Chapter 15
There was an eruption of noise as Bryan, Jess, and their entourage of children burst in through the door. The ceremony was due to begin in less than fifteen minutes, and although Jane and Martin didn’t appear nervous, Ashley certainly was. She downed a glass of champagne in the hopes that it might calm her nerves.
The family were all in the living room, tightening ties, straightening flowers and smoothing hair. Meika and Coco looked adorable in matching dresses. Harley wore a suit and was throwing a tantrum on the floor trying to pull the bow-tie off. Jess wore a floor-length dress with layers of pink, purple, and dark blue in a lightweight flowing fabric.
Bryan wore a tan colored suit to complement Ashley’s dress. They were going to walk their mother down the aisle to Martin, who wore a suit in the same color, and appeared to be struggling with the heat. Jane had reassured him that he could take off the suit jacket after the ceremony, but not a moment before.
Henry and Grace were also present. Henry looked perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened, which was a relief.
The guests made their way out to the back garden, leaving Ashley, Bryan, and Jane inside. Ashley peered out through the windows as people wandered past, all heading towards the ceremony area. She picked up a glass of champagne and drank quickly.
“You OK?” Bryan asked.
She nodded.
“You sure? Because you look like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown.” He smirked as he started pulling his jacket on.
“I don’t know what's wrong with me. I feel all jittery,” she said, shaking her free hand in an effort to get it to stop trembling.
“Stop drinking so much champagne then. Now I know why Coco calls you AA.” He took the glass out of her hand and set it on the table. “For what it’s worth, you look beautiful—which is surprising considering you were such an ugly kid.” Bryan smiled and straightened his tie.
Ashley gasped and whacked him on the shoulder, then laughed.
“See, that’s better, isn’t it?”
She was glad he was here to help ease the anxiety.
The music started outside, a beautiful string orchestral piece, Canon in D.
“You ready, Mom?” Bryan asked.
“Let’s do this.” Jane smiled and took his arm.
Ashley linked arms with Jane on the other side, holding her bouquet of fresh cut white roses in her spare hand. Henry and Uncle Richard opened the glass doors and the three of them stepped outside together. The music instantly grew louder and the bright sun reflected off all the white: the white timber chairs, white flowers and white carpet runner. Ashley wished her mother had chosen a different color for the decorations as she would probably end up blinded from all the glare before they reached the gazebo where Martin stood waiting, hands folded together in front of him.
Ashley recognised a few of the faces, but many were unfamiliar. She looked around discreetly, trying to spot Jay’s telltale beard but he was nowhere to be seen. She continued to smile although she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment that he wasn’t there. Maybe he was standing somewhere off to the side.
As they reached the gazebo, Ashley and Bryan released Jane’s arms and she took the final few steps towards Martin, taking his hands beneath the beautiful new gazebo. It had been decorated with lengths of long billowing white chiffon, which gently blew in the gentle afternoon breeze. White rose petals were strewn all across the ground, and bunches of roses adorned the sides of the gazebo.
Pastor Barry began the service, with his back to the guests so that the bridal party faced the guests. He had always performed ceremonies this way, allowing the bridal couple to look out at the faces of their much loved friends and families. Ashley and Bryan stood on either side of Martin and Jane.
It was then that Ashley spotted him. Sitting towards the back, on the left hand side. It was no wonder she hadn’t recognised him—his beard was gone. The strong angular jaw that had been hidden by his beard was now visible, making his features seem even more perfect. His hair had been cut as well, not short, just shorter and neater. He wore gray suit pants and suspenders with a simple powder blue shirt which brought out the blue in his eyes. No tie or bow tie. His top button was undone and his sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows. Perfect for a summery outdoors wedding.
Ashley found it hard to swallow. Her mouth felt dry and she became aware of her breathing. The temperature seemed to jump twenty degrees.
He smiled and nodded as he caught her eye, and it was if she had only now realized how attractive he was. Not just attractive, but strikingly handsome.
She found it difficult to concentrate as Jane and Martin read out their handwritten vows. She cleared her throat and turned to face them. They stood beneath the gazebo and she was glad for the shade overhead, otherwise she would be sweating off her makeup.
Ashley held her mother’s flowers as they exchanged rings. Both had a simple plain gold wedding band.
“. . . so with God as my witness, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride,” Pastor Barry said.
Martin leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Jane’s lips, then dipped her back.
The guests clapped and cheered at the spectacle.
Ashley spent most of the afternoon catching up with relatives she hadn’t seen in years, and old family friends she’d grown up with in Sweet Home. She could predict the conversations before they had even begun speaking: “Wow, haven’t you grown,” “Aren’t Bryan’s children adorable,” “Your mother’s done a wonderful job with the garden” and, of course, her all-time favorite, “Perfect weather for a wedding.” So cliché she couldn't help but giggle inside.
She still hadn’t spoken with Jay, and several times she noticed him standing on the outer edges of the garden, laughing and conversing with other guests, one hand tucked into the pocket of his suit pants. He was a sight to behold, as though he'd stepped straight out of a fashion catalogue.
She caught his eye more than once, causing her smile to broaden unconsciously and she couldn't help but wonder if he had noticed the effect he was having on her.
The wait staff continuously floated through the gardens offering flutes of champagne and carrying silver platters decorated with an assortment of tasty hors d’oeuvres.
A string quartet played to one side of the garden. The band consisted of some of Martins friends from his old home back in California. A small group of admiring guests stood around watching with pleasure. Bryan and Jess had their hands full constantly chasing after Harley. Coco and Meika were keeping themselves and their great-grandparents entertained singing, dancing, and showing off their limited gymnastics skills.
As Ashley returned from a quick trip to the bathroom, she felt a presence draw near behind her. It was Jay. He had been reclining against the exterior wall, evidently awaiting her return.
“Hey,” he said.
“Oh, you scared me.” Ashley smiled as they continued to walk side by side.
“Not an uncommon reaction when I try to talk to girls.” He grinned.
She found that hard to believe.
“You look beautiful,” he said, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
“It’s amazing what a bit of makeup and hair styling can do.”
“It’s not your makeup, or your hair. Even if you were still wearing those fluffy pink slippers, you’d still be beautiful.”
She laughed. “Well, thank you. So do you. I mean, so are you. Not beautiful, but handsome—uh, you know what I mean.”
Why am I rambling so much?
“What happened to your beard?” She raised a hand to his newly shaven jaw. She expected it to be a casual gesture, but as her fingers touched his face she felt an electrifying jolt. She could see in his eyes that he had felt it too.
He cleared his throat. “I decided it was time for a change.”
“Well it looks good. You look good with a beard too though, just so you know.”
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She felt as though she were gawking at his face. Time to change the subject.
“Your dad looks well,” Ashley nodded towards where Sam was standing on the opposite side of the garden. There were three women eagerly holding on to every word he said, all laughing.
“Quite the ladies’ man, isn’t he?” Ashley laughed. “I can’t understand why he’s never remarried. It’s not like there’s never been a shortage of women throwing themselves at him.” She took a new glass of champagne from the waiter as he held out the tray of drinks towards her.
Jay shrugged. “He says it’s because no other woman could ever have compared to my mother.”
“She must have been something special to have had such a lasting effect on him.” Ashley smiled as she sipped the champagne.
“I guess there are some women you never really get over,” Jay said, gazing down into Ashley’s eyes. She felt pinned there, unable to move, and increasingly light-headed. From the champagne, or from the electricity she felt standing this close to Jay?
He leaned in close so that no one would hear. “You know, you’re quite a distraction in that dress,” he whispered, then walked away with his hands in his pockets to talk to some other guests, as though nothing had happened.
She stood there, stunned. It was inconceivable that those few single words had had such an overwhelming effect on her.
Martin tapped the microphone, breaking the moment.
“If everyone could make their way to their seats, please. The first course will be served shortly.”
Ashley looked around. While everyone had been chatting, the staff had packed away the ceremony chairs and set tables and chairs throughout the garden. Each table seated six, and was covered with a simple white tablecloth, adorned with a lavish centrepiece of white roses, and several unlit white candles of varying sizes.
The bridal table was to the left of the gazebo. It was a rectangular table, with Martin and Jane seated in the centre and Bryan and Ashley on either side. The string quartet had moved into the gazebo and continued to play their romantic melodies. Jay was seated with his father, Sam. Jess, Meika, Coco, and Harley also sat at the same table.
The first course was a simple yet tasty salad with fresh prawns and a zesty lemon aioli.
Ashley watched on with contentment as Coco sat on Jay’s lap. He joked and played with the girls, keeping them entertained and laughing while Jess concentrated on Harley, who was visibly tired and getting irritable. It was evident that Jay had been a big part of their lives, and that made Ashley grateful but also deeply regretful that she had been so absent. He wasn’t even their real uncle, yet he knew so much more about them and they loved him for it. She noticed Bryan had left his half-eaten meal to attend to Harley. Jess looked relieved as Bryan picked him up and carried him inside.
“Looks like someone needs a nap.” Jane smiled, watching.
“No, I’m all right,” Martin said.
Ashley laughed. “Already starting with the dad jokes?”
Martin laughed. “I thought that was pretty good, actually.” He returned to eating his meal, still smiling at himself.
Jane shook her head and laughed.
As the light gradually began to fade, the garden lit up.
Literally.
Ashley hadn’t noticed before now, but there were strings of fairy lights too numerous to count hanging from the trees, interspersed with small white paper lanterns. The wait staff lit the candles on the tables and the whole garden began to glow. It was awe-inspiring. Bryan still hadn’t returned to his seat at the main bridal table when the main meal was served. She scanned through the faces of the guests and spotted him sitting beside Jess, one arm draped around her shoulders, and he was whispering in her ear. She laughed. There was a baby monitor on the table and she assumed Harley was asleep in the spare bedroom. Meika and Coco were coloring in a picture and Coco had her tongue poking out of her mouth in deep concentration.
She caught a quick glimpse of Jay leaning forward in his chair, one arm resting on the table in front of him and the other elbow on the table while he ran his thumb across his lips. He was watching Ashley and she blushed. How long he had been staring? His expression was blank, and she wished she could read his mind.
He was interrupted by the waitress as she placed his plate in front of him.
“You can sit at one of the other tables if you want,” Jane said, leaning across to Ashley.
Ashley smiled. “No, it's OK. I’m happy here.”
She was referring to her seat at the bridal table, but that single, uncomplicated sentence carried so much more weight. She was happy here.
In this town.
With the people she loved. Right now there was nowhere else she would rather be.