A Lowcountry Wedding Page 4

  Taylor’s large hands grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack. “Red okay?”

  “Don’t pour me any wine.” Harper reached out to lift her mug. “I’m drinking hot tea. It’s so chilly.”

  Taylor set the bottle down, then returned to the stove. He reached for a spoon and dipped it into the gumbo. He blew on the sauce, then tasted it, eyes closed. After a second he said, “Tastes good, baby, but it needs something. Not spicy enough.”

  Harper trusted his palate when it came to lowcountry dishes. She picked up a pen and bent over the recipe.

  “I’m still making adjustments on Lucille’s recipe. It’s trial-and-error. She was, shall we say, creative in her measurements.” Harper lifted the recipe and read aloud, “Toss in some oregano, basil, onions, garlic.”

  Taylor laughed as he walked to the wooden kitchen table where a pile of mail sat. “Lucille probably learned these recipes at her mother’s or grandmother’s knee. Watching them toss things in. She wrote those directions for herself. There was no need for her to be specific.”

  “I, however, have to make an educated guess. Thus lots of tasting.” Harper brought the spoon to her lips, tasted, then reached out to add a generous pinch of oregano. “I want everything to be perfect for tomorrow’s party.”

  “It will be. You’ve been planning for weeks.”

  “It’s the first time there’s been a gathering here at Sea Breeze since we’ve bought it.”

  “Dora’s been here plenty of times.”

  “Well, Dora, yes. Of course. She lives so close. But not Carson. She’s the one who’s most attached. And the one who had an issue with me buying it.” Harper stirred more rapidly as she felt the nervousness tighten her stomach. “She’ll want everything to have stayed the same.” Including Mamaw’s still owning it, Harper thought.

  “Hey, it’s done. All water under the bridge now.”

  “She can’t help but resent the fact that I own the house she loves. Me, the least likely candidate.”

  “Why the least likely?”

  “I was the least connected to the house. To the South for that matter. I only came here as a child for a few summers. I was the sister from ‘off.’ The Yankee from New York. Then I come barreling in last summer and buy the place right from under their noses.”

  Taylor scoffed, “Hardly the scenario. You were the only one who could afford to rescue it. I figure they’re all thinking you came riding in on your white charger to save the day. Otherwise strangers would be living in this house right now. Carson has to accept that fact and be grateful.”

  Harper didn’t reply. In her experience, emotions ran high in family matters and clouded judgment. “She’ll resent any changes I made. Think that it’s not my place, especially while Mamaw is still alive.”

  “Maybe at first. It’d be only natural. But she’ll get over it.” Taylor reached in for a second taste. “Better. But it still needs a little more heat.” He put the spoon on the counter and reached for the mail. “She’s getting married, too, don’t forget. She’ll be moving into her own place with Blake. He was talking about buying a house. She’ll have enough on her mind.”

  “Blake’s not moving. He’s keeping his apartment on Sullivan’s.”

  Taylor stopped sifting through the mail and set the pile back on the table. He and Blake had become close friends since the engagement. Their shared interest in dolphins cemented a natural affinity.

  “Not moving? I thought he was heading out to James Island. Closer to NOAA.”

  “Carson doesn’t want to leave Sullivan’s Island. At least she’s firm about something.”

  Taylor kept silent but his brows gathered.

  Harper turned off the stove and lay the wooden spoon on the counter. She knew Taylor’s silences held back a lot of words. As quick as Harper had been to imply one of Carson’s faults, her defense of her sister came naturally. “It’s not like Blake doesn’t want to live on the island, too. It’s his apartment.”

  Taylor took a long swallow from his beer. “When’s Carson arriving, anyway?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon. Blake is picking her up from the airport, then bringing her here.” Harper chewed her lip. “Her room is all freshened up. I’ll put fresh flowers in tomorrow and some lowcountry snacks . . . benne wafers, pralines.”

  “You’re doing a lot, honey. Is it really all necessary?”

  Her face lit up as she caught his gaze. “I want to. Taylor, it’s beginning. The weddings.”

  Taylor’s eyes kindled. “I only care about the one wedding. Ours.”

  He leaned against the table and rubbed the back of his neck. Harper knew this as a signal that something was on his mind. She leaned against the counter, crossed her arms, and waited for him to speak.

  “I was talking to my parents,” he began.

  Harper said nothing.

  “We were getting our ducks in a row. Do you know how long Granny James will be staying here?”

  Something in his voice made Harper glance up sharply. No love was lost between those two when she and Taylor were dating, but peace had been made.

  “She’ll stay until the wedding for sure. After that, as long as she cares to.” Her voice sounded more unyielding than she’d intended.

  “Of course,” Taylor hastened to reply. He looked down, his fingers drumming the table behind him. “The reason why I was talking about dates with my parents is that my mother thought it might be nice for me to return home for a while. Before the wedding. Sort of a last chance to be with her boy again before I become your husband.”

  Harper relaxed again and moved closer to Taylor to slip her arms around his waist. “I’ve always assumed you would go back home for a while before the wedding. It’ll be a flurry of estrogen and lace here. But I’ll miss you. How long would you guess? About a week?”

  He looked down and his eyes caught hers. “Actually, I was thinking of leaving soon. Before Granny James arrives.”

  “What? But that’s next week!”

  Taylor nodded.

  Harper was stymied. “But . . . but why? There’s no need for you to leave that early. It’s insane. Getting to work every morning all the way from McClellanville will add hours to your commute.”

  “It’ll only be for a short while.”

  Harper released him and strode across the room for her tea, feeling a sudden need for its warmth. She closed her hands around the heated ceramic and stared at the dark brew. “I don’t understand,” she said softly.

  “You remember how things were between your grandmother and me.”

  “That was last year. She loves you now.”

  “Love?” he said dubiously. “Tolerates, maybe. Accept, possibly. She raked me over the coals.”

  “Granny James was just being protective. She didn’t know you and wanted to be sure . . . well . . .”

  “That I deserved you.”

  “Yes.” Harper’s lips twitched.

  “And that I wasn’t after you just for your money.”

  Harper shrugged. “That, too. And you passed with flying colors. So what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to stay here, living in this house, sleeping in your bed, before we’re married.”

  “It’s no secret. She knows you’re living here.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “She does?”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. She’s no prude.”

  “She is when it comes to you. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of her cool glances. That woman could kill a charging rhino with one look. I’d rather deal with hours of traffic. Or rent a room for a few months.”

  Harper put her cup on the counter and crossed her arms against an irrational panic growing inside her chest. She felt her heart beating faster, and it felt as if all the worries she’d squelched deep inside were pounding to get out. “I can’t be left alone here! They’ll all be here—Carson, Blake, Granny James, Mamaw, Girard, Devlin, Dora, Nate. . . . They’ll be constantly in and out, asking for things,
meals to prepare, laundry. Not to mention the wedding plans. How will I ever cope?”

  “You don’t have to take care of everyone. They can take care of themselves. It’ll be the same as last summer.”

  “But it won’t! This is my home now. It’ll be expected that I make the decisions. Plan the meals. Be the one in charge. I can’t, Taylor,” Harper blurted, tears springing to her eyes. Taylor came forward to put his arms around her. As always, she felt safe in his arms. She needed him now more than ever.

  Taylor smoothed the hair from her face, damp with tears.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I got so emotional. I’m actually very happy they’re all going to be here. I just feel a bit overwhelmed. It’s just, I can’t do it without you here. I need you. Especially now.”

  Taylor’s hand stilled. He slid back, holding her arms in his hands and studying her face. After a brief silence he said faintly, “Why especially now?”

  Harper drew a breath and wiped her face with her fingertips. Her face broke into a smile. “Because”— a gleam was in her eyes—“we’re going to have a baby.”

  Chapter Three

  Like any young southern bride, she had visions of being the perfect wife, the best mother, and a creative hostess worthy of the pages of Southern Living magazine.

  The streets were collecting water on Sullivan’s Island by the time Dora made her way home. It had been raining like the Lord’s flood all afternoon without sign of stopping. It didn’t make her life any easier on a day Dora had to rush all morning arranging after-school care for Nate and squeezing in a few extra, much-needed final minutes of study. Now the day was done, the test taken, and she was on her way home. It felt as though all the energy she’d bottled up had spilled out on the test, leaving her feeling empty. All she wanted to do on this chilly, wet night was to change out of this constricting dress into comfortable clothes and slippers, drink a glass or two of wine, curl up on the sofa, and watch mindless television.

  The cold rain splattered the windshield of her car so hard she could barely see the little house nestled among clusters of palms, oleanders, and old oaks. She turned off the engine and sighed in the sudden silence, eyes closed. The rain beat the roof of her aging Lexus like a drum. This was the first moment of peace she’d had since she’d opened her eyes this morning. She felt weary, as if she’d run a marathon—only, she thought with chagrin, without having lost an ounce.

  Her brief moment of peace concluded, Dora began to revisit in her mind the questions on the exam, second-guessing her answers. Dora had never been a great student. Not like Harper with her razor-sharp intellect and Ivy League education. Dora had to study, hard, for a test. Yet no matter how much she studied, when the test was put before her, she felt a panic build in her chest and a pounding in her ears that made it difficult to think clearly. Her teachers had called her a “poor test taker.” Because of this her grades had suffered in school, but that was a lifetime ago, and she’d never been all that worried about her ranking in academics. She hadn’t finished college so she could marry Calhoun Tupper after her junior year. As her friends had joked, who needed a BA when she got a MRS?

  This test was different, however. Passing the real estate exam meant the difference between starting a new career that she loved and trying to support herself and her son on minimum wage. She placed her fingertips to her temple, feeling the old fear of failure rear up in her heart—a cold shiver, a tightening in the chest. Paralyzing.

  Her marriage to Calhoun had been a dismal failure. For the ten years of their union, Dora had struggled to be the wife she’d always believed she should be. She had exalted expectations set by her mother and her mother before her for generations. She and Cal had pulled together their savings and borrowed to the hilt to purchase an old Victorian house in the historic section of Summerville, South Carolina. They’d thought it was the first step toward the life they’d planned for themselves. Like any young southern bride, Dora had visions of being the perfect wife, the best mother, and a creative hostess worthy of the pages of Southern Living magazine. With the naïve excitement of youth they’d made great plans to lovingly restore what they saw as a grande dame of an old house. Oh, the plans Dora had! All she’d needed was a little money and a little time for her dreams to come true.

  Time, however, had not been kind. The old treasure of a house was in fact a money pit of mold, rotting foundations, and rats in the attic. Cal’s meager salary and lack of promotions at the bank meant there was never the money to begin restoration. And Cal, it turned out, didn’t know a hammer from a paintbrush. They lived in a run-down house in an aura of disappointment. If that wasn’t depressing enough, she’d had one miscarriage after another. When at last her prayers were answered and she gave birth to her son, Nate, she’d thought things would at last improve. But she knew something about her son was off, and at three years of age Nate was diagnosed with Asperger’s, a high-functioning autism.

  Naturally, Dora lost interest in the house and focused on what was important—helping her son. She withdrew from local volunteering and began homeschooling. She didn’t realize that she was becoming isolated and lost interest in herself, as well. Meanwhile Cal, too, lost interest, not only in the house but in his wife and son. Then, last summer, he had asked for a divorce.

  When Cal left, Dora felt she’d failed at everything that had mattered to her and fell into a deep depression, which led to broken heart syndrome, also known as cardiomyopathy, which landed her in the hospital. Mamaw’s invitation to Sea Breeze had saved her. She’d moved to the safety of her grandmother’s and sisters’ arms. With their support, she’d begun her long journey to healing.

  Now, her divorce was final. She was, for the first time in her life, truly on her own. The sensation was both heady and daunting. Dora knew she had a lot to prove—to herself, and, too, to her son. Yet she’d never felt so stressed. Money was tight. The tuition for Nate’s private school was costly, and Cal was often lagging behind in contributing his share of the payments. He kept telling her he had to spend money to get the house in shape for sale. That albatross had been on the market for nearly a year without a serious offer. If only it would sell, she’d be free of it and maybe have a little money left over. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, her mother would tell her. It was true, Dora knew that. She had to concentrate on what she could do right now. Such as getting her real estate license.

  Dora squeezed her eyes tight and said a quick prayer. She just had to pass this exam. For once in her life she didn’t want to depend on anyone else or any turn of fate. She wanted to make it on her own.

  But it was hard being a single parent. Between caring for Nate, cleaning the house, shopping and cooking, working fulltime, and finding time to study, the one she’d stopped taking care of was herself. Again. She was falling into a dangerous trap. She’d stopped exercising on the excuse she didn’t have time. She ate take-out food. And the wine . . . The pounds she’d lost were slowly piling back on. She felt like such a failure for slipping into old, bad patterns.

  Relax. Don’t beat yourself up, Dora told herself. She took a deep cleansing breath, then exhaled out the noxious feelings of self-hatred and failure. She looked out the car window and saw the little cottage peeping out from the wet, drooping foliage. You’re home now, she told herself.

  This feeling of homecoming was hard-won. She loved this little cottage. Devlin, her boyfriend, had purchased it a year earlier when the real estate market crashed. When they’d started dating, she’d helped him remodel it, even rolling up her sleeves and working alongside him. Dora had poured into the cottage all she’d dreamed of doing all those lonely years in Summerville. Devlin not only appreciated her suggestions but had incorporated them. And more, Devlin knew how to wield a hammer. Together, they’d rehabbed the house by the creek into something special. This cottage was one of her successes. Devlin had then let Dora rent the house at an amount she could afford while he waited for the market to improve. They both knew it was his
way of helping her through this rough time.

  Devlin was waiting for her inside now. Feeling buoyed by the thought, she pushed open the car door and ran along the winding walkway, clutching her raincoat close to her neck, to the front door. It was thankfully unlocked so she pushed it open and scampered into the dry shelter.

  “Surprise!”

  Dora stopped in the entryway, mouth agape. Yellow light from the lamps filled the small living room with golden light. Hanging from the ceiling, from corner to corner, were ribbons of crepe paper in blue and white, and under them, her boyfriend and son stood wearing party hats and blowing paper horns that sounded like duck calls.

  Dora brought her hands to her cheeks. “What’s all this?” she exclaimed, dripping in the front hall.

  “Congratulations, baby,” Devlin shouted as he came to her side and planted a firm kiss on her cheek.

  “You don’t even know if I passed the exam,” she protested.

  “I know you will,” he replied confidently as he helped her out of her raincoat. “You studied harder than anyone I’ve ever seen, plus you had me as your tutor. You’re a shoo-in.”

  Nate hurried toward her, and looking down, she saw his face flushed with a wide grin of excitement. That in itself was unusual, and she felt a rush of love. She wanted to bend to hug him in her arms, to squeeze his small, slender frame with all the love she had to offer, but she held back. Dora knew that part of his autism meant that her son didn’t like to be hugged or touched and accepted kisses only rarely, when he was in the right mood. She played fair and instead lowered herself to meet his gaze, matching his smile.