Chapter 33
The beginning of September brought a different kind of energy to Whaler's Landing.
Kate stood in the dining room at seven in the morning, watching Dani orchestrate what she called “controlled insanity” but what looked remarkably organized.
The Hartwell-Chen wedding had brought forty guests from Boston and San Francisco, and their advance team had arrived to begin preparations.
“The florist will be here at nine,” Dani reported, checking her notes. “Rose gold and sage green throughout. The arch goes beside the arbor, not in front of it. They want the harbor view unobstructed.”
“Perfect weather for it,” Kate observed. The morning was already warm but not humid, with the kind of clear sky that would photograph beautifully.
“Can you handle the ceremony setup?” Dani asked. “I need to run to Cape Porpoise. The caterers forgot the specialty seafood order, and the only place that might have what they need is The Tuscan Table.”
Kate saw something flicker across her sister's face. “The Tuscan Table? Doesn't Ryan Caine own that place?”
“Yes,” Dani said quickly. “I’m not crazy about going over there, but they're the only place that might have fresh diver scallops this morning, and the bride specifically requested them.”
“Want me to go instead?” Kate offered. “I imagine running into your high school boyfriend could be awkward.”
“No. I'm twenty-eight years old, Katie. I can handle seeing an ex-boyfriend.” Dani grabbed her keys, then paused. “Do I look okay?”
“You look beautiful. You always do.”
“I look like I've been up since five managing wedding chaos.” Dani touched her hair, which was in a messy bun. “Whatever. It's just Ryan.”
Kate smiled, noting Dani continuing to fuss with her hair as she ran outside.
James appeared with his tablet, already troubleshooting the livestream setup.
“Did Dani just go to The Tuscan Table?” he asked.
“The caterers needed scallops.”
“Ryan Caine’s place?” James whistled. “That should be interesting. You know he never married, right?”
“That was ten years ago.”
“Some people are worth waiting for,” James said, giving her a meaningful look. “As you've recently discovered.”
Kate felt her cheeks warm, thinking of Ben. He'd left early for a restoration project in York, kissing her goodbye on the porch at five-thirty while she was still holding her coffee.
“I'll miss the show,” he'd said. “But I'll be thinking of you.”
Three weeks they'd been together officially.
Three weeks of discovering who they were when they weren't just friends, weren't just crisis partners.
Last night, they'd sat on his porch watching the stars, and he'd told her about his grandmother's house, the one he'd learned carpentry on, trying to save it after she died.
An hour later, Dani returned with the scallops and a strange expression on her face.
“How'd it go?” Kate asked carefully.
“Fine. Ryan was very helpful.” Dani busied herself with the caterer's checklist. “He's done well for himself. The restaurant is beautiful. All reclaimed wood and ocean views. Very him.”
“And?”
“And nothing. We're not in high school anymore. We're different people.” But Dani's hand went to her hair again, smoothing strands that didn't need smoothing. “He asked about the inn. Said he'd heard we were doing events now. Wanted to know if we'd consider partnerships with local restaurants.”
“That's good business thinking.”
“That's what I said. Very professional.” Dani paused. “He's coming to the wedding.”
Kate nearly dropped the centerpiece she was holding. “What?”
“The bride's family loves his restaurant. They invited him weeks ago, apparently. He just mentioned it when I was leaving. Very casual. Very... Ryan.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice his name on the table place settings.”
Kate studied her sister. Dani was trying so hard to appear unaffected, but there was color in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the morning's work.
“Tell me you didn’t notice that.”
“I might have seen his name. Although, it could have been a different Ryan Caine. Besides, why wouldn't it be okay? It's been ten years. We're adults. I've lived in New York, dated plenty of people. He's stayed here, built his restaurant. We're completely different now.”
Tom appeared before Kate could respond. “Marcy’s here with extra champagne flutes. Also, Dani, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?”
“She ran into Ryan Caine, although I’m not sure if it was an accident,” James supplied helpfully.
“Ryan, the one who got away, Caine? Ryan, who wrote you that song senior year, Caine?”
“He didn't write me a song,” Dani protested.
“He absolutely did. He played it at the talent show. Everyone cried.”
“Ancient history,” Dani said firmly. “Now, can we please focus on this wedding? The florist is here.”
By four o'clock, the ceremony space had been transformed into a garden. Roses and greenery created an aisle, sage fabric draped artfully between posts, everything elegant but unfussy. Kate stood at the back, watching guests take their seats, when she spotted him.
Ryan Caine sat in the last row and watched Dani move around the yard. Gone was the lanky boy who'd played guitar at bonfires. This Ryan wore a well-fitted navy suit, his dark hair shorter and neater, his shoulders broader. He moved with the confidence of someone who'd found his place in the world.
And he was looking for someone. Kate knew exactly who.
“Is that Ryan?” Tom appeared beside her. “Damn. He grew up well.”
“Don't let Dani hear you say that.”
“Let Dani hear what?” Dani materialized, then froze. She was wearing a simple sundress, professional but pretty, and the way Ryan's face changed when he saw her told Kate everything she needed to know about his feelings.
“I should check on the caterers,” Dani said, but Tom caught her arm.
“The caterers are fine. The wedding's about to start. Just... be here. Be present.”
The music began, saving Dani from responding. The bride appeared in a simple silk dress, her face radiant. The groom waited at the arbor, already emotional. As they began their vows, Kate found herself really listening for the first time in all the weddings they'd hosted.
“I promise to choose you every morning,” the bride said, her voice clear and certain. “Even when you leave wet towels on the floor. Even when you try to reorganize my bookshelves. Even when we're old and can't remember why we walked into a room.”
“I promise to love you through every season,” the groom replied. “Through blizzards that trap us indoors and heat waves that make us cranky. Through family dinners and work stress and Sunday mornings when all we want is silence and coffee together.”
Kate watched them, these two people making promises about forever, and something shifted inside her chest. She'd never imagined marriage for herself, had never pictured standing at an altar making those kinds of promises. The inn had been her commitment, her forever.
But standing here, watching this couple in their forties, both on second tries, both choosing hope despite previous hurt, she could suddenly see it. Not the wedding itself, she'd never cared about parties and dresses. But the marriage. The daily choosing. The building of something together.
She glanced at Dani, who was definitely not looking at Ryan, and thought about second chances, about people who wait, about the difference between running away and coming home.
During cocktail hour, Kate watched Ryan approach Dani by the champagne table. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw Dani's professional smile soften into something real, saw Ryan gesture toward the harbor.
“They were inevitable,” James said, appearing with two glasses of wine. “Some people just fit, even when the timing's wrong.”
“She says they're different people now.”
“They are. That's what might make it work this time.” James nodded toward where Ryan was now making Dani laugh, really laugh, not her polite event planner laugh.
Kate thought about Ben, about all the years they'd orbited each other without quite connecting. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
The reception flowed smoothly. No crises, no disasters, just happiness and celebration. Kate helped pass appetizers and watched her siblings work their magic. James charmed the elderly relatives, and Tom anticipated wedding guests’ needs before they arose.
And Dani... Dani was radiant. Whether she was managing the cake cutting or directing the photographer, she kept finding herself in conversation with Ryan.
He helped her move chairs, and she brought him a plate of food when he missed the cocktail hour talking to the bride's father about sustainable fishing.
“This place is magical,” the bride's mother said, approaching Kate. “You can feel the love in the walls. Like all the families who've celebrated here left something behind.”
Kate thought about that, all the celebrations and sorrows these walls had held. Her parents' anniversary parties. Her mother's wake. Pop's good days and bad ones. And now this new chapter, with her siblings finding their own rhythms, their own lives, while still choosing to be here together.
A small flower girl tugged at her dress. “Are you married?”
“No, sweetheart.”
“Why not? You're pretty and nice.”
Kate laughed. “Maybe someday.”
The little girl nodded and then ran away.
As the evening wound down and the couple made their exit through a tunnel of sparklers, Kate found herself on the porch watching the last guests leave. Dani walked Ryan to his car, both of them moving slowly like they didn't want the night to end.
“Ten bucks says they're dating within a month,” Tom said, joining Kate.
“No bet. Look at them.”
They watched as Ryan said something that made Dani touch his arm, a gesture so natural it was like muscle memory from a decade ago.
“He's different,” Dani said later, after Ryan had driven away and the siblings were cleaning up. “More settled. More himself.”
“And?” Kate prompted.