Picture Perfect Love (Year Of Weddings 2 Book 7; Series Order 19) (Christian Romance)

by Melissa McClone

  She nodded. Her voice would sound too shaky if she spoke.

  “Turn around,” Rob said.

  Her gaze lingered on Ash, then she turned.

  Rob gave her an I-know-you-can-do-this smile. “Now fall backwards.”

  Jenna tried to relax her tense muscles. She shook her hands, as if that would make any difference about being caught. And then she realized she had no reason to worry or be afraid.

  Knowing who had their arms crossed waiting for her to fall didn’t matter. She had nothing to fear. She trusted He would be there to catch her the way He had been so far.

  She closed her eyes, leaned back, and fell into the air.

  Later that afternoon, Ash sat in a booth at a café in downtown Sweetwater. Empty plates once full of appetizers covered the table. He and Jenna sat on a bench seat opposite Toby and Amber. Sam had a date so he’d headed home, even though he, too, had been starving after the ropes course.

  Toby set his glass of iced tea on the table. “I’m never going to forget the look on Amber’s face when she realized she had to catch Jenna. Pure panic.”

  “Well, I honestly didn’t think you’d do it.” Amber studied her fingernails. “I was sure you’d back out at the last minute.”

  “That’s okay. I had doubts myself.” Jenna’s eyes shone brightly. “But I’m glad I went through with it.”

  The Trust Fall had been a struggle for her, but Ash couldn’t have been prouder of Jenna. He picked up his huckleberry lemonade, the café’s specialty. The condensation from the glass felt good against his palm after a hot day outside, working and playing.

  “Not as glad as Rob.” Ash laughed. “The guy was sweating bullets until you got on that platform.”

  Toby nodded. “Thought Rob might offer to do the fall himself, but Jenna’s group never had any doubt.”

  “Neither did I.” Ash hadn’t, even if she’d hesitated. Nothing wrong with taking her time. Made sense, given he and Amber had broken her trust and would be catching her. He understood her reservations.

  “Next time someone else can take the fall,” Jenna teased.

  Next time.

  The thought appealed to Ash. Getting outside, surrounded by trees and fresh air, was good for him. The course had challenged his muscles and his mind. Spending time with Jenna had been the best part, filling him with contentment and making him want more.

  “I’d do this again. Today has to be one of my most fun days in . . .” Ash did a quick calculation. The date was over two years ago, back when he was engaged to Jenna. “A while.”

  “Sam always needs volunteers.” She leaned back against the booth. Her eyelids looked heavy, as if she needed a nap. “If you have time to help out, give him a call.”

  “Is that what you do?” Toby asked.

  Jenna nodded. “There aren’t many Saturday events. We’ve had the ropes course planned for months, so I kept the date open. But the group meets every Tuesday and has an optional Bible study on Thursday.”

  “Sam keeps the kids busy,” Toby said.

  “That’s the best way to keep them out of trouble.” Jenna rubbed the back of her neck, making Ash wish he could do that for her—then she could return the favor. “Life is rougher on the east side of town. Many kids are from single-parent homes. Most need someone who’ll listen. Sam hopes to start a mentoring program.”

  “I’ll touch base with him.” If Ash happened to see Jenna while volunteering, that would be a bonus. Like dinner tonight.

  “This was fun. But I prefer an activity where I don’t break any fingernails.” Amber held up her right hand. “Good thing I’m having a gel manicure done for the wedding.”

  Toby kissed Amber’s hand. “Broken nails or not, I appreciate the way you stepped out of your comfort zone for those kids. You were great.”

  Amber beamed. “I guess a couple broken nails was a small price to pay.”

  Toby stared into her eyes and nodded.

  Ash realized this was likely his sister’s first service opportunity beyond buying gifts off giving trees at Christmastime or donating money and canned food. He would talk to Amber about getting involved in the youth group too.

  “A good day all around,” Jenna said.

  “I know who to thank.” Ash raised his glass. “Here’s to Jenna for inviting us, trusting us to catch her when she fell, and not screaming once gravity took over.”

  She tapped her glass against his, then Amber’s and Toby’s. “I was too busy praying to scream.”

  Ash believed that. The urge to put his arm around her the way he’d always done was strong, but he didn’t want to ruin dinner. Controlling his growing attraction wasn’t easy.

  Jenna glowed with her newfound confidence, contentment, and faith. Not only visible, but appealing. Getting involved at Sweetwater Community Church had been good for her. He wanted to attend a service and see what she’d found there. Maybe that would help him.

  Amber shivered. “I’m glad they didn’t pick me.”

  Toby gave her a one-arm hug. “You would have fallen off backwards.”

  “Maybe.” Amber sounded doubtful. “But I wouldn’t have wanted to go first.”

  “The kids did well.” Jenna toyed with her cloth napkin. She didn’t look nervous, but her fingers hadn’t stopped moving for the past five minutes.

  “They were successful because they saw you do the Trust Fall even though you weren’t sure.” Ash smiled, easy to do when he was around her. If only things could be different between them. He didn’t want to go back to where they’d been two years ago. He wanted to start fresh. Maybe today would be a new beginning. His gaze locked on hers. “Excellent job.”

  She smiled at him.

  He smiled back.

  Ash could sit with her the rest of the night and be happy. A strand of hair fell forward across her face. He tucked the piece behind her ear. So beautiful.

  “Oh, no!” Amber’s voice resembled a shriek. She tugged on Toby’s arm. “I forgot we had plans tonight. This has been great, but we have to go. Now.”

  Toby’s brow drew together. “I don’t have anything in my calendar.”

  “I must have forgotten to tell you.” She placed the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Come on, sweetie.”

  Two twenty-dollar bills dropped onto the table, courtesy of Toby. “This will cover our portion. See you later.”

  “I’ll be in touch about your wedding,” Jenna said.

  “Sounds good.” Amber scooted out of the booth. She practically sprinted to the door with Toby at her heels.

  Jenna stared after them. “Must be important plans.”

  “With Amber you never know.”

  The waiter removed the empty plates. “Tonight for dessert we have a three-layer chocolate cake with fudge filling and icing, crème brûlée, cherry cheesecake, or a marionberry cobbler with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.”

  “Marionberry cobbler,” the two said at the same time.

  Jenna’s cheeks turned a charming shade of pink.

  “Would that be one cobbler or two?” the waiter asked.

  “I don’t think I can eat one myself,” she said.

  “Me, either.” Ash looked at the waiter. “One, please. With two spoons.”

  “Coming right up.” The waiter carried the dishes away.

  “We both still like berries,” she said. “Marionberry cobbler.”

  “Huckleberry lemonade.”

  “Raspberry vinaigrette.”

  They used to play this game when they shared food. He was out of practice coming up with another food item. “Strawberry smoothie.”

  “Blackberry jam.”

  He wasn’t about to be outdone. “Blueberry muffins.”

  “Boysenberry syrup.”

  “Cranberry jelly.”

  Jenna’s shoulders slumped. “You win.”

  Ash had won the moment she sat next to him. He nudged his arm against hers. “Not bad for being out of practice.”

  She nodded. “You get
first and last bite.”

  Being with her today felt familiar, but differences stuck out. Jenna left room between them rather than sitting close so their thighs touched. The distance—inches—made him want to invade her space with not-so-accidental brushes of his hand, arm, and leg. If only . . .

  “One marionberry cobbler and two spoons.” The waiter placed the dessert and silverware between them. “Enjoy.”

  Jenna picked up her spoon but didn’t take a bite. “You first.”

  He ate a spoonful. The warm cobbler softened the cold ice cream into a heavenly mix of flavors.

  “Delicious.” Though he’d rather have a taste of Jenna. She tasted better than any—Stop. Those thoughts would get him into trouble. This wasn’t a date. Not even close. “Your turn.”

  Jenna broke off a piece, then raised her spoon to her mouth. Her lips closed around the bite of cobbler and ice cream. She closed her eyes, chewed, swallowed. A soft sigh escaped.

  The memories of her kisses hit like a left jab to his jaw. Talk about pure torture. Her kiss would be sweet, warm, completely filling. The best dessert on the menu. Ash shifted in his seat.

  Opening her eyes, she lowered the spoon. Her mouth curved upward. “Yum. This is really good.”

  Customers filled other tables, but the conversations and laughter didn’t distract Ash. He was all about Jenna. She was his focus, his world tonight. An alarm blared. A danger ahead sign flashed. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to do something he regretted . . . like kiss her. “We can order another.”

  She raised the spoon to her mouth. “This is enough. The calories are going straight to my waist and hips.”

  He didn’t see that as a problem, but knew better than to say the words aloud.

  Jenna looked at him. “Can I ask you a question?”

  He scooped up another bite. “Shoot.”

  “I don’t mean to be nosy. Okay, maybe I do, but why are you paying for Amber’s wedding photographer instead of your father?”

  Ash choked on the cobbler in his mouth, coughed, drank a sip of lemonade. That helped. Sort of. He drank more.

  A concerned look on her face, Jenna touched his shoulder. “You okay?”

  He nodded. Her moving closer and touching him felt good, comfortable, right. Pathetic, yes, but he was only human.

  “Sorry, must have swallowed wrong.” His throat burned and so did his brain. He couldn’t tell her the truth about his dad not liking her. The only thing that mattered was Ash liked her. “You’d asked about my father.”

  “I wondered why you’re paying for Amber’s photography and not him.”

  His father refused to pay Jenna. Ash didn’t want to lie about the reason, but he would not hurt her again. “My father paid for the original photographer. Her assistants can shoot Amber’s wedding, so he refused to pay for a different one.”

  Namely Jenna.

  Ash watched the melting ice cream pool on the plate. He hoped by the time of the wedding his father would be cordial to Jenna. “My dad shocked Amber by giving her a budget for the wedding. She’s gone over, so she is paying for her dress, veil, and shoes.”

  Jenna scooped up a spoonful of marionberries. “What else are you paying for?”

  “The cake and DJ.”

  “Amber’s fortunate to have such a generous brother.”

  “Her wedding day should be special.”

  Jenna’s fingers went knuckle-white-tight around the spoon. “Every bride dreams of the perfect wedding.”

  “Did you?”

  She nodded once.

  He hadn’t listened to what she wanted. “You wouldn’t have had your dream wedding if we’d married.”

  “You would have had yours.” She ate more cobbler.

  Would that have been his ideal wedding? He didn’t know. Jenna had suggested eloping, but Ash’s campaign manager and his father believed the publicity surrounding a big wedding would be a boost for the campaign. He’d convinced her that was for the best. She hadn’t put up much of an argument.

  His fault. Again. He set his spoon on the cobbler plate. “I owe you another apology.”

  “Let’s call it good.” She didn’t sound upset, but she fiddled with the napkin again. “There’s no reason to look back. We can’t change what happened.”

  “True, but I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.”

  God, you’ve given me so much. But please, could I have a do-over with Jenna?

  Ash nearly laughed. A misguided prayer, but he had no one else to help him.

  “I’ll be your cashier tonight.” The waiter set a black leather bill folder on the table, then walked away. Ash reached for the check only to find his hand on top of hers. “I’ve got this.”

  “I do.”

  Her skin was soft and warm. He fought the urge to rub her hand with his thumb. “Please. Let me cover dinner.”

  Eyes dark, she kept hold of the folder. “How about we split the check?”

  Jenna didn’t look like she would surrender without a fight. That would mess up whatever limited chance he had with her.

  He let go of the bill. “That works. I’ll subtract what Toby left, and we can each pay half.”

  A satisfied smile graced her lips. “Wonderful.”

  Ash missed her hand on his. “You look happy.”

  Her grin spread to her eyes, where a twinkle returned. “I am. Thanks to you.”

  “I seem to be missing something.”

  “This is the first time you’ve let me pay.”

  “Ever?”

  She nodded. “I never thought the whole man-always-pays thing seemed fair in an equal relationship, but you were always so adamant.”

  “Adamant?”

  “Very much so.” Her smile didn’t falter. “I didn’t make as much as you. Still don’t. And I appreciated you wanting to pay, but contributing, even a little, makes a person feel like they’re in a partnership, not just being taken care of.”

  He hadn’t known she felt that way. “I’ll remember that.”

  “A warning. Not all women feel this way.”

  But the one who counted did. “Still good to know.”

  Especially if he got a do-over.

  On Sunday after the youth service, Jenna entered the church hall. Two teens acknowledged her with nods. She gave them a thumbs-up.

  After the ropes course and Pastor Dan’s sermon, she couldn’t stop smiling. She kept thinking about the future. Something she hadn’t done in two years. It felt good, normal.

  Jenna followed the smell of fresh-brewed coffee to a large pot. She filled a cup, then added a dash of milk. The caffeine would keep her going with another wedding to shoot this afternoon.

  “Hey.” Sam wore a white button-down and khaki pants—dressy attire for him. The clothes made him look more his age than his normal shorts and T-shirts. “Guess who’s here?”

  “Pretty much everyone we know.”

  “True, but that’s not who I meant.”

  She sipped her coffee. The scent of something baking in the hall’s kitchen tickled her nose. “Is Mrs. Phillips making scones?”

  “Yes.”

  Jenna’s stomach grumbled in anticipation. “Just what I need this morning.”

  “That’s what Ash said.”

  She nearly dropped her coffee. “My Ash?”

  “Yours?” Sam’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t think you wanted to date the guy.”

  “I don’t. Figure of speech.”

  “Yeah, right. And I’m the tooth fairy.”

  She ignored him, searched the crowded hall, but didn’t see Ash. “Where is he?”

  “At one of the tables by the back door.” Sam’s mouth slanted. “You’d better hurry. I think a few women are calling dibs.”

  Jenna made a beeline toward the other side of the room. Laughter drew her attention. Michael, Kerri, Claire, and two women from the singles group sat with Ash. No empty seats remained at the table. The least Jenna could do was say hi.

  She walked up. “Go
od morning. I’m surprised to see you here, Ash.”

  He rose, looking handsome in his blue shirt and slacks. An almost finished scone sat on the plate in front of him. “I decided to attend the service this morning.”

  “Enjoy it?”

  “Very much.” He sounded relaxed for being in a brandnew place. “Pastor Dan is great. I liked the music. Everyone is so friendly. I’ll be back next Sunday.”

  A thrill shot through her. Not that what Ash did should matter. “This is a great place.”

  The others at the table agreed. She sipped her coffee.

  “You should go to the singles group meeting,” Kerri suggested. “Unless you’re in a relationship.”

  “I’m not dating anyone.”

  His words squeezed Jenna’s heart like a vise and left her feeling . . . weird.

  “The next meeting is on Wednesday,” Claire said.

  Ash looked at Jenna. “Will you be there?”

  She shook her head. “Photo session.”

  “I’ll check my calendar,” he said to the others.

  The three single women at the table sat taller, with big smiles. Jenna understood. But the thought of Ash dating one of them—or anyone—made her stomach churn. She didn’t know why. He was no longer her fiancé. They weren’t dating. They weren’t even friends.

  “We’re going to brunch,” Kerri said to Jenna. “Ash suggested a place downtown. Join us.”

  She’d eaten dinner with him last night. Brunch today wouldn’t be the smartest move if she wanted to keep her distance. But a part of her wanted to spend time with him.

  The other women stared at Ash like a new pair of shoes they wanted to try on. Which would he fit? Probably better that she wouldn’t be around to watch Sweetwater Community Church’s G-rated version of The Bachelor. “Thanks for the invite, but I have a wedding to shoot.”

  “You had one on Friday,” Ash said to her.

  “Busy month.”

  Jenna shouldn’t have said the word wedding in front of Claire, but considering what she’d been going through, Claire didn’t seem to mind. She looked good. She’d chopped off inches of hair and added coppery highlights. Her eyes were bright, not a hint of red or swelling.