Chapter Six
Even her office was feeling small these days. The studio lights were dim, the doors closed two hours ago after her late class. It was the end of June now, and Summer knew she needed to find ways to attract tourists this year if she couldn’t rely on her regulars to keep her going. She pored over the books and hoped she would finish the month strong so she could at least break even.
Thoughts of failure coursed through her with each breath, a feeling she was only too familiar with. How could she have opened a yoga studio again so soon after Om Top of the World had flopped? Just what had she been thinking? She could have been working for her dad, normal office hours, with weekends free to do whatever she wanted.
Maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a yoga instructor or an entrepreneur. The clock read nine PM, and Summer was about to fold her laptop shut with an IM popped up in the bottom right corner. It was from Trina. Can you talk? A link for a live window appeared, and Summer clicked it open.
Trina’s always-fresh face showed on the screen, and Summer found herself smiling despite her foul mood. Trina always made her feel good.
“Hey, Summer. Did I catch you at the office?” Trina asked.
She let out a sigh. “Yeah. Just working on the books.”
“That bad?” Trina asked.
“I’ll be okay. I just need to pivot.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have some things to go over with you but want to do it in person. We have a great plan here, but I think we should do some recon.” Trina was still clearly at her own office, and Summer could see the lights from downtown Boston glimmering in the distance. Trina was dressed in a navy blouse with her hair pulled back loosely, likely to showcase the large diamond earrings she sported.
Summer found herself once again second-guessing her choices. Should she have partnered with Trina in Boston? Jake said he would have gone with her, only she knew that wasn’t what her loving fiancé really would have wanted.
“What kind of recon?” Summer asked.
“I have a cabin at Maple Mountain this weekend, and you and I are going to try a spin class.” Trina looked over the moon to be doing this.
Summer was about to agree, when she remembered her and Jake’s plans. “I can’t. Jake and I are heading to the coast to see his sister and her baby this weekend. Can we change it?”
“Summer, if things are as dire as you make them out to be, we need to get this figured out right away. We can’t wait another week. Plus, I didn’t buy the cancellation insurance.” Her friend took a sip from a white coffee cup sporting her marketing logo in the center of it.
“I’ll have to check with Jake. Let me get back to you.” Summer didn’t want to have that conversation with him. He was so excited to go visit. They hadn’t seen the little girl since she was born nine months ago.
“Do that. Feel free to stay with me at the cabin. Girls’ weekend!” Trina said, and Summer’s arms tingled. After all the stress she was feeling lately, maybe a weekend at Maple Mountain with Trina was just what she needed. The studio was already down to a couple of classes only on the weekend, led by Kimber, since Summer was supposed to be out of town anyway.
She just needed Jake to be on board with it.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Summer waved, and the call ended. She closed the laptop and turned the office lights off.
“Babe, are you here?” Jake’s voice called from the studio.
“In here,” she said, stepping away from the small space.
“There you are.” Jake was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt. Aspen was with him, clearly out for an evening walk. He walked over to her and pulled her close. “We were getting lonely.”
Summer laughed. “Oh, were you?”
“Yes.” He held her back a ways, admiring her for a moment. “You know, I haven’t seen you in action in a while. Maybe you can teach me a few moves?” He grinned, and Summer understood what he was looking for.
She did need to break the news about the weekend to him, but maybe she could have some fun first. Seeing Jake lifted her spirits. He always did. Aspen found a yoga mat across the room to lie down on, and Summer took Jake’s hand, leading him to the center of the studio. After she made sure the door was locked and the blinds closed, she wandered back to him.
She disconnected the tie on her bamboo wrap, and the clothing fell to the floor in a heap, leaving her in a bra and leggings. She bent over, placing her hands on the floor, and stuck her legs straight. “This is called downward dog,” she whispered, seeing his staring eyes as she peeked back at him from her upside-down vantage point.
Jake was already pulling his shirt off and putting his hands on her hips. “What other moves do you have?” he asked playfully.
She’d have to tell him about the weekend later.
*
“Jake, wake up! We’re going to be late.” Summer shook his shoulder, and he groaned, putting the pillow over his head.
“What?” His voice was muffled.
“My mom is picking us up in ten minutes to go see the Little Blue Church.” Summer was out of the bed, feet dashing against the floor on her way to the bathroom. Jake heard the shower start, and Aspen stretched out, climbing to the top of the bed to nuzzle in, finding Jake’s face to lick.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Time to get up.” Jake rolled out of bed, slipped into his balled-up jeans, and threw on a tee. “Come on, Aspen, let’s go for a walk.” Jakes words caused Cinnamon to run out of the bedroom and hide by the fireplace. His experience with an excited Aspen was showing.
Ten minutes later, Jake was in the shower, and Summer was talking over the hairdryer. “My mom texted me. She’s downstairs!”
Jake turned off the water and rushed to get ready. The clock told him it was six AM, and the store didn’t open until nine. “Can you tell me again why we’re going to this place so early in the morning?”
“It was the only time we could get in this week with all of our schedules. Believe me, the three of us owning our own companies doesn’t allow for a lot of free time.” Summer was applying makeup, and Jake looked at the small vanity countertop, thinking about how much room their new house was going to give them. He would once again have a spot for his very limited products to go, without being mixed in or covered by Summer’s dozens of potions and lotions.
“I’m ready,” Jake said two minutes later.
“No fair. You have no idea what it’s like to be a woman,” she said, dabbing a puffy brush on her cheek.
“No, I do not.” Jake smiled. “And I’m glad for it. Come on, we don’t want to keep your mom waiting.” He saw Summer slide on jeans and a white tank top, looking like the all-American sweetheart she was. Soon they were locking the door and heading down the stairs before going outside to the street.
Barbara was sitting in her black SUV, impatiently tapping the steering wheel. When she made eye contact with Jake, she broke into a real smile, and Jake warmed for it. Barbara came across as an A personality with a lot to say, but she really was a wonderful woman. Summer was lucky to have her as a mother, and Jake was so glad to be part of their family.
“Get in, I’ll make up the time,” Barbara said through her rolled-down window.
Summer made Jake take the front seat, and he hesitantly obliged his fiancée. He would have preferred to doze in the backseat, if given a choice. Barbara had coffee in to-go cups in the beverage holders. She was always catering to others, and Jake gave her a kiss on the cheek, saying thank you. The coffee hit the tip of his tongue, and he was eternally grateful for the pick-me-up right then. The sun was peeking up from beyond the hilly landscape; morning was in full effect.
“Sorry we took so long. Jake slept in,” Summer said, poking him in the arm from behind.
“I somehow doubt that, dear, but I do like how quick you are to throw your significant other under the bus.” Barbara backed up the SUV, and they started down Main, heading in the opposite direction of the main highway. “At least it gave me time to cool the car down. I heard some fires have started up because of this relentless heat,” she added.
“That’s terrible, Mom. Where are you going?” Summer asked.
“I’ll catch the highway off the side roads. It’s a shortcut.” Barbara drove down past Carpe Diem and the bank, then toward Garrett and Peter’s.
Jake realized where they were going. If they went by Peter’s, there might be a For Sale sign up. The road was far enough off their driveway, the sign might not be visible.
Summer seemed to think the same thing, because as they approached the turn-off, Summer grabbed her phone and pushed it over the center console. “Mom, check out this new pose I’ve been working on.”
Jake glanced down to see a picture of Summer doing a handstand, with her legs crossed. It was impressive, and Barbara averted her eyes from the road just as they passed Peter’s. There was a For Sale sign, just as Jake feared, but Summer’s mom didn’t seem to notice.
“Very good. Now, can you show me later? The deer like to be out at this time of the morning out here, and I don’t want to hit one on the way to the church,” her mom said, and Jake glanced back at Summer, who’d turned white.
Jake couldn’t help but wonder if it would have been better if she’d seen. He hated it when someone was left out of the loop. Barbara deserved to know they were moving, but it wasn’t Jake’s or Summer’s place to tell her.
The rest of the trip went smoothly, and they discussed the little things as they headed north, away from the Pines. Jake hadn’t spent much time up this way, and he peered at the small towns with interest as they drove through them. He decided to do more advertising within those communities, since he didn’t see any hardware stores as they passed by.
Almost an hour later, on the nose, Barbara hit her signal and slowed down, turning right off the highway. Another half-mile down, she pulled over. The church was cute, though it wasn’t as small as its name made you think. It looked more like a cottage than a church, but the steepled roof gave it away. The exterior was made of thick slabs of pine, painted over with a rich blue color. The roof and shutters were white, a stark contrast on the eyes. The space seemed to hold memories of a time when things were simpler.
“This is it,” Barbara said. Jake looked at Summer, wondering what she thought.
*
Summer stepped out onto the gravel parking lot and tried to hold back a sigh. It was cozy, like something out of a fairy tale. She recognized it from the pictures on her parents’ walls from when they’d tied the knot at the very same location, and that made it even more special, but still… Summer couldn’t help but feel like the whole scenario was a little off for her and Jake’s wedding. It all seemed so formal.
“It’s far from home.” Summer said this quietly, but loud enough for her mother to hear.
Barbara turned her head and just smiled. “It’s only an hour. We can even have a couple of passenger vans for those who need it.”
She led them around the church, toward a small pond where fat happy ducks swam lazily in the blistering morning heat. The low sunlight reflected off the water, and Summer could imagine some amazing wedding photos there. Maybe her mom was right. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
A small dock led onto the pond, and Summer could see her and Jake sitting on the end of it in their wedding attire, Jake’s pants rolled up, their bare feet dangling in the water.
“What do you think?” Jake asked, sneaking up behind her.
“I think it can work. Might not have been my first choice, but it is kind of nice; intimate.” Summer glanced back at him, trying to get a read of his impassive face. “What about you?”
“I think it’s in the middle of nowhere but would make a good setting for a ceremony,” Jake suggested.
“I don’t know. It’s like my mom wants to relive her own wedding through us. I was hoping we’d have it somewhere that we could hold the reception afterward. Even if there was a place nearby to hold the party after, there are no hotels around here.” Jake was right, but it was too late. The reception was already booked, and they were about to give the money down for the Little Blue Church.
Summer looked back and saw her mom walking the perimeter of the church, smiling to herself.
“I guess we deal with it, then.” Jake wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, kissing her softly.
“It’ll be great,” she said, even though she still felt trepidation about the whole arrangement.
“Come on, guys, they’re waiting for us inside,” Barbara called, and Summer reluctantly smiled and led Jake into the church. Before they made their way, Jake took her in his arms and held her there, letting his actions soothe her, if only for a minute.