by Olivia Miles
“You’re more nervous than the bride,” Alec whispered in her ear.
“I just want it to be perfect for her,” she said, emotions making her voice thick.
“It already is. Look,” Alec murmured, and Kate followed his gaze to look at Elizabeth, who stood at the back of the aisle, her hand hooked through her father’s arm, her joy obvious to everyone in attendance.
“Maybe the next time we’re walking down the aisle, it will be at our own wedding,” Alec whispered as the children started their walk down the aisle, the flower girl scattering petals in the sand. The aww from the crowd always made her smile, every time.
“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” she replied, even though her pulse skipped a beat at the thought of it.
“I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way, but there’s one thing I always stick to,” Alec whispered.
“What’s that?”
“When something good comes along, don’t let it pass you by.”
“At any cost?” Kate asked, thinking back to how far Alec had been willing to go time and again for something he wanted.
She felt his eyes on her and turned to meet his eyes. “Some things are worth the sacrifice, Kate. And you are the best thing to come along in a long time. Probably ever.”
Kate beamed and looked away, knowing she still had a job to do. Not as a wedding planner. But as Elizabeth’s maid of honor. She would stand at the altar and watch her best friend walk down the aisle. She would stand at her side as she pledged her love to the man who had stolen her heart and would now promise to treasure it.
Arm in arm, Kate and Alec finished their walk down the aisle, smiling faces guiding their way. For years she had stood at the back of the room, watching as bride after bride strode down the aisle, hope swelling her heart each time as she thought that maybe, just maybe, her turn would someday come. She may not be wearing a white dress or veil today, and the man who had her heart might be standing beside her rather than in front of her, but she felt every bit as special as she hoped she would feel when her turn came. It was a feeling of hope, and excitement, and perfect contentment.
And she had a feeling this was just a practice run.
About the Author
Olivia Miles writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. A city girl with a fondness for small-town charm, Olivia enjoys highlighting both ways of life in her stories. She lives just outside Chicago with her husband, young daughter, and two ridiculously pampered pups.
You can learn more at:
http://oliviamilesbooks.com/
Twitter at @MsOliviaMiles
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authoroliviamiles
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Also by Olivia Miles:
Mistletoe on Main Street
A Match Made on Main Street
Hope Springs on Main Street
Love Blooms on Main Street
Christmas Comes to Main Street
Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
As she plans Elizabeth’s wedding, Kate works to hide her own heartbreak over Jake’s betrayal. Talk about a time when you had to hide your feelings from a loved one. Why did you do it? Do you think it was the right decision?
Kate says about her dog Henry: “Henry deserved a life that was overflowing with love. Didn’t everyone?” How does this belief illustrate Kate’s general outlook? How do you think that outlook affects Kate’s relationships? Do you think it made it easier for her to forgive Charlotte at the end of the book? Why or why not?
At one point, Kate notes that “thirty is a far cry from eighteen, when the world felt so full of promise.” How does your outlook change as you grow older? Do the possibilities for your life really diminish, or does it just feel like they do? Have they for Kate? How does her journey throughout the book illustrate that?
Charlotte’s “life hadn’t taken such a traditional route, but was instead being taped and glued together piece by piece.” What’s the value in living a glued-together life? What’s the downside? Has your life followed a traditional route, or has it been more cobbled together?
When asked about whether or not he thinks that the town should undertake renovations on the Misty Point Lighthouse, Alec says yes, adding, “The only way for progress is to move forward, not stay rooted in the past.” How does this apply to the way he lives his life? What about Kate? Do you believe that you can have progress without letting go of the past? Why or why not?
In the beginning of the book, Alec and Kate can’t stand each other, and by the end they’ve fallen in love. How do you think they were able to overcome their initial bad first impressions? Has there been a time in your own life when you’ve realized that your first impression of someone was wrong? What made you realize that?
Both Alec and Kate struggle in their relationships with their siblings but ultimately find peace. How do the two very different sibling relationships illustrate the complicated ways that families interact emotionally?
At the end of the book, Kate forgives Charlotte, after hearing what really happened with Jake. Why do you think what seemed like an impossibility for Kate happened so easily in the end? Do you think that forgiveness lessens the pain caused by a betrayal or strengthens it? What makes forgiveness so hard?
A Discussion with the Author
1. This novel is a bit of a departure for you. What inspired you to write it?
Kate and Charlotte’s conflict is such a big one that I wanted to explore their complicated relationship a bit more while still developing their individual story lines. A year had passed since they’d spoken, and yet they were both at a turning point in their lives that triggered mixed feelings. While this novel still has a romantic subplot, ultimately the center of the story is sisterhood.
2. Misty Point is such a lovely setting. Is it based on anywhere you’ve been in real life? Where did you get the idea for it?
Misty Point is loosely based on Newport, Rhode Island. I grew up in New England, and I will forever hold a fondness for it.
3. Kate is asked to forgive a major betrayal by her younger sister, Charlotte. Have you ever had to forgive someone when you didn’t want to? How did that experience help shape the way you wrote about it here?
Every long-term relationship has its share of ups and downs—whether it’s a marriage, a friendship, or, in this case, a family situation. I tried to be very careful with how I handled Kate’s feelings toward Charlotte, because deep down, she loves her sister, but she also recognizes a side of her that she doesn’t always like.
4. Two of the most important relationships in this book are sibling relationships: William and Alec, and Kate and Charlotte. Are either of these sibling relationships close to your own? What inspired the different conflicts these two sets of siblings experience? Do you think our siblings shape us as people?
In order for Kate to sympathize with Alec, I felt there was a need for commonality, which in this case was the complex relationship he had with his younger brother. For both Kate and Alec, they are the older sibling, the more responsible one, and they don’t feel they have the same freedoms as their younger siblings do, which in time they start to resent a bit. It was through their sibling dynamics and conflicts that they were challenged to break away from their family roles and finally become the people they wanted to be.
5. One of the most fun parts about this novel is that it’s centered around a wedding. Were there any similarities between your own wedding and Elizabeth and William’s? Was it more fun to plan their wedding or your own? Tell us about your wedding.
I had a winter wedding, in a city, so there were very few similarities between my wedding and Elizabeth’s. But I always love thinking of how my wedding day might have been in a different season or location, and by writing this book, I could do just that! And of course it’s a little more fun to plan a f
ictional wedding, because you don’t have to worry about actually organizing anything. You just get to sit back and enjoy your dream wedding, as a guest.
Single mom Charlotte Daniels is slowly winning back her sister Kate’s trust. But when a relationship with their high-profile client turns personal, Charlotte fears her latest indiscretion will cost her more than just the business.
A preview of
The Winter Wedding Plan
follows.
Chapter One
Charlotte Daniels knew that it was customary for resolutions to take place on New Year’s Eve, but considering the current state of her affairs, she wasn’t exactly in a position to wait that long this year, and so, in one of those strange bursts of optimism that border slightly on denial and usually only come about when things are particularly dire, she decided that Thanksgiving would just have to do.
First up: she’d organize her apartment. Get the closets in order and make the bed every morning before work—in other words, customary adult responsibilities that she just didn’t seem to have time for these days but would make time for, starting today! Next (and this was a big one), she’d get her finances together and pay back that loan her parents had so generously given her for a security deposit on an apartment when she’d moved back to Misty Point this past summer. And third, she’d focus on the future, not the past with all its icky mistakes, and start building the life that her daughter deserved.
It started today. About a month before Christmas. Baby’s first Christmas, she thought with a smile as she walked into her parents’ dining room and tucked Audrey into the nicked wooden high chair that had been passed down from her sister, Kate, to her and now to her seven-month-old daughter. Charlotte felt her eyes begin to mist when she thought of how her family had opened their arms to her surprise baby girl. It was more than Audrey’s father had ever done…Not that any of them would be discussing him today. Or any other day for that matter. No, he was part of her past. Not her future. And she wasn’t going to be dwelling on her past anymore, was she?
Nope. It was on the list. A resolution. One she was sticking to.
“Doesn’t Audrey look sweet in her new Thanksgiving dress!” Charlotte’s father grinned as he carried two bottles of wine into the room and set them on the table her mother had covered in an orange linen cloth, just for the occasion. The moment his hands were free, he reached for the camera that was within arm’s reach at all times, and began snapping some candids of Audrey, who was happily chewing on her fingers, a habit she’d picked up when she started teething. Charlotte stifled a sigh and leaned in close, smiling into the lens and hoping that the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep weren’t accentuated by the overhead lighting.
“It fits perfectly,” Charlotte commented once Frank had reluctantly turned off the camera and positioned it close to his place setting. There was no denying that Audrey was the best-dressed baby in their small Rhode Island town, not that she could take any of the credit. Any money she had went to the necessities, but soon that would all change. Soon she hoped to give her only child all that she deserved. She’d already started by giving her the gift of family. Next it would be a nice home. And after that…Well, some might say that a father figure would benefit Audrey, but Charlotte wasn’t taking any risks in that department any time soon. If ever.
Charlotte’s mother came into the room with a bowl of roasted squash. “Before you leave tonight, remind me that I have a few more things to give you.”
“Mom.” Charlotte felt her face flush. She darted her eyes to the doorway, happy that the friends and family who had gathered for the day were still in the kitchen, snacking on appetizers. Her mother was forever buying gifts lately, and while the clothes and toys were understandable, things like paper towels or laundry detergent made her always feel a strange mix of gratitude and humiliation.
Maura winked. “Just a few little things I couldn’t pass up. On sale for a steal. I couldn’t resist!”
Charlotte inwardly cringed. It wouldn’t be exactly easy to ask for yet another favor tonight when her parents were already offering up so much.
She wrapped a bib around Audrey’s neck—another gift, this one from her sister, Kate, and her fiancé, Alec—and snapped it closed. Her stomach felt funny as she mentally rehearsed the speech she would give. It had all seemed so much easier when she’d practiced in the shower this morning while Audrey took a brief nap.
“Turkey coming through!” Kate cried out now as Uncle Bill carried the large bird into the room and set it down on the center of the table.
Her cousin Bree, a strict vegetarian, hovered in the doorway, her top lip curling slightly. “Please tell me I will be eating more than mashed potatoes today.”
“There’s bread.” Bree’s mother, Charlotte’s aunt Ellen, handed Bree a basket of rolls and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“Yum. Bread.” Bree’s older but considerably less mature brother, Matt, snatched one and took a large bite, causing Bree to swat him on the arm.
“It’s a good thing I had the sense to bring a salad,” Bree muttered.
“Out of curiosity,” Alec said as he came into the room. “Would you ever date a carnivore, Bree?”
Bree’s cheeks turned pink at the question. “Why? Did you have someone specific in mind?”
Now it was Alec’s turn to look uncomfortable. “Just curious is all.” He pulled out a chair and quickly settled himself into it.
Bree pinched her lips as she dropped the basket onto the table. “Good. The last thing I need right now is to be set up.”
Charlotte quietly seconded that sentiment as everyone took their seats, which wasn’t an easy feat this year with so many people tucked around the table. This year Alec’s brother, William, and his wife, also Kate’s best friend, Elizabeth, had joined with Elizabeth’s parents and brother. The two families were merging in a way, expanding the holiday cheer, and Charlotte was happy for it. She liked William. And she’d always liked Elizabeth. Even if she did make her feel a little uncomfortable these days.
She slid into the chair next to Elizabeth, feeling out the situation. Sure enough, Elizabeth’s smile was a little strained. Well, who could blame her? She was a loyal friend. And Charlotte…well, Charlotte hadn’t exactly been the most loyal sister in the recent past. And rectifying that was her top resolution.
“I think we’re ready to eat!” Frank said, his eyes shining as he practically licked his lips.
“The potatoes!” Maura suddenly cried as she started to push back her chair.
Charlotte, who had bent to pick up the spoon Audrey had dropped, stood and set her hand on her mother’s shoulders. “Allow me.”
It was the least she could do, considering the pumpkin cheesecake she’d baked that morning had inexplicably curdled in the oven while the graham cracker crust had burnt to a crisp, causing the smoke alarms in her apartment to go off until she’d been forced to open the front door for thirty straight minutes and sit with Audrey in the car to stay warm. The one thing she was asked to contribute, and she’d managed to ruin it. She’d brought a bottle of wine instead. Nice. Traditional. Perfectly acceptable once she’d wiped off the dust and checked the label, hoping that the age of it was a good thing, since it had been sitting in the back of her pantry for months and might have belonged to the former tenants.
She walked into the kitchen, her eyes coming to rest on her sister Kate’s magazine-cover-worthy apple tart, complete with a perfect lattice crust and no doubt homemade vanilla bean ice cream to accompany it. Something Kate had whipped up when it was announced that Charlotte wouldn’t be bringing the dessert after all.
Charlotte grumbled under her breath. Then, because she couldn’t resist, flung open the freezer door and narrowed her eyes on the simple white carton that rested primly on the second shelf. Suspicion confirmed.
“I forgot the cranberries, too!” Her mother sighed as she came up behind her, but she paused when she noticed Charlotte’s frown. “Honey, what’s wron
g?”
Charlotte closed the freezer with a guilty shrug. “Nothing.” Yet so much all at once. “I just feel bad about my cheesecake.” It was the first thing that came to mind, but she was horrified to realize a single hot tear had slipped down her cheek.
“Honey!” Maura’s laugh was good-natured as she brushed the tear away with the pad of her thumb. “It’s the thought that counts. Besides, we have this apple tart to enjoy. It looks beautiful, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm.” Charlotte felt her lips thin. She had spent Audrey’s entire morning nap carefully following the recipe she had printed from the office yesterday. She’d even made a special trip to the grocery store for the ingredients last night, which had cost a pretty penny. By the time she’d pulled the mess from the oven and stared at it in complete bewilderment, wondering where exactly she had gone wrong, Audrey had started crying again, needing to be changed and fed. And then the smoke alarm started to blare…
Now Charlotte set a hand to her forehead. She was just tired, that was all. Running on interrupted sleep for months on end could do that to anyone. She was crying over a cheesecake, of all things. A curdled, inedible, burnt-to-the-edges cheesecake.
But she knew from the ache in her chest that it really was about so much more.
“I guess I just wonder if I’ll ever get anything right,” she said as she spooned the mashed potatoes from the pot that was warming on the stovetop into one of her mother’s best serving bowls.
“We all make mistakes, Charlotte. Don’t let them define you.” Her mother’s hand on her shoulder was kind, but her words were firm, and ones that Charlotte knew she should heed.
She finished filling the bowl slowly, wondering if now was the time to ask about moving back home for a while, just until she’d landed on steadier ground. No need to admit the extent of it. But even though she knew she had to ask—today—she couldn’t bring her mouth to form the words. To admit that she’d tried. And failed. Again.