gestured toward the wallet in Luke’s hand. “And I think this is probably why.”

  Luke didn’t say anything. He’d thought his emotions were pretty well in check. But maybe not well enough. Embarrassment washed over him. He hated the thought of his coworkers thinking he wasn’t doing a good job. “I’m sorry, sir.”

  Mr. Young drew his brows together. “Don’t be sorry, son.

  Dealing with real-life stuff happens. We don’t expect you to be a robot.” He smiled. “Actually, now that I know what’s going on, I feel better about the opportunity that’s about to come your way.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, it’s clear that you have a talent dealing with the school groups who come through here. I’d like for you to consider tacking that onto your job responsibilities permanently. I know it’s something we normally share between rangers, but I think we might be better suited if you take sole responsibility.” Mr. Young peered at him over round glasses. “And there’d be a pay grade increase to go with it.”

  Luke couldn’t hide his surprise. “Really?”

  Mr. Young chuckled. “Think about it for a few days and let me know. You may not want more responsibility.” He glanced at his watch. “Nearly quitting time. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  Luke nodded. He’d never been readier for the day to be over. Summer may have been able to avoid him this morning by leaving early, but she would have to face him tonight.

  Two hours later, he pulled into the driveway. It looked like she wasn’t home yet. That was fine. He could wait.

  He went upstairs and pulled a duffel bag from the closet. He threw in a few changes of clothing and some toiletries. He opened the linen closet and grabbed a couple of towels and the extra-soft blanket someone had given them as a wedding gift years ago.

  That should just about do it. Luke zipped the bag and grabbed the pillow from his side of the bed. He cast one last look around their bedroom and headed downstairs. As he reached the bottom step, the front door swung open. Milo bounded inside and jumped onto the couch. Luke set down his bags and steeled himself for what he knew would come next.

  The workday had been a struggle for Summer. She’d wanted to call Luke so many times but had decided against it. She was still angry, but she felt like she owed him an apology for telling him to stay on the boat last night. And that apology needed to be made in person. They weren’t the kind of couple who gave up when things got tough.

  She knew he was probably furious with her, but seeing his truck in the driveway had been a huge relief. She followed Milo inside the house, trying to figure out what her first words should be.

  Luke stood in the entryway at the bottom of the stairs.

  As soon as she saw him, her eyes filled with tears. “Luke.” She dropped her purse and planner inside the door and walked toward him.

  Then she saw his duffel bag and pillow sitting next to his guitar case.

  She stopped in her tracks. “What’s that?” she whispered, already knowing the answer.

  Luke sighed. “I can’t very well stay on the boat without some of my things. I don’t want to have to drive over here every morning before work.”

  She locked eyes with him. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t expect you to stay there.”

  He raked his hands through his hair. The dark circles under his eyes told the tale of a sleepless night. “Let’s talk.” He motioned toward the living room.

  She felt her heart drop to her stomach. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t what she meant to happen. “Okay,” she whispered. She perched gingerly on the couch next to a sprawled out Milo.

  Luke sat down next to her but didn’t touch her. “I didn’t sleep last night. Not a wink. I’ve had a lot of time to think.”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything. She was afraid if she said a word, she might burst into tears.

  “You were right to leave me there yesterday.” He gave her a sideways look. “I don’t understand how it’s come to this. But I know that I don’t want to be this guy. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I alread
y have.”

  She focused on her breathing. “What are you saying, exactly?”

  “I hear the things that come out of my mouth.” He shook his head in disgust. “That’s not who I am. Or at least, who I want to be.”

  Summer let out a hot breath. “Luke. Just spit it out, okay? What’s going on?”

  “I need some time to get myself together. I’m not the guy you married. You didn’t sign up for this.” He shrugged. “Me not realizing how upset you’d get about that money was the icing on the cake. I’ve felt for a long time like we were headed down the wrong path. And it hit me last night. You’ve beenwalking on eggshells around me. Haven’t you?” He peered at her, his brown eyes serious.

  “Yeah, maybe. I mean, I know how tough things have been for you. I shouldn’t expect you to bounce right back from two awful tragedies.”

  Luke shook his head. “I’m so sorry. Really. But I can’t do this to you anymore. I remember what it was like to live in a house where you had to walk on eggshells. I don’t want that to be your life. So I think it would be best if I stayed on the boat for a little while.” He refused to meet her eyes.

  She sat in shock. She hadn’t anticipated this ever happening to her. “So that’s it? You’re just walking out?”

  He furrowed his brow. “You told me to stay on the boat. You told me you needed some space.”

  “Yeah, for a few hours. I didn’t think you’d—I didn’t think you’d…” She looked at him in horror. “So you’re done? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “No.” He leaned back and rested his palms on his forehead for a second, then sat up and faced her. “I’m saying I think you were right. We do need some space. I need to get it together. You don’t deserve what I’ve been putting you through.”

  “What about counseling? The church has a counselor on staff. I could make an appointment.”

  He glared at her. “I don’t want counseling from someone at your church. I want time to work things out on my own.” He stood.