Tess in Boots (28 page)

CHAPTER
34

Logan said he took care of everything,
and he meant it.

The next morning,
a platter of breakfast pastries was delivered, along with
more
flowers. I sat in a chair with my hands extended so the manicurist could work on my nails while the hairdresser pinned my hair into an updo of soft, loose curls. A seamstress arrived early to work on the dress, which didn’t need much in the way of altering, only a few tucks to shorten it up a little. She sat in the corner, stitching away at the hem.

Annie
munched on a miniature donut while the makeup artist tried to powder her face between bites.

“
This is the life.” She popped the last bit of donut in her mouth and washed it down with a sip of coffee. “You ready, Tess?”

“
I think so,” I said. After my talk with Jake, I slept through the night without another dream. And this morning, the excitement of the day ahead left little time for doubt. Besides, Jake made me feel better about everything. He was right; I had a classic case of the jitters. Logan was a great guy, and this is what my father would have wanted for me. This was what
I
always wanted.

“
Tess! Tess!” Sara burst into the cottage, clutching her bathrobe closed.

I jumped.
“What? Is everything all right?”

She nodded, her chest heaving.
“Carl’s is—” She took a staggered breath. “You’re in the news!”

“
I’m
what
?”

She pulled a newspaper out from under her arm and thrust it in my direction, holding it up for me to see. I squinted to get a look at the headline and read it aloud.

“Here today, married tomorrow. Bride and groom tie the knot hours after surprise wedding proposal.”

The article was written by Natalie, I realized. There was a photo of me, looking shocked after walking into the back room and seeing everyone. There were pictures of the grapevines, and the barn, and the tent all decorated and ready for the wedding. There was even a shot of Logan down on one knee, over by the picnic table. How had she managed to capture that moment?

“Well, would you look at that? We made the local paper,” I said.

“
No, Tess. This is the
national
paper. Jake’s phone has been ringing off the hook all morning. Brides are coming out of the woodwork asking if we can reserve their dates.”

So Natalie had done it. Even though it
didn’t go as planned, she still found the story and gave it wings. Maybe she’d land a big-time city reporter job after all.

“
That’s amazing.” I looked up at Sara, who beamed back at me. “This is great for the vineyard.”

“
Yeah, it is.”

“
Hold still.” The hairdresser slid a bobby pin into place.

“
Oh, sorry.”

“
You look beautiful, Tess.” Sara winked at me in the mirror.

“
Thank you,” I said.

“
Are you nervous?”

I nodded.

“Don’t be. It will all work out fine,” she said.

“
Thanks.”

“
Besides, everything is done. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

I peeked around the room out of the corner of my eye. Sara was right. The wedding was hours away, and everything was done. There was nothing left to do but wait.

***

“
It’s about time,” Jake said. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to give you away.”

I nudged his shoulder with mine.

“Just kidding, Tessy. You look great.”

Jake and I were alone in the cottage, getting ready to head to the barn for the ceremony. Sara and Annie
went down ahead of time to make sure everything was in order.

I studied myself in the mirror. I looked like a bride. It was hard to believe only twenty-four hours ago, I didn’t know
I’d be getting married today.

“
Are you ready?” he asked, his voice gentle.

I nodded.

“Good. I can drive you.”

“
Do you think we could walk instead?”

He gave me an odd look.
“You want to walk? In that?”

“
I want to get some fresh air. Calm down a little, you know?”

“
Well… you’re the bride. Let’s get a move on then.”

“
It’s not like they’re going to start without me.”

He grinned and opened the front door. I took one last long look in the mirror to make sure everything was perfect. Yep. It was time.
I stepped through the door and Jake followed, extending his arm to help me navigate the uneven terrain in my peep-toed heels.

“
Sara told me about all the phone calls,” I said.

“
Yeah. It’s something, isn’t it?”

“
Looks like I
did
end up saving the vineyard. Maybe you won’t have to sell it.”

He didn’t answer.

“Jake?” I asked.

He sighed.

I stopped walking, pulling him to a stop, too. “What’s going on? Tell me. Go on. Out with it. I can take it.”

“
It’s too late,” he said. “We accepted an offer. A real estate developer Sara found. And I called and got my old job back. Anyway, the vineyard is under contract. We close next week.”

“
Oh.” I bit my lip because tears were forming in my eyes, and I wasn’t about to ruin my makeup. Not today.

“
I’m sorry, Tessy. I would’ve told you sooner, but I was hoping to get through today first. I don’t want this to put a damper on things.”

Jake looked so pained I couldn’t bear to show my disappointment.

“It’s the right thing for you and Sara. And your family, too. That’s what matters most,” I said.

“
We gave it a shot,” he said.

“
We did. This has been the best summer of my life.”

“
And it’s just beginning.”

“
The summer, or my life?”

“
Both, actually,” he said.

I took his arm, and we
resumed walking, slower this time. With every step we seemed to be putting more and more distance between ourselves and our time on the vineyard. I wished I could go back and relive these days all over again. I didn’t feel ready to return to my fast-paced marketing career. Not yet.

Not ever, maybe.

It was funny how I spent so much time agonizing over losing my job. Now it was waiting for me on a silver platter, and I couldn’t really remember why I wanted it so much in the first place. Maybe I wouldn’t go back. Maybe Thatcher was right. Maybe I had a knack for this wedding-planning thing.

I imagined
breaking the news to Logan. “Hey, honey. Jim Pierce called and offered me a director position. I turned it down. I’m going to be a wedding planner instead. I’m good at it. Well, I
think
I’m good at it.”

I could almost see the look of disapproval on his face. It was the same look he
gave me last night when he remarked on my haircut, and again when he noticed my boots. Typical Logan. He was always—

“
Ow!” I tripped on something, sending a wave of pain through my big toe and up my foot.

“
You okay, Tessy?”

I scowled.
“No. I stubbed my toe.”

Jake looked at my feet.
“You’re wearing the wrong shoes,” he said.

And that’s when it sank in. That’s when it really hit me.

You’re wearing the wrong shoes.

He was right. I
was
wearing the wrong shoes, wasn’t I? And I was walking down the aisle to the wrong man. And going back to the wrong job. As much as I tried to push it down, as much as I tried to give in to the excitement of the wedding and let myself be happy, I knew it was the truth. Hearing Jake say it made it much more real.

Last night, I’d begged God for a sign. But I didn’t need one – He’d already written the answer on my heart.

That didn’t mean it was going to be easy, though.

“
I need to sit down,” I said.

“
Now?”

“
Yes. I don’t feel well.”

Jake grabbed me by the hand and led me over to a large tree stump on the edge of the path. I plopped down without giving a second thought to my dress. My
breath came fast and shallow.

“
Tessy?”

I held up a hand to silence Jake. I needed to think.

He sat down next to me on the edge of the stump.

I could hear a violin begin to play in the distance
. The ceremony was scheduled to start any minute.

Thatcher was gone. The vineyard would be gone soon, too. There was nothing here for me anymore. Right down that path was everything. A man who could take care of me. A job
with a future. All I had to do was go.

But I couldn’t. Because sitting there, looking down at my spiky heels with the dusting of mud on the soles, I knew that as much as I
was in love with the picture of who I wanted Logan to be, he was also in love with the picture of who he wanted
me
to be. As long as I didn’t change my hairstyle, and kept up my sensible, perfect life, I was the woman of his dreams. But he didn’t love messy, bad-dancing, crazy-idea-having me. He never had.

“
Jake, I don’t think I can do this.”

He put his arm around me and gave me a squeeze.

Forget the makeup, the tears came. Hard. I rested my head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to disappoint you. Or Dad.”

“
Tessy, no.” He stroked my hair, his voice soothing. “You’re not disappointing anyone.”

“
You said so yourself. You said this is what Dad would have wanted for me.”

He put a hand under my chin and turned my face to meet his.
“Dad would have wanted you to be
happy
. Last night it seemed like you had a case of cold feet. But I’m starting to think this is something more.”

I nodded, a fresh wave of tears falling down my cheeks.
“It is. I think… I think I’ve changed my mind.”

“Can I ask you something?” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me.

“What?” I wiped my runny nose.

He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Is this because of Thatcher?”

“No!” I hiccupped. “Thatcher’s gone. But even if he wasn’t… it has nothing to do with him. I know you think Logan loves me, but he doesn’t. Not really.” I was talking so fast, I didn’t pause to take a breath. “Do you know he won’t let me dance? I like dancing. And yeah, I’m terrible at it, but so what? A girl should be able to dance at her own wedding!” I gasped for air.

“So, it’s about
dancing then?” Jake raised an eyebrow.

“It’s about everything!” I flung the handkerchief into the air and watched as it wafted to the ground. “He wants me to be someone I’m not. And I’ve tried. I’ve done a pretty good job at pretending to be this perfect person for him. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life pretending. I deserve more. He does, too. I can’t marry him, Jake. I just can’t!”

“You don’t have to, Tessy. You don’t have to go through with this.”

I choked back a sob.
“I have to go tell him.”

Jake stood up.
“No. I don’t think you should. Why don’t you let your big brother handle this one?”

“
I can’t ask you to do that.”

“
It’s as good as done. Go back to the cottage and wait there.”

I stood up, shaking. It was the strangest thing. I was simultaneously overcome with relief and riddled with disappointment.

Goodbye, perfect wedding. Goodbye, perfect life.

“
Go on,” he said. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

I started to go, and then remembered something else.

“Jake, wait!”

He turned back to look at me.
“Yeah?”

“
Give him this.” I sighed, pulled the ring off my finger, and handed it over to him. He tucked it into his jacket pocket.

Goodbye sparkly ring.

“And tell him I’m sorry. Tell him I’m so sorry.”

“
I will. Chin up, buttercup. It’s gonna be okay.”

I watched him stride downhill until he was out of sight. Then I slipped off my shoes and with one in each hand, trudged back to the cottage alone.