Waking Up To Love (Lakeside Porches Book 4) (36 page)

“We
are
a good fit, aren’t we?” Her blue eyes sparkled in the morning sun.

He pressed his forehead to hers. “If it weren’t so cold out here, we could demonstrate that.”

“Later. Shall we walk a bit more and see how it looks from the cliff top?”

“Good. And perhaps we can talk about the wedding on the way back.”

Halfway back from the cliff top, Kyle launched into his wedding plans. The more he talked, the more dismayed Lyssa became.

They would have a small ceremony in the chapel on the road to Padstow, followed by a catered reception at Trelynn Manor. “You remember, Trelynn Manor near Wadebridge where we had lunch on one of our first visits to Padstow? We sat in the orangerie. You loved that place.” Members of the community would come, as well as friends. A string quartet would entertain with a mix of classical and traditional tunes.

Though he walked on, still informing her of detail after detail, she hung back.

He’d gone twenty feet before he realized she wasn’t beside him. He turned, puzzled. “What is it?”

“You’ve actually made these plans, haven’t you? You’ve invited people. When is this wedding?”

“I thought perhaps day after tomorrow.” He blinked uneasily.

“And did you plan for me saying no?” She held her breath.

“You can’t.” Seeing her stormy eyes and the set of her jaw, he looked at his hiking shoes on the path and measured the distance to her with his eyes. He restated, “That is, I’ll look the fool. You know I’m willing to take that risk for you. And I will, if you’re very unhappy about this.”

“I’m horrified that you’ve planned all this without talking with me. Doesn’t it matter what I want?”

“Of course it matters, and I haven’t planned it without talking with you.”

“Really, Kyle? How did I miss it? Please, can we put the brakes on this and—”

“If we scrap these plans, Lyssa, a lot of people who’ve worked very hard to pull this off will be horribly disappointed.”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

He took a step toward her. And another. “All right then. They’ll have a grand party without us. All that juicy beef and the five-bird roast and toasted chestnuts and figgy pudding and—”

“Kyle,” she yelled, “we’re talking about the most important day of my life.”

“Mine as well. And you
hate
the plans I’ve made?”

“I want us to plan it together. So that both of our wishes are considered. Your taste and mine blended together in a way that makes both of us happy. Don’t I deserve that consideration?”

Kyle bowed his head and stole closer.

“Well, don’t I?” she shrilled.

He continued to within a foot of her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I desperately wanted us to be married during this season, while Mum was able to be part of it. I sat in her hospital room, listening to those machines beeping, and thought of every detail I could think of to make this a wonderful, memorable day for us. Lyssa, I promise you, I did gather your input and I did, most certainly, respect your wishes.”

“Where was I?” she asked, her voice quavering.

“Do you remember when you told me about Bethany’s wedding plans, and I quizzed you about how you would do it differently? And all those questions over the months about colors and styles you like and favorite foods? And what you liked about Manda and Joel’s wedding? And about churches and rituals. And last week when I asked about roses and lily of the valley, do you know how hard it is to find lily of the valley in Cornwall in December?”

Lyssa stood with her mouth open. One tear traced a path down her cheek, followed by a few more.

She closed the gap and flung her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sorry I doubted you.” She pressed her wet cheek to his. “I’m sorry I took so long to accept your proposal. I just—” She choked on a sob. “I just needed to be sure I could do it. I couldn’t bear to fail as your wife, Kyle.”

“Sweetheart, you could never fail me. And I wouldn’t have rushed so with the wedding, if Mum hadn’t nearly died last month. Those endless hours at her side . . . I needed something happy to think about. I got carried away, and I’ve made a horrible mess of this. Please forgive me. I
will
call it off, if you want. I’ll—”

“No. Don’t call it off. But please listen to what I want. Please. Let’s go back to the house, secret ourselves in the library, and lay it all out. I’ll tell you what I think about everything, and if there’s something I absolutely hate, we’ll see if we can change it.”

She gripped his arms as she stepped back. “Please, can we do that, my darling?”

His face was frozen with anxiety.

She caressed his cheeks and jaw with loving fingers, until he nodded.

“That’s exactly what we’ll do, sweetheart. I’ll set up the library with everything we need to talk about—checklists, menus, church program, music, attire, and so on.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll get the fire going and you ask Fiona to fix us something hot. All right?”

“Yes, all right.”

They joined hands and continued to the house.

As they burst into the entry, she chuckled. “Day after tomorrow, Kyle? What will I do for a gown and shoes?”

“I never thought about the shoes.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve bought a gown for me?” She looked at him sideways and laughed at the shocked expression on his face.

“No.” He drew out the word.

“What does that mean?” She shed her jacket and muddy boots.

“I believe Gianessa said she was taking you shopping for festive attire. I don’t suppose one of those things will do for a wedding? I rather like the dark blue.”

There was a false note in his tone. “With the sequins?” She lifted an eyebrow. It was the only new dress he’d seen so far.

“That one, yes.” He squinted at her. “Something wrong?”

“I’m pretty sure I need to have a conversation with Gianessa before I can answer that.”

Gianessa was on the road when Lyssa called. The conversation would have to wait until after she and Kyle dissected his wedding plans. Sequestered in the library with a cozy fire and a pot of Darjeeling tea and Fiona’s biscuits fresh from the oven, they reviewed lists, programs, menus, and logistics.

Lyssa added asparagus-and-mushroom quiche to the menu and allowed the brandy-soaked figgy pudding to stand, as long as it wasn’t flambéed anywhere near her. She omitted three of the hymns, and asked that the string quartet invite a harpist for a few pieces. When she insisted they dispense with the flower girl, they hit a snag.

“You can’t be serious, luv. Why eliminate the flower girl?”

“I’m perfectly serious, my darling.”

“Sweetheart, she’s the organist’s daughter.”

“No, Kyle. If you push it, I will do away with the organ.” She gritted her teeth. “I hate organ music. And I hate wanton destruction of roses for the purpose of petal tossing. It’s barbaric.”

“I see.” Although he didn’t. “How shall I explain that little Heather will not be wearing her new pink dress and tossing petals?”

“Are other children coming to the wedding?”

“No.”

“To the reception?”

“I believe there are half a dozen, yes.”

“Heather is welcome to wear her lovely pink dress to the reception, and we’ll give each little girl a rosebud if they promise—swear on the Bible—not to pick off the rose petals. Is that possible?”

“It’s brilliant, yes.” He didn’t dare say anything different.

Ten minutes later, they’d finished with his lists. Lyssa swallowed the last of her tea.

“Kyle,” she said, her voice quiet.

He looked up from his notes and wiggled a pen with his fingers.

“Thank you. For all of your very thoughtful work, and most especially for reviewing the plans with me.” At his nod, she said, “I know I was short with you about the flower girl, but that’s important to me, for reasons I won’t try to explain.”

“You really don’t like organ music?”

“I really don’t, but I respect that every church has an organist and every wedding requires the church organist and the minister to play important roles.”

He set down his notes and reached for her hands. “Are you very unhappy about the wedding?”

She wet her lips. “I actually think it’s going to be lovely. You have wonderful taste. And it’s so important to have your mother at our wedding. That mightn’t have happened if you hadn’t gone ahead and done all this planning.”

“Quite right.”

“I only wish I’d realized why you were asking all those questions, and I regret that it took me so long to know that we’re right for each other and that we can make it work.”

Her tears spilled over then, and he pulled her onto his lap. “We are right for each other, aren’t we, luv?” When she nodded into the curve of his neck, he stroked her back and told her, “It will be a beautiful wedding, I promise, sweetheart.”

After lunch, Kyle excused himself to run errands in town while Lyssa slept, exhausted from their walk in the wind and their emotionally charged negotiation in the library. She awoke to the sound of rain lashing the windows. She sat up, hugged her knees, and gazed at the diamond-circled emerald ring on her finger. For a moment, she wished she could call Bridey and ask how she’d known about the ring Kyle would give her.

She laughed at the notion, although the only difference she saw from the ring on Bridey’s hand in the long-ago dream was the setting. This one was platinum instead of Bridey’s yellow gold. And the emerald, thank heaven, was a bit smaller and much more fiery.

God, did I handle that disagreement with Kyle okay?
She’d talk it over with Gianessa very soon.

Something about the flower girl niggled at her. She could see why Kyle had planned little Heather into the ceremony, and she hoped her refusal wouldn’t saddle her with a reputation as the Shrew of Pennington House. She’d talk to Kyle about a peace offering for the organist.

She snapped her fingers. He’d never said who would stand up with them. He’d casually mentioned that Karin and Tommy weren’t able to come down for the wedding but would celebrate with them, after, in London.

No way had he missed a detail like witnesses.
What’s he got planned?
And what else had he left out of their marathon review?

Where exactly did he think they would live when they got back to Tompkins Falls? Her apartment was too small to give them personal space, and it couldn’t support two offices. They certainly couldn’t live in Justin and Gianessa’s guest quarters.

She slipped out of bed, smoothed the covers and fluffed the pillows. The jewels in her ring flashed. With a thought to the SOLD sign in front of 57 Seneca Street, she reached for her phone but, instead of calling Gianessa right away, she did a search on real estate sales in Tompkins Falls for the past six weeks.

Found it.
The purchase price was just a thousand higher than she’d advised Kyle over steaks and sorbet at the Manse Grille. But the buyer’s name was J. M. Cushman.
Joel? Why?

She texted Manda. ‘We’re engaged. What’s Joel’s middle name?’

‘Congrats!!!! Tompkins.’

‘J. M. Cushman bought the house I liked at 57 Seneca.’

‘Justin.’

‘What do you know???’

‘Can’t tell you. But the new front door is a pretty shade of rose.’

Lyssa stood silently, looking out the window. The storm was nearly over. The rain had stopped, and the wind had quieted to a fickle breeze.

‘You’re welcome,’ Manda texted.

Lyssa had to review their exchange. ‘You picked the color? Thanks.’

‘Welcome.’

‘My ring is almost exactly the ring Bridey wore in the dream.’

‘Are you freaking kidding me?’

‘Love you. Gotta go.’

She shut off her phone, pocketed it, and rummaged in Kyle’s dresser for warm socks. She needed to get away from the house for her talk with Gianessa.

Kyle paid the porter handsomely for fitting a jumbo suitcase and two carry-ons into the Jaguar’s trunk. With his two passengers settled, he exited the train station and headed toward Pennington House.

After the usual small talk about flights, Justin asked, “Has she tried on the gown yet? You know, Kyle, it was my gift to Manda for her marriage to Joel.”

“Actually, Lyssa doesn’t know about the gown yet, even though it’s been hanging in her old bedroom since my return.”

“She’s clueless,” Manda said. “We were just texting. She doesn’t even know Justin and I are coming, does she?”

Kyle grinned. “She does not.”

Justin barked a laugh. “You’re living close to the edge, old friend.”

“Yes, well, exciting as that may be, I’d prefer to do things the proper way—the two of us working together. And I’m very, very sure she feels the same way. She’s pissed that I’ve raced ahead with all the arrangements.”

“Well,” Manda said, “Here’s a warning for both of you guys. She’s figured out about the house.”

Justin directed a horrified gaze at Manda. “You’re not supposed—”

“What house?” Kyle asked.

“I didn’t tell her anything about the house that she didn’t already know from the Internet, Justin,” Manda said. “So she refused to tell me about Bridey’s ring.” She swiveled her head in Kyle’s direction and raised her eyebrows.