How to Make a Wedding

by Cindy Kirk

  “I have a backup on retainer.” Judge Vance handed Jenna the envelope. “Look inside.”

  “Judge—”

  “Go on.”

  She raised the flap and took a peek. A check made out to her. She counted the zeroes. Ten thousand dollars. She gasped. Nearly dropped the envelope.

  “A lot of money. All you have to do is not show up at Amber’s wedding and stop seeing Ash.”

  “Ash?” Jenna’s stomach felt as if it were going through the washer’s spin cycle and she might throw up. “This has nothing to do with Amber’s wedding.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” Judge Vance didn’t sound guilty or remorseful. “I respect you, Jenna. You’ve done well for someone from such . . . humble beginnings. But Ash needs more, a woman with a similar background. A woman who can handle the demands of being the spouse of a high-profile attorney and political candidate.”

  “Ash isn’t interested in running for office.”

  “He’ll change his mind.”

  “That’s his decision. As is who he dates.”

  The judge’s face reddened. “I’m not letting my son throw his life away on a woman like his mother. One who will never adjust to the better lifestyle Ash would provide. You’ll end up miserable and hating each other.”

  Jenna handed back the check. “I don’t want your money. I’m not your ex-wife. Your concerns are misguided. I’m going to photograph Amber and Toby’s wedding. And I have no idea what will happen with Ash, but he makes me happy, and I believe he’d say the same thing about me. I’m hopeful things will work out differently this time.”

  The judge’s nostrils flared. “You’re making a big mistake. I can make your life difficult.”

  “I’m sure you can.” Jenna squared her shoulders, not about to be intimidated. Once she might have cowered, taken the money, and walked away without a word. No longer. She wasn’t alone. She didn’t have to handle this by herself. She touched her cross around her neck. “But I’m not afraid.”

  What was Jenna doing at the law office? Ash waited by his doorway. They’d planned to have dinner tonight, but he wasn’t going to complain about an afternoon visit.

  Jenna turned the corner, saw him, smiled. “I could use a hug.”

  “You came to the right place.” He wrapped his arms around her, brushed his lips over hair. She smelled like grapefruit. So nice. “What’s up?”

  “We need to talk in private.”

  He kissed her cheek, led her into his office, and closed the door. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  She took a breath. “Your father stopped by my house.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Not really.” She dragged her upper teeth over her lower lip. “He offered me ten thousand dollars if I wouldn’t photograph Amber’s wedding and if I stopped seeing you.”

  “That’s . . . impossible.” Ash tried to make sense of what Jenna was saying. Tried and failed. “You must have misunderstood his intentions.”

  “I heard him quite clearly.” Her voice trembled. “He had a white envelope. Inside was a check made out to me for ten thousand dollars. He suggested reasons I could use to cancel on your sister. He wanted me to lie.”

  “I’m sorry, but there’s been some kind of mistake.”

  “No mistake. He doesn’t want us dating. Said I’m too much like your mom. He threatened to make my life difficult if I didn’t do as he asked.”

  Ash stiffened. “My father is a respected judge. He’s on the church’s financial council. He would never pay off anyone, let alone threaten them.”

  Jenna’s mouth gaped. “You don’t believe me.”

  “I believe you talked with my dad, but there has to be some sort of misinterpretation of what he meant.”

  She covered her face with her hands. “You’re doing it again.”

  Ash touched her shoulder, only to have her jerk away from his touch. “What?”

  “Not trusting me.”

  “I trust you.”

  “Then why don’t you believe what I say happened?”

  “My father isn’t like that.”

  Raw hurt flashed in her eyes. Ash took two steps back.

  “You said things would be different. Promised . . .” Her lower lip quivered. “I thought you’d changed.”

  “I have.”

  “You don’t believe me. Again.”

  Each word punched his gut. “That’s not true. I’ll speak with my father. Find out what happened.”

  “You still need proof?”

  Ash hated how disappointed she sounded. He wanted to fix this.

  Jenna headed to the door. Her pace accelerated with each step.

  “Wait. Where are you going?” he asked.

  “Home.” Her hard look froze his heart. “I’ll photograph Amber and Toby’s wedding per our contract, but please don’t contact me again.”

  That night, Jenna sat next to Sam on her living room couch. She tried concentrating on the movie playing, but couldn’t. Two pints of ice cream, two spoons, and a box of tissues—all but the spoons courtesy of Sam—sat on the coffee table.

  Goosebumps covered her skin. She was cold down to her bones, freezing though a fleece throw covered her. “I don’t know if I should cry or scream.”

  Sam grabbed another scoop of double-chocolate chip. “Have more ice cream. That’s step number one. Then we’ll egg his house.”

  “The judge would have us arrested.”

  “Only if the judge found out. I’ll make sure we don’t get caught.”

  “I’d probably start crying and be no fun. Sorry.”

  “Just a thought.”

  Her heart hurt, a familiar aching tightness. She wiped her tired, swollen eyes. “I can’t believe I let Ash do this again. I thought I was being smarter this time, more careful. I should have known he hadn’t changed.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Sam put his arm around her the way Colton would do if he were here. “You had feelings for the guy. You were hoping for the best.”

  “Hoping and praying. I wanted things to work.”

  “Did you fall in love with him again?”

  Had she? “I don’t know. It’s only been a couple weeks.”

  “Doesn’t take long.”

  “Speaking from experience?” Jenna asked.

  Sam focused on the ice cream. “We’re talking about you.”

  “I don’t know what or how I feel about Ash, only that I want the hurting to stop. I also feel like I should pray for him. Is that weird?”

  “Not at all.”

  She closed her eyes. Please help Ash. Help him find his way like you helped me.

  “Feel better?” Sam asked.

  “A little.” She stared at her chocolate mint chip. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through the rehearsal dinner and wedding.”

  “I’ll come along as your assistant,” Sam offered.

  “You’d do that?”

  He mussed her hair. “Of course. You’re one of my best friends. Though I only know how to take pictures with my phone.”

  She laughed.

  “Wait. Is that a smile I see?” He grinned. “Yes, that’s definitely a smile. Progress. This calls for more ice cream.”

  “I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

  Sam winked. “More for me, then.”

  “Help yourself.” Jenna had a feeling food would be the last thing on her mind until she survived the next two days. But she’d signed a contract and would be professional dealing with the Vance family. Even if her heart was broken and all she wanted to do was cry.

  After the rehearsal dinner, Ash unlocked the door to the house where he and Amber had grown up. His annoyance level had reached an all-time high. Jenna had barely said a word tonight except to give instructions, and she’d kept her face hidden with the camera.

  Talk about awkward.

  But what was he supposed to do? His father had denied her accusations, agreeing she’d misconstrued the intent of his visit. She’d cut of
f all communication. Ignored Ash’s texts and calls. Frustrating. Maybe he could speak to her tomorrow.

  “The rehearsal went well.” His father handed over his jacket to be hung. “Let’s hope the wedding goes as smoothly.”

  “It should.” Ash headed to the closet. “The wedding coordinator and DJ are top-notch. They’ll keep things on schedule.”

  “That photographer has nerve showing up tonight,” his dad said.

  “You mean Jenna.”

  “One step above trailer trash. Like your mother.”

  “What are you talking about? Mom wasn’t like that.” Ash had never heard his father badmouth his mother. She had been pretty and kind and made the best cookies in the world. But she’d cried a lot and hadn’t left the house much. His mom never would have tackled a ropes course or half the things Jenna did. “And Mom and Jenna are nothing alike.”

  “Maybe not now, but Jenna will turn into a woman just like your mother in a few short years. I know you’re upset over what happened, but this might turn out for the best.”

  “I miss Jenna.”

  “I’m sorry you’re hurting. But you’ll feel better eventually.”

  Ash wasn’t so sure. Nothing provided relief. If he’d felt dissatisfied before Jenna reentered his life, he was completely on edge and unhappy now.

  He opened the closet door and hung up his dad’s jacket. Something crinkled. He checked the inside pocket. A white envelope.

  He had a white envelope. Inside was a check made out to me for ten thousand dollars.

  Warning bells sounded. Ash removed the envelope. The flap was unsealed. He felt as if he was trespassing, but he looked inside and saw a check for ten thousand dollars made out to Jenna.

  No. No. No.

  Emotion clogged Ash’s throat. His vision blurred. He almost lost his balance.

  Jenna had been telling the truth. But he hadn’t believed her. He’d made excuses for his father. Trusted his dad. But now that Ash had proof . . .

  He shouldn’t have needed proof.

  His lack of faith in her had ruined everything again. But he wouldn’t wait two years to right the wrong. Ash carried the envelope to his father. “Dad, we need to talk.”

  Jenna took pictures of Amber and her bridesmaids preparing for the wedding ceremony. The smells of hair spray and perfume filled the dressing room. Music played from an iPod docking station. The strawberry-blonde flower girl danced barefoot.

  The wedding coordinator, a twentysomething woman named Ruby, flitted in and out of the room on her three-inch heels. She clapped. “Only an hour to go.”

  Jenna glanced out a window. The sunny blue sky matched the festive atmosphere inside. Rain and gray clouds would fit her mood better. But this wasn’t the time to throw herself a pity party. Jenna knew He would see her through. Time to be the photographer that the bride and groom expected her to be.

  Picture Perfect Photography.

  She would give Amber and Toby perfect images of their love on this special day and creative, fun ones too. If a flying shark happened to be eating the brother of the bride . . .

  Jenna fiddled with the camera settings, pasted on a smile, and faced the women preening in mirrors. She used the reflections to show off their dress backs and faces at the same time. See . . . she had this.

  Amber wore her flowing white fairy-tale princess dress. The bridesmaids dressed in lavender cocktail dresses.

  Two women took pictures of each other. That gave Jenna an idea. “I want everyone to take a selfie, then give me your phones with the picture on them.”

  The women did.

  Using Amber’s wedding dress train as a backdrop, Jenna arranged the phones, then took photos of the selfies. Satisfied with the results, she handed back the phones. “Thanks.”

  A knock sounded.

  Amber hurried toward the bathroom in a swish of white, luxurious fabric. “That better not be Toby.”

  The maid of honor, a pretty blonde named Elizabeth, answered the door. “Ash. Mr. Vance. What are you doing here? Your knock sent Amber into hiding.”

  “Can we speak with Jenna out in the hallway?” Ash asked.

  Jenna wanted to ignore the request, but Ash was paying her. No sense causing a scene. She made her way out. “Be right back, ladies.”

  In the hallway, Ash stood next to his father. Their black tuxedos highlighted their similar heights and different accessory colors. His father wore black. Ash had on the same lavender vest and tie as the other groomsmen.

  Handsome, yes, but looks would never make up for Ash’s lack of trust and faith in her. Nothing could.

  “What’s up?” She tried sounding nonchalant when all she wanted to do was bolt. A runaway bride was one thing. She’d never heard of a vanishing wedding photographer. Jilting a couple at the altar would not be good for business.

  Ash looked at his father.

  “I owe you an apology.” Judge Vance’s tone was contrite. “I should have let my son decide what he wants, not try to make those decisions for him. I’ve treated you unfairly twice. First when I told Amber I’d buy her a new car if she stopped your wedding.”

  That had been Amber’s reason? A car? No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone. The revelation left Jenna speechless.

  “And the other day,” the judge continued. “I was trying to protect my son. His mother comes from a background similar to yours. I saw history repeating itself and stepped in to stop him from being hurt. I hope you’ll see it in your heart to forgive me someday.”

  The judge walked away. His shoulders hunched.

  She watched him go, feeling sad. “Your father loves you very much.”

  Ash nodded. “He was trying to protect me the best way he knew how. Not that his reason excuses his actions.”

  Jenna could see the situation more clearly now. “He didn’t want you to suffer the same pain he did, but his methods were wrong.”

  “I was wrong. I’ve said ‘I’m sorry’ so many times you must not believe me.”

  “Words are easy to say.”

  Ash brushed his hand through his hair. “I mean them. I let pride get in the way of seeing the truth. Believing my father wasn’t capable of . . . well, everything he’s done to you.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” She wasn’t sure where the words came from, but she believed them with her whole heart. “You need to forgive your father and yourself.”

  “What about us?” Ash asked. “We tried starting over, but maybe if we tried again . . . if you can forgive me . . .?”

  “I accept your apology, but it’s hard to forget what you’ve done when you keep doing it.” Her throat clogged. She swallowed, but that didn’t help. “I care about you, Ash. I always have. But you promised. You claimed you wouldn’t do the same thing again. But you did. You wouldn’t believe what I said until you had proof. I need to know the man I’m with trusts me. That he’ll be on my side, no matter what.”

  “Jenna—”

  “Not now.” She raised her hands, palms facing him. “You’re paying me to take pictures of your sister’s wedding. I can’t do that out here.”

  “Later, then.” The hope in his voice matched the sentiment in his gaze.

  “Maybe.” That was all Jenna could give him. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  Hours later, Ash loosened his tie. The four-tiered cake had been cut and served. The tossed bouquet had hit Jenna on the forehead. One bandage later, she was back taking pictures. Bridesmaids had stuck their shoes under a table and walked barefoot.

  He looked at the smiling guests and crowded dance floor.

  A perfect wedding. Exactly what Amber had wanted. He couldn’t be happier for his sister and Toby, now Mr. and Mrs. Matthews.

  Funny how Amber was married while Ash was still single. And at this rate would remain so. A vise tightened around his heart. He had only himself to blame.

  I had no connections with anyone outside of my family. My faith was so weak. Before, when I was with you, I wasn’t like the way I am
now.

  Jenna’s words reverberated through his head. Made his heart hurt more. What she said described him.

  You were my catalyst for change. For finding Pastor Dan and his church. For falling in love with God. I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but being dumped at the altar was the best thing that ever happened to me.

  Dissatisfaction with his life, with everything, made Ash itch. He wanted what Jenna had found—unwavering faith and a place to belong. Was it too late to change?

  Amber touched his shoulder, then hugged him, not the half-armed air hug she was famous for, but an honest-to-goodness not-letting-go hug like they’d shared when she was little. “Isn’t today wonderful?”

  He let go of her. “The best.”

  “Thanks for your help.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I appreciate everything you’ve done, given what a mess I made of you and Jenna.”

  “I would have lost her on my own. I just did.”

  “Try, try again.”

  “What happened belongs in the past,” he said.

  “No, it doesn’t. You make a cute couple. That’s why I’ve been trying to get you to spend more time together.”

  “The dinner at the café and wedding site tour.”

  “I was hoping for lunch after the bridal salon visit, but that didn’t work out.” Amber beamed. “Still rather brilliant with shades of Jane Austen’s Emma, don’t you think?”

  “You’re not a matchmaker. Don’t do it again.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind at the time.”

  “I do now.” Jenna’s present burned a hole in his pocket. She might not want it, but he needed to give her the box. Maybe she could see the gift as a thank-you, not a good-bye.

  “Change your mind,” his sister suggested. “We’ll figure out a plan.”

  Amber was so young and in love. He was happy for her, but she didn’t understand how complicated things were with Jenna. “Go find your husband. The two of you should be leaving soon.”

  “I will, but I have to say something first. Since Jenna came back into your life, you’ve been the happiest I’ve ever seen you. I think there’s a correlation between her and your good mood.”