For the first time in his life, he understood the expression “time stood still.” His hand wavered as he waited and watched. Lauren’s eyes grew wide reminding him of a deer caught in the car’s headlights. The expression then disappeared as teardrops rolled down her cheeks. Thankfully, despite her tears, a bright smile graced her face. When she finally nodded, Nate took in a breath, only to have it almost knocked out of him when Lauren launched herself at him.
“I . . . yes.” She wrapped her arms around him.
He pulled her closer for a kiss, and only when he heard the applause from the restaurant patrons did he pull back. Even in the restaurant’s muted light, he saw the color crawl up Lauren’s cheeks. “I hope you like it.” He slid the white gold and diamond engagement ring onto her finger. Before he had ventured into a jewelry store, he’d spent several hours reading up on diamonds. He now knew more about the different types of cuts and color qualities of diamonds than a man had any right to. Not that it had made the selection process any easier. He’d still spent a good two hours in the jewelry store the day he bought the ring.
“Nate, it’s gorgeous. And it fits. How did you manage that?” Lauren sat back down, but her eyes never left the ring on her hand.
“I brought one of your other rings with me so they could size it. I grabbed it before work one day, and put it back when I came home.”
She looked up and frowned at him. “You sneaked through my things, seriously?”
“It was for a good cause. Besides, you can punish me later. Right now, let’s eat,” he said as their waiter placed their appetizers on the table.
She glanced down at her left hand for perhaps the hundredth time since she’d slipped on the ring. The diamond caught the lights from above and sparkled. The ring was gorgeous. Nate had done a fabulous job picking it out.
Engaged. They were engaged. In high school she had dreamed about it. When he left for the Naval Academy she had buried that dream down deep. Even after they reunited the month before, she hadn’t allowed the dream out. Now the dream was about to become a reality.
From her spot on the lounge chair, she watched him swim back toward her. After dinner, they’d come down to the indoor pool. After only two laps, she called it quits and opted to watch Nate from the comfort of a padded lounge chair.
When Nate reached the end of the pool he pulled himself up out of the water and sat on the edge. “Doing okay over there?” he asked.
Seeing him half-naked and dripping wet, Lauren marveled once again at the changes in his body since high school. Yet despite his size and his strength, he was always gentle when they made love. Thoughts of their time in bed that morning set off a fluttering of desire. “Perfect. Just thinking about you, us.” The other couple in the pool kept her from sharing any more intimate details. “And a wedding date.”
In one movement he stood and joined her on the lounge chair. “What about in June when school gets out?”
“That’ll give me less than two months to plan.”
Nate used the towel Lauren handed him to dry his face. “So? How long does it take?”
Did he not know how much preparation went into a wedding? “Callie planned hers in about ten months, but it took my sister a year and a half.”
“Hell, no. I’m not waiting ten months.”
At this point she didn’t want a long engagement either. “July, then? Callie and I booked a cruise together. Now that she’s pregnant she can’t go. That could be our honeymoon.” Every year since college they had taken a summer vacation together.
A frown crossed his face so fast Lauren wondered if she’d seen it at all.
“July it is.”
Even a July wedding didn’t give her much time for planning, but she’d make it work somehow. “On Monday I’ll call and set up appointments at some reception locations. I’ll try for the weekend so you can come. I hope we can find something.” People booked locations sometimes years in advance. At this late date, she might have to take whatever she could find.
“Wherever you want is fine.” Nate pulled on the T-shirt he’d worn down. “If you need to go without me, that’s okay.”
Had she heard him right? “You don’t want to come with me?”
Perhaps he heard the hurt in her voice, because he leaned over and kissed her before answering. “That’s not what I said. But I trust your judgment, so if you can’t make an appointment that works for both of us, don’t stress about it. Just go without me. If you see something you like, book it. I want this day perfect for you. As long as we are both there, anywhere is fine with me.”
Most women would kill for a chance to make all the decisions about their wedding, and a part of her was thrilled. Still, this day was about the two of them. Nate should have some input. “Okay, what about the ceremony itself? Do you want it at the church where your parents were married? All your cousins married there. Or do you want a justice of the peace?” If left up to her, she’d have an outdoor wedding. At one time she’d dreamed of a big church wedding, but since Callie’s wedding in Newport she’d loved the idea of one outside.
“Up to you, sweetheart.”
On that one, she kept silent. An outdoor wedding it was. “You’re making this too easy,” Lauren said, as she stood up.
“If you need help sampling food choices, count me in. That’ll be my contribution.” He came to his feet and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Lauren leaned into him as they walked from the pool back through the hotel. At that moment there wasn’t a single thing she’d change. She’d thought she was happy before Nate came back into her life, but she’d been so wrong. Never had her life felt this right. In her mind she had it all: a wonderful family, a job she loved, great friends, and best of all—the love of the one man who’d had her heart forever. While a marriage to Kevin would have given her money and privilege, she’d never trade what she and Nate had for that.
***
Lauren ended her conversation with the events coordinator, put down her phone, and drew a red line through the last name on her list. Now what? Every single reception facility and country club on her list had a red line through it and some of the places she’d added hadn’t been her top choices. In fact, the Kirkland Country Club, which she’d just crossed off, had been more like third or fourth tier choice, and even they didn’t have anything open until winter. And that was still better than her favorite location. The Garwood, a fully refurbished hotel built in the 1920’s on the North Shore, didn’t have anything available until next July. When she’d told Nate about the difficulties she was having finding a place she liked on such short notice, he’d suggested they just skip the formal wedding altogether. He argued that a quick ceremony in Vegas would accomplish the same end with much less hassle. She’d told him exactly what she thought of his idea. In true Nate fashion, he shrugged it off and told her to plan whatever kind of wedding she wanted as long as it happened soon.
That had been last week. Now with every single location crossed off the list, she wondered if maybe his idea held some merit. Maybe they should just contact a justice of the peace and get married in her parents’ backyard with close family in attendance. It wouldn’t be the wedding she thought she’d have, but did that really matter? They’d save money if they skipped a big reception.
She closed her eyes and tried to picture a wedding at her parents’ house. The vision of her father standing at the grill with his “kiss the cook” apron on and the picnic table set with a red-checkered tablecloth popped up. As she and Nate said their vows, her nephew chased her parents’ dog through the flowerbed, covering the guests with mud in the process.
Oh God! Lauren dropped her head into her hands. She had to find a place. Otherwise, she’d find herself covered in muddy paw prints or worse. Come on, there are plenty of places out there. She pulled open her laptop. Even if guests needed to travel a little, it would be okay.
Lauren scrolled through the Internet looking for something that even remotely appealed to her and fit her budget. She was on her third bridal site when the steady drumbeat to one of Callie’s favorite rock songs burst from her phone. Perfect timing. She needed a break and a friend right then.
“You couldn’t have called at a better time, chickie.”
“Bad day?” True concern filled Callie’s voice.
Lauren leaned her head on her hand. “More like a bad week. Everywhere I’ve called for the wedding is booked.” Her eyes flicked over her list. “I even called the Kirkland Country Club.”
“You hated it there when your cousin got married. Why would you call them?”
“I’m desperate, girlfriend. If I don’t find something soon, I’ll be getting married in my parents’ backyard with my dad grilling. Instead of a suit he’ll probably where that stupid apron of his. Won’t that just make a great wedding picture?”