Marry Me (21 page)

Annie looked over and chuckled. “Sorry. I always forget my story makes people go weepy.”

“No, it's fine. I'm starting to think I'm overdue for some emotion in my life.”

Annie regarded Julia with an intense stare. “Why do I get the feeling you've got a good story, too?”

“It's far from good,” Julia said, with a dismissive wave. “In fact, it would only depress you, and right now we need to concentrate on your wedding day and the life you're going have after it.”

The mention of the wedding was more than enough to distract Annie from probing further. Almost enough to distract Julia from a certain minister who had turned her whole world upside down.

Had Julia known pinning down the final decisions on the flowers for the wedding-that-would-destroy-her-sanity was going to be so painful, she would've stabbed herself in the eye with a thorn and begged out of the appointment altogether.

The wedding date for Laurel Manning's nuptials was sliding ever closer, and that meant Mrs. Manning was becoming more belligerent than usual, which was saying something. At any moment Julia expected the woman to start shouting “off with their heads.”

Compounding her misery was the fact that Julia was so lost when it came to flowers. And again, that was saying something. Colors she could fake her way through. Food was a piece of cake. Flowers left her in a state of utter confusion, which was depressing because after all, it was
flowers
.

Julia could identify roses and daisies, and if pressed, she was pretty sure she would recognize baby's breath. Beyond those basics, forget it.

There are like a million different kinds of bouquets. Not just flowers, but the way they were arranged. Julia recognized a regular old classic bouquet. Her boss's daughter had one of the flowing, waterfall-looking ones, which the florist had called a cascade. There was something called a beidermeier, which Julia could barely pronounce, let alone figure out what it was, plus composites and nosegays. Each one of those has about fifty million varieties.

And that was only for the bride's bouquet.

They also needed bouquets for the bridesmaids and three flower girls, corsages for the moms, boutonnieres for the groomsmen, and centerpieces for thirty-one guest tables, the cake table, and the buffet tables. The fun didn't stop there, either. They also needed huge arrangements for the dais where the ceremony would take place, as well as the aisles and the reception area. The list went on and on. Julia suspected the Manning wedding was using every flower in the entire state of Georgia for the occasion.

The monumental task of choosing flowers had gotten off the ground with Sarah's help, but now it was up to Julia to take the planning the last forty yards to the end zone. After what seemed like hours of bruising combat, Julia managed to get Mrs. Manning to decide what
she
thought Laurel would like for the wedding.

After that endless bit of fun, Julia raced across town for a fitting, followed by a visit to the zoo to check out a site for another wedding. Apparently the couple met while gazing at the monkeys, and it was love at first sight. Then a trip to the printer to correct an invitation that asked guests to witness the union of
Horror
James and Brent Carlson.

By the end of the day, Julia had reached and surpassed her capacity for dealing with nuptial bliss. So, when the phone rang at her desk in the cave Betsy liked to call an office, Julia's whole body tensed.

“Hello,” she said, hoping it was a heavy breather or someone asking if her refrigerator was running. Anything but a hysterical bride… or her equally hysterical mother.

“Julia?”

“Yes?”

“It's Meredith Vining.”

Relief flooded through her. “Meredith… hi. What's up?”

“My fiancé had to go out of town, and I hope you won't be offended that I'm calling because I'm lonely and don't feel like eating alone.”

“I'm not offended, and I could use a night out,” Julia said. “My life seems to consist solely of endless lists and vegging in front of the TV at the end of the day in a stupor.”

Laughter flooded across the line. “Great. Why don't we splurge and go for something a little more fancy than The Old Diner?” Meredith said. “Meet me at
Bon Appétit
at seven.”

An hour later Julia pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Covington Falls wasn't terribly original, so they'd named their one and only French restaurant
Bon Appétit
. The food was good, even if the name made Julia want to roll her eyes. She'd only eaten here once, when her father took the whole family to dinner for Grace's birthday.

Of course he'd left two months later, so maybe the grand gesture had been more out of guilt than affection.

The restaurant was intimate, with linen-covered tables, delicate white floral centerpieces, and tall white candles. The walls were covered in silk tapestries, painted with what she guessed were supposed to be bucolic scenes of the French countryside.

Meredith was already seated at the table. She jumped up, and they hugged. “I feel like one of those girls who only deigns to acknowledge her friends when she's between boyfriends.”

“I hope that's not a telling sign of your relationship,” Julia said, as she sat down.

“No, Brian and I are fine. Although, I'm a little amazed at myself because apparently I can no longer function when we're apart.”

“I can't imagine being that dependent on a man.”

Meredith's voice lowered. “Truthfully, I'm starting to like it.”

Julia shuddered at the thought. “You like losing your independence?”

“I'm not losing anything. It's safe in a way, needing someone. Knowing I don't have to do it all alone anymore. I may have found that in a faith sort-of-way, but it's nice to have found it in another person, too.”

“Whatever you say.” Julia unfolded her napkin with a snap and spread it across her lap.

Meredith grinned. “Wow, you are a tough nut. I had no idea your cynicism ran so deep. I—” She froze and her mouth dropped open like a fish after it had been caught.

“What—” Julia asked, even as she swiveled her head around to see what had caused such a strange reaction.

Her gaze collided with Seth's. He looked a lot like the fish Meredith was currently portraying, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape. Julia's insides twisted as she looked to the left and focused on the person with him. The
woman
with him. Seems he'd taken her advice, because clinging to his arm was none other than Amy Vining. She looked like she'd been named queen for the day. Her smile could've led ships to shore on a stormy night.

Amy had spotted them, too, and her smile grew even wider. She turned and touched Seth's shoulder before drifting across the dining room, her feet barely touching the floor. Seth watched the progression like a man witnessing a horrific accident.

Meredith still hadn't recovered the power of speech so it was up to Julia to make intelligent conversation.

Fortunately for all of them, Amy had all her faculties under control. “I can not believe we ran into you two like this.”

“You're here on a date?” Meredith managed to gasp out.

“I know. Our first,” Amy said, her peal of laughter sounding like delicate wind chimes. “I was starting to despair that Seth would ever see me, but I think he does now.” She threw a look over her shoulder and waggled her fingers.

Seth waved back, but his expression remained frozen.

“Well, that's nice,” Julia said, hoping she would recover some brain function soon.

Back at ground zero, the hostess approached Seth. Amy flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “I think our table's ready. See you later.”

Julia forced herself to watch the hostess lead the happy couple to a table no more than twenty feet away. Told herself she should be happy he had asked Amy out.

The waiter appeared and placed a basket of warm rolls on the table. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Something strong,” Meredith muttered.

The waiter inclined his head. “Excuse me, Ma'am?”

“We'll have iced tea for now,” Julia said.

As soon as the waiter left, Meredith grabbed one of the rolls and tore it into two thick chunks. “I'm not sure I'll ever recover from this.”

“What's so bad about it?” Julia asked, watching her new friend mutilate the bread.

“Are you kidding?” Meredith shoved a bite into her mouth and chomped aggressively. “I'll never hear the end of it now. Amy and my mother will be picking out china patterns within the week.”

China patterns? They'd have to be flowery.

“It's only one date,” Julia said.

Meredith tore the roll again. “No, no, no. It's the hand of destiny.”

“I thought God was the one in charge of destiny?”

“God. Destiny. Whatever,” Meredith said, waving the roll in the air. “It's happening, and now I'll have to listen to my mother trumpet how the great dynasty is about to come to fruition every waking hour of the day.”

Julia started playing with her silverware, swirling the fork in a figure eight pattern on the tablecloth. “It might not be so bad.”

“Trust me, it'll be bad.”

“She might make him happy.”

Meredith paused mid-chew. “You actually seem in favor of this. Why? I didn't think you liked my sister.”

“I don't
dislike
her,” Julia said, doing her best to remain completely logical and unemotional. “Amy's been helping out at Marry Me, and she's a dynamo. She knows how to make boutonnieres with that green tape. She knows where to find a guy who makes ice sculptures. She even knows where to find doves.”

Meredith's nose wrinkled. “Doves?”

“Catherine Manning wants doves for Laurel's wedding. Amy found a guy who wrangles them.”

“I didn't know there was such a thing as a dove wrangler.”

“Me either, but your sister did.”

Meredith started on a second roll. “Okay, so my sister can plan a wedding, but I'm not sure that translates to her being good for Seth.”

“Why wouldn't she be?” Julia asked, hoping her new friend could supply the answer. “Amy's a born homemaker. She shares Seth's faith. She runs the Sunday school program.”

“There's more to marriage than being Susie Homemaker.”

“I know, but she seems like a good match for him.”

“You actually believe that?”

“I hope so, especially since I suggested he should ask her out.”

The gaping fish mouth returned. “You did what?”

Julia wished she could plunge a knife in her chest. “I told him she'd been in love with him forever, and he should ask her out because she'd make a much better minister's wife than—” She snapped her mouth shut before she revealed too much.

Meredith noticed the hesitation. “Better than whom?”

“Anyone.”

“Is there a specific anyone, or just anyone in general?”

Julia twirled her water glass, making the ice clink against the side. “Okay, hypothetically speaking, what if the anyone was me?”

It took a moment for her meaning to sink in. When it did, Meredith practically fell out of her chair. “You and Seth?”

“I said hypothetically.”

“Fine, hypothetically,” Meredith said, willing to allow Julia a last vestige of subterfuge if it meant getting to the meat of the story. “But you and Seth?”

Perhaps
she
could fall out her chair and disappear. “Maybe.”

Meredith leaned across the table, like a white-haired, old biddy gossiping over the fence. “Since when?”

“Since I came back.”

Ever since that day in the park when an orchestra had started playing as Seth was walking across the softball field.

Shock reflected on Meredith's face as she sat back. “I can't believe it.”

“Look, it's nothing,” Julia said, trying to dismiss the whole subject. “It's a weird attraction that neither of us expected, but we both know it would be a mistake to let it become anything else.”

“I'm not so sure you and Seth getting together would be the worst thing that could ever happen.”

“Have you ever thought of him in a romantic sense?”

An expression of abject horror passed over Meredith's face. “It'd be too much like dating my brother.”

“Exactly, and I'm pretty sure it would end badly.”

“Is that why you threw my sister at him?”

“It wasn't
throwing
. It was a suggestion. I honestly think she would make a better wife for him.”

“I'm not so sure. Amy's acting based on a crush that she developed as a kid. She doesn't love Seth. She's in love with the
idea
of him, and the perfect version she's created in her mind. She'll smother him with those expectations.”

Julia's eyes drifted across the room, and her gaze collided with Seth's again. Of course the waiter would sit them directly in her line of sight. She couldn't look away, and he sent her a little quirky smile, as if to say,
this was your idea
.

Julia tore her gaze away. “I hope you're wrong,” she told Meredith. “In any case, it's too late now.”