Before You Say I Do

by Tina Martin

  “Oh, before I go, guess who me and Vina had lunch with yesterday?”

  “Let me guess—Lauren.”

  “Sure did.”

  “I’m sure you all had a lot to gossip about—I mean, catch up on.”

  “Yeah, like the fact that she’s engaged now. And she didn’t know I was married. Shocker, right?”

  “With the way people talk around here, yes, that is surprising. I still want to kick Spencer’s butt for taking my little sister away.”

  “Oh, give it a rest, Kenton Lennox.” She chuckled. “Think about it. Who could be better for me than Spencer, with his deliciously, handsome self?”

  “Alright, alright…enough about that.”

  Jessalyn laughed again. “Plus, he didn’t take me away. I’m still right here, able to annoy the crap out of you whenever I get ready.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  “It was good to see Lauren, though. She told me she ran into you.”

  “She did,” Kenton said, and just then in his mind, he could picture Lauren’s red lips across the candlelit table last night. He’d been jealous of her wine glass by the way she had her lips on it.

  “Did you talk to her?”

  “What?” he asked when he realized Jessalyn had said something.

  “I asked if you talked to her?”

  “What would I have to talk to her about?” he asked.

  “Oh, come on, Kenton. I know she meant something to you once upon a time. Are you telling me you didn’t have any kind of in-depth conversation with her?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Then, you don’t know she’s engaged?”

  “I’ve heard, now enough about my ex. Are you ready for your grand opening?”

  Jessalyn sighed. She was ready. What she wasn’t ready for was a change of subject. “I’m ready. Davina is doing most of the decorating for me. Leave it up to Remington and I’ll have some world famous party planner over here trying to make my shop something it isn’t.”

  “He’s only trying to look out for you. That’s Rem, all day long.”

  “I know, but I want to keep the hometown feel to it, so Davina is going to do it for me.”

  “That’s cool. She’s good at that, and I don’t know if he told you, but Rem has me looking into a way to market your shop with the Lennox Hotels, and I think I found the perfect way to do that.”

  “I’m listening,” Jessalyn said.

  “You know how when we travel to resort cities, the hotels will give us coupon books with discounts to different area attractions and restaurants?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay, so that was my first idea—to include your shop in the book. The only thing with that is, those books are preprinted in advance, which would mean it wouldn’t help you at all this year. So, I was thinking maybe we could use individual coupons in our hotel rooms, for now, that would offer between ten and fifteen percent off of a purchase at Summit Souvenirs and Gifts. If we want to go with ten percent off, I would suggest you throw in something for free like a charm or some kind of trinket. People like the word free no matter what the offer is.”

  “In that case, I like the ten percent option better.”

  “Perfect. I’m running design ideas by the team now—anxious to see what they’ll come up with, then I’ll have you check out the final product.”

  “Wow. Thanks, Kenton. I really appreciate it.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank Rem. He’s the one who came in my office and nearly cut my head off, telling me to get it done.”

  “That’s Remy alright.” Jessalyn chuckled. “Hey, before you go, can I ask you something, Kenton?”

  “Sure you can, as long as it’s not related to Lauren.”

  “Okay. Fine. Let me see if I can speak in general terms, then. Let’s say you meet the perfect woman and you know she’s right for you. You know there could never be another one of her. She’s one of a kind. Unique. A catch. Would you let her go?”

  Kenton tapped his fingers on his desktop. “You know I don’t date women like that.”

  “Actually, I don’t know what you do, Kenton. I just know what I’ve seen and heard. From all I’ve gathered, I don’t recall seeing you with a woman since Lauren. Why is that, Kenton?”

  “Didn’t I just say not to ask me anything related to Lauren?”

  “Yeah. And?”

  “And I’m about to hang up. Besides, that’s grown folk business, lil’ girl.”

  “I may be your little sister, I’m not a little girl. I’m a grown, married woman, Kenton, and you should really listen to me sometimes, you know. I don’t know everything about your situation, but I do know you had some feelings for Lauren at one point. Why would you just end things with her like that? Just walk away like she ceased to exist? How would you feel if Spencer did to me what you did to Lauren?”

  “First of all, I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, sis, but I didn’t just walk away from Lauren. She forced my hand, trying to get me to give into her demands and I wasn’t about to be someone’s puppet.”

  “She was in love with you.”

  “You don’t give people you love ultimatums.”

  “You do if you’re afraid you’re going to lose them.”

  “Yet, she lost me anyway.”

  “A risk she was willing to take, apparently. Most of the time, when a woman issues an ultimatum to a man, she most likely knows it’s not going to go in her favor, and you better believe she’s prepared to walk at the time it’s presented. Otherwise, the ultimatum would’ve never been issued.”

  “Then there you have it. She was already prepared to walk away from me. So, that’s the end of that, right?”

  Jessalyn sighed. It was official. Her brother’s heart was as hard as his head. “If you say so. Anyway, thanks for your help with that marketing idea. I really appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, Jess. Now, get back to work and stay out of my business.”

  “Whatever. I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  “Yep,” Kenton said, then hung up the phone.

  Chapter 8

  It was hard to fake it, but Lauren plastered a passable smile on her face as she stepped into the front door of her parent’s home. Surprisingly, Evan had arrived before she had. Apparently, impressing her parents, more specifically, her father, was more of a priority for him than impressing her. He never did apologize for standing her up the other night. He just went about life like nothing ever went awry. A sign of what was to come? She sure hoped not.

  “Hey, Ma,” Lauren said, finding her mother in the kitchen, still in dinner preparation mode.

  “Hi there, Lauren,” Paloma replied.

  “It sure smells good in here.”

  “It should. I’ve been at this for three hours now. I got collards, baked ham, fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”

  “Sounds delicious. Hey, where are the menfolk?”

  “Out back having one of those man-to-man talks. You know how that goes.”

  “All too well,” Lauren said.

  “I’m glad they’re out there, though. It’ll give us some time to have a lil’ chat. Pull out a chair and have a seat.”

  Lauren felt her stomach tighten. Had she made it that obvious that something was wrong. Probably so if Mama Chandler was asking her to pull out a chair.

  Paloma set a glass of lemonade in front of her daughter.

  “Fresh squeezed?” Lauren asked.

  “You know it. Mama don’t play around with that store-bought mess.”

  Lauren smiled, then immediately took a sip. “Oh my God. So good.” She took another sip.

  Paloma sat down then took a quick sip of lemonade before looking up at Lauren. “So,” she said, letting the word sink in like she anticipated Lauren knew what would follow next. “How is everything?”

  “Good,” Lauren replied in an upbeat tone, although she couldn’t make eye contact when she said it. Good. Who was she fooling? Did
she really think she could pull one over on Paloma Chandler?

  “Your father secured The Mountain Chateau for next weekend. Did he tell you?”

  “No. He told Meadow and Meadow told me.”

  “Oh. Well, I plan on taking a trip out there on Monday with Sheree to look at it. I was hoping you’d come with me.”

  “Of—of course. Sure, Ma,” Lauren said, trying to hide her frustration. Why was her mother hiring Sheree, party planner extraordinaire? Why was her family making all the arrangements for this party, anyway?

  “Meadow won’t be able to make it. She has to work, so it’ll just be us,” Paloma said.

  Lauren took another sip of lemonade. “Why are we going there with Sheree? What are Evan’s parents doing? Did they even offer to put up any money to cover the cost of the resort?”

  “No. Your father—”

  “I know dad told them he’d take care of it,” Lauren said, quickly interrupting her mother. “That’s what dad does. I’m just wondering if The Kaizers offered anything.”

  Paloma frowned. “You know, Lauren, um…for a while now, I’ve sensed something with you. Something I don’t like.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me, Ma. It’s just the planning and…and why does it seem like everything is falling on us to take care of? If you recall, I didn’t want an engagement party to begin with. Now, I have to meet with you and Sheree.”

  “I do recall your disinterest in an engagement party, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now, Lauren. I’m speaking of the fact that something with you is missing. The glow, the excitement of falling in love, anticipating how it’ll be to actually be a wife and soon after, a mother.”

  “I am excited,” she said dryly.

  “Then, I’m not convinced.”

  Lauren narrowed her eyes at her mother. “Am I supposed to be swinging from the rafters because I’m getting married?”

  “Yes!” Paloma said with a smile. “You’re supposed to be so happy that you can’t contain it. You’re the one who’s supposed to be asking me to join you at The Mountain Chateau with Sheree, not vice versa. Not once have you asked me or your sister to help you find a wedding gown, inquire about the colors of your bridesmaid dresses or the kind of flowers you want. You’re shutting down, and I would’ve guessed you were doing so because this was all too much for you, but that ain’t it. You’re shutting down because there’s something off with you and Evan. So, talk to me about it.”

  “There’s nothing off, mother. I just—” Lauren held her temples and sighed heavily. “I don’t think I should’ve come back here. We shouldn’t have planned this engagement party and it definitely should not have been planned at a Lennox hotel of all places.”

  “Oh, I see. So, that’s what this is about.”

  Lauren didn’t say a word, and because she chose to be quiet, a guilty silence lingered between them.

  “Let me let you in on a little secret, Lauren. The way you feel right now is the same way you’ll feel after you marry Evan, but it’ll be ten times worse because you’ll be married to one man and thinking about another.”

  “I’m not thinking about anyone.”

  “You are, and the sooner you admit that to yourself, the better off you’ll be, honey. You’re engaged to Evan. We’re having this grand celebration for you two next weekend, but if he’s not the one, you need to walk away, even if the one you want doesn’t want you.”

  Lauren laughed it off. “Do you know how crazy that sounds, mother? I’m surprised you would even suggest such a thing. And why is it that you think I’m spending my days thinking about Kenton?”

  “I didn’t call a name.”

  Crap! She hadn’t called a name. “Well, you dropped enough hints. Do you really think I’m that oblivious that I don’t know you’re talking about Kenton?”

  “And do you think I’m so out of touch with you that I don’t know you haven’t been able to get over him? Lauren, you can’t pretend to be in love with a man just because he’s giving you what you want – promises of marriage, a family, a life together—what use is it if you’re not happy?”

  Lauren frowned as she absorbed her mother’s words. “Don’t you want to be in love with the man you’re marrying?”

  “I am in love. Evan is a good man.”

  “A good man, but is he the right, good man? Or is he Mr.-Good-Enough-For-Now, because that’s not going to last.”

  “What’s not going to last?” Harvey asked Paloma, catching the tail-end of her statement. She’d been so engrossed in her conversation with Lauren, she didn’t hear them come in. Neither did Lauren.

  “Oh, nothing,” Paloma said. “We were just having some girl talk.”

  “Hey, baby,” Evan said, walking over to the table where Lauren was sitting. He leaned down to kiss her and instead of connecting her lips to his, she turned a cheek his way. A cheek. After pressing his lips against it, he asked, “How are you?”

  “I’m great,” she said, smiling as she looked at him. And it wasn’t a fake smile. She genuinely liked Evan. And he wasn’t bad on the eyes. He was a handsome, chocolate, business-minded man. A rarity. Any woman would be lucky to have him and she had him. Why was she trippin’ over some wannabe player who didn’t want her when she had a man who was giving her, in the words of her mother, everything she wanted? “What about you, Evan? How was your day?”

  “Busy, but productive. I got a lot of items checked off of my to-do list. That’s for sure.”

  “You and dad were out there talking business again, huh? I like that you two have that in common.”

  “I like that too, but this time, we weren’t talking business. We were discussing the party.”

  “Oh. Is there a problem?”

  “Not at all. I secured caterers for all three days.”

  “You did?” she asked, stunned. Up until now, he hadn’t done a thing to assist with the party.

  “Yes. I did.”

  “And why are we having a weekend long party, Evan? It would’ve been just fine to have it on Friday night and leave it at that.”

  Evan took her right hand into his left. “It would’ve, but I want the best for my baby, and this is going to be unforgettable. It’ll be epic—something we’ll both remember for the rest of our lives.”

  Had he known Lauren as well as he should have by now, he would know she didn’t do epic. A simple, private event would’ve suited her just fine. She even thought her ring was too over the top, but she never told him that.

  “While we’re on the subject of parties, I ran into some old friends,” she said.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Yes. Jessalyn and Davina.”

  “The Lennox girls, right?”

  “Yes. Apparently, Jessalyn is opening her own souvenir shop and is having a grand opening celebration tomorrow. I told her I would be there.”

  “Are you telling me this because you would like for me to join you, or—?”

  Lauren bumped shoulders with his. “I would love for you to join me. You’ve been so busy these last few days, I didn’t think you’d be available.”

  “I’m definitely available. I think it’s about time I met some of your Bryson City friends.”

  Lauren smiled as Evan leaned forward to leave a kiss on her lips, one she accepted this time.

  “Here are the first batch of rolls,” Paloma said, placing a basket in the center of the table.

  “They look delicious, Mrs. Chandler,” Evan told her. “I’m grateful that you’re the mother of my fiancée. That means she’s going to be just as great a cook as you are.”

  “She already is,” Paloma said. “When Lauren was a little girl, she watched me do everything in the kitchen. I remember her helping me stir cake batter when she was only three years old.”

  Lauren smiled warmly at her mother.

  “Is that right?” Evan asked, but he was looking at Lauren.

  “Yep, that’s right.” Harvey chuckled. “Paloma couldn’t keep that girl out of the k
itchen.”

  “Yeah and don’t get any ideas, Evan,” Lauren told him. “In this day and age, a woman isn’t confined to the walls of her own kitchen. There are more options. Restaurants. Eating out. Ordering in. Making Foodie Calls.”

  “Foodie calls?” Paloma chuckled.

  “Yes, Ma. That’s actually a thing. You place an order at a restaurant and Foodie Call will pick it up from that particular restaurant and deliver it to you.”

  “Lord, I’ve done heard it all now.”

  Lauren chuckled. “Like I said—there are plenty of ways to have dinner prepared without having to be cooped up in the kitchen all day.”

  “You hear that, Evan?” Harvey asked. “My daughter is telling you something without telling you something.”

  “I picked up the hint,” Evan said. “And she doesn’t need to worry. For the first five years, it’ll just be us. We probably won’t have the nuisance of what to cook for dinner until the kids come along.”

  Lauren frowned, cleared her throat and asked, “Um, did you say five years?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  Lauren shook her head. “We talked about this before, Evan. I told you I wanted to have children immediately. You insisted we wait a year. Remember?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Then where is this five-year nonsense coming from?”

  He chuckled uncomfortably. “We’ll talk about that when we have some alone time, baby.”

  Yeah, and when will that be? Instead of saying that, she smiled and replied, “Okay,” intent on having a pleasant dinner with her parents. Her mother was already expressing doubts in the relationship and she didn’t want to add to those suspicions, so she just began on her meal. For a moment, you could hear a pin drop since it was so quiet and everyone was eating Paloma’s delicious, well-prepared, expertly seasoned food.

  “So, Lauren, are you ready to make the move to the big city?” Harvey asked.

  Evan picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

  Mid-chew, Lauren glanced over at Evan, then looked up at her father. “Big city? What do you mean, Dad?”

  Harvey looked at Evan. Apparently, just as he’d suspected, Evan hadn’t told Lauren about his promotion and that he’d be working in Charlotte in a month’s time. He figured he hadn’t – the reason he decided to come out and ask Lauren. He wanted to see what her reaction would be to the news. Harvey never said it straight up to any of them, but he didn’t want Evan for his daughter. Evan was a good man, he knew, but he never wanted his daughter to settle for anything or anyone and that’s what his gut told him she was doing – settling. Besides, Lauren wasn’t giddy like Meadow was when she got married. She was just languishing in fog, forcing herself to find a tad bit of happiness every day from some source other than Evan.