Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
R iley walked into the church for the rehearsal, her mind repeating the words Lucas had told her earlier. My family likes you.
Present tense.
She’d known that they’d liked her while she dated Lucas. Mrs. Clark told her more than once that she had a good head on her shoulders. But Riley assumed that when she’d dumped Lucas, they’d all started hating her in solidarity. Whenever Riley had chanced to see either of his parents around town, she’d avoided them.
Now seeing the family all together, obviously happy and enjoying being with each other, she felt her own loss more forcefully. She wasn’t part of any family, and she wasn’t a part of the Clarks’ inner circle anymore.
The pastor hadn’t shown up yet, and the group was waiting around, talking and laughing.
Elsie, the youngest Clark, broke the ice by speaking to Riley first. In looks, Elsie seemed to be made from a different mold than her brothers. She was the only brunette in the bunch. In terms of personality, she was more solemn and wistful, more of an academic like Jace.
Mrs. Clark spoke to Riley next, nearly as friendly to her as she had been when Riley was Lucas’s girlfriend.
Jace said a short hello. Medical school hadn’t changed him at all. He still looked frustratingly similar to Lucas.
Once, when Riley and Lucas were dating, Riley accidentally walked up behind Jace at a family dinner and wrapped her arms around him. And then—this was the worst part—she’d said, “Let’s ditch your family and find something fun to do. I can think of several options.”
Jace stood there unmoving and patient. “Lucas probably wouldn’t approve of that.”
Riley jerked away from him like he’d burst into flames, but it was still too late. Lucas strolled into the kitchen, grinned at her, and said, “If any of your options involve my brother, I’m vetoing them.”
Lucas, here with his family, lost all his professional managerial manner. With his brothers, he was the jokester again, the one who could make Jace act silly. They moonwalked down the aisle, singing Get Me to the Church on Time.
Even their mother gave up trying to contain their exuberance or stop the practice runs they kept making.
At one point, Lucas took Annie’s hand and waltzed with her down the aisle. Which meant Jace had to do the same with Riley.
Olivia, in an attempt to avoid awkwardness between Lucas and Riley, had assigned the bridesmaids and groomsmen so that Riley walked in with Jace and left Annie to Lucas. Elsie would go down the aisle with Kye, Carson’s best friend.
Jace was supposedly dating Jennifer again, who by all accounts was a pampered intellectual with a high opinion of herself and no filter. Although things must not have been going all that well between them because she wasn’t coming to the wedding. Jennifer had decided to go on a trip to Europe with friends.
A friend trip instead of a once-in-a-lifetime family event.
Mrs. Clark had quite a lot to say about that when Jace wasn’t around.
After one of Mrs. Clark’s thinly veiled commentaries on priorities and putting family first, Olivia leaned in close to Annie and Riley. “One of you should flirt with Jace and convince him to dump Jennifer.”
Annie whispered back, “Emmett might consider that bad taste in a wedding date.”
Then they both looked at Riley.
She huffed in mock indignation. “I suggested dating Jace as a revenge thing once, and you all shot me down. You can’t go back on that opinion now and tell me it’s a good idea.”
Olivia glanced at Jace, who stood across the room. “It wouldn’t hurt you to use your feminine charms on him if it means I don’t get stuck with Jennifer as a sister-in-law.”
Riley didn’t respond to that because the pastor came, corralled everyone, and instructed them how to walk in for the ceremony. Lucas and Jace settled down long enough to do it right.
At the rehearsal dinner, the best man was a no-show, so the space next to Jace was empty. Elsie, who sat between Riley and Annie, mostly spoke to Annie. This left Jace and Riley by themselves at the end of the table.
They talked easily. Jace apparently didn’t hate her on Lucas’s behalf, which was nice to know since she’d supposed that was part of the twin code. At one point, Riley asked Jace about Jennifer’s absence.
Jace shrugged and lowered his voice. “I brought her to Lark Springs last Labor Day weekend, and she got off on the wrong foot with my family. She’s very cosmopolitan and sophisticated. And you know my parents; they think small-town life is the best.”
“They’re right about that,” Riley said.
Jace took a sip of his drink. “See, that’s why my parents always got on with you.”
“They got on with me because I treated Lucas well.”
Mrs. Clark had seen in Riley someone who adored Lucas the way her son ought to be adored—wholeheartedly.
Jace nodded, his eyes a little sad. “It’s too bad things didn’t work out between you.”
Riley shrugged and tried to pretend the subject wasn’t painful, that it was all a philosophical topic now. “Lucas didn’t know what he wanted at the time.”
“I think he did,” Jace said.
She let out a humorless laugh. “I suppose so. It just wasn’t me.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t you who didn’t know what you wanted?”
Why would Jace say that? “Oh, I was clear about what I wanted.” She looked upward as though recalling. “At first, I wanted happily ever after, and then I wanted to hurt Lucas in ways that aren’t legal in most states.”
Jace opened his mouth to speak, then glanced at Elsie, who sat beside them, pretending not to listen, and at Lucas, who was seated on the other side of the table but kept glancing at the two of them. Jace chewed on his words for a moment, then dropped his voice to a whisper. “We should talk more about this tomorrow. It’s important.”
Riley was pretty sure she’d said everything on the subject there was to say. Thinking about it only dredged up the past pain, the feelings of rejection. But she sensed that Jace was trying to make her feel better. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll save you a dance.”
That night when Riley got home, she tried on the bridesmaid dress so that she could choose her accessories and have them ready to go in the morning. The gown was emerald green, with a poofy skirt reminiscent of something a fairy princess would wear. The underskirt was scratchy enough that the dress required a slip—the downside to royalty. The bodice had been tight to begin with, and Riley had gained a few pounds over the last couple of months. Thank you, stress eating.
Since she’d seen the architect’s designs for the inn—well, really since Lucas became her boss—she’d frequently wanted to either chew her fingernails or a Snickers bar, and lately the Snickers was winning.
The dress fit, but barely. During the dancing, she might very well rip a seam. Note to self: no jumping around or waving her arms.
Riley had never dieted before and wasn’t even sure if it was possible to lose weight in one day, but she decided to skip eating on the wedding day. People said intermittent fasting was good for you. She could eat after the reception.
The day of the wedding was bright and beautiful, with the sun turning the snow into glitter. Riley spent the morning running errands for Olivia and helping her with last-minute things.
Olivia’s wedding, although hastily planned, was absolutely elegant. Riley had never seen so many flowers adorning a church. It made the entire place seem magical and sacred, a picture out of a fairy tale book.
None of Carson’s family were joking around today, they were smiling and serious, happy for Carson and Olivia and willing to give them the spotlight.
Mr. Travers, surprisingly sober, walked Olivia down the aisle as proudly as any father. As an extra bonus, he didn’t scowl at Carson at any point in the ceremony, so they wouldn’t have to edit the wedding video. Mr. Travers seemed to have decided to be on good terms with everyone for the day for his daughter’s sake.
Olivia looked absolutely glowing in her wedding gown, her dark hair piled high and a faint blush on her cheeks. She was radiant—in love and oblivious about everything else. Just like a bride should be.
After the ceremony, most of the guests moved to the large room behind the chapel for refreshments and socializing while the photographer shot group photos with the wedding party. When the photographer finished with those pictures and was taking the ones of the bride and groom, Riley knew it was her job to keep an eye on Mr. Travers.
He stood about six feet tall, his frame a mix of stubborn muscle and the softer weight of too many years spent with a bottle in hand. His dark hair, now streaked with gray, was combed back neatly for the occasion, and he was clean-shaven. He seemed filled with a nervous sort of energy and kept pulling on the edges of his suit coat like he wasn’t used to it.
Riley walked with him into the reception hall, making small talk. Refreshment tables lined one wall, with a bartender mixing virgin drinks in the corner. The line was already backing up there. The middle of the room had been left open for dancing, and a dozen tables filled the side closest to them. The centerpieces were a mixture of flowers, candles, and silver star ornaments surrounded by garlands. Brighter lights would have shown them off, but the requirements of dancing won out—low lights for ambiance.
“I’m starving,” Mr. Travers said, heading to the refreshment tables. “That’s a feast, for sure.”
The smell of food reminded Riley that she hadn’t eaten since the rehearsal dinner last night.
“They never have big enough plates,” Mr. Travers went on, “so then you have to pile food onto two dinky plates and hope you don’t spill anything while you get your drink.” He glanced around and sniffed. “You’d think with all of the money Carson makes, he would’ve hired waiters to?—”
“I can get you a drink,” Riley put in, so she didn’t have to hear about Carson’s shortcomings. “What would you like?”
“It doesn’t matter. Some juice, I guess. Just get me whatever you’re having.”
She hadn’t planned on eating until after the reception, but her hunger was kicking up. Surely some juice and something small to nibble on would be fine. Her dress wasn’t that tight.
As she stood in the drink line, she checked over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure Mr. Travers hadn’t gone anywhere. It would be just her luck if she lost him minutes after her shift started. He filled two plates high with meat, cheese, fruit, mini sandwiches, and several desserts, then took them to an empty corner table and began eating.
He sat alone, which struck Riley as sad. Carson’s parents were surrounded by friends, a stream of people congratulating them and getting caught up. So was Olivia’s mother.
Granted, Mr. Travers had moved to Bozeman when Olivia was in elementary school, so he knew fewer people in Lark Springs, but Riley couldn’t help reading more into his isolation. He’d burned too many bridges here.
She finally reached the front of the line. She’d been too distracted to pay much attention to the beverage choices, so when the bartender asked her what she wanted, she just said, “Two juices. Whatever kind you have is fine.” And then in an attempt to save some calories, she added, “Can you mix it with diet sprite?”
The bartender gave her a wide grin. “You want a little fizz with your juice? Would you like to try one of my signature juice mixes? I call it Sunset in Mexico.”
Riley cast another glance at Mr. Travers. He was still there. “Sure.”
The bartender put two medium-sized glasses on the counter, picked up a pitcher, and poured a little juice into each glass. “One-quarter orange, one-quarter mango, one-quarter pineapple, and one-quarter Diet Sprite to top it off.”
He handed the drinks to Riley and winked at her. “Enjoy Mexico.”
“Thanks. I will.” As she left the line, she took a small sip from one glass. The tanginess did bring to mind tropical beaches. It also reminded her how hungry she was. She swerved by the refreshment table to pick up something to nibble on. Broccoli didn’t taste good, so therefore it couldn’t be that fattening. In fact, without the dip, it probably had negative calories.
She put a few on a plate and made her way to the table where Mr. Travers was working his way through his food.
Riley placed the drinks and her plate on the table and sat beside him. She would be chatty until someone stopped by to talk to Mr. Travers. Someone would eventually come over. He must have some old friends or acquaintances here.
Before she could launch into a topic of conversation, he pointed to the opposite side of the room where the refreshment tables sat and asked, “Who’s that woman getting food? She looks familiar.”
Riley turned to check. A dozen women mingled by the refreshment table. “Which one?”
“The one by the chocolate fountain.”
Four women congregated around the chocolate fountain, three dipping fruit into it. One waiting her turn. “Describe her dress.”
“The one with the flowers on it.”
“That’s the pastor’s wife, Rachel Burton.”
“Oh, that’s why she looks familiar. I’ve seen her at church.”
Something was off in his voice, a little forced. Riley returned her gaze to him, trying to see if he was being sarcastic about going to church. He was straightening his suit jacket, his expression carefully blank.
So maybe he was serious about going to church.
Since Riley wasn’t sure what he meant by the comment, she only smiled. Her eyes fell on the juice glasses, and she noticed a smear of lipstick on the glass she’d put in front of Mr. Travers.
Oh dear. That was the glass she’d already drank from. She switched the two, explaining that she’d taken a sip from one already.
He looked a bit horrified by this pronouncement, even though he hadn’t drunk any of the juice yet. “I don’t mind,” he said. “You can keep the other glass.”
Um, no, because that would be weird. He looked like he was about to reach for the glass anyway, so she picked it up, claiming it as her own. “The bartender calls this drink Sunset in Mexico. It’s a mixture of juices and Diet Sprite.” She was not only hungry, she was thirsty from running around doing things before the wedding. She took long drinks from the glass. The pineapple juice burned her throat. Not her favorite part of Mexico sunsets. If she got this drink again, she’d tell the bartender to leave it out.
She asked Mr. Travers about his job while she ate her broccoli. Even hungry, it didn’t taste good, and she was glad she had the juice to wash it down with. She finished her juice down to the ice and still had a piece of broccoli left.
Mr. Travers still hadn’t touched his juice. He’d just picked at his food while he talked about his construction job.
“Where did the pastor go?” Mr. Travers asked, craning his neck to look. “I should thank him for hitching my girl.”
Was Riley such a boring conversationalist that Olivia’s dad already wanted to ditch her? Possibly. But he couldn’t get into too much trouble talking with the pastor. In the dim light, it took Riley several moments to locate him. “He’s sitting with his wife in the far corner.” She pointed but also turned to Mr. Travers to see if he’d spotted them.
Mr. Travers was smoothing down his suit jacket again. “You’re right,” he said with false brightness. “There he is. Good old Pastor Buxton.”
“Burton,” Riley said.
“Right. That’s what I meant.” He forced a laugh.
Why was Olivia’s father acting so oddly?
At that moment, Riley swallowed the last bite of broccoli the wrong way and began to choke. The thing felt like it was lodged in her throat. She coughed and coughed again while Mr. Travers stared at her in concern. Great. She had wanted to make an impression during Olivia’s wedding, but this was not what she had envisioned. Any minute now, someone would come over and offer to give her the Heimlich maneuver.
She grabbed Mr. Travers’s juice and drank big gulps of it.
Sure enough, her coughing had drawn attention. Elsie appeared at the table, worry furrowing her brow. “Are you okay?”
Riley nodded and took another gulp of juice. She refused to choke to death in front of everyone. That was such a tacky way to die.
“Can you breathe?” Elsie asked.
Riley nodded again but still couldn’t speak.
Mr. Travers gaped at her in nervous worry. “Are there any paramedics here?”
“Lucas,” Elsie said, already peering around the room to find her brother.
Riley shook her head, hoping they would understand it wasn’t necessary. She was supposed to dance with buff football players and make Lucas realize that other guys thought she was pretty. The plan didn’t include him doing some emergency chest compressions and her spewing half-chewed broccoli onto the floor while a crowd of onlookers surrounded them.
Riley drank more. Fortunately, the liquid finally washed the broccoli away, and she was able to swallow normally again. “I’m fine.” Her voice sounded a little raspy. “A piece of food just went down the wrong way. I think it may have scratched my throat.” She put her hand on her throat. It burned worse than it had before. Who knew that broccoli had such sharp edges.
“It’s happened to all of us,” Elsie said. She was still watching Riley in concern.
“Well,” Riley said, “this will give me a reason to avoid broccoli for the rest of my life.”
“Always look for the silver lining,” Elsie agreed.
“Glad you’re ok,” Mr. Travers said. His eyes dropped to the empty juice glass, and he stared at it unhappily.
He hadn’t had anything to drink, and she’d just downed his entire glass of juice. “I’ll get you a new drink.” She got to her feet over his protests that he could get the juice this time. She wanted to put some distance between her and this event. She turned to Elsie. “You can keep Mr. Travers company while I get him juice, can’t you?”
“Sure,” she said.
Riley headed to the line again.
It was longer this time. As she stood in it, her chest began to feel funny. Tingly somehow. Her stomach felt funny too.
She hoped she wasn’t going to be sick. Best not to eat anything else. She didn’t want to be memorable at Olivia’s wedding because she was the bridesmaid who threw up while dancing. She put her hand on her stomach and took deep breaths. Everything would be fine in a few minutes.
Everything would be fine.