Wildfire Wedding (4 page)

Luke shrugged his shoulders in small circles. The weights on the bar looked like something a 98-pound weakling might bench press. He would have pushed himself with something heavier, but that would mean Jeff needed to spot him. When he passed by the guest room this morning on the way downstairs, Jeff was still sprawled out snoring, and Luke wasn’t surprised.

A figure with tousled hair and wearing shorts appeared in the doorway. “Man, what time is it?”

“Going on eight-thirty. Sleep good?”

“Once I slept. It’s quiet here. Nice, but quiet.” Jeff trudged into the room, cast a glance at the weight bench, and headed to the window instead.

“We’re due at Nana’s at nine-thirty for breakfast.”

“I was going to get a few more minutes of sleep.”

“Right.” Luke chuckled. 

“You need a spot?” Jeff moved to the weight stand.

“Sure.” Luke added another twenty-five pounds to each end of the bar. “You want to do a few reps after I’m through?”

“Naw, I’m pretty out of it this morning.”

“Up late, huh?” Luke lay back on the bench and grasped the bar. Jeff stood ready.

“Yeah. Carrie and I were talking. You heard?”

Luke grinned and exhaled as he pushed the weights up. “Yup.”

“I was kinda loud.”

“Yup.” Luke lowered the weights then pushed up again. He felt the burn of his pecs flexing at the weights.

“Sorry, she really hacked me off.”

Luke gave up. He let the weight settle onto the stand, ducked under the bar, and sat up. He couldn’t count, bench press, and respond to Jeff at the same time. “So what’s going on?”

“I—I told her once and for all that I want her in my life. I don’t want to share her with anyone.”

“Really. Do you think she wants to share you?”

Jeff hung his head. “No. I know what you are going to say. I’m getting what I deserve. But Carrie's the one for me.”

Luke grabbed Jeff’s shoulder. “When you're with the right woman, the one God has for you, that doesn't mean it'll be easy. But she'll be worth fighting for.”

Jeff blinked and rubbed his eyes with his forearm. “You’ve sure changed. This place has got you back on the straight and narrow.”

“It’s not this place.”

“Well, you’ve got a good woman.”

“It’s not just her either. It’s the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness from Krista, and from God.”

“Well, you came home and got religion. Good for you. I think I’m going to patch things up with Carrie, send her flowers.”

“Sounds like a good start to me. It took a while to build that bridge with Krista, and it took time for her to trust me as a friend, but eventually we knew we needed more—we were meant for more.” Luke’s heart pounded at remembering when he’d proposed. “One night last summer, we were hiking, and I popped the question. Can’t believe I did it. Then I had to wait a week for an answer ‘cause I got called out on a fire.”

“So like they say, the rest was history.”

“You could say that.” He’d blown his witness in the past. How could he share his faith with Jeff now? Luke slung the towel over his shoulder. “I’m ready for some coffee.” Here Jeff had shared his pain, and all Luke could offer was talk about forgiveness and morning coffee. He wanted to share more than positive thoughts and caffeine. Forgiveness, though—now that was a start.

They moved into the hall and headed downstairs to the kitchen. The coffeepot gurgled, signaling the end of the brewing signal, so Luke found two mugs.

“I don’t deserve to be your best man.” Jeff accepted the mug and filled it from the pot. “You’ve probably got a friend here who would be a better choice. I made you crash and burn with Krista before.”

“A promise is a promise, and I believe in second chances.”

Jeff’s brown eyes moistened, but his gaze remained fixed out the kitchen window. “Thanks. I’m—I’m happy for you. You’ve made a good life here, and I want you and Krista to be happy.”

“I’ve got to warn you, though. Krista’s really skeptical about your intentions. I know she didn’t appreciate your comment last night.”

“Huh? What’d I say?”

“Something about having me on a ball and chain.”

Jeff turned red. “I—er, had a couple drinks on the plane and was still feeling kinda loose. I don't blame her for being skeptical.”

Luke nodded. “You said you'd support me. I need my best man to do that. And I know you can.”

#

Krista stretched under the covers and caught a whiff of Nana’s coffee drifting down the hallway. Three more days, and she’d be waking up as Luke’s wife. She’d better start learning how to make coffee. She still couldn’t brew without grounds ending up swirling in the pot. Krista smiled to herself and rolled over to face the opposite wall, its rose wallpaper partially obscured by a long sheet of white butcher paper labeled “Wedding Flow Chart.” So far she’d accomplished everything on her timeline on schedule, sort of.

Today’s agenda included wedding shoes. She also needed to double-check the confirmed head count for the reception. Belonging to the family who owned the regionally renowned “Elfi’s Schnitzel Haus” restaurant chain had its perks.

Another must-do included clearing the last of the brush from the wooded area at the back and sides of Nana’s house. Seeing to the brush around Nana’s property wasn’t a wedding duty, but she had to fit it into her plans, especially at this time of year. Momma would probably keep herself occupied. She'd never been one for outdoor work unless it involved a pool. This made Krista smile.

Then she flopped onto her back and gave a huff in the direction of the ceiling. Hacking at the brush would help burn some of the aggravation that had flared up at Jeff last night. Maybe part of the aggravation was with herself.

“You shouldn’t have agreed to have that kind of guy be best man at your wedding,” Krista said aloud. “What were you thinking?”

Thinking? She was in love with the only man who had ever claimed her heart, and at long last they were to walk down the aisle together. Her stomach trembled as she sat up. Luke might have claim to her heart, but once upon a time he had tossed it away like a banana peel. All from hanging out with a guy like Jeff and his influence.

Krista stuffed her feet into her fluffy slippers, then reconsidered and kicked them off. The ceramic tiles would feel good on her toes this morning.

She followed the aroma of breakfast to the kitchen where she found Nana making fried potatoes, eggs, bacon, and toast all at once.

Nana turned from the stove. “Morning, dear. How many eggs?”

“Just one, over medium. Thanks.” Krista went for the coffeepot. “Nana, you must think we're going to eat like an army.”

“This isn’t just for us. I invited Luke and his friend to join us, plus I thought when your friend gets here from the airport, she’ll be hungry.”

“Sami won’t arrive until maybe lunchtime.” Krista glanced at the clock on the microwave. “It’s nine fifteen already? When are the guys getting here?”

“In about 20 minutes or so. They're running late.”

“Nana, why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

“I did, shortly after eight. You mumbled something about getting up in a few minutes. I assumed you’d been getting ready this whole time.”

“I’ve never needed much time to get ready. But I do have a fuzzy memory of someone calling my name earlier. Guess I thought I was dreaming.” Krista grabbed a slice of bacon and crunched on it for a moment. “Keep cooking like this, and I’ll need Sami hunt me down another dress. I’d better jump in the shower and throw myself together.”

She’d also give herself a pep talk before Jeff arrived with Luke.

“Nana, I have to say I wish we didn’t have to invite Jeff to breakfast, too. I don't think I have enough coffee in me yet.”

“It simply wouldn’t be good manners to exclude him. Luke mentioned to me one evening that Jeff was coming a few days early. He’s had some personal troubles and wanted to come here as a distraction.”

“Great. So he decides to use my town and the week before my wedding to my fiancé to get his head on straight.” Krista jammed the coffeepot back onto the hot pad, sloshing its contents. The words cut through the air like a knife’s jab, but Krista didn’t care just then. She needed to quit the hissy fit. She sounded like a four year old.

Nana turned from the stove. “I know your wedding is important to you, but so far Jeff hasn’t demanded anything of you. Some things are eternal and more important than preparations for one day.”

The sound of sizzling breakfast filled the kitchen.

“I know, Nana, I know.” Krista swallowed a sip of coffee. Her shoulders slumped a bit. “This is harder than I imagined. I was so busy teaching the spring semester and taking care of wedding details, I didn’t think about how it would feel to see Jeff again. I just need to get over myself.” She smiled at her words.

Nana moved to get some plates from the glass-doored cabinet above the dish drainer. “Forgiveness doesn’t always happen instantly. Often, it's a process.”

“I wish it did in this case.” Krista frowned. “Well, I should get ready. They’ll be here any minute, and I’m still kicking my bad attitude around the kitchen. Be right back!”

She whirled around and left the way she came, wishing she could retract her words.

Yet thinking the words and saying them weren’t much different. She couldn’t count the times she’d bitten back retorts, only to scream them in her mind. Krista found her robe in the bedroom and put her coffee cup on the bureau. Maybe she could wash away some of the feelings. She needed to look forward to Sami arriving and catching up with her old college roomie, not waste her emotions on Jeff.

While hot water rushed over her in the shower, Krista realized she hadn’t prayed that morning but instead focused on her wedding first thing. Correction—their wedding. It was Luke’s wedding, too.

Luke certainly wasn’t the same person he was four years ago. Krista could still see the closed-off look as she faced him on one of his job sites in L.A. He'd finished work for the day, and he and Jeff were preparing to leave. She practically begged him to come home to Texas with her after the school year and her teaching contract ended, and give them another chance. She'd tried teaching there during the year after college, but it wasn't Settler Lake. It wasn't home.

And worse, she was losing Luke before her eyes. There'd been someone else claiming his time and attention after Krista had pulled back.

“I’m staying here. In California. With Jennifer.” If he had punched her outright in the gut, Krista didn’t think it could have hurt more.

“You’re not coming back to Settler Lake?” The words hissed from her mouth like a deflating balloon.

“There is nothing there for me. My life is here now.”

Sweat stung at Krista’s eyes, or was it tears? “You’re turning your back on it all—your faith—me?” She could feel Jeff’s dark expression boring into her from across the swanky driveway. “Because of him—”

“Not because of Jeff, because I grew up, Krista. This is real life for me. Go back to Settler Lake, if that's what you really want. Because I'm not stopping you. We're over.”

She fled without looking back. She never wanted to see that blank expression in Luke’s eyes again.

Cold water jerked her back to the present. Krista opened her eyes to see the blue ceramic tiles in Nana’s bathroom. Her eyes burned now as they did then. She let the water pelt her face.

She'd dealt with this before, or so she'd thought.

Lord, help me let go. Once and for all. Because I don't like the person I am when I feel this way.

By the time she headed to the kitchen ten minutes later, she'd dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. A quick blow-dry without the styling brush left her hair skimming her shoulders.

“Hi, guys.”

Luke rose from his seat at the table and Krista went into his arms. With Luke’s kiss, the memory that had assaulted her in the shower skulked back to wherever such things lived, Krista inhaled the scent of his cologne and grateful tears pricked her eyes once more. She squeezed them away returned to his kiss.

“Whoa, you two, I can feel that from over here.”

Krista pulled back and glanced over at Jeff. “We’re practicing for Saturday.” Then she snapped her attention back to Luke.

His eyes were lit with a bright blue flame. “I’d say that was more like Sunday morning.”

Heat swept down her face and into her neck. “We’ll have lots of years to get it right.”

He leaned down and whispered into her ear. “That we will. Sit by me, so we can do it again if we want to?”

“Sure.” Krista squeezed Luke’s hand then went to get another coffee cup since she’d left the other one in the bedroom. “Do you still plan to clear some brush this morning?”

“I do.” A smiled teased at the corner of Luke’s mouth.

“Well, good, we could use your help.”

“Is your mother joining us?” Jeff asked this question. Was that a quaver she heard in his voice.

“Nope, my mom's got other plans today. I think.” Last night, she'd mentioned plans to get a mani-pedi first thing this morning. Then, she said she'd meet them at the shoe shop to help Krista pick out shoes before meeting up with her older sister, Krista's Aunt Vangie, for lunch.