Paige Torn

by Erynn Mangum

  Layla booked an oldies swing band and I watch them set up and practice. They sound a little like Michael Bublé’s music. Layla comes by with a huge stack of plates then, and I go to help.

  “Nice band,” I say, helping her set the plates and napkins on the table that will also hold the food. We are doing it buffet style but with assigned seating. Layla says it is so her mom doesn’t have to sit next to someone who makes her nuts the whole night.

  “Still like them?” Layla asks, listening to them practice for a minute. There are seven of them — a guy on a piano, two guitarists, a drummer, a bass player, a violinist, and a cellist. Only the guy on the piano and the girl guitarist do the singing.

  They sound good. We chose the right band.

  “My only criteria was that they sounded okay and knew songs that Mom and Dad know,” Layla says. “Which right away eliminated 98 percent of the bands in the city.”

  I laugh.

  The caterer shows up a little after five, right as some of the guests are arriving. We help her transfer hot serving dishes set over Sterno cans to the table, and then the lady nods once everything is out. “I’ll be back around ten to get the dishes,” she says to Layla. “Enjoy!”

  “Thank you.” Layla motions me over and lifts the lid on a steaming bowl. “The Burgundy sauce,” she whispers, awe filling her voice. She arranges the food table a little more while she talks to some of her extended family who just arrived. I walk over to the tables to start lighting all the candles.

  “Paige Alder.” I am on my last table when I hear the voice behind me and bite the inside of my cheek, my chest squeezing tight. I turn around.

  Luke Prestwick is standing there, all dressed up in a black suit and gray tie. He smiles at me, holding out his hand. “It has been a long time.”

  Luke looks good, but then he always did. Same thick, straight dark hair. Same big smile. Same chocolate brown eyes.

  Why didn’t I figure on Luke coming? And why didn’t Layla warn me?

  I look around for her, but she is apparently in the middle of a big group of Prestwicks over by the stage.

  I finally settle my gaze back on Luke and smile. “It’s good to see you, Luke.” I put my hand in his, aiming for a brief handshake.

  He holds my hand with both of his. “You look beautiful, Paige.”

  This is just awkward. We broke up. He moved. I closed and shelved the book on Luke Prestwick, and as far as I’m concerned, on the shelf is a good place for him.

  “Paige, do we need to set up anything else?”

  Suddenly Tyler is standing beside me, looking from me to Luke and then down to my hand in both of his.

  Awkwardness is just flowing tonight.

  Somehow I ratchet my hand out of Luke’s grasp and cross my arms over my chest. “I’ll find Layla and ask, Tyler.”

  Tyler and Luke are just looking at each other, and I immediately feel like a bad hostess, even though I’m not the one hosting this party. “Tyler, Luke. Luke, Tyler. Luke is Layla’s older brother, Tyler.”

  “Got it. Nice to meet you.” Tyler holds out his hand.

  I take the opportunity to hurry as fast as I can into the throng of Prestwicks and find Layla, laughing with one of her cousins.

  “We need to talk.” I grab Layla’s arm and march her out of the family pack.

  “Paige?”

  I pull her over to the corner by the gazebo. “Why didn’t you tell me Luke was coming?”

  Layla brightens immediately. “He’s here?” she asks excitedly. Then she sees my expression and sobers quickly. “Oh, Paige. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming, I swear.”

  I sigh. “It’s fine. I should have figured.”

  “Why? He hasn’t come to anything here in a long time.” She is bouncing on her toes, looking over the growing crowd of people at him. I can tell she is trying to hold back her happiness, and I feel awful for feeling weird about it.

  Too many conflicting feelings tonight.

  I hear a buzz, and Layla pulls her phone out of the front pocket on her dress and grins. “Mom just texted to say thank you for the limo!” She cups her hands over her mouth. “Everyone! They’re going to be here in ten minutes!”

  A brief cheer goes up from the crowd. I turn around, amazed at how many people have come. The Prestwicks have a lot of friends and family.

  The band starts playing something without vocals, a quiet, catchy song that people can still talk over. Layla disappears to go give Luke a hug.

  “So.” Tyler is suddenly standing beside me again, and I look up at him and smile.

  “So,” I echo. I realize that I wasn’t really paying attention earlier. Tyler cleans up nicely. Khakis, a blue dress shirt over a white T-shirt, and brown shoes. His hair is curling in a blond mess. He doesn’t have any resemblance to a logger tonight.

  I grin. “You look nice.”

  “Occasionally I dress up.” He winks at me.

  “Everyone!” Layla shouts again over the noise. The band stops playing and motions for her to come up on the gazebo. She hurries up the steps and grabs one of the microphones. “Guys, they’ll be here in five. If everyone can find their seats, I’d appreciate it. When they arrive, the band is going to play their first dance song and introduce them like they did at their wedding.”

  People start moving all around the tables, looking for their names. Tyler smiles at me. “I hope we’re at the same table.”

  “We are.” I nod. “We’re at the back table so we can help do things if we need to.” I point to the table, thankful it’s about as far away from the Prestwicks’ table as possible.

  I need some perspective.

  Jesus, help me out here!

  I follow Tyler over to the table with our place cards on it and smile as he pulls out my chair for me. “Thanks.”

  This table isn’t completely full. Layla’s neighbors growing up and a man who works with Mr. Prestwick and his wife are already sitting there. We make our introductions, but I forget their names as soon as I hear them.

  A few minutes later, a limo pulls up alongside the park and the driver opens the back door. Mrs. Prestwick climbs out, looking completely confused and absolutely beautiful in a simple black dress. The band starts playing “Up Where We Belong,” and I force back a laugh.

  Ah, the music of the eighties.

  Mr. Prestwick climbs out then, and the guy playing the piano leans into the microphone. “Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Michael Prestwick!”

  Mrs. Prestwick immediately starts crying as the crowd cheers and applauds. Layla hurries over to give her parents a hug, and I feel myself choking up for no reason at all except for the sweet scene in front of me and the ever-so-cheesy song the guy and girl are now singing together.

  The three of them walk over to the front by the gazebo, and Layla is urging her parents to dance.

  They finally agree and the crowd cheers again. I look over at Tyler, curious what he is thinking as pretty much the only person here who has never met Layla’s parents.

  He is grinning. He glances at me and his smile grows.

  I smile back.

  The band finishes the song, Mr. Prestwick kisses his wife, and we all clap again, a few people whistling. Layla is back on the stage and steals the microphone again.

  “Mom, Dad, happy anniversary!” she says, and Mrs. Prestwick starts crying again.

  Layla grins at her mom. “Well, I hope you’re surprised. And I was actually planning on praying for our delicious food myself, but in another surprise, someone else flew in to say it for us.” She waves to the side of the gazebo, and Luke walks up the steps.

  There are really waterworks from Mrs. Prestwick now. I think Mr. Prestwick is even wiping away tears.

  Luke grins his signature smile at his parents. “I love you guys,” he says into the microphone. His gaze flickers over the tables until he meets my eyes. He smiles wider. “Let’s pray. Lord, thank You for this evening, for Layla and Paige for arranging all of this, and most of all, for my parents
. Lord, they are the biggest blessing in my life, and I know I owe everything — especially growing up learning to love You — to them. Bless them and keep them, Lord. And bless this food. Amen.”

  “Amen,” the crowd mumbles.

  Layla takes back the microphone. “We’re going to let my parents get their food first, and then it’s open eating!”

  The crowd erupts into chatter, standing, getting in line, and moving around while the band plays “How Sweet It Is.” I lean back in my chair, deciding to wait until the frenzy by the food tables has calmed down before heading over there. Tyler apparently has come to the same conclusion, because he doesn’t move either, while both of the couples sitting at our table get up to get food.

  “This looks great,” Tyler says after a minute or two. “You guys did an amazing job.”

  “Thanks, Tyler. You helped a lot.” The sun is just starting its descent, and I start worrying that we haven’t put up enough lights. I frown at the candles on the table. “Think it’s bright enough out here?”

  He looks around. “Surely the five thousand Christmas lights on the gazebo will help a little.” He grins. “I think it will be fine. Besides, I like dancing more when it’s kind of dark so people don’t notice how terrible I am at it.”

  I grin.

  We get in line for the food just as Layla is bounding back up to the stage. “Now that some of you are done eating, I’m going to have Mom and Dad cut their cake, and then we’ll open up the dance floor.”

  I hurry to put the Burgundy sauce on my steak and potatoes, add a scoop of salad, and grab a roll so I can be out of the way for the cake cutting. The caterer did her best to duplicate a picture of the Prestwicks’ original wedding cake.

  I carry my plate a few feet back and watch. Tyler already headed back to the table, but I want to see the cake cutting. Mrs. Prestwick is still teary eyed and going on and on about how beautiful the cake is and how it looks just like their wedding cake.

  “You guys outdid yourselves.”

  I look up and Luke is right beside me.

  “Layla outdid herself,” I correct.

  “You’re too modest. She told me everything you did to help.” He is smiling at me, but I make myself look back at the Prestwicks cutting their cake. They carefully feed a piece to each other, and the crowd cheers again as they kiss.

  Luke is distracting.

  “Want to dance?” he asks me.

  “I need to eat.” I hold my plate of food a few inches higher. “I’m starving.” All I’ve eaten today is a bacon sandwich from Starbucks and a granola bar.

  “After you eat then,” Luke persists.

  “Look, Luke.” I take a deep breath and look at him for the first time since he came over.

  “Paige,” he interrupts, “I know what you’re going to say.”

  “Really?”

  He smiles gently at me. “Let’s not talk here. Go eat. I’ll come find you and we can talk later tonight.” Then he leaves.

  Great. I walk back to the table and sit beside Tyler with a huff, then grab my plastic utensils that look just like real silver.

  Layla was ecstatic when she found those.

  “So, I didn’t even know Layla had a brother,” Tyler says.

  “Sometimes I wish I didn’t know either.”

  Tyler apparently catches my not-so-subtle hint that I don’t want to talk about Luke, because he quickly changes the subject. “Rick, Natalie, and Claire are here.”

  I nod. I saw them pull up, but I was trying to light the candles quickly so I just waved. Claire has doubled in size since I saw her last.

  I finish my delicious dinner and sit back just as the sun dips completely behind the trees. “Layla is right to speak of that sauce in hushed tones.”

  Tyler laughs. “It was pretty good.”

  “Pretty? That went way beyond pretty.”

  I look around. The gazebo is lit up, and the rest of the park is glowing in the soft light. Candles and lanterns flicker all over the tables and on the steps of the gazebo.

  It is a magical fairyland.

  The band starts playing “Come Fly with Me,” and Tyler smiles over at me. “Want to dance, Paige?” The dance floor is getting crowded with the sun setting. Apparently, there are a lot of people who like to dance in the semidarkness.

  I look over at Tyler and smile. “Sure.”

  I follow him over to the dance floor, and he reaches for my hands. The song is a little up-tempo and I’m not the greatest dancer, but we do the best we can. I am laughing a few minutes later as he spins me into another couple.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say.

  The man shrugs. “It’s dark,” he says, being nice. It isn’t that dark.

  The band finishes the song, everyone applauds, and the band goes right into “Have I Told You Lately.”

  Tyler smiles sweetly at me, and a thousand gummy bears do a jig in my stomach when he slips a hand around my waist and pulls me close. “I don’t think I ever got the chance to tell you how beautiful you look tonight,” he says quietly.

  I swallow. “Thank you.”

  I set my hand on his shoulder and we gently sway to the music. I love this song. This is my parents’ song, so I heard it from the time I was a little girl. Preslee and I would sneak out of our rooms after bedtime some nights and see Mom and Dad dancing barefoot to this song in the kitchen. We would sit behind the couch and watch, and Preslee would whisper about how she wanted to sing music like that someday.

  It is a good memory. Unlike a lot of the ones with Preslee in them.

  I squeeze my eyes shut for a second to refocus on what is happening right now. Tyler holds me very gently, his right hand lightly skimming my back.

  I look over and Layla is dancing with Peter, snuggled into his chest, eyes closed and smiling. I grin. She is happy. And honestly, Peter is quiet, but he isn’t so bad.

  Not so bad at all.

  Mr. and Mrs. Prestwick come onto the dance floor and he kisses his wife again, gently twirling her on the crowded dance floor.

  Then I see Luke. He is sitting at his family’s table, the one closest to the dance floor and the gazebo, watching his parents and then looking over at me. He smiles at me, but it isn’t his usual cheerful, huge smile. This one is sad.

  We need to talk, he mouths to me.

  I shake my head slightly and look back up at Tyler. Tyler is sweet. Tyler seems to genuinely care about me. He doesn’t mince words. If it weren’t for him and Peggy and Candace, I’d still be running around like a crazy person, too stressed to see straight.

  Tyler looks down right then, sees me studying him, and grins. “What?” He pulls me in a little closer.

  “Nothing.”

  He leans down then and kisses my cheek.

  My whole face warms.

  I dip my head quickly so he can’t see the way I am blushing. I squeeze my eyes shut briefly.

  Lord, thank You for Tyler.

  I sway with him to the music and think for a little bit. Aside from feeling like a fish in a fishbowl, thanks to Luke, I am happy. Relaxed even. I still have the banquet for the agency to do, but I’m not worried or stressing about it at all.

  It is hard to be stressed when the stars are shining in the dark sky and the park is lit up with twinkle lights and candles. God has given us the perfect weather for tonight. It is a little chilly but nowhere near cold.

  Tonight has gone perfectly. Next weekend will as well.

  “So,” Tyler says quietly, tightening his hold on me briefly. “What do you say to maybe coming out to dinner with me on Friday?”

  I look up at him, grinning. “I don’t know. Is this a date?”

  He smiles at me, blue eyes warm. “Most definitely a date.”

  “Then I say yes.”

  He kisses my cheek again, and again I blush, my knees shaking. We turn right then and Luke is still watching us.

  It is a little unnerving.

  The song ends and we all clap again. “I need a drink,” I tell Tyler,
even though I mostly just want to get away from Luke’s prying stare.

  I walk back over to the table and take a long sip from my glass of cranberry punch. Tyler is close behind me, also reaching for his glass.

  I smile at him, feeling confused. I don’t really feel like picking apart my emotions tonight, though. Tonight is about Layla and her parents. Not about Tyler, not about Luke. Tonight is about enjoying the calm, peaceful night.

  There will be plenty of time this week for dissection of feelings.

  I lean down and grab my purse from under the table for my lip balm. I check my phone too. There are two texts I haven’t read. The first one is from my mom.

  HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME AT THE PARTY! WISH WE COULD HAVE COME. PLEASE CALL ME TOMORROW MORNING WHEN YOU GET UP.

  Weird. I chew on my bottom lip, wondering what I need to call her about. Probably just a rundown of the party. Mom likes to know details like that.

  Tyler smiles at me and nudges my shoulder, holding his hand out. “Need more punch?”

  I nod. “Sure, thank you.” I give him my glass and he walks over toward the table. I check the last text quickly.

  And stop.

  HI, PAIGE. I’M IN TOWN AND I NEED TO SEE YOU.

  It’s from Preslee.

  “Paige, we really need to talk,” Luke says, suddenly standing right beside me.

  So much for peace and calm.

  I look down at the text, back up at Luke, and then over at Tyler and Layla, who are talking by the food table.

  A thought strikes me right then. What if this whole learning how to control my schedule isn’t as much about my crazy life as it is about learning to give control over to God?

  “A need does not constitute a call.”

  But God meets needs. And He gives calls.

  I look at Luke, bite back a sigh, and nod. “Okay.”

  Don’t miss out on the next chapter in Paige Alder’s life

  in Paige Rewritten, coming from NavPress’s

  TH1NK line October 8, 2013!

  About the Author

  Erynn Mangum is married to her best friend, Jon. They have one adorable toddler here on earth and one precious baby in heaven. Erynn loves to spend time with her family and friends, particularly if there is coffee or chocolate involved. She’s the author of the LAUREN HOLBROOK and MAYA DAVIS series. Learn more at www.erynnmangum.com.