Chapter 6
CHAPTER
SIX
At around four-thirty, Chris pushed open the café’s painted-blue door, a bell tinkling overhead as she stepped outside with two cups in hand.
She’d offered to grab them both coffees while Josh found a bistro table on the sidewalk, under an awning, but she had forgotten to ask how he took his.
“All right, I gambled. Dark roast, splash of cream, no sugar. I know that’s how Stefan likes his coffee. ”
Josh accepted the cup with a mock-serious nod. “So this is how you take your chances?”
“I mean, it’s either that or iced lavender lattes, and I didn’t peg you as the floral type.”
“You’d be right.” He chuckled. “Though after the last hour of boutique hopping, I’d drink just about anything.”
They’d followed through with sightseeing and wandering around town after the rehearsal brunch since everyone was on their own until the wedding tomorrow.
Although many of the guests had made plans to meet up at a local bar later that night, Chris and Josh had decided to skip the outing, figuring it was smarter to turn in early.
Even though the ceremony was scheduled for two p.m., they both had a busy morning ahead, preparing for the pre-nuptial photos—especially Chris, whose makeup and hair would be professionally done along with the rest of the women in the bridal party. It would be a long day for them all.
She grinned, bumping his shoulder lightly before sitting down beside him. “Careful, that sounds dangerously close to a complaint.”
“Never,” he said. “I’m here voluntarily, remember?”
“And I thank you for indulging me. I love checking out quirky little shops whenever I’m in a new place. Just be glad I haven’t spotted any thrift stores yet—a friend got me hooked, and now it’s kind of a hobby.”
“Ah, thrifting! You have to meet my brother’s wife, Monica, then. You two would get along great. She’s turned bargain hunting at thrift stores and estate sales into a business—resells everything online and makes pretty decent money doing it.”
Her heart rate sped up at the mention of meeting someone from his family.
He probably hadn’t meant that it would actually happen since they lived on opposite ends of the East Coast, and whatever it was between them would end when they went their separate ways on Sunday.
But something about him made her wish the weekend wasn’t all they had.
She hadn’t told him of her potential plans to move to Tampa yet and wasn’t sure if he’d be receptive to the implication or not.
He took a sip from his coffee and leaned back in his chair, glancing around the tree-lined street. “So what do you think about Edgartown? It’s like something out of a Hallmark movie, right?”
Chris arched a brow over the rim of her cup. “And how exactly do you know what a Hallmark movie looks like?”
He grinned. “Hey, I’ve got my mom, two sisters, and a sister-in-law. I’ve been exposed during vacations and holidays through sheer proximity.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Alright, fair enough. But you’re not wrong. The whole town feels kind of surreal—the quiet streets, the old clapboard houses, that perfect harbor view... I get the appeal.”
“Exactly. It’s also got an unhurried pace—like no one here is in a rush to be anywhere. And the architecture’s got real history to it. Not just made to look old—actually old.”
As she nodded in agreement, her gaze drifted to the colorful blooms spilling from a garden box at the base of a nearby lamppost. “It’s charming. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I like it here.”
Josh nudged her foot lightly under the table. “Told you. Hallmark.”
She smiled and leaned back in her chair. “If you ever decide to finally write that book, this would be the perfect place to set it. Or at least part of it.”
“You think?” he asked, tilting his head as if considering it. He’d mentioned something last night at the bar that he wanted to write a fiction novel, which surprised and amazed her.
“I do. It has that kind of... I don’t know... emotional texture, I guess, like the kind of town where someone could come to figure things out. Or fall in love.” Oh, I did not just say fall in love, did I? Yup, I did. Hopefully, he hadn’t read too much into her little Freudian slip.
His eyes widened a bit, and his gaze lingered on her for a beat longer than usual before the corners of his mouth curved upward. “You should help me write it, then. You’ve got the eye for mood.”
She shrugged, glad the discussion hadn’t turned in a direction she wasn’t ready to contemplate. “Maybe. But only if I get to name the main character’s dog.”
“Deal.” He held up his cup in a mock salute. “To creative partnerships.”
She tapped her cup against his, smiling as their fingers brushed.
The contact sent a soft ripple through her, familiar now but still thrilling.
Everything about the afternoon felt easy—unhurried conversation, the comforting hum of street noise, and the way Josh looked at her like he meant it.
And for just a moment, she let herself imagine a version of the future where weekends like that weren’t just temporary.
After finishing their coffee, they continued to stroll around Edgartown, stopping occasionally to read historic landmark signs.
Eventually, as the sun dipped lower behind the rooftops, they found their way to a little restaurant tucked between a bookstore and a weathered inn, with candlelit tables and a chalkboard menu propped just inside the door.
Dinner was relaxed—just the two of them, lingering over seafood and wine, sharing bites and swapping stories that made them laugh so much the server asked them if they were on their honeymoon.
Surprisingly, Josh told the woman that, indeed, they were before giving Chris a secret wink.
She just grinned and shook her head, unable to remember the last time she felt so comfortable being alone with a man.
When they finished, they walked hand-in-hand back to the hotel, the air warm and salty from the harbor breeze.
Once again, he insisted on escorting her to her room.
Outside her door, he kissed her, just like the night before, but this time the kiss lingered—slower, deeper, the kind that curled heat low in her belly and left her dizzy in the best way.
And yet, he didn’t press for more. He just smiled, brushed his knuckles against her cheek, and murmured good night before waiting until she was safely inside.
As she shut and locked the door behind her, his taste lingered on her lips, making her want to run after him to ask for more. Instead, she pressed her back against the wood, breathless and already counting the hours until she’d see him again.
The Saturday afternoon sun filtered through a few scattered clouds, casting a warm, golden light over the garden.
Though much of the setup had been completed the day before, the final touches—fresh floral arrangements, ribbons tied with precision, and the placement of the programs—had given the space its finishing polish.
A string quartet played softly in the background, their music drifting through the air as guests murmured and took their seats.
Chris waited with the bridal party at the back of the garden, her bouquet in hand.
Like Elin, she wore a short-sleeve, ballerina-length dress that brushed her calves, the jade organza fabric catching the breeze in delicate ripples.
The other bridesmaids wore the same dress in a soft mint green.
The groomsmen wore either Coast Guard uniforms or dark blue tuxedos, depending on whether they were military or civilian.
Beside her, Josh stood tall, his uniform lending him an even more striking presence.
She already found him attractive, but there was something about the crisp lines and quiet confidence he exuded that made her pulse skip.
Maybe her mother was right, and the Myers women had a thing for military guys.
He side-eyed her, his gaze roaming from her head to her toes and back again. “Have I told you that you look beautiful today?”
“That’s the third time in the last hour, but I’m not complaining at all.
” She giggled, remembering his gaping jaw and hungry eyes when he first saw her as the photographer had gathered the bridal party, minus the bride and groom, for a few pictures earlier.
Cass stayed out of sight, so no one but the bridesmaids, Lorna, and Stefan’s mother saw her dress before she walked down the aisle.
The event coordinator whispered to the group that they were ready to start seconds before the music shifted to a gentle acoustic version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.
” Stefan was escorted by his parents down the aisle, moments before the bridal party began their procession, two by two.
Chris watched from just inside the garden gate as the first pair stepped out, then the next three, followed by Elin, who walked gracefully with her cousin Fredrik. Finally, it was Chris and Josh’s turn.
She let out a steadying breath and stepped forward with him.
Their arms linked, their pace matched, and with every step down the aisle, she felt a strange, settling warmth in her chest. The crowd blurred at the edges as her focus narrowed to the scent of the flowers in her bouquet, a gentle breeze caressing her skin, and the easy presence of the man beside her.
Once they reached the gazebo, they peeled off to the left and took their appointed position, with Chris closer to where the bride would stand.
The music changed again, this time "To Make You Feel My Love," by Garth Brooks, played in the background. When Cassie appeared at the far end of the aisle, her hand resting on her mother’s arm, Chris felt her throat tighten. Her sister looked breathtaking—her hair swept into an elegant twist, her dress simple but romantic. Her bouquet matched the ones her bridesmaids had, but it was more elaborate. She moved forward confidently, chin high, eyes already shining as she met Stefan’s gaze.
The groom stood at the front of the gazebo, utterly still, as if the sight of her had taken the air from his lungs.
His expression crumpled slightly—an unguarded moment of awe and emotion.
He blinked rapidly, then swiped a hand across one eye, trying to be discreet, but the tears came anyway.
He let out a shaky breath, lips parting in a soft smile that held everything—love, gratitude, reverence—as Cassie drew closer.
The look they shared was filled with unwavering devotion, like nothing else in the world existed but the two of them.
Chris blinked against the sting behind her lashes. This wasn’t just a ceremony. It was a turning point. For Cass. For their family. For herself.
When Cassie reached the gazebo, she kissed her mother’s cheek, handed Chris her bouquet, and then took Stefan’s hands.
The music ended, and the officiant’s voice rose clearly over the garden.
Chris tried to focus on the words, but her heart was thudding too loudly.
As the vows began, words and phrases like “partnership,” “home,” and “building a life together” stirred something deep in her chest. Over the past two years, she couldn’t fathom ever getting married again.
But this weekend had her rethinking that—in believing in love again.
Josh’s hand brushed lightly against hers at one point—just a gentle tap, nothing overt. But she didn’t move away. After everything she’d been through, it amazed her how right something so simple could feel.
By the time the couple kissed, and the guests erupted in applause, Chris was smiling through tears she hadn’t realized had fallen. For the first time in a long while, her failed marriage didn’t cross her mind. Instead, she was thinking about what could come next.