She came over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Everyone should be as happy as I am. Everyone. Even you, Rick.”
She noticed his unfastened cuff and, with gentle fingers, did it up for him. He looked down at her, feeling an unfamiliar flood of affection. “Tom’s a lucky man, Abby. You’re a good woman. A good friend.”
“Why, thank you.” She gave his lapels one last brush and stood back. Jess came out of the dining room and handed Abby a bouquet of autumn-hued flowers.
“And now we’re ready.”
Jess followed Abby out the door with Rick bringing up the rear. “Do you want this locked?” he asked, pulling the door shut.
“No, the catering people are in the garden setting up, and guests will be back here before we are. It’s fine left open.”
He caught up to them at the bottom of the stairs and went to the Mustang, opening the back door for Abby to get in. Jess slid in beside her, both girls holding their bouquets in their laps. He started the engine and gave the gas a little rev just for fun. When they laughed something stirred inside him. Had he been so far out of the social sphere that he forgot what it was like to hear someone laugh, to do something silly? He knew he’d hidden himself away, but until now he hadn’t realized how much.
He drove slowly into town, knowing they had a few extra minutes and letting them enjoy the drive. Neither seemed to mind that the top was down on the convertible and the breeze ruffled their hair. As they proceeded through a stop sign he took them down along Main Street on a whim—and proceeded to honk the horn at passersby as they crawled along to the church.
Jess leaned forward and tapped his shoulder. “Good idea,” she said behind him. “Can’t believe you thought of it.”
“It’s a nice day and an extra two or three minutes won’t hurt.”
“You’re full of surprises, Rick.”
Rick smiled at her over his shoulder, liking her praise far more than he wanted to admit to himself.
At exactly three minutes to two, the Mustang pulled up in front of the small, white church—right on time. Rick eased the car in front of the steps and cut the engine. He got out and pocketed the keys and then opened the door and offered his right hand. There was a pause while Jess hesitated, and then she put her fingers in his.
His calloused thumb pressed down on top of her fingers, as he stepped back a bit to help her out of the car. Jess met his gaze briefly, their hands still connected, and he almost jumped at the spark
of attraction he felt. He wanted to hold on longer, but instead forced himself to turn away and let go. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her nervously smooth her skirt as he helped Abby from the car.
“You ready?” he asked, turning back to Jess as Abby arranged the hem of her dress.
“Yeah. You go ahead and meet Tom at the front of the church. I’ve got it from here.”
He turned to leave but her voice called him back. “Rick?”
Jess was waiting just to the side, her flowers in her hand. God, she was beautiful. A soft smile lit up her whole face. “Thanks for the lift,” she said. “And for the drive down Main.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, giving her a salute.
Then he jogged off to the back door of the church, where his friend waited.
* * *
Jess halted at the church door and took one last look at Abby behind her. Radiant, happy, jubilant. So very certain that she was doing the right thing. So in love, so secure.
The music started—her cue to begin her walk down the aisle. With one last smile, she turned from Abby and straightened her shoulders, made sure her bouquet was centered at her waist, not too high … she stepped onto the carpet as Gloria Henderson played the organ.
The small church was full. Jess felt every eye on her and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. She looked up toward the altar and there stood Tom, looking tall and rugged and handsome in a tuxedo. And beside him, Rick, his face unsmiling, but a heat in his gaze that made her stomach flip like it was full of butterflies. It was the same feeling she’d gotten when she’d put her fingers in his outside, and earlier when they’d driven down to Auburn together.
Rick Sullivan was an attractive man, but Jess had assumed her libido would know better. She should run, not walk. Very far away and very fast. She was not equipped to take on a fixer-upper, no matter how she admired his sense of dry humor, his fantastic art, and his chiseled jawline. There was no way it would work.
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Not until she got to the front and moved to the left and the music changed. Then all eyes were on the bride as Abby stepped to the door, angelic in her great-grandmother’s dress.
For a moment Jess’s vision blurred. She blinked a few times to clear it, and discovered she wasn’t the only one getting emotional.
Her gaze fell on her mom, Meggie, sitting with Matt and Susan and Mark and Sarah on the other side. Jess smiled when Sarah threw her a discreet wink. Looking around the church, it felt like the whole town had showed up for Abby’s special day. Jess’s gaze skipped happily over the familiar faces of family and friends when one face in the crowd caused her entire body to freeze. Karen Greer looked thin and gray and wore a scarf on her head because of the chemo. The rumors about her illness all appeared to be true.
Jess felt terrible as she looked at Karen’s drawn face, but she wished the Greers had never come back to Jewell Cove. She knew it wasn’t Karen’s fault but just seeing her today brought back a rush of memories Jess would rather remain buried. When Abby reached the altar and took Tom’s hand, Jess turned back around. But not before she saw Rick’s concerned expression.