Sutton shook her head and quickened her pace. “She introduced us, but my choices were my own.”
She moved to the side to let people pass between her and Max, then widened the gap even more. She never wanted to talk about her ex, but right now she didn’t want to talk about Dahlia either. She didn’t deserve to be lumped with Brett.
Dahlia, despite all her faults, was probably the best friend she had. Dahlia had given—not loaned—Sutton the money to take Hadley and finally leave Brett. Dahlia had hired an attorney for Sutton once Sutton discovered Brett had stolen all her wedding photography money. She never could have afforded an attorney skilled enough to show Brett as the abuser he was. By the time her lawyer had finished with Brett, no judge would have granted him any parental rights.
Knowing Brett wasn’t in Charleston anymore should have made her feel safe, but once she’d left the security of William-Aiken House, a thousand what if’s started running through her head. What if he’d heard about Dahlia’s wedding? What if he showed up assuming—correctly—she and Hadley would be there? He knew everything Dahlia had paid for, including Sutton and Hadley’s move. She hoped he still didn’t know that move was to New York. Just like she hoped he didn’t know where she was right now.
Thinking about Brett got her so distracted she didn’t notice Max had stopped.
“This is it,” he called to her, and she turned to see him standing in front of a nondescript storefront with only the smell of woodsmoke and vinegar to indicate they’d found the right place.
Sutton looked at Hadley sleeping peacefully on Max’s shoulder and unclenched the fingers she hadn’t realized were curled into her palms. Hadley’s chest rose and fell in a contented breath, and Sutton didn’t want to wake her. Or didn’t want to end her time alone with Max. Maybe both.
“Do you want to sit down for a minute and let her sleep a little longer?” Sutton pointed to a bench a few stores away where there were fewer people.
“I’d love to.” He let her pass to sit down first then sat beside her and laid Hadley’s head on her lap and draped her legs over his.
“Not for too long though,” Sutton blurted when his knee touched hers. “I’m supposed to be taking pictures.”
“Got it. I’ll get the food to go.”
His sleeve grazed her shoulders as he rested his arm on the back of the bench. The brush of his arm had been so light, she doubted he realized he’d touched her, but she’d felt it. Felt it all the way to her fingertips, and her longing to lean into him surprised her. Lean into his arms and rest her cheek where Hadley’s had been.
“So . . .” Max drew out the word, and Sutton could almost guess what would follow. “Her dad’s not around anymore?”
Sutton had the urge to tell him everything, how she’d known she shouldn’t marry Brett, but she did anyway. How he’d promised to quit drinking once they got married, but his bingeing had only gotten worse. So had the way he talked. The memory of his words was still more painful than his fists had been. Hadley was the only good thing that she’d taken from her marriage.
She wanted to tell him all that and to believe he’d understand, but she didn’t trust her judgment anymore. Instead she stumbled over the words, “It’s complicated.”
“Yeah?” He answered so softly she almost wished she’d let herself trust him with her story. “Well, Hadley’s a great kid. He’d be crazy to not want to be part of her life.”
Her cell buzzed in her camera bag, and she leaned over to unzip the bag and search for the phone. Looking for it gave her an excuse to move away from him and the feelings he brought out in her.
“It’s Dahlia,” she said when she saw the name on the screen.
“Dahlia?”
She nodded and for another half a second debated whether to answer. But of course, she answered. She always answered Dahlia’s calls, even when she knew she shouldn’t.
“Sutton!” The way Dahlia drew out Sutton’s name would have given her away even if her name and number hadn’t. “How pissed is everyone?”
Her question was one of curiosity, not concern, and Sutton answered with the same absence of care.
“Not too pissed. They’re dancing and drinking all the champagne and eating all the food you ordered.”
A pause followed, long enough to make Sutton consider whether she’d been too harsh.
“Good.” Dahlia’s voice, when she finally answered, was as lilting and seductive as always. And as loud. Whispering wasn’t in her wheelhouse. “I fought Mama hard on that food. I hope she told them to eat all of it. That’s the one part I’m sorry to miss. She’s the one who wanted the fancy party anyway.”
“Uh huh. I’m sure she’s real pleased about getting her party. That oughta make up for you taking off and not telling anyone where you are.” Sutton glanced at Max who stared hard at her phone like he wanted Dahlia to know that he, at least, was pissed at her.
“Don’t lecture me, Sutton. I couldn’t do it, and Deacon will be better off because I’m the one who had the guts not to.” Her voice rose loud enough to stir Hadley.
“Guts?” Max said toward the phone. “Or maybe he’s not a big enough tool to leave her at the altar.”
“Who’s that?” Dahlia asked.
“No one.” Sutton turned her back to Max to get some privacy, however little it might be. Dahlia had been about as hurtful as one person could be, but Sutton didn’t disagree with her that Deacon would be better off. The two were oil and water, and she’d never been able to figure out why they kept trying to mix.
“Is Deacon okay?” Dahlia’s voice lost some of its music, and Sutton made her wait for her answer.
“He will be, but it’s going to take a while.”
“I know.”
Sutton thought she heard a sniffle, but she couldn’t be sure, and before she could say anything else Dahlia was back to herself.
“Listen, I need a huge favor from you.”
Sutton took a deep breath. She wanted to say no, but Dahlia had done her a million favors without Sutton having to ask.
“What is it?”
“I left my handbag there, and I need my passport from it.”
“Where are you going?” Sutton shouldn’t have been surprised, but Dahlia had a great capacity for surprises.
“On my honeymoon. I’m already at the airport. I need you to bring me my handbag so I can get on the plane.” She spoke casually, as though the most obvious thing in the world would be for her to go on her honeymoon without her groom.
“You’re still going to Bali?”
“Deacon didn’t want to go in the first place. He’s getting the party he and my mom wanted, so I’ll take the trip I wanted.”
Her explanation made sense . . . in a Dahlia sort of way.
“Yeah, I’ll do it. I guess you don’t need me to take pictures anymore.” Sutton’s legs were tingling, so she sat Hadley upright, who promptly tipped over and leaned her head back on Max’s shoulder.
“Of what? Who’s going to want pictures of a wedding reception without the bride?”
Of course, Dahlia would think the party couldn’t be a memorable event without her, but Sutton couldn’t disagree.
She got directions for where to meet her then hung up. Dahlia’s flight wouldn’t be boarding for hours, but Sutton knew she’d keep calling if she didn’t have the passport in the next half hour.
Despite knowing Sutton was on her way, Dahlia called back thirty seconds later. “Will you just make sure people use the app to upload pics? Make an announcement or something.”
“Sure,” she answered, not questioning why. Dahlia had the worst case of FOMO Sutton had ever seen, even when she’d chosen to miss out.
Sutton tucked her phone away without meeting Max’s eye.
“You have to go?” Max asked.
Sutton nodded and stood.
“Can I get mac and cheese now, Mama?” Hadley rubbed her eyes and sat up.
“We’re going on a drive. I’ll find you a McDonald’s
.” Sutton took Hadley’s hand and helped her off the bench.
“You want me to carry her?” Max stood, ready to pick up the little girl, but Sutton shook her head and crouched in front of Hadley.
“Jump on baby, and I’ll give you a piggy-back.”
Hadley tried to climb on Sutton’s back, but slipped off her satin dress, so Max helped her back on. Once she had a good hold on Sutton’s shoulders, Max held out his hand to pull Sutton up. Her brain told her to refuse. Say No was a mantra she’d cultivated over six years being married to Brett and two years of living on her own. Accepting help never turned out well.
She took Max’s hand anyway, then worried about how much she didn’t want to let go.
Chapter Four
Max walked Sutton and Hadley back to William-Aiken House wanting the whole time to ask Sutton for her number, but he’d seen her hesitation when he offered his hand to help her. If she didn’t want to take his hand long enough to steady her while she stood up, why would she want to give him her number? And why should he ask when he had a ticket back to New York in the morning, and she’d be staying in Charleston?
Their walk back was quiet except for Hadley’s occasional demands for Sutton to go faster, followed by her squeals when Sutton trotted, bouncing her up and down. The music drew them closer to the party as the distance between them grew. Sutton walked ahead near the grass lining the sidewalk while Max followed behind, his steps hugging the curb.
She headed toward the front door instead of taking the trail to the back, and Max wasn’t sure whether to follow her. He stood at the bottom of the porch steps while she climbed them and bent to let Hadley slide off her back.
Sutton turned when she reached the door. “I’m going to get Dahlia’s stuff and slip out. If I see Deacon I’ll have to tell him where Dahlia is, and his heart will be broken all over again. Or worse, he might try to stop her. I think it’s best if he just lets her go.”
The last line came out almost as a question, like she needed him to agree. So he did. Because she was right. The only people who hadn’t seen Deacon and Dahlia weren’t meant for each other were Deacon and Dahlia.
“And Dahlia wanted me to make sure people were uploading pictures to her site through that wedding app.” Sutton closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “It makes no sense anymore, but she’s already paid me. I have to follow through.”
Max had seen her take at least a hundred pictures of all the pre-wedding stuff and the wedding party. She’d taken a ton while they were on the dance floor. She’d more than done her job photographing an event no one would want to remember anyway.
“I’ll make sure that happens.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and gazed up at her, wanting to stretch out the moment before he had to say good-bye.
“Thanks.” Her smile almost gave him the courage to ask for her number. Instead he watched her open the door, take Hadley’s hand, and step inside. “I had fun tonight,” she said over her shoulder before walking away.
Hadley turned and waved good-bye as the door shut behind them, and he wasn’t sure who he felt more sad to see go, the little girl or her mother.
He sighed and walked the trail to the back of the mansion and the ballroom. The music had stopped, and as he rounded the corner he almost ran smack into Deacon.
“Jake Lawrence Maxfield, as I live and breathe, where’ve you been?” The only time Deacon called Max by his full name was when he was drunk. And he was definitely drunk. Like walking distillery drunk.
“Had a little bit to drink, bro?” Max swung his arm around Deacon and caught him as he stumbled.
“A little.” Deacon slung his arm over Max’s shoulder. “It’s all good though. I’m glad she’s gone.” He patted Max’s chest. “I’m glad she’s gone, but I’m glad you’re here.” Another pat and another near fall.
Max helped him to a nearby seat on the patio and set him down. Deacon tipped his head back and stared at the sky and the few stars sprinkled across it. Soon there would be more. There couldn’t be a more perfect night for a wedding, which made Max feel worse for Deacon.
The patio had separate sets of glass doors which led into the dining room and the ballroom on the other side where guests spilled off the dance floor as Camellia announced dessert was being served. People would be wondering where Deacon had gone, but Max figured no one would blame him for skipping out on the wedding cake. Some of them noticed him sprawled on the seat, but no one said anything to him.
“Did you get some dinner? Or do we need to get some food in you?” Max asked and put his arm behind Deacon’s head to help him sit up.
Instead of answering the question, Deacon slumped forward with his elbows on his knees and his head down. “I just wish I knew where she was.” He turned his head to look at Max. “I don’t want to see her, but I want to know she’s okay.”
“She is, buddy.” Max squeezed Deacon’s shoulder.
“How do you know?” Deacon asked, suddenly clear, and Max knew he’d made a mistake.
“She called Sutton.”
“Where’s Dahlia?” Deacon tried to stand too fast and fell back into the seat.
Max hesitated telling Deacon what he wanted to know, but he couldn’t keep the information from him. “She’s at the airport. She’s using the ticket to Bali. Sutton is taking her passport to her.”
“She’s going? I should go.” He stood again, but this time renewed hope steadied him. “We should just go on the honeymoon and forget about the wedding. We don’t have to get married. I shouldn’t have pushed her.”
Max stood and grabbed Deacon’s arm to stop him from walking away from the people who had stood by his side in favor of the woman who didn’t deserve to have him by hers.
“That’s not a good idea, Deacon. It’s not the wedding she didn’t want.” Max hadn’t meant to be so harsh. Dahlia was the one he wanted to hurt, not Deacon. But he saw in Deacon’s eyes that his words had dealt the final blow to his dreams of spending his life with Dahlia.
“She’s gone for good, isn’t she?” Deacon’s voice cracked.
“I don’t know, but you need to let her go for good.”
Deacon blinked, then straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Let’s get some cake. Looks like they started without me.” He jutted his head toward the room full of tables and the people sitting at them.
“Tomorrow’s a new day. A new start. You can do this.” Max pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and opened the camera. “Come on.” He pulled Deacon close and held the camera at an angle above them. “We’re documenting this moment. I want you to remember it as the night your life began, not ended.”
They smiled, Max wider than Deacon, and Max snapped the picture. Deacon’s smile dropped as soon as Max lowered his arm, but he pulled Max into a hug.
“Thanks, man. You’re a good friend.”
Max threw his arm around Deacon’s shoulder and helped him inside to the spot Lily had saved for him. He left Deacon in Lily’s care and headed to the one seat left at the opposite end of the table, taking a last look at Deacon. Lily already had him smiling. Deacon was in good hands. If anyone knew how to pull him out of despair, it would be Lily. Deacon talked about her almost as much as he talked about Dahlia.
Max wished Sutton were still there to make him smile, but his selfie with Deacon had given him an idea. He hadn’t wanted to scare Sutton away by asking for her number, but he also hated the idea of not seeing her again. But he could put the ball in her court. He’d promised her pictures in the wedding app, and he’d deliver.
If Dahlia wanted Sutton to do something with all the guests’ pictures, he’d give her plenty to work with. He guessed Sutton would be looking at those pictures long before Dahlia—honeymooning by herself in Bali—ever would. If Sutton liked his pictures—liked him—she could make the first move.
He started with the plate of food Camellia had saved for him. He had another guest snap a photo of him taking a bite of the spring peas and another of him making a face at the
fish because he hated fish. One more reason to be mad at Dahlia. Then he moved onto getting selfies with guests and encouraging them to take their own. Once he got people going, he made sure to photo bomb as many pictures as possible.
By the end of the night Max felt confident he’d kept his promise to Sutton. Not only kept it but told her things about himself that he wished he could tell her in person. Things like he could eat a lot of chocolate, he could pull off a duck face like a boss, and he loved sitting under a star-filled sky. He even got a shot with fireflies. That one took a lot of tries.
The last shot he took was the most important. The one he hoped she’d see soon. He had grabbed a couple drink napkins and found a Sharpie—the one meant for signing Deacon and Dahlia’s wedding portrait. He unfolded the napkins and scrawled his phone number across them, along with Sutton, Call Me, then arranged them on the table in front of the candles and flowers. Sutton was a photographer after all, so the shot had to look good.
He uploaded his pictures along with a string of prayers that she’d see them soon. Then he sent up another prayer that he hadn’t misread their mutual attraction. A bunch of good selfies and prayer; that’s what he needed for a chance at ever seeing Sutton again.
Chapter Five
Sutton sat on the train staring at the subway map and its intersecting lines spread across Manhattan, without really seeing them. The subway system had taken her a few weeks to figure out—which route ran fastest, which trains were on time, which stations were always crowded, and which ones smelled the worst—but two years into being a New Yorker, she was a subway pro.
She’d fallen in love with New York her first day living with her brother and hadn’t thought twice about leaving her past behind in Charleston. That had changed in the two weeks since she’d come back from Dahlia’s un-wedding. She couldn’t stop thinking about Charleston and, more specifically, Max. She didn’t know very much about him, but she felt like she knew him.
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