The wedding was officially off.
The next day, Angela told herself that she should feel better, but she felt worse. She had no appetite. None whatsoever. Not even for a gallon of chocolate ice cream.
Everything had been going great at Vines Entwined until Carter had told her that her plans were silly—her plans she’d done with her mother. He must think she was silly because she’d poured her heart into bringing her dream wedding to life. She’d thought he was excited about the wedding. She had been wrong.
And now, Clara at Perky Pink Wedding Planner wanted her to meet and sign some papers. It was some formality she said must be done to conclude everything.
Angela told Cara she didn’t want to put it off. She needed to sign the papers and be done with the wedding. Clara told Angela that she wasn’t in her office, but she’d be happy to meet up along the coast. Angela had agreed. It wasn’t like she had anything else that needed to be done that day. The bookshop was closed all week, and she just didn’t have the heart to reopen it. She loved her business, but she also had regular customers who would come in and want to chat. She wasn’t in a chatting mood.
Instead she set off toward the coast just south of the city. She didn’t recognize the address, but Clara had said she was planning a wedding there. Angela imagined that it was some beautiful seaside wedding.
Just then, the sunlight flashed off her diamond ring. She’d been in such a hurry to leave the B&B that she’d forgotten to give it back to Carter. She thought about taking it off now, but she didn’t want to lose it. So she left it on. It was one more thing she needed to take care of today.
The GPS on her phone guided her to a small wedding chapel along the Pacific coast. It was the smallest place, but it was darling. She parked her car and took in the small building that had ushered in many married couples over the years.
The chapel was painted white. It was long and thin with many, many windows. There were a few steps that led up to the red double doors. It was there she saw Clara, who waved at her.
Angela waved back and grabbed her bag. As she lifted it to her shoulder, she realized she still had the wedding planner with her. She inwardly groaned. When she got home, she’d put it away.
She made her way over to the steps. “Hi. Do you have the papers?”
Clara frowned.
Had she been too abrupt? She hadn’t meant to be. Her thoughts were scattered. “I’m sorry.” Angela sighed. “I’m not myself these days.”
“Why don’t you come inside and sit down?”
She really didn’t want to go inside and see a bunch of wedding decorations, but unless she wanted to be rude, she had no choice. Clara was already headed inside the chapel. Angela followed.
She didn’t know what she’d expected to find when she stepped inside, but it certainly wasn’t pink peonies at the end of each aisle with candles that were lit. The whole place was decorated like she’d imagined for her own wedding.
“Is there a wedding now?” Angela asked.
“No. I’m just setting up for one.”
“Then I won’t take up your time. Where are the papers I need to sign?”
“Oh. I thought you knew. They’re attached to the contract you have. They’re at the end with all of the explanations of what expenses are refundable and which are not.”
Angela vaguely remembered those pages, but she hadn’t paid them much attention since she’d had no intention of canceling the wedding back then. She’d been so wrong. But where was the contract?
She searched her memory, and realized she’d placed the contract in the back of her planner. She supposed it was a good thing she’d brought it with her after all.
She moved to a bench and placed her bag on it. There was a slight tremor in her hands as she reached for the planner. When she pulled it out, she lost her grasp and it fell to the floor.
Papers flew everywhere.
“I’m sorry.” Angela knelt down, scrambling to pick up all of the lose papers.
As she stared at the miscellaneous pages of wedding dresses and bridal bouquets, the backs of her eyes stung. She’d thought this would be the happiest week of her life, but instead it was one of the saddest.
She blinked repeatedly, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She’d already shed enough tears the night before to flood her apartment. With the papers shoved back in the binder, she straightened.
She suddenly realized that, in her rush to pick everything up, she had no idea where the contract was now. She sat on the bench. “I have to find the contract.”
“You might want to look at this first.” Clara held an envelope out to her with her name on it.
“What’s this?”