Captivated by the sight of Will’s sister, she barely registered the fact that the elderly man beside her seemed more interested in scrutinizing her than Megan.


The ceremony was elegant and yet surprisingly intimate. The pastor read from Second Corinthians, and then Megan and Daniel recited vows they’d written together. They promised patience when it was easy to be impatient, candor when it was easier to lie, and in their own ways, each recognized the fact that real commitment could be proven only through the passage of time.

As Ronnie watched them exchange rings, she appreciated that they’d decided on an outdoor wedding. It was less traditional than the church weddings she’d been to, but somehow still formal, and the setting was picture perfect.

She also knew that Will was right: She was going to like Megan. In the weddings she’d been to, she always had the sense that the brides were intent on pulling off an act, and more than once, she’d seen brides get upset if anything deviated from the script. Megan, on the other hand, seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. As her father walked her up the aisle, she winked at some friends and stopped to give her grandmother a hug. When the ring bearer-barely a toddler and cute as a bug in his little tuxedo-stopped halfway up the aisle and crawled into his mother’s lap, Megan laughed in delight, defusing the momentary tension.

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.”