She slowed her steps to a brisk pace, walking along the water’s edge. The hem of her long cotton skirt was wet and dragged in the water, but she didn’t care. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kyle down the shoreline, staring after her.
She stopped and looked back. He seemed about to come toward her, then suddenly turned and headed toward the path to the inn.
Jennifer felt tears well up in her eyes again, blurring her vision. She turned sharply, walking faster along the shoreline.
Her head spun. She felt as if she were stuck in a bad dream. How could this be happening? Tonight was the rehearsal dinner. What would happen then? Would they rehearse for the ceremony, still so mad at each other? Could they greet their family and friends, pretending that everything was all right—when it was all so wrong? How could she face her parents and Reverend Ben?
A weight in her chest stole her breath away, but Jennifer pushed herself to keep going. Walking on the ocean’s edge was the only thing that made sense now, the only thing that made her feel any better at all.
LIZA was on the porch, making the gauzy bows for the chairs that Jennifer wanted when she saw Kyle cross the road from the beach path. He looked tired and windblown. He walked up the drive to the inn and stood at the bottom of the steps.
“Mind if I wait here for Jennifer?” he asked quickly.
Liza put down her scissors and the roll of tulle. “Not at all. . . . Is something wrong?”
How could they go on a romantic walk on the beach and get separated? And he looked so glum, no hiding that.
Kyle sighed. He walked heavily up the porch steps and dropped into one of the wicker chairs. “Yeah, everything’s wrong,” he said. He pulled out his cell phone and checked the screen. “I’ve called her a million times and texted twice. I know she has her phone. She won’t pick up and won’t call me back.”
“The service on the beach is bad,” Liza reminded him. “The cliffs and the water and all.”
“I know. But she has to know I’m calling.”
“Did you have an argument?” Liza asked gently, though the answer seemed obvious.
“Yeah we did. A real . . . deal-breaker argument. She ran off, and I thought maybe she came up at a different spot on the road.”
Liza felt a little knot clench in her stomach. It was just the way he’d said it.
“A lot of couples argue right before the wedding,” she said in her most reassuring voice. “It’s very common. Everyone is so keyed up,” she told him. “I don’t mean to make light of whatever you were talking about,” she quickly added.
He glanced at her. “I know. But this is serious. Something important has come up with my job and I know it’s not a great time, but Jen and I need to make a big decision. Even if it is right in the middle of our wedding. That’s life. You don’t always get perfect timing, know what I mean?”
“I think so, yes.”
“I can’t make life perfect for Jennifer. I think she’s been a little sheltered. It’s time she grew up,” he added, sounding frustrated. “I’ve been offered a big promotion. It’s a great job. I had to beat out a mob of other guys to get it, too. But it’s in the New York office and we would have to live there.”
“That is a big decision,” Liza said. “Did Jennifer know this was coming, or was it a total surprise?”
“She knew I applied and had all the interviews. But she does have a way of ignoring things that she doesn’t want to deal with. And I was afraid to sound too optimistic about my chances,” he added. “So in a way, I guess it was a shock to hear I got the job. I know she’s intimidated by New York. But she’s mainly afraid to tell her parents. She’s mainly afraid to just live her own life. That’s what’s got me so frustrated.”
Liza nodded. “Maybe Jennifer just needs to think about this, work it out in her own mind.”
“That’s what I thought at first. But I don’t know now. I didn’t want a big fancy wedding. That wasn’t really our plan. But somehow, it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I went along at every single stage, giving in to all of Jennifer’s requests. But I can’t give in this time. Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life? Jennifer and her parents, telling me where to live, where to work, what to do every minute?”
“Have some patience with Jennifer,” Liza urged him. “Go find her, talk it out.”
Kyle glanced at her, then sat stoically, looking out at the ocean. “I thought of that. But that’s what I always do. She’s probably expecting me to chase after her and give in to her tears and say, ‘Okay. You win. We won’t move to New York if you don’t want to.’ But I’m not going to do that. And I’ve waited here for her long enough, too,” he said, suddenly rising from his seat.
He walked off the porch and headed for his car. Liza took a few steps after him.
“What should I tell Jen when she comes back?” she called out.
He shrugged and called back over his shoulder, “Tell her she’s not the only one who has some thinking to do before Sunday.”
Liza didn’t like the sound of that. Or the way Kyle revved the engine of his car and flew out of the drive.
Liza returned to making the bows for the backs of the chairs. It was hard to concentrate on bows, though, as she watched and waited for Jennifer to come up from the beach. But she never appeared.
After a while, Liza guessed that Jennifer had walked a long stretch and come up at some other point on the road. But the couple had driven out to the island in Kyle’s car, and Jennifer didn’t have any transportation back to Cape Light. It was certainly too far to walk.
Finally, Liza couldn’t stand the suspense. She found her cell phone and dialed Jennifer’s number. Liza could instantly tell from her voice that the girl had been crying.
“Jennifer? It’s Liza. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Kyle told me that you had an argument.”
“I’m all right,” Jennifer replied, though she didn’t sound all right. “I walked for a while and then I called Megan to pick me up. I’m over at her house. . . . You saw Kyle?” she added. “Is he still at the inn?”
Liza’s heart fell. Jennifer didn’t know where Kyle was. That was a bad sign.
“He waited for you awhile then said he had to go. I thought he might have gone to look for you.”
“If he looked, he didn’t try very hard,” Jen replied. “We had a big fight and now everything’s such an awful mess. . . . ”
Her voice melted into tears, and Liza felt terrible for her.
“Yes, Kyle told me all about it. It is a big decision and a hard one to work out, especially now. But I’m sure you can. You just need to get together and talk.”
“We tried to talk about it, but it just got worse and worse. This isn’t a little thing. It’s major. I don’t want to move to New York and Kyle thinks we have to. He’s acting like I’m so immature or something. But I think he’s being selfish and unfair. You just spring that on a person two days before your wedding? I don’t think so.”
Liza sighed. She didn’t want to take sides, and she honestly didn’t know whose side she would take anyway.
“All I know is that you and Kyle love each other very much, and you’ve waited a long time to be married and start a life together. Whether it’s in Boston or New York . . . or Timbuktu. You just have to figure that part out.”
Jennifer was silent for a moment. Finally, she said, “I know you’re right. I hope we can. I don’t know what to say about the rehearsal tonight,” she added bleakly. “I guess we should call it off. I haven’t even told my parents yet what’s happened.”
The rehearsal . . . oh, goodness. Liza had gotten so caught up in the couple’s emotional drama, she had forgotten to ask about that. She glanced at her watch. It was after three, and the wedding rehearsal at the inn was due to start at five thirty. Then the wedding party and family were gathering for dinner at a restaurant in Newburyport afterward.
“I think you should postpone the rehearsal until tomorrow,” Liza suggested gently. “You and Kyle will figure it out by then,” she assured Jennifer. “Do you want me to call anyone?”
“No, that’s all right. Meg will help me,” Jennifer replied. “I’ll call you after I see Kyle. Thanks, Liza. Thanks for listening.”
“No need to thank me. Just talk to Kyle,” she urged her. “The sooner, the better.”
As Liza ended the call, Claire walked out onto the porch, carrying the box of printed programs for the ceremony. She looked over Liza’s handiwork with an approving smile.
“The bows for the chairs are coming out well,” she said. “Very festive.”
“They do look nice. Let’s hope the effort hasn’t been wasted.”
“Doesn’t Jennifer like the way they look?” Claire set down the box, looking surprised.
“She hasn’t seen them yet. Jen and Kyle just had a big fight.”
Liza explained the disagreement to Claire and related what both the bride and groom had told her.
“He thinks Jennifer is afraid to be independent of her family, and she thinks he’s being selfish and unfair. Right now it seems as if they’re in some sort of emotional gridlock,” Liza added. “Jennifer sounds devastated.”
Claire gazed out at the water a moment, then said, “I know it sounds bleak, Liza. But let’s try to be optimistic. I was just paging through the wedding program. Here, have a look at this.” Claire handed Liza one of the folded sheets.
Liza opened it and saw the Bible verses the couple had chosen to be read aloud at the ceremony. Silently, she began to read. “Love is patient, love is kind . . . it . . . bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
“Love bears all things and believes all things. Love never fails,” Claire said.
“Oh, Claire . . . let’s hope so,” Liza said, trying to share Claire’s faith. “They have until Sunday to make up, that’s almost two whole days from now.” Liza paused and looked at all the material waiting to be cut and made into bows. “Do you think I should bother finishing these bows?”
“Of course we should finish,” Claire replied. “Our job is to get ready for the wedding. The rest is up to the bride and groom . . . and heaven,” she added.
She picked up a pair of scissors and a spool of tulle and got to work.
Liza thought about it just a moment. Then she did, too.
Chapter Thirteen
O
N Saturday afternoon, at exactly five o’clock, the wedding rehearsal was officially called off for the second time. Not a good sign. Not a good sign at all, Liza thought.
Frank Bennet made the call to the inn. His tone was flat and drained of emotion, as if preparing himself for worse calls to come.
“We can’t have a rehearsal without Kyle,” he said simply. “Even if we could, it wouldn’t make much sense.”
“No one’s heard from him yet?” Liza asked.
“Not a word. He hasn’t called or sent a text—to Jennifer or to his parents. Even to his brother, who’s his best man,” Frank added. “Second thoughts about getting married are not uncommon, especially for young men. But running away doesn’t solve anything. What he’s doing to Jennifer is not fair or kind. Not kind at all,” he added, his voice suddenly showing emotion.
Liza could hardly imagine the way Frank and Sylvia were feeling right now, how upset and disappointed they must be. How hard it must be to see your daughter so full of joy, then reduced to heartbreak and confusion.
“How is Sylvia taking this?” Liza asked quietly.
“Hanging in there,” Frank reported gruffly. “Jennifer told us a bit about why they fought—Kyle wanting to take that job in New York. And Sylvia didn’t look happy about it, but we have to stay calm for Jennifer’s sake right now. We both know that.”
“How is Jennifer?” Liza added, almost afraid to ask.
“Jennifer is . . . confused. At first she was angry at Kyle for disappearing. But she’s gotten over that. I know she’s trying to work it out in her own mind, but she’s not talking about it and we’re doing our best not to pry. We just wish we could help.”
Liza believed him. She understood why Jennifer was not confiding more. She probably wanted the space and privacy to deal with the issue in her own way, without the pressure of her parents’ opinions and reactions. Liza hoped so, anyway.
“Jennifer believes that Kyle will come to his senses by tomorrow, and they’ll be married as planned,” Frank continued. “In fact,” he added in a quieter voice, “she refuses to consider any other possibility.”
Liza wasn’t surprised. She already knew how single-minded Jennifer could be in her sweet, lovely way.
“She knows Kyle best. Let’s hope she’s right,” Liza said.
“I hope so. I pray that she’s right,” Frank admitted. He sighed heavily. “If we hear anything at all, we’ll call you first thing. I’m sure it’s tough for you, too.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that. But please don’t worry about me,” Liza said. “The main thing is Jennifer and Kyle.”
“Yes, that’s the main thing. By noon tomorrow, one way or the other, we’ll have an answer.”
That was true, Liza realized as she ended the call. The twelve o’clock ceremony was less than twenty-four hours away. Jennifer and her parents had made the decision to go through with all their plans. Even if they tried to cancel things like the flowers, the cars, or the caterer, it was such short notice that there would be very little money refunded to them.
But Mr. Bennet hadn’t sounded concerned about the money. Clearly, what was most important to him was his daughter’s happiness. Liza admired that. She even admired Jennifer’s attitude, though she wondered if it was inspired by true love or complete denial of what was really happening. True love, she hoped. “Love bears all, believes all.”
This was a test of those words, all right.
There were a few guests at the inn, members of Jennifer’s family, but Liza hardly felt anyone was there. All the guests had left the inn right after breakfast to visit with the Bennets for the day, offering their support as everyone waited for news about Kyle. Liza didn’t expect them back until very late.