Seabreeze Wedding

Chapter 1-3

Ivy paused, absently rubbing her bare ring finger again with her thumb. The summer before she’d left for college on the East Coast, she had a crush on a surfer named Bennett Dylan. Yet it hadn’t been long before she’d met Jeremy in Boston and succumbed to his French charm, intelligence, and relentless pursuit of her.

Thinking about her new guest, Ivy had recognized the look in Rachel’s eyes, which held glimmers of excitement and determination—as well as trepidation over the unknown and unexpected.

Even in her mid-forties, Ivy knew that feeling. Through the kitchen window, she could see Bennett on the balcony of the old chauffeur’s apartment above the garages. Seated on the new outdoor furniture he’d bought to feel more at home, he was speaking on the phone and making notes.

Since she had arrived in the sleepy beach community, the unexpected had certainly occurred in the form of Bennett Dylan. Despite her initial misgivings, she’d found herself growing to care for him. Her older daughter Misty approved of their dating, and even Sunny, her mercurial younger daughter, had finally come around.

This past Christmas, Bennett had asked Ivy to marry him. At the time, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to accept his proposal, though they had yet to confirm a date. He was waiting for her.

And she was waiting on Shelly.

The Bennett that Ivy knew was the man she wanted in her life. Yet after awakening this past year to Jeremy’s secret duplicity, she had to wonder if there was more than one side to Bennett.

Was he too good to be true?

She didn’t have time to think about that now. With resolve, Ivy tucked several bottles of ginger ale into the basket for her young guest and slid it onto her arm.

When she reached Rachel’s unit, she tapped on the door. The pale young woman cracked the door, and Ivy said, “I brought you a few things you might like to have on hand. Just in case you start feeling queasy.” She held out the basket.

Rachel’s eyes widened as she accepted the offering. “I wasn’t sure what to do. I haven’t told my mother yet.” Behind her, a mobile phone played a Barry Manilow tune. Rachel made a face. “That’s her favorite song.” She bit her lip and wrinkled her forehead with apprehension.

“Maybe you should answer it,” Ivy said gently. “Call if you need anything.” Although she wondered why Rachel felt she couldn’t tell her mother, that was none of her business.

After leaving her new guest, Ivy wound through the tropical garden path that Shelly had planted around the Sunset suites. Sweet white plumeria blossoms opened to the sunshine, while lacy ferns peeked from beneath larger plantings and rippled in the light ocean breeze. Ivy trailed a hand over pink ginger flowers. The myriad aromas were redolent of Hawaii and other Polynesian islands, which is what Shelly had intended.

Spying her sister in the garden, Ivy made her way past the pool area to her. Shelly held a shiny tin of fresh-cut flowers.

“Your flowers have really come in this season,” Ivy said. Shelly had brought the neglected grounds back to life with trimming, fresh plantings, and a lot of care.

Shelly snipped a pale pink rose that was just unfurling from its bud. “Pink and white seem like sweet bride-to-be colors.”

Ivy smiled at her comment. “Is that what you plan on having?”

“Me? Oh, no.” Shelly twirled the flower she held. “I’d like to have the most exotic, fascinating arrangements this coast has ever seen.” She laughed as she tucked the shears into the back pocket of her worn jeans. “Though what I’ll probably do is clip flowers from the garden for our small affair. Large weddings come with a lot of headaches. Mitch and I don’t need any of that. It’s about the marriage, not the wedding.”

“Yes, but weddings are nice to look back on.” Ivy hesitated. She didn’t want to cause concern for Shelly, but she needed to plan, too. “Are you and Mitch still planning on getting married before Mom and Dad leave for their trip?”

“I’d like to.” Shelly handed the pink rose to Ivy. “Maybe I’m not as free-spirited as I pretend to be.” She drew a breath to say something else but hesitated.

“You’re exactly who you are, Shelly. Why try to be anything else? That’s exhausting.”

A thoughtful expression filled Shelly’s face. “That’s what Mitch says, too. But I’m ready for my real life to begin. I’ve waited years to sail into my sunrise.”

Ivy knew what she meant. Shelly wanted to start a family, and her former boyfriend in New York, Ezzra, had dangled a promise of a future together for years—without specifically committing. After numerous break-ups, he’d lure her back with another promise, though the future Shelly longed for never materialized.

Now, Ivy had her suspicions, though she might be treading on sensitive nerves. “What’s holding you back?”

Shelly fiddled with a long strand of chestnut hair that had escaped her messy topknot, twirling it around her finger. “Mitch might be having second thoughts.”

“Or maybe he needed time to adjust to the idea of marriage,” Ivy said, sliding her arm across Shelly’s shoulder and drawing her close. “What did he tell you?”

Shelly’s eyes glistened, and she blinked hard. “He doesn’t have to say anything. I know the signs. Ezrra painted them in vivid color for me. The truth is, I can’t drag a date out of Mitch. I gave him a choice of three, and one has already passed.”

Ivy tried to remain upbeat. “That might not mean what you think it does.”

“It’s pretty clear to me.” Shelly scrunched her eyebrows together. “I’m the one who proposed. Mitch got swept up with the idea, and now he’s had time to reconsider. If I’m honest with myself, I should have known he wasn’t ready. He’s a young, good-looking surfer and still has years to play around before settling down. And he could find someone a lot younger who doesn’t have a shelf-date nearing expiration.”

“That last part is hardly true.” Thirty-eight wasn’t necessarily too old, but Shelly’s age did increase her medical risk of pregnancy. Yet Mitch seemed as devoted as ever. What was Ivy missing?

Ivy brought the rose to her nose, inhaling as she thought. “Have you tried to talk about this?”

“We’re both avoiding the obvious.”

“You might be misinterpreting his actions,” Ivy said. “From what I’ve seen, Mitch is completely enamored with you. Maybe he simply wants to get to know you better. Or he wants to be spontaneous.”

Shelly pursed her lips. “It’s been a whole year. And I don’t see Bennett backing out on you. He knows what he wants. Maybe you two should get married before Mom and Dad leave.”

“Speaking of Mom, she asked us to come over tomorrow to pick up another load of housewares and clothing she wants to leave with us,” Ivy said, swiftly avoiding Shelly’s comment. Since they had both become engaged over the holidays, Ivy had been concerned about the competition that Shelly might feel. “Ask her what she thinks about Mitch.”

“Maybe I will.” Shelly drew fingers across her cheeks. “After I put these flowers in the guest rooms, I’ll head to Hidden Garden. Need anything?”

“Not a thing. Say hello to Leilani and Roy for me.” Ivy sent the owners business whenever she could. They had been kind enough to donate a tree to them for Christmas last year. “Our new guests are going for a swim soon, so I’ll put the flowers in their rooms then.”

“Thanks,” Shelly said. When she passed the tin of flowers, Ivy chuckled. “Wait a minute. You have stripes on your cheeks.”

Looking at her hands, Shelly grinned. “Guess I should’ve worn my gloves before digging in the dirt.” She lifted an edge of her T-shirt and wiped her face. “Better?”

“Gorgeous.” Ivy smoothed Shelly’s knotted hair and tucked the loose ends into her bun.

“You always did take care of me,” Shelly said. “Even now.”

“You take care of yourself pretty well. Imagine, you could still be in New York with Ezzra.” Ivy hugged her sister. “This will all work out.”

In Shelly’s favor, she hoped. If Mitch backed out of the wedding as Ezzra had, Shelly would be devastated.