Chapter One
Summer glanced around the old Gothic church, admiring the ornate details in the woodwork and the stained-glass windows. Mid-afternoon light shone from the west side, casting a colorful spectrum down the center of the pews. Summer idly wondered if Monique had planned this detail, or if it was completely luck.
Bryan stood at the front of the church, shifting slowly from foot to foot. He looked like a million bucks in his navy suit, accented with dark gray. His haircut and shave were so fresh, Summer wouldn’t be surprised if there was a barber in the back of the church.
The music slowed, and the string quartet started playing “Here Comes the Bride” as Monique walked down the long flower-covered aisle, with her dapper father at her arm. Everyone stood, and as Monique passed by Summer, she locked eyes and smiled with full crimson lips before looking forward once again.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead in that dress,” Barbara whispered into Summer’s ear.
Summer’s eyes widened, and she turned to her mom and shushed her. Barbara had already ripped apart Monique’s flower choice, as well as the venue, which was one of the most spectacular churches Summer had ever been inside. Summer was beginning to worry about the woman she’d been letting make her own wedding choices. She’d always trusted her mom’s advice when it came to decorating and style, but maybe Barbara was losing her touch.
“I’m just saying. Look how unsupportive it is. And there is such a thing as too much lace,” her mom continued. When Summer shot her a glare, Barbara turned her gaze back towards the main event and sighed.
“Mom, be quiet. I’m regretting letting you sit beside me,” Summer said, looking down the row to see her dad, then Jake, staring forward at the ceremony. “See? Do what they’re doing.”
They were closer to the back of the full church; hundreds of people were there, many of them clearly wealthy. Summer had never seen so many Mercedes, town cars, and limos in her life. Bryan was marrying into a prestigious family, or at least an extremely rich one.
She caught the look on Bryan’s eyes as Monique’s father gave her away. Even from back here, she could see the love all over his face. Bryan wasn’t marrying Monique for her money. He was doing it because his heart told him it was the right thing to do.
The ceremony went on, and it was a long one, traditional and stuffy, but Summer enjoyed it. Sometimes traditional was enjoyable, but she couldn’t see her own wedding going this route. She glanced at her mom, who had remained surprisingly quiet, and saw her lightly dab a tear from the corner of her eye.
“What? I’m not a monster,” Barbara whispered then smiled at Summer, patting her hand and giving it a squeeze. “I can’t wait until your big day.”
Summer had been so busy with work, she’d delegated a lot of the details to her mother, who was eager to take on the role of wedding planner. It had been a few weeks since they’d met to discuss the progress, and Summer hoped everything was still on track.
The string quartet picked up again as the bride and groom kissed, and everyone stood and cheered them on. Monique was glowing as they turned to the crowded church and posed for some pictures.
Eventually, everyone was filing out, and Jake found Summer’s side, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. He was wearing a light brown suit, a forest-green dress shirt, and caramel shoes. She loved having a gorgeous man to dress up sometimes. His shirt matched her own floor-length dress, and she leaned her head onto his chest while they waited for the line to move.
“What did you think?” he asked her.
“The ceremony?” she asked.
He nodded, waiting for a reply.
“It was nice. Classic.”
“We don’t have to do that, right?” he asked.
“Get married?” she joked.
“No. Stand in front of a crowd for an hour.” Jake’s hand lifted from her back, and they moved down the aisle, heading toward the happy couple in the receiving line.
Barbara was clearly listening, and she craned her neck around. “Jake. It’s going to be your wedding day. You’ll do what I want. I mean, what your bride-to-be wants.” She shot a look at Summer that was supposed to be supportive, but Jake was right. Summer didn’t want her own wedding that traditional. She would have to go over the plans with her mom when they got back home.
Summer slid her hand into Jake’s. He smiled back at her, and soon they were at the end of the line. Summer embraced Monique and Bryan and wished them all the happiness in the world.
“You guys look so amazing. Congratulations!” Summer exclaimed.
“Thank you so much. We’re so happy it’s finally done. You’ll understand soon enough,” Monique said quietly. Her brown hair was pinned into a low chignon, and she looked ethereal.
Bryan chimed in, “Just think. You get your own wedding in three months. We’re looking forward to it.”
“So are we. Right, Summer?” Jake asked.
She nodded, and the line pressed them forward. “We’ll chat at the reception. Congrats again.” And with that, Bryan and Monique were hugging and laughing with the next people in line.
“Let’s walk,” Jake suggested. “I saw a nice wine bar down a couple blocks.”
“I can use a drink,” Hudson said, and the four of them made their way.
Summer really did love Boston in June. The flowers were fully bloomed, the trees happy and healthy, and the weather was warm, but not too hot yet.
They’d met up with Trina and Chris the night before and had a wonderful time catching up. Trina’s business was thriving, and Summer couldn’t have been happier for her old friend. Jake and Chris got along well, but that wasn’t surprising. Jake seemed to have that affable personality everyone enjoyed. He was easy to talk to and to look at. Summer glanced at him as they walked down the block, painfully aware of the high heels she wore in place of her regular flats. Jake smiled back, the lines at the sides of his eyes crinkling as he did so.
Summer noticed a few errant grays in his dark hair, and she found them comforting in that moment. Life wasn’t always perfect, but it was exciting and passionate, at least with Jake by her side.
The bar was on their left, and they entered it, finding the spot half-empty at this awkward hour. It was four in the afternoon on a Saturday, and she expected a place as nice as this one would be full in less than two hours.
A young male server led them to a round high-topped table, and they all sat down, Summer slipping her heels off and setting them under her chair.
“I’m sorry about your mother, Sunshine,” Hudson said. “I’ll do my best to control her tonight.”
“Control me?” Barbara waved at him in a dismissive gesture. “I was fine. You know I have my opinions.”
Summer laughed. “Mom, it’s okay to keep those to yourself sometimes.”
“If I can’t share my deepest inner monologues with my only daughter, then who can I share them with?” her mom asked.
“You’re laying it on a little thick,” Summer said. They ordered a round of drinks when the server came around, and chatted about the ceremony, about Boston, and then about life in general.
“Jake, are you looking forward to the game tomorrow?” Hudson asked.
“I sure am. It’s been so long since I’ve been to a Major League game,” Jake said between sips of his beer. “Thanks again for getting tickets. I’m excited to go with you.”
It was cute that the two men were going together. Summer was so happy her dad had taken to Jake. He’d assured Summer that Jake was the son-in-law he’d always hoped for, mostly because he treated her like a princess and loved her.
“How’s the house coming along?” Hudson asked after a lull in the conversation.
Summer glanced at Jake, who looked like he wanted her to take the lead on this one. She averted her eyes, and stared into her empty wine glass. “We’ve had a few complications.”
“Like what?” Hudson asked, concern etched in his voice.
“Nothing too serious,” Jake took over. “Some permit issues, and the costs keep rising on us.”
“Isn’t that what a contract with the builder is for?” Hudson asked.
“There’s always room for variances in costs, especially with unforeseen issues. Either way, we’re back on track, and we’re hoping to move in just after the wedding.”
“What a perfect story, you two. The ruggedly handsome hardware store owner, the free-spirited yogi, coming together to live out their happiest days along the shores of Maple Mountain Lake.” Barbara smiled, and Summer felt warmed by her mom’s kind words.
“Let’s get the bill. The reception starts in thirty, and we don’t want to be late,” Hudson said.
As they left, hailing a taxi, Jake kissed Summer on the lips behind her parents’ backs and ran his hand through her sleek blonde waves.
They were going to be married soon enough, and Summer couldn’t wait. She wished there was a fast forward button to get through the next few months.
*
Traffic was busy on the way out of Boston, but once they hit the interstate, things thinned out. It was late Sunday night now, and Summer and Jake were in the back of Barbara’s large black SUV. Jake’s eyes were closed, and Summer thought he might be softly snoring. He’d gone to the game with her father that afternoon and watched the Red Sox win the day as the sun beat down on them for hours. They were both tuckered out.
Summer, on the other hand, was wound up. She’d spent the afternoon walking through a mall with her mom, looking at various accessories for her own wedding, and not agreeing with anything her mom liked for table adornments. For the most part, she bit her tongue, because sometimes it was easier to just smile and nod along.
The reception the night before had been a blur of lobster, cake, and champagne, and Summer and Jake had ended the evening not in the throes of passion in their upscale hotel room, but in robes, watching TV until dozing off at around two AM.
Still, she’d had a fun night, and it was nice to get to know some of Monique’s family, and to see Bryan’s parents and sister again. The most surprising person was Mon’s mother, who was so far removed from the young stepmom draped over her father’s Armani-covered arm. She was petite, with short silver hair and cat-eye glasses. She was still stunning, and Summer could see where Monique’s looks came from.
Summer’s phone buzzed, snapping her out of her own head, and she saw Haley had texted her.
Summer, got some news.
Summer waited for more, and when it didn’t come, she typed back: What’s up?
Check this out…
Haley sent a link, and Summer clicked on it, landing on a photo-sharing social media page for Mountain Spin. She scrolled through it, trying to determine what she was looking at. Her stomach sank as she saw the address. Someone was opening a spin studio at Maple Mountain Resort.
Summer fought back panic. She’d been run under shortly after a spin class had started down the street from Om Top of the World in SoHo. She told herself that had been nearly two years ago, but the wound still stung as she looked through the social media page.
OMG Haley. Thanks for the heads up. Talk soon, Summer replied.
She realized something about herself as they pulled into the Pines city limits. She’d been taking it too easy. She hadn’t invested in any marketing. Peaceful Pines had no social media. Summer smiled. This time, she wasn’t going to take this lying down.