“People have to book their weddings two years in advance to get the date they want.”Barbara found the spreadsheet they’d started for planning Penny’s wedding.Unfortunately, there were only two ticks beside the long list of things they needed to do.“Look at this,” she said as she turned the laptop around.“The only things you’ve done is look for a wedding dress and ask Pastor John if he’ll be the celebrant.”She looked around the table.No one seemed to register the enormity of only having nine weeks to prepare for a wedding.“You didn’t even buy the wedding dress you liked.”
Penny shrugged.“I didn’t buy it because it was too small.Don’t worry.Everything will be all right.”
Barbara sighed.“The last time you said that we ended up starting a Bed and Breakfast.”
“It’s not as bad as you think.”Diana peered at the spreadsheet.“We’re not as organized as you are, but we can follow a list.All we have to do is start at the top and work our way down.Between the four of us, we’ll have the wedding planned in next to no time.”
Barbara hoped so, but managing the inn took a lot of time.With their other work commitments, there weren’t many hours left in each day to plan a wedding.
“Don’t look so worried,” Katie said to Barbara.“It will be okay.”
For Penny’s sake, she hoped so.They had a lot of things to do and not much time to do it.
“There’s something else I want to ask you,” Penny said.“Would you all be my bridesmaids?”
Katie jumped out of her chair and hugged Penny.“I’d love to be your bridesmaid.”
Diana grinned.“As long as I don’t have to wear a frilly pink dress, you can count me in.”
Everyone looked at Barbara.
“I’d love to be a bridesmaid, too.”She sighed when Katie’s eyebrows rose.“Just because I haven’t worn a dress in years, it doesn’t mean I can’t make an exception for Penny’s wedding.”
Penny grinned and wrapped her arms around her sisters.“I love you guys.I can’t wait to walk down the aisle with you.”
Barbara enjoyed the warmth of their embrace.If it wasn’t for their grandma, they’d still be living on opposite sides of the country.Remembering moments like this was important, especially when it wouldn’t last forever.
THEO PUSHED HIS LAPTOP AWAY—ASif not seeing how bad his finances were would somehow make them less disastrous.
He’d moved to Sapphire Bay intending to start his life again.But telling himself he needed a fresh start was a lot easier than doing it.Especially when he was relying on his savings to pay his bills.
“You look like you could do with a coffee.”His friend, Ethan, stood beside him in The Welcome Center’s dining room.“I’m on my way to the kitchen.Would you like a hot drink?”
Theo held up his water bottle.“No, thanks.I’m in training mode for the half-marathon.”
Ethan smiled.“So am I, but I can’t do without coffee.I’ll be back soon.”
While he waited for Ethan, Theo looked through the large windows overlooking the tiny home village.When he’d arrived in Sapphire Bay ten months ago, only a few houses in the village had been built.With a lot of hard work, Pastor John’s dream of creating twenty-five tiny homes for people who didn’t have anywhere to live was complete.With the wrap-around services the church provided, everyone was benefiting from Pastor John’s vision.
Ethan walked into the room.“The students in the hospitality class made fresh lemonade.I brought you a glass.”
Closing the lid of his laptop, he slid it into its case.“Thanks.”
His friend lifted his cup of coffee to his nose and breathed in deeply.“I don’t know what’s better.The anticipation of drinking this heavenly brew or actually sipping it.”
“Why choose?”Theo said with a smile.“Did you go for a run this afternoon?”
“I had too many appointments at the clinic.What about you?”
“Not yet.”
Ethan frowned.“You never miss a training run.”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with your business grant being declined, would it?”
Theo’s eyebrows rose.That was the trouble with small towns—everyone knew what was happening in each other’s lives.“How did you know about the grant?”
