The Wedding Photo

by Kelley, Pamela M.

  The Wedding Photo

  Pamela M. Kelley

  Piping Plover Press

  Copyright © 2018 by Pamela M. Kelley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  A best friends to lovers romance.

  Wedding photographer Jenna Eldridge has a gift—along with her eye for a good photo, she also can ‘see’ if a couple’s love will last. But when she sees a picture she took of her best friend Charlie, she’s confused and unsure of what she is seeing.

  Charlie is a cop, like her father was, and when he died on the job, she swore she’d never date a cop. And she and Charlie are such good friends, she wouldn’t want to risk losing their friendship. But when they agree to a pretend relationship, to discourage a girl in his office, it starts to feel real. But is that what she wants?

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek—Ryder Revisited

  Sneak peek—Six Months in Montana

  Also by Pamela M. Kelley

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Jenna Eldridge arrived at the Breckenridge Manor at a quarter to four, fifteen minutes early for her meeting with the Smiths. She stopped by Melissa Cumming’s office first, and found the owner of the San Francisco wedding site sitting behind her desk, cleaning her eyeglasses. She looked up and smiled when she heard Jenna approach.

  “You’re early, good! How did they turn out? Show me.” Melissa always loved to see the photographs that Jenna took and over the past few years, she had become one of their most requested photographers.

  “I think they’ll be pleased. I hope so, anyway.” Even though Jenna knew her work was good, there was always a niggle of worry before she presented the photographs she took to the newlywed couples. She usually held her breath until they confirmed that they liked the pictures, too.

  “Oh, I’m sure they’re lovely,” Melissa said as she eagerly opened the large photo album that Jenna set on her desk.

  “They seemed really happy. I have a good feeling about this couple,” Jenna said.

  Melissa raised her eyebrow. “That’s nice. Hopefully better than the Phillips. Remember them? I just ran into the bride’s mother last week at the grocery store. They’ve already filed for divorce, after just five months.”

  “Oh, no. What a shame.” Jenna remembered the couple very well. The bride had been an absolute nightmare to deal with.

  “You predicted that. Said the marriage didn’t feel right, based on the pictures. Yet they were gorgeous. One thing the bride was happy with, if I recall?”

  “Yes, she was pleased with the pictures. For the most part. She was a beautiful woman though, very photogenic.”

  “How did you know, then?” Melissa asked.

  Jenna smiled and then tried to explain. “It sounds silly. I don’t always see it while I’m taking the pictures as I’m too focused on capturing the moment and making sure the light and focus are right. It’s when I go through them later that it becomes clear. I just see it.”

  She thought about it for a moment, trying to pinpoint what it was that she actually did see. “Something in their eyes I suppose. Most of the time, it’s clear to me, but sometimes it’s a little hazy and that usually means they may have more ups and downs than most. The fainter it is, the stronger the odds that they won’t last. So far, there have only been three times where there has been nothing there at all, and each time, the couple has divorced in less than a year.”

  “That’s amazing. It’s a gift.” Melissa sounded impressed.

  Jenna felt herself flush. “It’s nothing, really. I truly wish I’d been wrong this time.”

  Melissa closed the album and handed it back to Jenna. “Well, at least you know this couple will last.”

  They both turned at the sound of faint chimes signaling that the front door had opened.

  Melissa stood. “That’s probably them. If you want to go get settled, I’ll bring them in to you.”

  * * *

  Jenna took a sip of buttery chardonnay and leaned back in her bar chair, loving the feel of the soft leather. She’d been on her way home from work when her best friend, Bethany, called and asked her to meet at the Fairmont for an after-work drink. She hadn’t had to twist her arm very hard.

  It was so rare that Bethany was able to slip out these days that Jenna was looking forward to catching up with her friend. Before Bethany got pregnant, almost a year ago, this had been one of their favorite places. It was located on the edge of the financial district and was an elegant old bar connected to an upscale restaurant, and there was always an interesting and eclectic clientele, a mix of local business people and artists.

  “It was so nice of your mother to make you go out,” Jenna said.

  Bethany smiled as she reached for her Cosmopolitan and Jenna admired her sleek blonde hair, which she’d recently cut into a fashionable chin-length bob. She called it her ‘mom’ cut, but she had such cute, tiny features that it still managed to look fashionable and current.

  “I know. She’s the best. We had a nice visit this afternoon. She comes to see Stephanie pretty much every Thursday and I think she could tell I needed a break.” She went on to tell her how Stephanie was teething and because of it, none of them had been sleeping well. Then she had her laughing as she told stories about all the funny things she did. The next hour flew as it always did whenever they got together.

  “I’m so glad you called,” Jenna said. “How’s Quinn?” Bethany hadn’t mentioned her husband yet. Jenna knew that he often worked long hours. She had always liked Quinn and thought they made a great match.

  “He’s great. I called him on the way over here and I think he and Charlie are going to stop by after work, too.”

  “Oh, good. I haven’t seen Charlie in a few weeks. We’re overdue to have drinks.”

  “Speak of the devil. Here they come now,” Bethany said.

  Jenna glanced toward the door and saw Quinn and Charlie walking toward them. As it always did, the sight of Charlie Maxwell made her smile. He was one of her favorite people in the world. They’d been good friends and neighbors for over five years now, since Bethany and Quinn had introduced them and they realized that they lived in the same condo complex. Charlie smiled when he saw them at the bar and gave them hugs and a kiss on the cheek before settling into the chair next to hers.

  “Did you catch all the bad guys today?” Jenna asked after the bartender took his order. Charlie and Quinn were both detectives in downtown San Francisco.

  He chuckled. “I just started a new case today, actually. It may be a while before we get these guys, but we will. How was your day?”

  “Good. I showed a newlywed couple their pictures and they didn’t hate them,” she said with a smile.

  He smiled. “I’m sure they loved them. So, more importantly, what are we doing for your birthday?” It was coming up in a few weeks. Both Quinn and Charlie had turned thirty-two a few months ago and since their birthdays were just a week apart, they’d had a joint party, which had been a lot of fun.

  “It’s just another day. I don’t want to make a big deal of it.” Twenty-nine didn’t feel l
ike anything special, though she was glad it wasn’t thirty. Not that she’d ever really cared all that much about that kind of thing.

  “We’ll go out to dinner, then. You pick the restaurant.” Charlie turned his attention to the bar as the bartender set down his beer. He took a sip and then his phone rang. After checking the caller ID, he excused himself to go take the call.

  “You two make a cute couple,” Susie, the bartender, said as she wiped the bar with a wet rag. She was in her early sixties and they always chatted with her when they came in.

  “We’re just friends,” Jenna corrected her with a smile.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. You just seemed so comfortable with each other that I assumed….”

  “Don’t worry about it. Everyone thinks that,” Bethany told her, then raised her eyebrow at Jenna. “Still nothing there? I keep hoping that might change.” It was a conversation they’d had many times before. Quinn wasn’t paying attention. He was chatting with the guy next to him, much to Jenna’s relief.

  Bethany and Quinn had hoped there would be a love connection when they introduced them, and while Charlie was interested, Jenna wasn’t. Not that Charlie wasn’t handsome enough—he was. He had strong features, a square jaw, straight nose and dark brown eyes that matched his hair. He was muscular and lean, and kept in shape with regular workouts at the gym. Jenna just hadn’t been attracted to him when they first met as she had just gotten out of a long relationship that had ended badly, and jumping into a new one wasn’t something she was even thinking about.

  Plus, as she got to know him, she noticed that Charlie seemed to lose interest quickly with the women he dated. Ashley had soon turned into Brittany, and then Sophie. Most recently, it had been Marlene, a co-worker his age, whom he’d been crazy about at first but then as usual, when she started to get more serious than he was comfortable with, he ended things and it sounded like that hadn’t gone over well. Jenna liked him way too much to risk losing his friendship by having a short-term fling. Charlie was one of her best friends.

  “Sorry about that,” he apologized as he slid back into his chair. He set his cell phone on the bar, reached for his beer and added, “I actually have to head back into the office. They brought in some punks that might be tied to the case I’m working on and are going to put them in a lineup.” He took a big sip of his beer, then set it back down and pushed it away. He started to pull out some money, but Quinn interrupted him.

  “Put your money away. I got this. Slide that beer over here. I won’t let it go to waste.”

  Charlie grinned. “Thanks.” He turned to Jenna. “Trivia on Thursday?” She nodded. At least a few times a month, they went to a local pub a mile or so down the road for Trivia Thursday. Teams of people played against each other for several hours and the winning teams got gift certificates to use at the pub. It was a fun night out and Jenna always enjoyed going. Quinn often joined them and sometimes Jenna’s next-door neighbors, Shirley and Jack, came along.

  “Great. See you then. Oh, and I may bring a new guy in the office. George is single and wants to meet you.”

  “He wants to meet me?” Jenna was surprised.

  “This is the first time you’ve been single at the same time. He asked me who I knew that was available.”

  “Oh, okay. What’s he like?” Jenna didn’t think she remembered Charlie mentioning that name before.

  “He seems nice enough. He just started a few weeks ago. Moved here from Chicago.”

  An idea occurred to Jenna. One she was surprised she hadn’t thought of before. “I could see if Carolyn wants to come too. You might like her. She works in sales at the Breckenridge Manor and she’s your type. Long blonde hair, full of confidence.”

  “Sure, I’ll meet her. Sounds great!” He said his goodbyes and as soon as he was gone, Bethany turned to her with a look of amusement.

  “Did I just hear that the two of you are trying to set each other up?”

  Jenna chuckled. “I guess we are. Why not, though? We’re both single.”

  Bethany took a slow sip of her bright pink cocktail and then said, “Well, that should be interesting.”

  Chapter 2

  Jenna woke early the next morning, thanks to a soft paw tapping her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw the familiar furry orange face peering into hers. Felix had his paw raised, ready to tap again if he needed to. Jenna grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and checked the time. It was six a.m. sharp. She reached over and scratched her favorite feline behind his ears and he purred happily.

  “You’re as consistent as an alarm clock, though I wish I could schedule you to start this at seven instead.” Felix just continued to purr. “Come on, then.”

  She eased out of bed and slowly made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Felix raced ahead of her and waited by the cabinet where she kept his food. He rubbed his cheek against the door, over and over, his tail flicking as if to say, “Hurry up.” Jenna opened a can of wet food and plopped it in his dish, then made a cup of coffee for herself, settled at the kitchen table and opened her laptop to check her calendar and email.

  She didn’t have anything scheduled until early afternoon when she would be meeting with several new couples. Once she showered and dressed, she had a small project, a favor actually, that she was going to do for her mother at her knitting shop, Spin Me a Yarn.

  Jenna’s own studio was just around the corner from her mother’s shop, so she would stop by there as well. The wedding photo side of her business was the steadiest and the most lucrative, but she did all kinds of photography, from portraits to corporate work and her own creative personal shots that she hoped to one day sell in local art galleries.

  While her second cup of coffee was brewing, she melted some butter in a pan and beat two eggs in a small bowl, then reached in her cabinet and quickly found the spices she was looking for—thyme and garlic salt. Her spices were neatly arranged in alphabetical order which seemed the only reasonable way to do it, but which Charlie had found incredibly amusing when he’d first seen it. Jenna knew she was a little OCD about some things. She just liked everything to be neat and orderly. The absence of clutter was a calming thing.

  The few times she’d been to Charlie’s condo, which was similar to hers in size and layout, she’d felt edgy and uncomfortable. Charlie’s middle name was clutter. He had stuff stacked up everywhere. Sweatshirts strewn about his living room, stray socks under his coffee table and piles of books and newspapers spilling off his kitchen table and onto the floor. She usually suggested that he come to her condo if they were just going to be hanging out. She couldn’t relax in his.

  As soon as the pan was hot, she scrambled her eggs, ate them and then jumped in the shower. An hour later, once she was dressed and her long brown hair blown dry, she said goodbye to Felix and drove to her mother’s shop. It was located in an up-and-coming neighborhood and though it had only been open for six months, the cozy shop was doing a brisk business and had a small group of regular customers, some who had become friends as they’d signed up for the various small knitting groups that her mother put together. The groups met weekly, either in the afternoon or early evening, depending on the day and Jenna had been surprised to learn that they attracted all ages.

  The front door chimes tinkled as Jenna walked in and her mother came out a moment later from the back, carrying an overflowing bag of bright yellow yarn.

  “Hi, honey. I thought that might be you,” she called out as she set the bag on the counter, then came around to give her a hug.

  “Hi, Mom. you look great.” Jenna stepped back and took a closer look. “Did you cut your hair?”

  Her mother beamed. “You like it? Julie wanted to try something new.”

  “I love it.” She’d added some blonde highlights to her sandy brown hair and the cut was a flattering style that fell in short waves around her face and looked cute tucked behind her ears. Her mother had always been pretty, with a perpetual smile, and kind, blue eyes. She was also very petite, a perfect
size four. But something else was different about her, too. She seemed to be glowing.

  “You look really happy. Anything new and exciting that I should know about?” Jenna asked. She talked to her mother every few days and she hadn’t mentioned anything, but still, Jenna sensed that something was up.

  “Oh, nothing in particular. I’m just happy. Things are going well. I have a new group starting this afternoon and I’m going to start a mailing list, send out monthly sale information, that kind of thing. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “I do. It’s a great idea. We can make sure there’s a place to sign up on your website, too.”

  “Oh, okay. I was just going to have a guest book at the register and get their email addresses that way.”

  “Do that, too. And we’ll get some business cards made with the web site address on it. Once I get the pictures done for you, we can upload your favorite ones onto the site. Then we can use them on the business cards and anything else you print up.”

  Jenna spent the next hour taking all kinds of pictures of the shop and of her mother. When she finally felt like she had enough, she told her she was going to head to the studio to go through them and would then send her a bunch to review.

  “Thanks, honey. I really appreciate it. I wish you’d let me pay you for this.”

  Jenna gave her a hug. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re my mother. And this is fun for me.”

  “All right,” her mother agreed reluctantly.

  “What are you up to this weekend? Any exciting plans? Are we still on for brunch on Sunday?” They almost always met for brunch after church on Sundays.