Chapter 12
TWELVE
“ Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.”
~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
B olstered by this morning’s run with Clayton, Elle stopped at Daryl’s Pizzeria on her way to Tobey and Jerome’s house and picked up lunch. The rest of the day would be focused on wedding setup and the rehearsal dinner.
Pulling up to Tobey and Jerome’s tree lined property, with its snatches of wildflowers and sloping hills, she smiled. Leafy trees danced in the breeze creating a romantic and whimsical setting perfect for a wedding or a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream .
“You are aware that I live alone and carry many bags at once from my car to my condo, right?” Elle grumbled as Uncle Pete rushed from the garage to help her with the bags of food.
“Don’t remind me,” he muttered.
“Does he do this to you too, or is it a girl thing?” She tipped her head to Tobey, who’d followed Pete out.
“It’s worse when you live here.” Tobey relieved her of a carrier tray of drinks. “Lets himself in all the time to be sure we haven’t left the toaster plugged in.”
Elle laughed. “You should take away his key.”
“Eleanor, this is Perry. We don’t lock our doors. Wouldn’t be neighborly,” Pete scoffed, placing the bags of food on a table set up in the garage.
“You made sure I locked the door at the Little Red Barn!” she accused, hands on her hips.
“That’s different; you’re a girl.” He cleared his throat.“Excuse me, a woman.” His tone was self-congratulatory, as if calling her a woman instead of a girl made it less sexist.
“Never change, Uncle Pete.” She pressed a soft kiss to his scruffy cheek. Despite the anxiety dully meandering within her, she was grateful to be here, to be with them.
“Aw, shucks.” He kissed the top of her head and brought her in for a hug.
“Stop with the sap!” Tobey wagged a finger. “Eleanor you’re my designated non-crier. Mom has cried three times already today, and it’s barely noon. And don’t get me started on that one.”
“My baby is getting married,” Pete mocked, chasing Tobey out of the garage with kissy-face noises.
“Oh good! You’re here and finally wearing something appropriate. Nice shorts!”Janet burst into the garage from the house. She carried a broom, wielding it like a determined general leading troops into battle. “Okay folks! First, lunch. Then we work.”
“Hello to you, too,” Elle snarked with a playful expression.
“Boys, stop fooling around!” she chided Pete, who was either trying to hug or put his son in a headlock, maybe both.
They straightened at the “I mean business” tone of Janet’s voice, each shifting blame to the other.
“Mom, did I hear you say lunch?” Jerome boomed, as he exited the house, a blue cap with Groomy in white block letters atop his thick black hair.
“Mom!” Janet sniffled, placing her hand over her heart.
“Jerome did it!” Elle pointed at the bewildered Jerome, his fiancé glowering at them both.
After several hours of arranging and rearranging the tables to Janet’s exact specifications, Elle stood surveying what she prayed was the final configuration of the reception tent. Tobey and Jerome had left to pick Jerome’s dad up at the airport.
Elle, Pete, and Janet stood in the center of a temporary wooden dance floor. Janet consulted her clipboard and mumbled to herself. They’d strung fairy lights throughout the large white tent. Crisp linen cloths covered the mixture of round and rectangular tables. Mason jars wrapped in white ribbon sat in anticipation of pink carnations. Tomorrow the flowers would be placed and the tea lights lit to complete the table decorations.
Soon, Pete and Janet headed inside to clean up for the rehearsal. Dinner would follow the dry run. Elle volunteered to wait for the bartending crew coming to set up for tomorrow’s festivities. After, she’d head out to doll up for tonight’s mini shindig.
Ten minutes later, Noah strolled into the tent followed by Todd. Elle had been texting with Willa and Viet, who were dying for Clayton updates.
“When you said you’d be at the wedding I assumed it was as a guest,” Elle greeted Noah.
“Can’t I be both guest and servant?” Noah teased with a lopsided grin.
“A man who wears many hats.”
“And they all look good on Prince Charming here.” Todd pinched Noah’s cheeks.
“Prince Charming?” Noah groaned, his mouth open and brows lifted.
“If the crown fits.” Todd flicked Noah’s forehead.
“Ha!” Elle snorted. Yes, she snorted.
She was realizing that keeping her goofy and sometimes awkward self hidden was a losing battle, and she was fighting too many other battles with emotions and memories that wanted to come out. Losing this one in hopes of winning the more important one that she’d face the next day seemed a small concession.
“The bar can go over there.” Elle directed them to set up the bar at the edge of the tent.
“I’ll get Terry and Jasper from the truck. We’ll bring everything over.” Todd nodded and then smirked at Noah. “Don’t worry Prince Charming, your minions got this. You go flirt.”
“He’s either the very best or the very worst employee,”Elle mused as Todd sauntered away.
“He’s actually my business partner.”
Elle barked out a laugh. “Some partner.”
“His constant verbal gut punches keep me from getting too full of myself.” Shrugging, he scanned the space and let out an impressed whistle. “This place looks great.”
“It’s going to look even better tomorrow. So, are you the bartender tomorrow? Should I have complicated drink requests ready to stump you?”
“Nah. It will be Todd and Jasper. This is our first time bartending an event, so I just wanted to make sure setup went okay. We’ll have wine from the Wine Down and some of the beers from the brewery,”he explained, tapping the top of the chair and pulling it out for her to sit. He dropped onto the one across from her. “Not to be too nosey, but I noticed last night your family still calls you Eleanor. Have you asked them to call you Elle?”
“No.” She shook her head.
To them, she would always be Eleanor. Asking them to use her preferred name bubbled the worry inside her. Like somehow being Eleanor to them and Elle to everyone outside of Perry kept the two worlds separate. Kept her separate. Even though, she allowed Carmen and Mathew to call her Elle… And asked Noah and Clayton to call her Elle. Somehow that seemed different, less risky.
“So, they don’t know to call you Elle, then.” Knowledge shimmered in his stare, like a secret he held of a truth she didn’t want to yet share.
Noah Wilson was far more perceptive than she and others believed. That charming smile hid a deep well of understanding.
“So, you’ve been running with Clayton I hear.”
“He’s told you about our runs?”Her tone reminiscent of a teen asking a friend if the boy they like talked about them in PE.
“He’s mentioned them.”
Her cheeks heated. “Clayton showed me some safe running trails. Keeps me off the roads.”
“Makes sense. He wouldn’t want you running on the roads.”
The solemn expression on Noah’s face provoked a wave of realization to crash into Elle. “Is that how Evan died?”
Noah nodded. “He was hit by a semi-truck while jogging. When Nat called, I jumped on the first flight. I had just been discharged from the Marines and was living in San Diego. Clayton was working in Ithaca.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I think Clayton blames himself a little for not being here. I know”—he raised a hand to stop her protest—“he shouldn’t, but you know Clayton. He has this drive to take care of the people he loves. He’s like a golden retriever, loyal and protective.”
Words always failed her in moments like this. She had a sprinkling of memories of Clayton from high school. A few of the effervescent Natalie from day camp. But only one of Evan. Two years younger, with an easy smile, swinging Elle across a square-dancing circle in PE. Anyone could see that Evan was a happy kid.
Noah sighed. “It was hard for him, Nat… the whole family.”
The desire to wrap her arms around Clayton filled her. Hugs were a temporary balm, she knew that, but the urge filled her.
“Thank you for being there for him.” She reached across, taking his hand in hers. “I’m glad he has you.”
“I’m glad he has you,” Noah said, his voice hopeful.
Does he have me? The thought stole Elle’s breath.
After rehearsal, the crew headed to the Sea Serpent, a nautical-themed restaurant on the lake. The guys had opted for casual cocktails and small bites served in the lounge on the restaurant’s first floor.
“Lady Eleanor.” Jerome greeted her with a bow, followed by a bear hug.
Despite the strangle hold, she scanned the room. Pure magic, with lit candles and greenery. The burnt orange and purple of the setting sun streamed in through large windows overlooking the lake.
“Lord Jerome.” She backed out of his embrace and dropped into a small curtsy.
“Looking lovely as always, milady.” He affected a British accent. “Let me get a gander at this outfit.” He let his gaze flow over the simple yet sophisticated lavender maxi-dress she’d decided to wear.
“Stop objectifying me. I’m not a piece of meat, sir.”
“I’m aware you are a very smart and talented woman. I will ask you about your thoughts on Brexit and climate change after I ogle you in this getup.”
“The only person you should be ogling is over there.” She tilted her head toward Tobey, who stood with his back to them, near the small buffet table.
“Oh, I plan to do that for the rest of my life.” A spark twinkled in his brown eyes as he admired his fiancé across the room.
“I am so glad he found you.”
“Not as glad as I am that I found him.”
“Stop! Tobey has me on strict no crying duty for the next twenty-four hours.” She elbowed him. “Hey, I have something for you all. Where’re all the parents and Clayton?”Elle looked around the room.
“Clayton is around somewhere. Mom and dad are upstairs with my dad talking to the manager about the post-wedding brunch. They should be back shortly. Here, let me take that. How rude am I? Don’t tell my soon-to-be father-in-law.”
Jerome took the six small shiny gold gift bags, and one bottle-shaped bag she’d clutched and placed them on a high-top table. The smaller gift bags contained a single flute with the still chilled bottle of champagne in the larger one, a celebratory token before tomorrow’s festivities for the wedding party.
Clayton strolled in, stealing Elle’s breath in his camel-colored slacks and a pale blue button up with sleeves rolled to his elbows. Good god. In the last six days, she had only seen him wear workout clothes, T-shirts, jeans, and shorts. Casual Clayton was handsome, but dressed up Clayton was knee-wobbling gorgeous.
He surveyed the room, as if looking for someone. When those piercing eyes caught her gaze, he paused, seeming to drink her up like she was the last sips of nourishing water in the middle of the desert. A lazy smile lit his face, making heat crawl up her torso. He walked, no—sauntered toward her with the grace of a prowling wolf.
“Hey,” he murmured when he reached her side.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly.
“Well, hello Jerome,” Jerome joked with a slight grumble.
They ignored him.
“Thank you.” Clayton’s eyes glimmered.
“For what?” She bit her lip.
“Lunch.”
“They weren’t supposed to say anything.” Her cheeks flamed.
When she picked up lunch at Daryl’s, she’d ordered several pizzas and buckets of wings to be delivered to the clinic for Clayton and the staff. She asked Big D, the pizzeria’s owner, to keep the lunchtime benefactor anonymous.
“They didn’t.” He smirked.
“How did you know it was me?”
“I knew.” He stepped close, his citrus scent almost caressed against her skin. “You look beautiful by the way.”
“You too, but handsome.” Hopefully nobody heard the loud drumming in her chest.
“Oh, Jerome, you look dapper in your green shirt. It brings out the chocolate in your eyes,” Jerome quipped. “Why thank you for noticing.”
Clayton rolled his eyes as Jerome went on having a conversation with himself.
“This will be lovely.” Janet’s voice filled the room as she walked in with Pete and Jerome’s dad.
“Good, you’re here. Lady Eleanor has something for us.”
“It’s just something small, but I wanted to give it to you all tonight before everyone arrived.”
“This is awesome!” Tobey beamed, holding the flute in his hand, turning it to examine the engraved script proclaiming House Coates-Evans beneath a silhouette of a black lab.
Each flute had been handcrafted by a local business. She’d had one made for each parent, groom, and their best men.
“I love it!” Tobey pulled Elle into a side hug, kissing her temple. “I love you, cuz.”
“I love you, too.”She snuggled a little deeper into his side.
“Oh!” Janet squeaked, placing a hand over her mouth to stop her next sob fit.
“It was her!” Jerome pointed his flute accusingly at Elle.
“I come prepared. This will help.”Elle pulled out the bottle of booze for a toast.
“Lady Eleanor, you do the honors,”Jerome commanded, filling each glass.
“May winter never come.” She raised her glass in a nod to their favorite television program, Game of Thrones . “But if it does, may the love between you keep you warm and away from white walkers.”