CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Luke helped the temporary wait staff move the dining room tables to the edges of the room to create an open area in front of the fireplace where Scarlet and Cam would exchange their vows. Rows of chairs were then set up for the guests. Following the ceremony, the chairs would be cleared away to make room for dancing.
Half an hour before the ceremony was to begin, Luke examined the room to make sure everything was in place. The Christmas tree was lit and sparkling with decorations, the scent of pine sweet in the air. A fire burned in the hearth, lending a soft, warm glow to the room. The tables were covered with white tablecloths, pots of red poinsettias serving as centerpieces. Dozens more red and white poinsettias decorated the dining room, giving a classic Christmas vibe to the place.
Satisfied everything was ready, he went to the kitchen. Celeste bustled from station to station, directing the two line cooks they’d borrowed from Miller’s on what needed to be done. Though everyone was busy, there was no panic, only calm efficiency. It looked like Celeste had everything well in hand. Maggie had been totally right in putting her faith in her.
“Anything I can help you with?” he asked.
“I think we’ve got everything covered, thanks,” she said. “Everything’s nearly ready for the buffet.”
“Good.” Their first major test of the kitchen with its new staff appeared to be going well. He spied Celeste’s daughter Hope lying on her stomach in a corner of the kitchen, coloring in a book in desultory fashion. She looked bored, and Luke decided she needed rescuing.
“Hope, would you like to help me greet guests as they arrive?”
She sat up and gave him a gap-toothed grin. “Yes!” She looked beseechingly at her mother. “Can I, Mama?”
Celeste cocked her head at him. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, then. Pick up your crayons first and then you can go with Mr. Luke.”
Hope stuffed the crayons back in the box. He held out his hand, and she jumped to her feet and grabbed it.
“Be a good girl for Mr. Luke,” Celeste said as they left the kitchen. Hope turned to wave at her mother, then skipped along beside him. Luke smiled. She had sunny, cheerful disposition. Thankfully, Celeste had been able to shield her from the ugliness of the sexual harassment that had driven them from their home.
When they reached the front entrance, he pointed to the small table he’d set up near the door. An open book, a pen and a wicker basket sat on the table. “This is the guest book, Hope. Cam and Scarlet would like all their guests to sign as they come in.”
“Why do they have to sign it, Mr. Luke?”
“I guess so that years from now, they can look at the book and remember who came to their wedding.”
She seemed satisfied with the answer. “Okay.”
“Can you sit here and ask everyone to sign the book?”
“I can do that,” she said gravely.
“Once you do that, you can hand everyone one of these leaflets. It tells people who’s in the wedding party. And if they have a card for the couple, you can tell them to put it in this basket. Gifts go on the table behind you.”
Again, she nodded. “I can do that, too.”
He smiled and tugged on one of her pigtails. She was a great kid. Perhaps he related with her so strongly because he knew what growing up without a father was like. “I knew you could. Did I tell you how pretty you look today?”
She made a little twirl. “I got this brand-new dress for Christmas. Mama gave it to me early so I could wear it today.”
The ivory lace of the dress was a lovely contrast against her dark skin. The red velvet ribbons in her pigtails bobbed as she moved. “It’s a very nice present. Very pretty.”
The front door opened and he helped Hope into her chair behind the table, giving her an encouraging smile. He moved forward to greet the arriving guests. He shook hands with members of Cam’s crew and their spouses while they signed the guest book. Hope solemnly handed them a program and then he led them into the dining room and offered them seats. When he got back to Hope’s table, she was handing programs to Jill and her friends.
Luke smiled politely and held out his arm. “Hello, ladies. May I escort you to your seats?”
Jill laid her hand on his arm, looking up at him with a warm smile. “That would be lovely, Luke.”
He found them three seats and Jill’s friends sat down. Jill squeezed his arm and smiled once again. “Be sure to save me a dance later.”
He gave a noncommittal smile as she took her seat. Obviously, she hadn’t given up. He’d have to tread carefully. He had no desire to sleep with Jill, but he didn’t want to offend her either, especially since she was a friend of Scarlet’s. The last thing he wanted was to create some kind of scene on Scarlet’s wedding day.
He returned to the foyer as Reese came through the front door.
“Luke, can you hold the door open for your mother?”
“Sure.”
While Luke held the door, his grandmother walked in, followed by Reese pushing his mother in a wheelchair. He should have known she’d have to use the chair today, but for some reason Luke’s heart gave an unexpected lurch to see her in it. She smiled up at him, her face even thinner than it had been only a day or two ago.
“Hi, honey.”
He forced a smile to hide his distress. “Hi, Mom. I’m glad you could make it.”
He bent to kiss her and his heart thumped with pain. She was so small and delicate, like a tiny sparrow with a broken wing. He had to swallow and make himself smile again before lifting his head.
“Would you please sign the guest book for the bride and groom?” Hope said.
“Of course, we will,” Abby said. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“It’s Hope.”
“Hope is Celeste’s daughter. She’s our new sous-chef,” Luke explained.
“We flew all the way from South Carolina. I’ve never been on a plane before.”
“You’ve come a very long way, Hope. I’m glad to meet you.”
“Hope, this is my mother Abby, her husband Reese and my grandma Phyllis.”
Hope shook hands with them. “Hello.”
Phyllis signed the guest book and then turned to him. “You must thank Scarlet and her new husband for inviting me. I was so pleased to get their invitation.”
Scarlet had told him that because she had so few relatives, only her sisters, she was happy to borrow a few from her friends. Luke was simply glad his grandmother had been included.
He kissed her soft cheek, inhaling the floral scent of her perfume. “You’re looking very chic this evening, Grandma.”
She blushed as she looked down at her pantsuit. “Thank you, Luke. I would have preferred to wear a dress, but it was far too cold today. This way, I can wear my long johns.”
She lifted her pant leg above her ankle length boot to reveal pink, flowered, thermal underwear. Luke laughed in genuine amusement. Thank God for his grandmother.
“Good thinking.”
The door opened again to admit more guests and Abby shivered. “Could we move away from the door, Luke? It’s so cold.”
He should have thought of it himself. “Let’s get you out of here.”
He wheeled his mother into the dining room while Reese and his grandmother followed. A spot near the front was open, so he sat them there, removing a chair so he could fit in the wheelchair. “The wedding will start soon. I should go back to the front door and make sure Hope is okay. I’ll see you later.”
He turned away before his mother could see the anxiety on his face. He had to get over his shock about seeing her in the wheelchair. Logically, he knew she was using it because it made it easier for her to get around and helped to reserve what little strength she had left. But to see his once vibrant, energetic mother confined to the chair, her body wracked by disease, hurt to the core of his marrow. Not since he had arrived back in Minnewasta had anything shown him with such complete clarity that his mother was about to die.
He concentrated on collecting himself before meeting more guests. Fortunately, Hope was instructing newcomers to sign the guestbook and passing out programs. Luke was grateful he didn’t have to make small talk.
A few moments later, Cam’s sister and her husband and daughter came through the door from the new wing of guestrooms where they were staying. They signed the guestbook at Hope’s request, and Luke escorted them to their reserved seats at the front of the room. When he returned to the front entrance, Cam, Ethan and Drew were in the entry. Luke took their heavy winter coats and hung them on the coat racks they’d set up for that purpose.
“Looking good, gentlemen.”
They each wore elegant dark grey suits and crisp white shirts, their ties in various patterns of red and black. Luke reached for the box of boutonnieres Scarlet had left him in charge of and pinned a red rose bud to Cam’s lapel. When he finished, he shook his hand. “Congratulations, Cam. Make her happy.”
“I will,” he said solemnly. Luke had no doubt he would.
Once Luke pinned matching boutonnieres to Ethan and Drew’s lapels, Cam wordlessly clapped his nephew on the shoulder in an unspoken signal to head into the dining room. Ethan followed Drew, and Cam brought up the rear. Luke held out his hand to Hope.
“Come on, sweetie. Our job here is done. Let’s go watch the wedding.”
Hope eagerly reached for his hand, her eyes wide with excitement. They stood at the back of the dining room, which gave them a view of the fireplace where the groom and his attendants now stood. They also had an excellent view of the staircase the bride and her bridesmaids would soon descend. Luke lifted Hope into his arms so she could see over the adults sitting in front of her.
The organist began to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D, signaling the bride’s imminent arrival. All eyes turned to the staircase. Cam’s daughter Tessa led the bridal party. She wore a red lace dress and carried a basket of flowers in one hand.
Following Tessa, Maggie began a slow descent down the stairs, one hand on the railing and the other holding a bouquet of white roses. All the air rushed from Luke’s lungs. Her full length, lace dress in dark red fit her perfectly. The low bodice that skimmed the sweet swell of her breasts nearly undid him. Her dark hair shone in the glow from the fireplace, her smile wide and happy.
When her gaze connected with his, his heart squeezed with unexpected longing. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, his heart hammering. Maggie’s smile faltered. She quickly turned her attention to the men standing in front of the fireplace. She walked toward them, taking her place on the bride’s side, opposite Drew, her smile firmly in place once more. Only the slight trembling of the ribbons cascading from her bouquet hinted at any nervousness.
He was aware that Harper and Scarlet had descended the stairs and now stood with the others in front of the fireplace. He was sure they were both lovely, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Maggie. In her chef’s whites, her face pink with the heat of the stove and her hair dampened with perspiration, she was beautiful. Always had been.
But today, she was stunning. He’d never seen her more exquisite.
The ceremony went by in a blur. Scarlet and Cam exchanged vows and wedding rings, and sealed their union with a lingering kiss. They looked at each other as if they were the only two people in the room. The bond between them, the sense they knew without question they belonged together, and would always be together was profound. No matter what life threw at them, they would endure, as long as they stood side by side.
I want that, Luke realized with a start. He wanted to be with a woman who truly understood him, loved him. Someone to share his dreams, his hopes, his fears. His gaze drifted to Maggie once again. They’d had that once, that special bond, but they’d been far too young to appreciate it. Or at least he had.
When such a bond was broken, could it ever be mended? If Maggie knew the truth…
He pushed the guilt away. Tonight, he wanted to forget.
As soon as the justice of the peace pronounced Cam and Scarlet husband and wife, a cheer went up from the assembled group. Cam picked up Tessa and settled her into the crook of his arm and, with one hand holding Scarlet’s, he addressed their guests.
“Thank you all for coming. It means a lot to us to have our family and friends here to share the happiest day of our lives.” He lifted Scarlet’s hand to his lips for a kiss before turning back to the crowd, his smile conveying his joy. “Now, let’s party!”
Luke set Hope on her feet and she ran off to see Tessa. He helped Ethan and Drew move chairs to the side of the room. When they were done, he looked around for Maggie. She was talking to his mother and Reese, holding Abby’s hand and laughing. Even from this distance, he could see the lines of fatigue on his mother’s face, and his heart squeezed with pain. This outing was likely too much for her.
Luke walked across the floor to join them. “How are you doing, Mom? Are you getting tired?”
Abby brushed off his concern with a wave of her hand. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m enjoying seeing everyone. Wasn’t it a lovely wedding?”
Luke glanced at Maggie before answering. “Yeah. Beautiful. Don’t overdo, okay?”
Abby grasped his hand with surprising strength. “I’m fine, Luke. Really. The nice thing about being a lady of leisure is that I can sleep all day tomorrow if I want to.”
Luke wanted to cry at her feeble attempt at humor but instead, he made himself smile. “Be sure you do, or you’ll have me to answer to.”
“Spoil sport,” Abby said with a grin. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to congratulate the bride and groom. Reese, would you mind wheeling me over?”
“Of course.”
Reese’s gaze met his and in that split second, he read his stepfather’s anguish. And also his resignation. The woman he loved was dying, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
There wasn’t a damn thing Luke could do about it either.
They left to speak to Cam and Scarlet who were talking with other guests across the room. Maggie laid her hand on his arm. “I know it’s a shock for you to see Abby in the chair. It was for me, too.”
Luke bowed his head. “I hope I didn’t upset her. I can’t…” He couldn’t finish, couldn’t put into words the grief squeezing his heart so hard he could barely breathe.
“I know. Every time I see her she looks a little more ill, a little closer to leaving us. I’m not ready. I’ll never be ready.”
“Yeah.” He lifted his head and looked into her beautiful dark eyes. He should have known she’d understand. “I don’t want to spoil Scarlet’s wedding. Is it obvious I’m upset?”
“Only to me.”
Luke struggled with the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. God, I need her. But Maggie wouldn’t thank him for making such a statement in front of her family and friends.
As if she could read is mind, she let go of his arm. “I should check on the food, see if Celeste needs help.”
He was sure Celeste had everything well in hand, but obviously Maggie needed an excuse to escape. “You’d better go then.”
“Yeah.” But she didn’t move. “I’m so sorry, Luke.”
He didn’t know if she meant she was sorry about his mother’s impending death, or if she was trying to tell him they could never return to the easy relationship they’d once had.
Perhaps, she was sorry about both.
Luke nodded and Maggie stepped away. He watched as she wove her way through the crowd and disappeared behind the doors to the kitchen.
“You look like a guy who could use one of these.”
Luke turned to see Jill holding out a flute of champagne. “Thanks.” He accepted it from her, being careful not to touch her hand.
Jill smiled knowingly, easily reading his actions. “You don’t have to worry. I know when I’m beat.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, don’t pretend you don’t understand. Short of taking out a billboard in flashing neon, I’ve done everything I can think of to let you know I’m interested. But I’ve seen that besotted look on a man’s face before. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
He didn’t want to spill his guts to a woman he barely knew. “We’re old friends. We’ve known each other since high school.”
“And you loved her back then, didn’t you?”
Luke sipped some of the champagne, letting the bubbles dance across his tongue. He couldn’t deny it. Jill sighed, and he turned to look at her.
She gave him a rueful smile. “First love is a powerful thing, very difficult to leave behind. Even if you want to.”
Her words echoed those of his mother. I can tell you that first love is a powerful thing. It stays with you all your life.
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Perhaps.” She touched her glass to his. “It’s been nice meeting you, Luke. Enjoy the wedding.”
“You too. Maybe we can have that dance later.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
She walked over to one of the tables along the edge of the dance floor to join her friends. Luke finally understood what his mother had tried to tell him. He’d thought he’d gotten over Maggie years ago, but she’d always been there, whenever he reached for another woman. Without realizing, he’d been measuring other women against her, and they always came up short. Would he always want her? What if he gave in to desire and followed where it led? But that assumed Maggie felt the same desire.
He drank more champagne. Even if she did, once she discovered the truth about why he’d left Minnesota, nothing would be the same.