Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Gwen’s eyes misted up with tears as she watched Caitlin and Michael say their vows to each other. Even though she didn’t know either of them particularly well yet, she felt happy for them. It was clear they loved each other very much, and watching them say their vows to each other warmed her heart.

Isaiah was sitting beside her, smiling his big, sweet smile. He was the one who had been formally invited to the wedding, since Olivia and Caitlin had become good friends since Olivia had moved to Blueberry Bay. Gwen was there as his plus one, and she felt lucky to have been included. It made her feel even more that she was part of the community, seeing something so special and being part of it.

I can feel the love all around me , she thought, feeling herself get a little teary-eyed in a good way. Not just from Michael and Caitlin for each other, but from everyone sitting here for the two of them.

Almost as if he could sense her thoughts or her tears, Isaiah reached out and squeezed her hand. She turned toward him, squeezing his hand back and looking into his eyes for a moment. She could feel the connection between the two of them growing, and for a second it made her heart race.

She found herself thinking about her past, and how tense she had been about so many things. She’d once imagined herself marrying Ron—an outcome she was now very grateful had never occurred. She thought dryly to herself that if she’d married Ron, she never would have looked the way Caitlin looked just then—almost beside herself with happiness, eyes shining, and clearly filled with love. If she’d married Ron, she would have been standing there stressed about details and wanting everything to go exactly a certain way. She realized in a flash that her overly-precise nature had come from a desire to fix the way she’d felt with Ron. He had felt wrong, and rather than admit to herself that he was wrong for her, she’d tried to fix all the little details of their lives together instead. She’d been clinging to structure and precision, hoping it would make the way she felt unsatisfied with her life go away.

But it never could have , she thought, feeling her eyes fill with tears again. Love makes you feel differently than that. Love makes you feel right. Love makes you feel safe.

All of the things she’d once feared and thought weren’t right for her, she’d been wrong about. She did like to take time to rest, and to have fun—and she was more than capable of letting loose sometimes. It wasn’t those things that weren’t right for her, it was just that her old relationship hadn’t been right, and that had made everything else not feel right.

She glanced over at Isaiah, and her heart swelled to see the way he looked at Caitlin and Michael with so much affection. But what about with the right person? With the right person, someone she knew would support her and help her find hope and optimism no matter what? With that person, everything felt easy.

He glanced at her and grinned when he saw her looking at him. He leaned sideways a bit to press his shoulder against hers, and even that small contact between them made warmth flow through her.

Michael and Caitlin finished their vows, their eyes shining at each other, and then the officiant smiled at them.

“I now pronounce you man and wife—you may kiss the bride!”

Michael took a deep breath, tucking a loose wisp of hair behind Caitlin’s ear.

“Come on, Michael, kiss her!” Pearl cried from the front row.

People cheered and laughed, and Michael dipped Caitlin back in a passionate kiss. Gwen felt tears rush to her eyes—she hadn’t thought that kind of love happened in real life anymore. But she was starting to believe it was more than possible.

Michael and Caitlin started to walk back down the aisle together, holding hands. Both of them looked exquisitely happy, and a little dazed. People stood up and cheered for them again, clapping and calling out congratulations.

“Well,” Isaiah said, turning to Gwen with a grin. “I guess it’s time for a party.”

Michael and Caitlin stood at the end of the aisle and greeted all of their guests warmly as they passed through. Then they went off with the photographer to take wedding photos, and the guests all pitched in to help with the change-over, moving chairs from the ceremony area over to where the tables for the reception had been set up.

“This is lovely,” Gwen said, admiring how beautifully the tables had been decorated, and the strands of lights that had been strung up on poles around the dining area. “It’s clear they put a lot of thought into all this.”

There was an hour set aside for cocktails and mingling before the reception officially began, and Isaiah and Gwen wandered around talking to the other guests. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon a little, flushing the sky with pink. A balmy breeze from the ocean offered just the right amount of coolness, although Gwen guessed she would be making a run back to her car to get a sweater before the evening was over.

There was a volleyball net set up along the beach near the reception area, and some guests were playing volleyball there with a beach ball. Isaiah and Gwen went to join Olivia and Corey’s team, where they were introduced to Luke Ward and Hannah Jenkins.

“My dad is dating your boyfriend’s aunt,” Hannah said, explaining the connection to Gwen cheerfully. “Look—there they are over there. Adorable as always.”

Gwen laughed, delighted by Hannah’s friendly manner and affectionate attitude toward her father and Marsha. The game of beach volleyball was a great deal of fun, although she’d never have expected herself to take off her heels at a wedding and play a game barefoot in the sand.

After the game of volleyball, Isaiah and Gwen got a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and wandered along the water’s edge for a while. As they strolled, taking deep breaths of the fragrantly salty air, they passed Sandy and Daniel Ryan and their baby Chandler and paused to say a quick hello. It was a cheerful conversation, and Gwen felt again that she was lucky to live in a town with such kind people in it.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” Gwen said as she and Isaiah stepped away from the conversation and continued to walk, her voice soft. She felt thoughtful but energetic at the same time—she was looking forward to the rest of the celebration, but also to going home and getting to sit quietly and think for a while. She felt that she had a lot to process, after seeing so many wonderful things that day.

Isaiah reached down and slipped his fingers through hers.

“It’s got me feeling all kinds of sentimental for sure,” he said, looking at her with emotion burning in his eyes.

Her heart rate picked up as she wondered just what his expression meant, but she didn’t ask. At that moment, a bell rang, calling everyone back to the reception area for dinner.

The strands of glittering lights had been lit, adding a fairytale-like atmosphere to the dining area. The food was served buffet-style, and Gwen and Isaiah ran into several more people that they knew as they stood in line and got their food. She noticed Alissa and Dane at the front of the line—Alissa’s expression was almost as radiant as Caitlin’s, she looked so happy.

The food was delicious. There had been a variety of options, and Gwen had chosen mashed potatoes, empanadas, popcorn shrimp, and a side salad. She and Isaiah sat down at a table close to the water’s edge, and although the wind was getting a little stronger, it was still warm enough that the effect was pleasant.

They were seated with Josie and Wesley Cliff, as well as with Josie’s sister Paige Garner. Gwen noticed the young woman looking slightly nervous, and she wanted to ask her if anything was the matter. She felt it wasn’t her place, however, and since Paige still laughed often throughout their table’s animated discussions, she decided that whatever was bothering her couldn’t be that serious.

The sun sank below the horizon, and the stars came out overhead, shining like diamonds against a tapestry of deep blue. Around them, the night was filled with the sounds of people talking and laughing. She had a good view of Caitlin and Michael sitting together at the head table, and the way they kept looking at each other with shining eyes warmed her heart.

“Look, Paige, this is it!” Josie whispered in a triumphant tone as Michael and Caitlin stood up together.

“Oh no,” Paige murmured in a small voice.

“Nonsense,” Josie said, leaning over and wrapping an arm around her. “It’s going to be incredible and you know it.”

“What’s going on?” Isaiah asked curiously.

“Paige baked the wedding cake,” Wesley said, smiling proudly at his sister-in-law.

“She just graduated from Flourish Baking School in Providence,” Josie added. “Top of her class. She’s the best baker for miles, and Blueberry Bay is lucky enough to have her wanting to start a bakery here.”

“That’s awesome,” Isaiah said, grinning at the young woman. “I can’t wait to taste this cake.”

Paige smiled weakly. “Thanks. I’m so nervous it didn’t turn out well.”

“You strike me as someone who pays attention to details,” Gwen said, smiling at her. “As long as you baked the cake carefully, which I’m sure you did, I’m sure it turned out beautifully.”

Paige smiled gratefully at her, and then they all turned toward where Michael and Caitlin were about to cut the cake.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Josie murmured.

Michael and Caitlin held the knife together and cut the first slice of cake, and everyone cheered as they fed each other bites from it. Michael laughed as Caitlin accidentally smeared a little frosting on the side of his mouth, and then his eyes widened when he tasted the cake. Even from a distance, it was clear to see that he mouthed the word “wow” after swallowing.

“Looks like it’s a hit, Paige,” Josie said, thumping her sister’s back and grinning triumphantly.

“Or he said ‘wow’ because he thinks it’s bad,” Paige said nervously.

Her sister laughed and stood up, pulling Paige to her feet.

“Come on,” she said. “The cake table is open for guests now. Let’s all go try this wedding cake and then we can decide for ourselves.”

They took their place in line and were some of the first people there. The catering staff sliced the cake with expert speed and precision, and the line moved quickly. The bottom tier of the cake was chocolate, and the top tier was lemon. Alongside the growing number of slices was a hand painted sign that read, “Baked by Paige Garner. Check out her bakery website!” with a website link written below it.

Gwen eagerly chose a slice of lemon cake, while Isaiah took chocolate. They both took a bite as soon as they’d stepped away from the cake table, not wanting to wait. Gwen was alight with curiosity—she wanted to know if Paige had succeeded as well as Josie was sure she had.

“Whoa,” Isaiah said, looking floored.

“Oh my goodness,” Gwen said. “This is the best cake I’ve ever had.”

He nodded emphatically. “Paige!” he called to the young baker. “This is amazing!”

Paige laughed and flushed, looking pleased. She was soon surrounded by people congratulating her on the success of her cake. Gwen overheard several people say, “I’m definitely going to check out your website,” and a few people asked her about baking for their private events.

Michael went up to Paige and gave her a hug. “Thank you so much, kiddo. We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding cake.”

“Oh, of course.” She smiled, her eyes shining. She looked both thrilled and relieved.

“I’m wondering if you have the time to work for me again this summer,” he said, grinning at her.

“Oh, well, I?—”

“Not as a barista. As our exclusive bakery supplier. A business partnership with Tidal Wave Coffee. What do you say?”

Paige’s jaw dropped, and then she started to grin. “Yes! That would be amazing.”

Josie gave her sister a hug, and Gwen couldn’t help smiling. She liked the young woman and was glad that she was finding success—it was clear that she deserved it. Gwen had never tasted such a flavorful, mouthwatering cake, and she knew that Paige must have worked very hard to become that good at baking.

Isaiah and Gwen stood to the side of the reception area, continuing to stand as they enjoyed their cake. When it was announced that people could go up for seconds, they both got a second slice of cake, both of them trying the kind they hadn’t chosen the first time. Gwen found the chocolate cake to be every bit as delicious as the lemon cake.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time the first dance,” a teenage D.J. wearing a bowtie announced into a microphone. “Michael and Caitlin O’Neil, please take your places on the dance floor.”

“Oh,” Gwen cooed, placing her hand on her heart. “I love first dances.”

Isaiah turned to her with a sweet smile, and then both their attention were caught by the sight of Michael and Caitlin stepping onto the dance floor together, holding hands. The dance floor was a makeshift one made of wood and placed under the strands of lights. Gwen thought the scene looked marvelously picturesque, with the moonlit ocean sparkling behind the newly-wedded couple.

A sweet love song began to play over the speakers, and Michael took Caitlin in his arms. Slowly, the two of them began to waltz across the dance floor. It was an imperfect waltz—Michael stumbled a few times, which made his bride laugh. Gwen felt tears spring into her eyes as she watched them—she’d never seen a couple look so much in love before.

Suddenly, she heard someone gasp nearby. She looked over and saw Alissa clinging to her husband’s arm and staring down at the sand below her. It was damp underneath her legs.

“What happened?” Isaiah asked, looking around in confusion.

Gwen, quick to realize what was happening, answered his question. “Alissa’s water just broke. She’s about to have her baby.”