He backed slowly out of their driveway. “Not too much longer. I left there and went to see Daddy.”
She turned to look at his profile. As far as she knew, Luke hadn’t seen his father since Bobby’s funeral. “How’s he doing?”
Luke shook his head. “Not well. Not well at all. His mind is wandering. He thinks I’m Uncle Pete.”
She reached over and rubbed his leg. “I’m sorry. I know that’s got to be tough.”
“I waited too long.” Luke slowed the truck to a stop at a red light. “He doesn’t even know it’s me.” He reached down and covered her hand with his. “It’s one of many regrets.”
She hated to hear it. She’d always hoped Luke and his daddy would somehow make amends. When she was pregnant, she’dfoolishly thought the baby would be the bridge that healed the relationship. But it sounded like that wasn’t going to happen.
Luke parked the truck and came around to help her down. He didn’t let go of her hand as they walked toward the restaurant.
And even though there was still a distance between them at least a mile wide, Summer held on to his hand for all she was worth.
Luke wasn’t sure which was the biggest surprise of the evening so far. The fact that Summer looked more beautiful than he could ever remember her looking or that he’d seen Jefferson leaving the house as he pulled into the driveway.
That dude was really on his nerves. Jefferson had held up a half gallon of milk and pointed to it as Luke drove by. But Luke wasn’t stupid. Jefferson had no more needed to borrow milk than Luke needed a hole in the head.
He wasn’t going to mention it to Summer though. Sweet Summer. She’d never think Jefferson had an ulterior motive for anything. She’d always believed the best in people. And he could hardly complain about it, as that was one of the things that had drawn him to her in the first place. But it really chapped his hide to see Jefferson with that smirk, sauntering out of the driveway like he’d just won a ticket to paradise.
Luke knew he’d only look like a jealous fool if he said something, and he didn’t want a repeat of their Memorial Day argument. So he’d keep his mouth shut. “You look prettytonight.” He tugged on her hand as they walked into the restaurant. “Even prettier than the day we met.”
She beamed. “Thanks.”
They followed the hostess to a table for two and ordered their standard fare.
“Is it boring that we always order the same thing here?” Summer asked.
He shook his head and admired the way her dark hair fell in waves around her face. “Not at all. It’s comforting. Like a warm blanket on a cold night.” He grinned.
“So what made you decide to go see your daddy?” she asked.
He filled her in on his visit to see Rose and go through Bobby’s things. “I couldn’t be the reason Katie Beth and Dale didn’t get to go to Disney.”
Summer nodded. “I’m glad you stepped in. I actually spoke to Rose on the phone earlier in the week.” She locked eyes with him. “I think we’ve messed up by not being more involved with their lives.”
“You mean I’ve messed up.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. A lot of time to consider the wrong decisions I’ve made. I don’t know why I always thought everyone was against me, but I did.”
“I’ve never been against you,” Summer said quietly. “You know that.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I know. You’re the reason I’m not completely screwed up.”
Summer gave him a tiny smile. “Glad I could help.” She sighed. “What are we going to do here?”
“Eat?”
At her steely glare, he chuckled. “Sorry. I’m trying. But this whole getting in touch with my emotions thing isn’t exactly easy for me.”
“No. Emotions have never been your strong point.”
He sighed. “I’ve been really focusing on letting go of my anger. I don’t know how you stood it for so long.” Ever since he’d opened Bobby’s Bible, he’d been thinking about where his anger was coming from and how to get rid of it.
“I kept thinking you’d snap out of it. But you never did.”
The waitress set their food on the table.
Summer caught his eye. He knew she was waiting on him to pray for their food. But he hadn’t quite worked up to talking to God yet. “Dig in,” he said with a smile.
“Summer,” a petite blond woman said, coming up to their table. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Summer smiled at the woman. “Thanks, you, too.” She glanced at Luke. “This is Madelyn Ashworth. She’s just opened up a new bridal shop over on Calhoun Street.” She turned to Madelyn. “This is my husband, Luke Nelson.”
He stood and shook Madelyn’s hand. “Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Did you tell him about the dress?” Madelyn trilled.
Summer shook her head.
“What dress?” he asked.
“Your beautiful wife had never tried on a wedding dress before. But you probably know that.” Madelyn giggled. “We had her try on her dream gown the other day just for fun. She looked like a princess.”
He raised his eyebrows at Summer. “I’ll bet.”
“You’ll have to get your friend to show him the pictures.” Madelyn patted Summer on the back. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your dinner.” She smiled at him. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” he said.
Once she was gone, he looked at Summer. “Your dream wedding dress, huh? You’re not planning on running off with some other guy are you?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he had a vision of her with Jefferson.
She shook her head. “It was stupid. But Ashley and Madelyn were so persuasive. And the dress was beautiful.” She shrugged. “I guess I’ve always wondered what I’d look like in a fancy bridal gown.”
“I already know what you’d look like. I don’t need a picture to tell me. You were the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen on the day I married you, even if we were just at City Hall in church clothes.”
She gave him a half smile. “Thanks.” She sighed.
“Are you upset?”
Summer shrugged. “Just trying to process things here.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I know you’re working through things. But I think maybe there’s stuff with us that needs to be worked through, too.”
“I don’t want to lose you. To lose us.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“You mean that?” She looked at him hopefully. “Counseling even?”
He slowly nodded. “Yes. Whatever it takes. You make the arrangements, and I’ll be there.”
Her lips turned upward in a smile. “It means a lot that you’re willing to do that. I think after the year we’ve had, we could both use some help dealing.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner. I kept thinking I could handle everything on my own. Kept thinking that if I didn’t talk about things, they’d go away.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to turn into my daddy.”
She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Why do you say that?”
“I get the feeling that he wishes he’d done things differently and not been so distant from us, especially after Mama died. And it hit me the other day that I was doing the same thing. I watched grief eat him up. Watched it turn him into someone I didn’t recognize. And then I almost let it do the same thing to me.” He shook his head. “I need to learn from his mistakes. At this point, I think it’s the only way to be the son I never was.”
Summer’s blue eyes glistened with tears. “I’ve been praying that you’d come to that conclusion.”
He gripped her hand. “Keep praying for me, Summer. It helps me sleep better at night, knowing you’re praying for me.”
A tear trickled down her face. “Let’s go.”
He pulled some cash out of his wallet and put it on the table then stood and held out a hand to her.
They walked slowly to his truck.
; He paused before he opened the passenger door. “We’ll be okay. Right?”
She nodded. “Hope so.”
He pulled her tightly to him and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo.
Chapter 29
Ashley listened as Summer filled her in on the events of the weekend. “What do you think changed his mind about counseling?”
Summer shrugged. “I have no idea. Rose. His daddy’s condition. Having time to think.” She sighed. “Honestly, I don’t care who or what the catalyst was. I’m just thankful he wants to give it a try.”
Ashley had been surprised when Summer started the day by telling her something personal. Since Luke had moved to the boat, Summer had started to open up more. It was almost as if she’d been letting things build up inside her until she couldn’t help but let them out. “Me, too. I know I saw a counselor after my divorce. The thing that helped the most was for me to talk through my feelings. It sounds like that’s what y’all need, too.”
“Luke’s never been much on sharing the way he feels. I think that’s one reason why he writes songs. They help him express things he can’t say out loud in conversation.”
Ashley doodled on a pad in front of her. “He’s that way even with you? I mean, I can see that he might not be all touchy-feely with other people, but I figured it was different where you’re concerned.”
Summer chuckled. “I wish. Just getting him to say, ‘I love you,’ is a big deal. He usually says ‘Me, too,’ or something like that.” She sighed. “I know he loves me. But it would be nice to hear it verbalized every now and then.”
“I guess that doesn’t come easy to everyone.” Ashley couldn’t help but think of Justin. He might be the exact opposite of Luke in that regard. Justin wasn’t afraid to express himself.
“So how about you? Have you gotten over the age difference with Justin yet?”
Ashley shook her head. “It’s more than the age difference. I mean, that’s the driving force behind my uncertainty. But then there’s that awful feeling of vulnerability that goes along with letting someone into your life.”
“And you’re not ready for that?”
Ashley didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for that again. “I love spending time with Justin. But he seems like he’s ready to jump in with both feet, and I barely have a toe in the water. You know?” She sighed.
“So how did it go the other night? Did you tell him that you couldn’t see him again?”
Ashley shook her head. “Not exactly. He’d had a tough day.” She explained about Samantha and Colton. “And then he wanted to know what I thought he should do. I could tell he was implying that his decision to take on more responsibility for Colton would impact me. It’s kind of flattering that he’d even take my feelings into consideration. Except that it adds another dimension to the situation.” She sighed. “Because then I would be involved with Colton’s life, too. And then if things didn’t work out or whatever, that’s one more hurt toadd to the pile.”
Summer frowned. “It still seems like a lot of excuses to me. Are you sure you’re not just looking for a reason to write him off in order to protect yourself?”
“No. At least I don’t think so.” Ashley rifled through some papers on her desk and refused to meet Summer’s gaze. Maybe her friend was right. Were the qualms she had about Justin legitimate? Or was she just scared of getting hurt again?
Justin wasn’t used to carrying around so much anxiety. But between trying to figure out what to do about Colton and trying to guess what was going on inside Ashley’s head, he was a basket case.
He’d spent Sunday afternoon talking to his parents about the situation with Samantha and Colton, and they’d been very supportive. He was supposed to talk to Samantha tonight, and he had no idea what to expect.
“I’m not going to pray for Samantha to agree to Colton living with you,” Mom had said. “Instead, I’m going to pray that the situation will work out according to God’s will.”
Justin liked that outlook. Some people might think it was crazy to have that kind of faith. But he couldn’t imagine living any other way.
He pulled up in front of the townhouse and thought about what he wanted to say. He’d decided that either way, he’d make the best out of the situation. And even if Samantha was firm in her decision for Colton to live with her mama,
Justin knew he’d still get to hang out with the little boy often.
He closed the door on his pickup and walked up the sidewalk to the townhouse. He rapped on the door and waited.
The door swung open, and Samantha stood on the other side. She smiled. “Come in. But please excuse the mess.” She ushered him inside.
Boxes in various stages of being packed were piled around the living room. He stepped over two boxes labeled KITCHEN and sat down on the couch. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready for a fresh start.” She knelt on the floor next to a bookshelf and began to stack books in a box.
“Can I ask you something?”
Samantha looked up. “Sure. What’s up?” She set down the books and looked at him with tired eyes.
Justin sighed. “I’m here about Colton. Have you told him that you’re leaving him behind?” It broke his heart to think of Colton feeling unwanted.
“Look, it wasn’t an easy decision.” Samantha picked at a loose cuticle. “But I think it’s the best one for everyone.”
“Do you see this as a permanent arrangement?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I guess it depends on how Mama does with him.”
“So you realize that she might not be able to care for him forever?”
Samantha narrowed her eyes. “Of course I do. It’s just that…” She trailed off. “Carl doesn’t like Colton too much. I mean, Allison is his own flesh and blood, so he dotes on her. But Colton gets on his nerves. You know how much energy he has.”
Justin had suspected as much. “And this is your chance to get out of here and start over as a family.”
“Well, yeah.” She buried her face in her hands. “Honestly, sometimes I think it would’ve been better for all of us if I’d have given Colton up when he was born. I never feel like I give him what he needs anymore. Allison ends up getting my attention, and he has to do his own thing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “And then I start to feel like I must be the worst mother in the world.”
Samantha had always been plagued by insecurities about her mothering skills. That was one of the reasons Justin had gotten so involved in the first place. When Colton was newborn, she’d been terrified she’d hurt him somehow. Justin had ended up doing a lot of bottle and diaper duty as a result.
“In light of that, there’s something I want you to think about.” He took a breath. “I’d like for Colton to live with me.” He leveled his gaze on her. “Permanently.”
Her eyes widened. “No way. You don’t mean that.”
He nodded. “I’m serious.”
“But he requires a lot of attention. I mean constantly. And soon he’ll be in preschool, so there’ll be all that stuff to contend with.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why would you want to do that? Don’t you think it will mess up your life?”
Justin rarely got angry. But with each word she spoke, he felt his blood boil. “I know he needs attention. And I don’t mind giving it to him. And contending with stuff like preschool and T-ball and homework wouldn’t be an imposition, because I love him and want what’s best for him.”
Samantha’s head dropped. “Sorry. I can’t fathom someone voluntarily choosing that life.”
He stood. “I know I don’t have a claim to Colton. But I want what’s best for him. If you decide that’s being raised by your mama, that’s fine. But if you think he’d be better off with me, my offer stands.” He turned to go.
Samantha walked him to the door. “Would it be just a trial basis?”
“No.” He paused in the doorway. “Colton doesn’t deserve to be some kind of guinea pig that
lets me figure out if I’m ready for the responsibility. If I didn’t think I was ready on a permanent basis, I wouldn’t have offered.” He turned to go.
“Wait,” she called, following him down the sidewalk.
He turned to face her. “Yeah?”
“You’re right.” She gave him a tiny smile. “Colton would be better off with you than he would with anyone else. Even me. You’ve been there for him when no one else was.” She bit her lip. “He’d be lucky to have you.”
“No…I’d be lucky to have him,” Justin said.
She smiled. “Maybe you’d be lucky to have each other.”
“Then it’s settled?”
Samantha nodded. “I’ll talk to Mama about it tonight. I think she’ll be relieved. But you’ll take him to visit her, right?”
“Of course.”
“And I’ll want to see him when I come to town to see Mama.”
Justin nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.”
He waved good-bye and climbed into the truck. He’d tried to tell himself he was going to be okay no matter the outcome of the conversation with Samantha. But the relief that washedover him now told him that only one outcome would have satisfied him.
He didn’t know how it would go when Colton moved in. But he knew that with his parents’ help and lots of prayers, they’d be fine.
Chapter 30
Summer tossed a rawhide chew onto Milo’s dog bed at the shop. He’d seemed depressed this morning, so she’d decided to bring him to the office.
She sat down at her desk and flipped open her planner. As she turned the page to today’s date, her heart dropped. The words DUE DATE written in bold jumped out at her. She shut the planner tightly and sat back in her chair.
How had she forgotten?
“Morning,” Ashley said. “You’re here early.”
Summer looked up. “I’m supposed to meet with Jennifer St. Claire tomorrow.” She shrugged. “You know how picky she is. I was trying to put together a couple of possible itineraries for her out-of-town guests.”
A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina Page 18