Chapter 6
Susan wiped flour from her hands and checked the oven timer. On the counter beside her were three different appetizer recipes that she’d been working on since her meeting with Paul. The creative work should have been consuming her attention, but her mind kept drifting back to Paul.
There was a huge vulnerability in his eyes when he’d talked about his failed marriage.
She knew that deep, sinking feeling all too well.
Her business had consumed her. Family, friends, and any lasting connections had been worn down by her demanding schedule.
She’d lived half a life and regretted every moment she’d missed.
A knock at the door startled her. Through the window, she saw Lynda’s truck in the driveway.
When she opened the front door, Lynda was bundled in a thick wool coat and wearing a scarf Susan hadn’t seen before. It was orange with purple thread that caught the morning light.
“Hi!” Lynda burst out. “I should have called first, but I was driving past, and I have news that I can’t wait to tell you.”
“Come in.” Susan stepped aside, smiling at her friend’s enthusiasm. “I was just working on some recipes. It’s perfect timing for a distraction.”
Lynda unwound her scarf and immediately zeroed in on the phyllo dough Susan had thawing on the counter. “Are you testing appetizers for Paul’s restaurant?”
“I am, and yes, you can try them. But you have to tell me your news first.” Susan gestured toward the kitchen table. “Coffee? Herbal tea?”
“Coffee would be amazing.” Lynda settled into a chair, her whole face glowing in a way Susan hadn’t seen since... well, since Lynda had fallen in love with Matt. “Matt and I set our wedding date last night.”
Susan’s hand froze halfway to the coffeepot. “You did?”
“December twenty-fourth. Christmas Eve.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “I know it’s soon, maybe too soon. But we were at the clinic after treating a puppy, and Matt just looked at me and said, ‘What about Christmas Eve for our wedding?’ And suddenly everything felt perfect.”
Susan poured two cups of coffee, her mind already spinning through logistics. “Christmas Eve is a beautiful time to get married, but it isn’t far away.”
“I know it sounds crazy.” Lynda wrapped her hands around the mug Susan handed her. “But we’ve both been married before, and we understand what matters. Neither of us wants months of planning or elaborate ceremonies. Just something simple with the people we care about.”
Susan sat across from her friend, studying Lynda’s face. She’d been there for her after her messy divorce from Ray, had watched Lynda rebuild her life piece by careful piece. And now she was looking at a woman transformed by love, literally glowing with happiness.
Susan was genuinely happy for her. She was thrilled to see her friend find a second chance at joy. But underneath the happiness lurked something darker. Something Susan was ashamed to acknowledge even to herself. She was jealous of her friends’ lives, of the love they’d found in Sapphire Bay.
“Susan?” Lynda’s voice pulled her back. “Are you okay? You look—”
“I’m fine.” Susan forced brightness into her voice. “I’m just thinking about timing. Have you picked a venue?”
“Not yet. We talked about getting married in the barn at Paws of Hope or asking Pastor John about using the church.” Lynda’s excitement dimmed slightly. “This is where I need to ask you something, and please say no if it’s too much.”
Susan already knew what was coming.
“Would you handle the food?” Lynda rushed on before Susan could respond.
“We don’t want anything elaborate. Just finger food and a simple cake.
There will be thirty people at the most, probably fewer.
I completely understand if you’d rather not.
You moved here to escape from catering, but everyone’s been asking if you can help them. ”
“It’s okay.” Susan reached across the table and grasped Lynda’s hands. “Of course I’ll do it.”
Relief flooded Lynda’s features. “You’re sure? I don’t want to take advantage—”
“You’re not taking advantage of anything.” Susan squeezed her friend’s hands before releasing them. “This isn’t running a business. This is celebrating two people I care about. There’s a difference.”
“Thank you.” Lynda’s eyes glistened with tears. “I was nervous about asking if you could help.”
“Providing the catering for your wedding is a gift, not a burden.” Susan stood and found her notebook. “We need to figure out some basics soon, though. The venue will change everything. The number of guests affects quantities. And the timing of the food needs to coordinate with the ceremony.”
She plated some of the phyllo cups she’d made earlier and set them in front of Lynda. “Before we do anything else, try this and tell me what you think.”
Lynda’s eyes widened as she bit into it. “Oh, it’s delicious. Paul’s customers will love them.”
“That’s what I hope.” Susan settled back into her chair, grateful for the distraction of discussing food.
They spent the next twenty minutes talking through Lynda’s vision for the wedding.
As they talked, Susan jotted notes on a pad she kept by the phone, smiling as Lynda added a practical twist to her dream wedding.
Susan thought about her own marriage. After a few years, it had fallen apart under the weight of her husband’s expectations and her inability to be anything other than ambitious.
He’d wanted a wife who’d support his career.
She’d wanted a partner who’d support hers.
Neither of them had been willing to compromise, and the marriage had ended with more relief than regret.
She’d told herself it was fine. That she didn’t need romance. That her business was enough.
But watching Lynda now, and seeing the joy radiating from her friend, Susan had to face an uncomfortable truth. She’d been lying to herself for decades.
She wanted someone to look at her the way Matt looked at Lynda, the way Frank looked at Isabel, and the way Patrick looked at Kathleen when he thought no one was watching.
She just didn’t think she deserved it.
“What about your dress?” Susan asked, forcing herself to focus on practical matters. “Have you started looking?”
Lynda shook her head. “I haven’t had time to think that far ahead. But it shouldn’t take too long to find something. What about the dress I wore to Isabel’s wedding? I don’t need anything special.”
“Lynda.” Susan set down her pen. “You’re getting married. You deserve something new that makes you feel beautiful, even if it’s simple.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Lynda looked uncertain, and Susan recognized her expression. Lynda’s ex-husband had spent years convincing her she wasn’t worth special things. “There’s just so much to do at the clinic, and we barely had time to process being engaged before deciding on this date.”
Another knock sounded at the door. Susan rose to answer it and found Isabel and Kathleen on the porch, both bundled against the cold.
“We saw Lynda’s car,” Isabel said, stamping snow from her boots, “and thought we’d stop by and see what’s happening.”
“Plus, I saw the phyllo cups on your counter through the window,” Kathleen added, stepping inside. “Are those available for sampling?”
“Help yourself.” Susan fetched more plates while her friends shed their coats and settled around the kitchen table. “Lynda has news.”
As Lynda shared her wedding plans, Susan watched her three closest friends. Isabel’s face lit up with genuine delight and Kathleen clasped her hands together, already giving Lynda wedding ideas.
These women had been her anchors throughout her life, and she didn’t know what she’d ever do without them.
“Susan’s organizing the food,” Lynda announced, and two pairs of eyes turned toward her with varying expressions of surprise and concern.
“Are you sure?” Isabel asked carefully. “I thought you were trying to step back from catering.”
“It’s different when it’s for friends,” Susan said. “Besides, I’ve already started working with Paul on his restaurant menu. I’m not stepping back from cooking. I’m just being more selective about what projects I do.”
“How is the collaboration with Paul going?” Kathleen asked, her expression too knowing.
Heat rose to Susan’s cheeks. “It’s okay. We met earlier this week. He’s very professional.”
Isabel frowned. “I thought it would be more than that. You both seem happy when you’re talking to each other.”
“Nothing’s happening.” Susan’s lie tasted bitter.
“We’re working together on a menu. That’s all.
” She stood and moved to the counter, arranging appetizers on a platter with more attention than necessary.
“Even if I wanted more, it’s irrelevant.
I sold my business and moved across the country to start over. ”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a relationship with someone.” Isabel’s voice was quiet but firm. “Especially someone who shares the same interests as you.”
Susan’s throat tightened. She set down the platter and gripped the counter’s edge, forcing herself to face her friends.
“I don’t know how to have a normal life.
” The confession spilled out before she could stop it, raw, honest, and devastating.
“I never had children. My marriage was a disaster because I was too busy working. And now I look at all of you, and I’m so happy for you.
I am. But I’m also...” Her voice broke. “I’m so lonely I can barely breathe. ”
The silence that followed was full of love and understanding. When Kathleen hugged her, Susan almost cried.
When Lynda spoke, her voice was gentle. “I thought you were happy being single. Were you too scared to try again?”
Susan was surprised by the question. She was in her mid-thirties when her marriage had ended.
The few friends she had in Georgia were all in relationships and busy with their own lives.
“I don’t think I was scared. I just threw myself into my work so I didn’t have to think about dating anyone.
It was easier than feeling like I was the only one in the world who didn’t have someone waiting for them at home. ”
Lynda stood and crossed to the window, looking out at the lake.
“I know what you mean. Ray destroyed my trust in men. He made me think I was worthless and unlovable. After our divorce, I spent every spare minute I had at my veterinary clinic. When Matt asked me out, my first instinct was to say no. To protect myself from ever feeling that kind of pain again.” She turned back.
“But then I thought, what if this is it? What if Matt is the person for me? I couldn’t let fear stop me from seeing where a relationship with him might lead. ”
Tears pricked Susan’s eyes. “But what if I open myself up to Paul and he realizes I’m just... broken? That I’ve spent so many years alone that I don’t know how to be with someone anymore?”
Isabel wrapped Susan in another hug. “If Paul doesn’t see the woman we do, then that’s his loss. Don’t put any pressure on yourself or him. Just enjoy each day as it comes.”
Kathleen handed Susan a cup of coffee. “And if all else fails, we’ll have a Christmas Eve wedding to enjoy.”
Susan smiled at Lynda. “And the best wedding menu Sapphire Bay has ever seen.”