A not-so-subtle reminder of her own past wedding choice. Anne took the phone and said hello. It was impossible to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
“Mom, I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad,” Laney begged.
She found it hard not to be. She’d gone to so much trouble to make sure her daughter had a memorable wedding. “Laney, I don’t understand.”
Laney sighed. “I just... I don’t know. We got up here and I realized getting married at the house on Primrose Street wasn’t what I really wanted. Neither did Drake. If we went through with it, if Drake and I didn’t get married in Las Vegas like we talked about in the first place, I’d always be sorry. I didn’t want to have any regrets.”
Anne bit her lip. Okay, she understood about regrets. But she couldn’t help wishing her daughter had figured this out sooner.
“I tried to want what you wanted for me, Mom. I really did. But the wedding you planned, it wasn’t us, even with the raft.”
Anne knew she had only one person to blame for how this had turned out, and that was herself. She’d been so determined to give Laney the wedding she’d never had, the one she thought Laney should have, she’d blinded herself to what her daughter truly wanted. And that was something very different from what Laney had talked about when she was younger. Her tastes had changed; they’d veered away from Anne’s. Laney had become her own woman and Anne had ignored that.
Still... “If you get married there, a lot of your family and friends won’t be able to come.”
“But Drake and I will be there and that’s what really matters,” Laney said. I’m marrying Cam, and that’s what really matters. Anne’s words to her mother floated at the back of her mind.
“I’m sorry I ruined all your plans for me. It’s not that I don’t appreciate how hard you worked and how much time you spent, but the wedding you planned is the one you always wanted. So Dad came up with the perfect solution. You’re going to be the bride tomorrow. And I hope I can be your maid of honor.”
Anne could barely speak, choked up as she was. This was all so much to process. “That would be lovely,” she managed.
“Thanks for understanding,” Laney said, and Anne could hear the relief in her voice.
Better late than never. Here Anne did this for a living, yet when it came to her own daughter she’d been clueless. How pathetic was that?
“This is going to be fun,” Laney continued, all excitement now. “Happy anniversary.”
Anne smiled. “Thanks, sweetie.” Okay, so things weren’t going according to plan—well, her plan, anyway—but her daughter’s happiness was what counted.
“I know Dad’s excited about this and I am, too. Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to get married on a raft. We canceled that part.”
Thank heaven.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.” And because she did, she couldn’t stay mad, especially since she was the one who’d created this problem. But it was all working out. Her daughter was getting the wedding she wanted.
And it looked as though, after twenty-five years, so was Anne. Everything had changed so fast, she had wedding whiplash. She handed Cam’s phone back to him. “I don’t know what to say.”
He smiled at her. “Say ‘I do.’”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A Wedding on Primrose Street
It was the best kind of day for a wedding—warm weather, blue sky and the sun shining on the bride...who wore a champagne-colored dress with a nipped-in waist and pleated skirt and flowers in her hair. She carried the bouquet that had been ordered for her daughter, and she and her husband were remarried under the rose arbor.
“Do you take this woman for another twenty-five years?” Pastor Ostrom asked the groom.
“I sure do,” Cam said.
“And how about you, Anne? Do you pledge yourself to Cam?”
“I do,” she said, her heart full.
“Then I pronounce you still husband and wife. I hope your next twenty-five years together are as wonderful as the first twenty-five,” said the minister, beaming at them. “You may kiss your bride,” he said to Cam.
Cam was happy to oblige. He dipped Anne backward and gave her a photo-op-style kiss, while the professional photographer recorded the moment for posterity...just like every friend and family member present who had a cell phone.
It had been a little embarrassing announcing to all the guests that there’d been a change in plans and they were here to celebrate a different bride and groom, but no one complained. More than one relative was thrilled about Laney’s new plan to go to Vegas and begged to be included. “Wish we’d done that,” said one of Drake’s cousins. “Our wedding was boring.” She rolled her eyes. “I let my mom plan most of it. Dumb.”
Laney and Anne both said nothing.
Now, with the ceremony over, everyone went to the bar to get down to the serious business of partying.
The crab cakes, Brie and smoked salmon bruschetta, and pulled-pork sliders were a hit, as was the dinner, which consisted of three-cheese stuffed chicken, accompanied by tossed salad, a lobster-pasta salad and crusty rolls. And everyone raved over how clever and cute the donut cake was. The DJ had car problems halfway up the mountain and was still waiting for a tow truck, but the Flesh Eaters were in town and had brought their instruments along and were happy to fill in until he got there. So Cam and Anne did their opening dance to “Give It to Me, Baby, Hard, Hard, Hard,” an original song by the lead singer.
“Congratulations on twenty-five years of marriage,” Roberta’s daughter, Daphne, said to Anne as she proffered a tray of champagne glasses. “These days that’s quite an accomplishment.”
“It can be done when you’ve got a good man,” Anne said, taking a glass and smiling up at Cam.
“You give me hope,” Daphne said with a smile.
“By the way, where’s your mom? I haven’t seen her,” Anne said.
Daphne grinned. “She’s in Seattle, visiting a new friend. She said to give you her best wishes.”
“Champagne!” boomed Aunt Maude from behind Daphne, making her jump and the champagne glasses rattle. “I love champagne.” She took a glass and Daphne slipped away to serve other guests. “Didn’t I tell you something would happen?” Maude demanded.
Maude was not getting invited to Vegas. “Yes, you did,” Anne said. “And isn’t it terrific how it all turned out?” Maude scowled.
Julia came up just then. “I think it’s time to cut the cake,” she said, rescuing Anne and Cam from Aunt Maude. “Well, darling,” she said as they made their way to the cake table, “how are you enjoying your wedding?”
Anne smiled up at Cam. “It’s wonderful.”
“Yes, it is,” Julia agreed. “But then, how could it have been anything else with my lovely daughter planning it?”
“Thanks, Mom,” Anne murmured.
Cam shook his head and frowned. “I wish I’d known twenty-five years ago how badly you wanted a fancy wedding.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “I meant what I said back then. The most important thing to me was marrying you. And under the same circumstances, I’d do it all over again.”
Not that she wasn’t enjoying her fancy twenty-five-years-after-the-fact wedding. She was. But the simple fact remained. A marriage was about the two people who were making a commitment to each other. How they did it wasn’t half as important as why they did it. Everything else was just frosting on the wedding cake.
Later that night Cam carried Anne over the threshold into the bridal suite at the Icicle Creek Lodge. “I’m a lucky man,” he said, setting her down and putting his arms around her.
“And I’m a lucky woman,” she said, reaching up and putting her arms around his neck.
“Thank you for marrying me again.”
“Same here.” He led her farther into the room, where a bottle of champagne sat next to the king-size bed. The nightstand held a small box of Sweet Dreams chocolates. An envelope sat on one of the pillows.
“You thought of everything.”
He picked up the bottle and popped the cork. “I did. I’d actually reserved this room for next weekend, when I planned to bring you up here.”
“That was what you’d planned?”
He nodded.
“We can still use it next weekend,” she said coyly.
“I don’t think we’ll need it.”
Of course, it would be silly to come back again so soon, she told herself, especially in light of the big blowout party they’d just had.
“Open the card.”
She did, and out fell a magazine clipping. She picked it up. It was from some sort of real-estate brochure and featured a rustic mountain cabin perched alongside a river. “What’s this?”
“Since we bagged the cruise, I thought we might like to make a down payment on a cabin up here instead. Now that we’re empty nesters we can afford it. We may even get it paid off by the time we retire,” he added with a grin. “I’ve got a couple of places in mind and a real-estate agent lined up to show us around. Actually, she was lined up for next weekend, but we moved it to tomorrow.”
“A cabin?” Could she have heard correctly?
“Please tell me I got it right this time.”
“More than right,” she said, then threw her arms around him and kissed him.
The champagne was forgotten. Who needed bubbly when you had a handsome man kissing you?
Later that night as they snuggled together on the big bed, she relived the whole evening. It had been everything she’d ever dreamed of, a perfect wedding—just as Laney’s Las Vegas adventure would be perfect for her. Most important of all, the day had been a celebration of love. And in the end, love was all that mattered.
* * * * *
Recipes from Anne,
Roberta and Their Friends
Anne’s second wedding was enjoyed by one and all. Guests raved over the various wedding cakes, which were made by Cass Wilkes. You’re on your own for the donut cake, but Cass is sharing her recipes for the bride’s cake and the groom’s cake in case you’d like to make one of them for a special occasion. And Anne even convinced Bailey Sterling to share her recipe for Brie and Smoked Salmon Bruschetta. Hope you enjoy them!
Orange Blossom Cake
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp orange extract
1 11-oz can of mandarin orange slices,
drained and cut into small pieces
Directions:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl, then add sugar, butter, eggs, milk, oil and orange extract. Beat just until well mixed. Stir in orange pieces by hand. Pour into two 8-inch greased cake pans or a 9x11-inch greased pan and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You can also make cupcakes (bake for twenty minutes). Recipe should make about twenty cupcakes.
Frost with buttercream frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
(Note: Cass makes this more by guess and by gosh, so you may have to tweak the ingredients just a little.)
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
(sometimes Cass adds a little more)
¼ cup butter
2 tbsp milk (The amount really depends on whether you end up adding a little more powdered sugar.
Conversely, if your frosting is a little too sloppy, throw in some more powdered sugar.)
½ tsp vanilla
Directions:
Put butter in a mixing bowl and sift in powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla and cream together until smooth.
Chocolate Zucchini Groom’s Cake
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
4 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
1 ⅓ cups sugar
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1 large handful chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix zucchini, oil, eggs and sugar, then add sour cream. Sift in dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips and stir until mixed in. Bake in a greased 9x13-inch pan at 325°F for 45 minutes.
Brie and Smoked Salmon Bruschetta
(Courtesy of Theresia Brannan, owner of East West Catering)
Ingredients:
1 French baguette
3 cloves of garlic
½ cup virgin olive oil
Sea salt
½ cup chopped fresh basil
5 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and cut into small pieces
Small wedge of Brie (about 6 oz)
1 pack presliced smoked salmon
Directions:
Crush garlic, remove skin and cut off woody tip. Chop until fine. Place half the garlic in a medium bowl. Place the rest on a plate and soak with ¼ cup olive oil. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Chop basil and tomatoes (drain off excess liquid from tomatoes) and put into the bowl with the garlic. Mix well and refrigerate.
Cut baguette diagonally into slices about half an inch thick. Brush bread with the olive oil in garlic on the plate. (Any of the oil mixture left over after this step can be added to the tomato mixture.) Slice Brie into ¼-inch strips. Put baguette slices onto a cookie sheet, place Brie strips onto the baguette and put it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or till the Brie melts and the baguette slices start to brown. Remove from oven. Spoon bruschetta (tomato mixture) onto the baguette slices. Place a slice of smoked salmon on the baguette. Serve immediately.
Wedding Tips from a Pro
A wedding is such a special occasion, for both the bride and groom and their families and friends. Here are a few tips from an expert. (Thank you, Megan Keller of A Kurant Event in Seattle!)
Beware of Pinterest. While it’s a fantastic tool to begin cultivating your style aesthetic, it can easily overwhelm you. Once you’ve got the nuts and bolts nailed down about the general design of the wedding, stop there. There’s too much pressure these days to create a “Pinterest-worthy wedding” and that’s just not what it’s about. People will remember how much fun they had dancing or how smiley you looked all night more than the little odds and ends you used to decorate.
Don’t feel obligated to talk to every single guest for five minutes. You won’t have time!
Don’t worry about the details. If you’re not having fun, the party will feel like a dud. Conversely, if you’re having a great time, your guests will, too. Your energy is contagious.
Most important: enjoy the day. Do what makes you feel happy together. This is the best party you’ll ever throw. Enjoy it!
Wedding Adventures in Icicle Falls
You may be wondering what kind of wedding adventures were had by some of the other Icicle Falls residents you’ve come to know. Here’s your chance to listen in as a couple of them remember the unique events that made their special days, well...special.
Roberta Gilbert and Curtis White
October was a busy month for every business in Icicle Falls, due to the many Oktoberfest celebrations the town held, but everyone who was anyone made time to come to Primrose Haus to celebrate the nuptials of Roberta Gilbe
rt and Curtis White.
The grand old Victorian was as packed with people as it was with fall flowers in shades of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. The bride wore an elegant cream-colored tea dress her daughter, Daphne, had helped her pick out, but what really made her beautiful was her smile. Many a teary eye was dabbed as she said “I do” to the handsome man she’d met in June.
“They make a lovely couple,” Muriel whispered to Pat York as they sat side by side with Pat’s husband, Ed.
“Yes, they do,” Pat whispered back.
Muriel smiled fondly as the groom slipped a gold band on their friend’s finger. “I’m so glad she’s found someone after all these years.”
Pat nodded. “About time, I’d say.”
Pastor Jim from the Icicle Falls Community Church said, “And now, by the powers vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. Curtis, you may kiss your bride.”
And kiss her he did, to much applause and cheering.
“Wasn’t that a lovely ceremony?” raved Olivia Wallace, who owned the Icicle Creek Lodge, as she and her new husband, James Claussen, joined Muriel and Pat and Ed at their dinner table.
They were followed by Dot, her daughter, Tilda, and Tilda’s friend from the police force, Jamal Lincoln.
“I’ve got to say, that kiss made my toes curl,” said Dot.
“Mine, too,” Muriel confessed.
“Maybe that’s a sign you’re supposed to get married again,” Pat told her.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Muriel said. She looked over to the head table, where the new couple sat with his son and daughter-in-law and Daphne. “Two is probably enough for any woman.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Dot said with a grin. “If Leonardo DiCaprio came along, I’d consider it.”
Tilda rolled her eyes and shook her head, and Olivia said, “Really, Dot. You’re old enough to be his mother.”
“On the outside, maybe,” Dot retorted, “but on the inside, I’m still thirty and a babe.”
A Wedding on Primrose Street (Life In Icicle Falls Book 7) Page 29