Afterward, Megan was less interested in staging more magazine-worthy wedding photos than in visiting with her guests. She was, Ronnie thought, either incredibly confident or utterly clueless about all the stress her mother had incurred over every last wedding detail. Even from a distance, Ronnie could tell that nothing was going quite the way Susan had envisioned.
"You owe me a dance," she heard Will whisper.
Turning, she was struck anew by how handsome he was. "I don't believe that was part of our deal," she said. "You said you just wanted me to attend the wedding."
"What? You don't want to dance with me?"
"There's no music."
"I mean later."
"Oh," she said. "Well, in that case, I might consider it. But shouldn't you be posing for pictures?"
"I've been doing that for hours. I needed a break."
"Too much smiling hurts your cheeks?"
"Something like that. Oh, I'm supposed to tell you that you're going to be eating at table sixteen with Scott, Ashley, and Cassie."
Bummer. "Great," she said.
He laughed. "It won't be as bad as you think. They'll be on their best behavior. Otherwise my mom would probably lop off their heads."
It was Ronnie's turn to laugh. "Tell your mom she did a wonderful job getting all this organized. It's beautiful here."
"I will," he said. He continued to stare at her until both of them heard his name being called. When they turned, Ronnie thought Megan showed a trace of amusement at her brother having wandered off. "I have to get back," he said. "But I'll come find you at dinner. And don't forget about our dance later."
He really was heartbreakingly handsome, she thought again. "I should warn you that my feet are already hurting."
He put one hand over his heart. "I promise not to make fun of you if you limp."
"Gee, thanks."
He leaned in and kissed her. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"
She smiled, still tasting his lips on hers. "Not for at least twenty minutes. But you better go. You're needed elsewhere, and I don't want to get in trouble."
He kissed her before rejoining the rest of the wedding party. Feeling a rush of contentment, she turned around, only to see the elderly man she'd made room for at the ceremony watching her again.
At dinner, Scott, Cassie, and Ashley made little attempt to include her in their conversation, but she found she didn't really care. She wasn't in the mood to talk to them, nor was she hungry. Instead, after nibbling a few bites, she excused herself and headed toward the veranda. The porch gave her a panoramic view of the festivities, which somehow were even more enchanting in the dark. Under the moon's silvery spell, the tents seemed to be glowing. She could hear strains of conversation blending with the music from the band, which was now playing, and she found herself wondering what she would have been doing back home tonight had she stayed in New York. As the summer had progressed, she'd spoken to Kayla less and less often. Though she still considered her a friend, she realized that she didn't miss the world she'd left behind. She hadn't thought about going to a club in weeks, and when Kayla talked about the latest, greatest guy she'd met, Ronnie found her thoughts wandering to Will. She knew that whomever Kayla was fixated on was absolutely nothing like Will.
She didn't talk much about Will to Kayla. Kayla knew they were still seeing each other, but every time she mentioned the things they'd done--whether it was fishing or mudding or walking the beach--she had the feeling that Kayla was on another wavelength entirely. Kayla wasn't able to grasp the fact that Ronnie was happy simply being with Will, and Ronnie couldn't help wondering what that would mean for their friendship when she returned to New York. She knew she'd changed in the weeks she'd been down here, while Kayla, it seemed, hadn't changed at all. Ronnie realized she had no interest in going to clubs anymore. Thinking back, she wondered why she'd been so interested in them in the first place--the music was loud, and everyone was on the make. And if everything was supposed to be so great, why did everyone drink or do drugs in the hope of enhancing their experience? It didn't make sense to her, but as the ocean sounded in the distance, she suddenly knew that it never had.
She also wanted a better relationship with her mom. At the very least, her dad had taught her that parents could be okay. Though she was under no illusions that her mom trusted her the way her dad did, she knew the tension cut both ways in their relationship. Maybe if she tried talking to her mom in the same way she talked to her dad, things would begin to improve between them.
Strange, what being forced to slow down could do to a person.
"It's going to end, you know," said a voice behind her.
Absorbed in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Ashley approach, but she recognized her voice.
"Excuse me?" Warily, she turned to face the blonde.
"I mean, I'm glad Will invited you to the wedding. You should have your fun now because it's not going to last. He leaves in a couple of weeks. Have you thought about that yet?"
Ronnie appraised her. "I don't see how it's any of your business."
"Even if you two make plans to see each other, do you honestly think Will's mom is ever going to accept you?" Ashley went on. "Megan was engaged twice before this, and her mom ran both of them off. And she's going to do the same to you whether you like it or not. But even if she doesn't, you're leaving and he's leaving and it's not going to last."
Ronnie tensed, hating Ashley for giving voice to her darkest thoughts. Still, she was getting tired of this girl, and she had just about reached her limit.
"Hey, Ashley," she said, sidling up closer to her, "I'm going to tell you something, okay? And I want you to pay attention, so I'm going to be perfectly clear." She took another step forward, until their faces were almost touching. "I'm getting sick and tired of listening to your crap, so if you ever try to talk to me again, I'm going to punch those bleached teeth right out of your mouth. Got it?"
Something in her face must have convinced Ashley that Ronnie was serious, because she turned quickly without another word and retreated to the safety of the tent.
Standing on the dock later, Ronnie was glad she'd finally managed to shut Ashley down, but the spiteful blonde's words still nagged at her. Will would be leaving for Vanderbilt in two weeks, and she'd most likely be leaving a week after that. She wasn't sure what was going to happen to them, aside from one simple truth: Things were going to change.
How could they not? Their relationship had been sustained by seeing each other every day, and try as she might, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to communicate by phone or text. She knew there were other options--using the camera on her computer, for instance--but she was under no illusions that it would resemble what they had now.
Which meant... what?
Behind her, the reception was in full swing. The chairs had been cleared from the temporary deck to create a dance floor, and from her vantage point on the dock, she'd seen Will dance at least twice with the six-year-old flower girl, as well as once with his sister, making Ronnie smile. A few minutes after her confrontation with Ashley, she'd watched Megan and Daniel cut the cake. The music started up again as Tom danced with Megan, and when Megan tossed her bouquet, Ronnie was sure that even distant neighbors must have heard the scream from the young woman who caught it.
"There you are," Will said, breaking into her reverie. He was coming down the walkway toward her. "I've been looking all over for you. It's time for our dance."
She watched him close the distance between them, trying to imagine what some of the girls he'd meet in college would think if they were in her shoes right now. Probably the same thing she was thinking: Wow.
He skipped down the last steps toward her, and she turned away. Studying the movement of the water seemed easier than facing him.
He knew her well enough to recognize something was amiss.
"What's wrong?"
When she didn't answer right away, he gently brushed aside a strand of her hair.
"Talk to me," he murmured.
She closed her eyes briefly before facing him. "Where are we going with all this? With you and me."
Will frowned in concern. "I'm not sure what you mean."
Her smile was melancholy. "Yes, you do," she said, and as soon as he lowered his hand from her hair, she knew he understood. "It's not going to be the same."
"That doesn't mean it has to end..."
"You make it sound so easy."
"It's not hard to get from Nashville to New York. It's, what... a two-hour flight? It's not like I'd have to walk there."
"And you'll come see me?" Ronnie heard the tremulousness of her own voice.
"I was planning on it. And I was hoping you'd come to Nashville, too. We can go to the Grand Ole Opry."
She laughed despite the ache she felt inside.
He put his arms around her. "I don't know why all of this is coming up now, but you're wrong. I mean, I know it's not going to be the same, but that doesn't mean it can't be better in some ways, too. My sister lives in New York, remember? And it's not as though school goes year-round. There are breaks in the fall and spring, another around Christmas, and then it's summer. And like I said, it's an easy enough trip if we just wanted to make a weekend out of it."
Ronnie wondered what his parents would think about that, but she said nothing.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Don't you even want to try?"
"Of course I want to try."
"Then we'll find a way to make it work, okay?" He paused. "I want to be with you as much as possible, Ronnie. You're smart and funny and you're honest. I trust you. I trust us. Yeah, I'm leaving and you're going back home. But neither of those things changes the way I feel about you. And my feelings aren't going to change simply because I'm going to Vanderbilt. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."
She knew he was sincere, but a nagging voice inside her asked how many summer romances actually withstood the test of time. Not many, and it had nothing to do with feelings. People changed. Interests changed. All she had to do was glance in the mirror to recognize that.
Yet losing him seemed unbearable. He was the one she loved, the one she would always love, and as he leaned in to kiss her, she gave herself over to him. While he held her close, she ran her hands over his shoulders and back, feeling the strength in his arms. She knew he'd wanted more in their relationship than she'd been willing to offer, but here and now, she suddenly knew she had no other choice. There was only this moment, and it was theirs.
When he spoke, his voice was at once tentative and urgent. "Do you want to come with me to my dad's boat?"
She could feel herself trembling, uncertain whether she was ready for what was coming next. At the same time, she felt a powerful urge to move forward. "Okay," she whispered.
Will squeezed her hand, and she had the impression that he was as nervous as she felt as he led her toward the boat. She knew she could still change her mind, but she didn't want to stop. She wanted her first time to mean something, to happen with someone she cared deeply about. As they drew near the boat, she only vaguely registered her surroundings; the air was cooling, and from the corner of her eye, she could see guests moving on the dance floor. Off to the side, she saw Susan talking to the elderly man who'd been watching her earlier and was again struck by the nagging thought that she knew him from somewhere.
"That was such a sweet speech, I wish I could have recorded it," she heard someone drawl.
Will flinched. The voice came from the far side of the dock. Though he remained hidden in the darkness, Ronnie knew exactly who it was. Blaze had warned her something like this might be coming. Marcus stepped out from behind a pole and lit a fireball.
"I mean it, Richie Rich. You really charmed the pants off her." He grinned. "Almost, anyway."
Will took a step forward. "Get the hell out of here."
Marcus moved the fireball, rotating it between his fingers. "Or what? You'll call the cops? I know you better than that."
Will tensed. Marcus had somehow struck a nerve, though she didn't know why.
"This is private property," Will said, but he didn't sound as sure of himself as he should have.
"I love this part of town, don't you? Everyone down here is so country club chummy, they built this nice walkway that follows the water from one house to the next. I just love coming out here, you know? To enjoy the views, I mean."
"This is my sister's wedding," Will hissed.
"I always thought your sister was beautiful," Marcus said. "I even asked her out once. But the tramp turned me down. Can you believe that?" He didn't give Will a chance to respond before he motioned to the crowd. "I saw Scott earlier, up there acting like he doesn't have a care in the world. You gotta wonder about his conscience, huh? Then again, yours isn't so clear, either, is it? I'll bet you haven't even told your mommy that your little hooker girlfriend here is probably going to jail."
Will's body felt as taut as a bowstring.
"I'll bet the judge is setting her straight, though, huh?"
The judge...
Suddenly, Ronnie knew why the older man had looked so familiar... and now the judge was talking to Susan...
She felt her own breath catch in her throat.
Oh... God...
The realization came in the same instant that Will let go of her hand. As he charged toward Marcus, Marcus threw the fireball at him and leapt from the dock to the walkway. He scrambled up into the yard, near the corner of the tent, but he was no match for Will. Will easily closed the distance, but when Marcus glanced over his shoulder, Ronnie saw something in his face that told her this was exactly what he'd wanted from Will.
She had barely a split second to wonder why before she saw Marcus diving toward the ropes that supported the tent...
She lunged forward. "Don't, Will! Stop!" she screamed, but it was already too late.
Will crashed into Marcus, entwining them both in the ropes as the pegs tore loose from the ground. Ronnie watched in horror as a corner of the tent began to collapse.
People began to scream, and she heard a sickening crash as one of the ice sculptures toppled over, the guests scattering and screaming. Will and Marcus were struggling on the ground before Marcus was finally able to extricate himself. Instead of continuing to fight, he burst free from the commotion and leapt back onto the walkway, vanishing from sight behind the neighbor's house.
In the ensuing pandemonium, Ronnie found herself wondering whether anyone would even remember seeing Marcus there at all.
They certainly remembered her. Sitting in the study, she felt as if she were twelve years old. All she wanted to do was get as far away from the house as possible and crawl under her covers at home.
As she heard Susan shouting from the next room, she couldn't stop replaying the image of the collapsing tent.
"She ruined your sister's wedding!"
"No, she didn't!" Will shouted back. "I told you what happened!"
"You expect me to believe that some stranger crashed the party and you tried to stop him?"
"That's what happened!"
Why Will never mentioned Marcus by name, Ronnie didn't know, but there was no way on earth she was going to add her two cents. Any second she expected to hear a chair go crashing through the window. Or for the two of them to come charging into the study, so that Susan could berate her.
"Will, please... even assuming your story is true, why was he here? Everyone knows about all the security we have! Every judge in town was at the wedding. The sheriff was monitoring the road out front, for goodness' sake. It had to have something to do with that girl! Don't give me that... I can tell by your face that I'm right... And what were you doing with her at your dad's boat, anyway?"
The way she said "that girl" made Ronnie sound like something disgusting Susan had stepped in and couldn't scrape off her shoe.
"Mom--"
"Stop! Don't even try to make excuses! It was Megan's wedding, Will, don't you get that? Her wedding! You know
how important this was to all of us. You know how hard your father and I worked to get everything ready!"
"I didn't mean for it to happen--"
"It doesn't matter, Will." Ronnie heard Susan let out an explosive sigh. "You knew what was going to happen if you brought her here. You know she's not like us..."
"You haven't even given her a chance--"
"Judge Chambers recognized her! He told me she's going to court later this month for felony shoplifting! So either you didn't know and she's been lying to you, or you did know and you've been lying to me!"
There was a tense silence, and despite herself, Ronnie found herself straining to hear Will's response. When he did speak, he sounded subdued.
"I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't understand."
"Will, honey... don't you get that she's not good enough for you? You've got your whole future ahead of you, and the last thing you need in your life is someone like her. I've been waiting for you to figure it out on your own, but obviously you're too emotionally involved to see the obvious. She's not good enough for you. She's low-class. Low! Class!"
As the voices escalated, Ronnie felt physically sick; it was all she could do not to vomit. Susan wasn't right about everything, but she had guessed right about one thing: Ronnie was the reason Marcus had come. If only she had trusted her instincts and stayed home! She didn't belong here.
"Are you okay?" Tom asked. He was standing in the doorway, holding his car keys.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Blakelee," she blurted out. "I didn't mean to cause any problems."
"I know you didn't," he said. Despite his sympathetic response, she knew he had to be upset as well. How could he not be? Though no one was seriously hurt, two guests who'd been knocked over during the commotion had been taken to the hospital. He was in control of his emotions, and she was thankful for that. Had he even raised his voice, she would have burst into tears.
"Would you like me to drive you home? It's pretty chaotic out there right now. Your dad might have trouble getting to the house."