He wrapped his arms around her waist.“That’s because I think I’ve always known who I wanted to marry.You.Only and always you.”And with that said, he claimed her lips for the first of what would be a lifetime of passionate kisses and unending love, shared with his best friend and future wife.
Chapter 20: A Step Towards New Beginnings
TheheroineofHatfieldFalls (Don’t Tell) Book 5 is the Bennetts’ only daughter, Emma.To most people around her, she’s the “perfect pastor’s daughter,” with nothing lacking.Pretty.Sweet.A talented baker.Someone who always knows just what to do or say.But as you will see in this short scene to get to know her, there’s at least one person who knows that what everyone sees is a façade.
“That is simply beautiful,” Gran said as she came over to admire the wedding cake Emma was assembling – or wedding cakes as it was in this case.Many, many gingersnap-flavoured cupcakes were lined up on a tiered glass cake stand and dressed in cream-coloured frosting and small edible flowers.At the top was one small, two-layer round cake with a “Mr.& Mrs.”cake topper – and of course, more flowers.
“You do such good work,” her grandmother continued.She had been adding baskets of prettily wrapped cookies to each of the guest tables.She had also helped bake them and wrap them along with Emma, Cari, Trish, and Henry.
Cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and the like were her one area of expertise.Here, surrounded by baked goods, was where she found her serenity.New techniques and designs, these things came easily – at least when compared with other things like business classes.If only everything were as simple as baking.
“That pastry class I took last year has really come in handy with all the weddings we’ve had or will have.”Today was Henry’s wedding to Trish.He was her second brother to get married.Last year, in December, her oldest brother Will got married to Lacey.Two of her other brothers – the twins, Fred and Eddie – both had serious girlfriends.It was only a matter of time before they both got married.One day, maybe, it’d be her turn.
Of course, first, she’d need to find a guy to ask her out – one who wasn’t afraid to date a pastor’s daughter.Or wasn’t intimidated by the fact that she had five brothers who were protective of her to varying degrees.And then, there were her own issues that got in the way.
“Hey, Emma.”Tyler, Henry’s best man popped his head into the fellowship hall.“Trish says you have five minutes to present yourself to her or she’s leaving the nursery and coming to get you, and she doesn’t care if Henry sees her on the way.”
Emma laughed.“She sent you instead of her maid of honour?”
“Well, actually, Lacey is the reason she didn’t come to get you now.”He stepped further into the fellowship hall.“She said she needs to see that you’re ready.”He gave her a sweeping look.“You look good to me, but then, I’m just a guy, so what do I know about how a bridesmaid should look?”
“I’d say plenty,” Gran said and then chuckled.
Tyler grinned at Gran’s comment and crossed the short distance to where Emma was.“This bridesmaid looks like perfection in my book,” he said to Gran.“But again, I’m not the stressed-out bride who saw her parents arrive through the window.”He leaned closer to Emma and Gran and whispered.“Henry got a text and sent me to check on her.”
“They came?”Gran asked in surprise.
Trish didn’t have a good relationship with her parents, and Emma and Gran both knew it.She had disappointed them, and they seemed to struggle with the ideas of grace and forgiveness.Emma didn’t understand it.How could parents be so unloving?Although…
She sighed inwardly.She could understand having your every action scrutinized and often criticized.She had grown up in the fishbowl that was a pastor’s family, after all.
“It appears they did.”
“Did Henry go to welcome them?”Emma asked.
Tyler shook his head.“Nope, and he wouldn’t let either of Trish’s brothers do it either.He left that for your dad to do.”
Henry had gone to visit Trish’s parents once, and only once.It hadn’t gone well.He was not the sort of guy they thought their daughter should marry.It didn’t matter that he was a pastor’s kid to them, because Hatfield Falls Christian church didn’t use hymnals, had a worship band, didn’t require a specific dress code, and worst of all, read from the wrong version of the Bible.
“That was probably wise,” Emma said.
“You know it.”He looked at the cake display.“Are you done here?”
“I just have two cupcakes left to add.”
“I’ll wait.”
“And I should go make sure Nate and Will are doing a proper job of ushering and find my proper seat in the sanctuary,” Gran said with a wink for Emma and a small tip of her head towards Tyler.
Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes.Tyler was not the sort of guy who would ever be interested in her.He was brilliant.She was not.She was creative, but not smart.At least, not the sort of smart that made school easy.Not to mention, she was Henry’s sister, and she doubted Tyler saw her as anything other than that.It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, she supposed.How many times over the years had she hoped one or another of her brothers’ friends would think of her as more than her brother’s little sister?She should probably have a talk with Gran about that so that the poor woman wouldn’t get her hopes up.
“There.All done.”The final cupcake was in place.She tucked the last cupcake container under the cake table with the others and made sure the tablecloth was hanging properly.
Tyler looked at his phone.“And with three minutes to spare.”He extended his arm to her, and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.“Can you run in those shoes if needed?”he teased.
“As a matter of fact, yes, but not far and not fast.They’re pretty, but not practical.”
They both laughed as they made their way down the hall towards the nursery that had been designated as the bridal party prep room.
