“You okay?” Frank asked.
“Better now. Thanks for asking.”
Trista placed a hand on Seth’s arm. “I really am sorry, Seth.”
“I’m fine. Really. It was an accident. Again.”
The group grew quiet except for the occasional chuckle from Savannah. Trista realized that she had a hand on Seth. His muscles tensed, revealing the strength within them. An electricity flowed through her body that sent her pulse racing. He turned to her, his eyes stopping on hers. They held an intensity as powerful as lightning, sending electrical pulses throughout her body.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Excuse me?”
He looked at her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” he repeated.
She let go, finding herself back on planet embarrassment. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
“No problem. Are you ready to go to the dinner?”
“Sure. Yeah, I’m…we’re ready.” Trista shook her head, wondering how in the heck that had just happened. One minute she was getting ready for dinner, the next she was kneeing Seth in the groin and then finding herself hypnotized by those incredible blue eyes. She turned to Savannah, who had one hand across her mouth in an attempt to cover a smile too large to hide. “Are you ready?”
She nodded.
They took the stairs down to the lobby. It was filled with people standing around, talking and shaking hands as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. The foursome made their way to the restaurant. Trista gasped when she saw the place. A large banner hung from the ceiling. Red and pink roses filled white vases at the center of each table. Red and white balloons lined nearly every inch of the ceiling, and there were heart-shaped balloons tied to chairs and stools. An aisle ran from the restaurant’s entrance straight through to the back where the stage had been set up. Tables lined both sides of the aisle, leading to a few rows of white chairs near a large white trellised archway that had an interweaving vine with flowers sprouting from it. Trista imagined the young couple standing beneath it as they said their vows.
“Wow,” Savannah said. “This place is so cool.”
The rustic and charming restaurant had been transformed into a romantic oasis with a magical ambiance.
“There you are,” Deana said, walking over to them with open arms. A sequined silver gown shimmered with her every step. She gave Trista a hug and kiss on the cheek. “You look absolutely gorgeous, deary.” Then she turned to Savannah. “And you look so much like your mother. A little beauty yourself.”
“Thank you,” Trista said. “I love your dress.”
“This old thing? Thank you, dear.”
“Are you sure we’re not intruding? We don’t even know the Deebles.”
“Don’t be silly. The Deebles would’ve been upset if you guys hadn’t come here tonight. Besides, many of the people who come here on Valentine’s Day aren’t here just for the wedding.”
“They’re not?”
She shook her head. “This is Cupid’s Corner, a place of magic and romance. And not just for couples gettin’ married.” She gave Trista a wink. “Speaking of magic and romance. I see you brought our very own hero and celebrity.” Deana gave Seth a hug. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“I’m really not a hero or a celebrity,” he said, returning the hug. “And I’m certainly not looking for magic or romance.”
Deana pulled back, leaving her hands on his arms. She stared into his eyes for a moment, not saying anything. “You remind me so much of my Harvey. When he was younger, of course. A brilliant mind, but one trapped inside a fog.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“And you are so handsome, just like my Harvey, too. There are a lot of people here who are excited to meet you tonight, deary. I have to say that we haven’t had anyone with your popularity come through in a very long time. If ever.”
Seth’s shoulders dropped. He shot Trista a what-did-you-get-me-into look. She shrugged, held up her hands, and mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.” For a man who had at one point chased the spotlight, he sure didn’t resemble the type now. Trista tried to imagine the old Seth and wondered what he had been like. Was he outgoing? Or one of those deep and intense artistic types? Did he smile more? She was sure of one thing. The man before her now was hurting, almost as if to punish himself, and she had no idea why.
Deana leaned into Trista. “You’ve got your work cut out for you with this one. You need to lighten him up a bit. Teach him how to have fun again.”
Harvey walked up next to Deana and put his arm around her. “You bothering the guests again?” Trista could see why Deana had married Harvey. The man had definitely aged well. His dark wavy hair and the gray-speckled scruff on his jaw gave him a rustic look. But his soft blue eyes had all the signs of a kind and gentle man.
“Me? Of course not. I’m simply giving them a proper welcome.”
Harvey shook Seth’s hand. “Good to see you again.” He turned to Trista and hugged her. “And you, too, of course.” He looked down at Savannah. “This must be your lovely daughter. She’s a vision of her mother.” Savannah’s cheeks turned red, and she looked away. Harvey extended a hand to Frank. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“I’m Frank Goodman. This is a wonderful place you have here. You run a fine bed and breakfast. In fact, I was thinking of bringing my wife down here sometime.”
“That would be great. We’d be honored to have you and your wife as our guests.”
“All right,” Deana said, putting a hand on Trista’s back. “That’s enough chit chat for now. I’m sure these four would love to have a seat. Especially after the day they’ve had.” Deana took them to a table near the back of the restaurant.
Trista appreciated her seating them where they’d have a little privacy. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You guys relax. Dinner tonight is on us.”
“Oh no,” Frank said. “We can’t possibly accept.”
“Nonsense, Frank. You guys stopped a lunatic from hurting any of our guests. It is the very least we can do.”
“Thank you.”
Trista watched as Deana strode away to welcome arriving guests with the same smile and enthusiasm that she had with them. She wasn’t sure if Cupid’s Corner really did have magic, but she knew that there was something magical about Deana and Harvey.
“I barely recognize this place,” Frank said, looking around.
“I know. It’s so cool. Mom, can I have my phone back? I want to take some pictures.”
Trista had known Savannah would be asking for her phone eventually, but tonight she was hoping for a relaxing evening. “I don’t know. Maybe we should wait until we get to Grandma’s.”
Savannah’s head dropped a little, but she straightened up, put on a smile, and said, “Okay.”
Trista could hardly believe it. She had braced herself for another senseless debate, but instead, Savannah had showed a level of maturity that she hadn’t seen in her in a very long time. She couldn’t help but smile.
“All right, Mom. You can stop staring at me like that.” She turned away, but her eyes tracked back to Trista. “And stop smiling at me like that. It’s creepin’ me out.”
Trista reached into her purse and pulled out Savannah’s cell phone. “Here you go.”
“Are you serious?” Her face lit up.
Trista nodded. “Yes, but don’t leave this place, and please, don’t call or text anyone tonight. I still want us to spend time together and have a good night.”
Savannah gave her a hug and then traced a heart in the palm of her hand. “Can I walk around and take some pictures?”
“Sure. But please come back to the table when the wedding gets started.”
Savannah took off to take pictures, leaving Trista alone with Seth and Frank. The tables filled up quickly over the next few minutes. Deana seemed to have a method to where she sat people, leaving the table directly next to them empty. Probably due to Seth’s popularity and desire to remain invisible.
Frank was the first to break their silence. “That Harvey seems like a good guy. He seemed to know you two.”
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Seth said. “So I came down here for a drink.”
“Me, too.” Trista looked at Seth. “Although I didn’t find that I was nearly as thirsty as I thought I was.”
Seth rolled his eyes.
“I see.” Frank said, although it was clear that he didn’t. He sat back in his chair. “So, Seth, what do you plan on doing once you’re back in Fort Wayne? I mean, after you get your daughter.”
“Where is your daughter anyway,” Trista interrupted. “Is she staying with relatives?”
“Something like that.” Seth sat back and turned from the table. “When do you think the wedding’s going to start?”
“Once everyone arrives,” Frank responded. “So are you going to stay in Fort Wayne, or will you be heading back to Nashville?”
“I don’t know. Haven’t thought that far ahead. What about you, Frank? What is it that you do? I mean, the way you handled those cops earlier, it was something. Are you like some sort of a detective or something?”
Frank smiled. “No, not that I didn’t think about becoming one when I was a little boy. But that’s not the path I chose.”
“And what path is that?”
“You can say that I am in the business of helping people. I’m a—”
“Excuse me.” A female voice interrupted them. “Can I get you guys something to drink? We won’t be taking food orders until after the ceremony is over.”
“You’re the waitress from last night, right?” Trista would remember that ponytail anywhere. “Deana’s daughter.”
She nodded. “That’s my mom. I’m Lisa.”
“You look a lot like her.”
“Thank you. I get that a lot.”
They ordered drinks, and Seth added one last thing before she left. “Can you put a lid on her glass?” he asked, pointing at Trista. “I don’t want her spilling her drink.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Lisa smiled and then disappeared into the kitchen.
Trista chose to ignore Seth’s comment. Instead, she watched as people continued filling the tables and chairs. The place was already nearly full. Everyone looked so happy. Older people, younger people, couples with kids, and couples who looked like they were still in high school had all gathered for this event. The ones sitting in the white chairs closest to the stage must be the relatives and guests who were the closest to the Deebles. Who would have thought that a place this beautiful would exist in a tiny town that no one had ever heard of?
She turned back to their table. “Frank, how long have you been married?”
“Thirty years.”
“Wow, that’s incredible. What’s your secret?”
Frank leaned forward and folded his hands onto his arms. “There is no secret. There’s only love. There’s a reason why they say for better and for worse. The better part is always easy. It’s the worse that people tend to struggle with.”
“So how do you and your wife handle the worse?”
“When I’ve found myself in the worst moments of life, and my wife and I can’t seem to get on the same page, I pause, take a step back from the issue, and remember how beautiful and important that woman is to me. And in that moment, the thing that is causing our pain seems to get smaller and become insignificant. I guess when you truly love someone, you love them through the worst times the same as you do the great times.” He sat back and crossed his arms. “That’s what this old man does anyway.”
Trista could sit and listen to him talk forever. He had such an easy and comforting way about him. “Well, your wife is a lucky woman.”
“I don’t know if she’d agree with you. But she puts up with me all the same.”
“Look.” Seth motioned toward a woman who had sat down at the keyboard on the stage. “I think the wedding’s starting.”
*****
As soon as the music began to play, everyone took a seat. The groom and his best man took their places beneath the archway. The groom didn’t look old enough to even know that much about love, but the look on his face as the bride came walking out told the guests otherwise. Trista couldn’t help but smile and cry as she watched the ceremony. It reminded her of the tiny wedding she had had when she married Anthony. He had worn his military uniform, and she had donned a simple white dress that revealed the five-month-old miracle growing in her stomach. Whenever Savannah would ask about their wedding, Trista would simply smile and say, “Don’t you remember? You were there.” She turned to her daughter now. Nearly grown and more beautiful than she’d ever imagined her to be. For the first time in a long time, she thought, I did this right. I did this one thing right.
The Deebles said their vows, and the place cheered when the groom dipped his beautiful bride beneath the trellis of flowering vines, kissing her long and passionately as if never wanting to let the moment go. Trista turned to Seth, and she saw a smile form on his face. She saw again a trace of a good man residing beneath all of his resentment.
Guests congratulated the Deebles as they made their way down the aisle, shaking hands with everyone along the way. Trista envied the couple. Their lives together. They had nothing but time and love ahead of them.
Shortly after the newly married couple left the restaurant, Deana, Harvey, and a few other employees quickly removed the white chairs and brought out more tables. They left a small clearing on the wooden floor in front of the stage and removed the white archway. Then the Deebles returned and took a seat at the large table closest to the stage. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other.
“They look so in love,” Trista said.
“Yes, they do,” Frank agreed. “If you all will excuse me, I need to call my wife.”
“We’ll be right here when you get back.”
Savannah stood up. “I need to use the restroom.”
“I can go with you.” Trista pushed her chair back from the table.
“I can go by myself, Mom. I am fifteen.”
Trista smiled. Old habits were hard to break, she thought, sinking back down onto her chair.
She turned to Seth. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did earlier.”
“What do you mean?”
“You could’ve let Tuck take me and Savannah with him and then called the cops. But instead you made up that story about the money in your trunk.”
“What makes you believe I made that up?”
“You don’t strike me as the type of person who carries that kind of cash with him.”