Meredith’s mother crosses her arms. Her father shifts uncomfortably. Gina doesn’t even jump in to defend her.
“You’re welcome to stay and rehearse,” I add. “But if you continue to perform instead of participate, I’ll ask you to sit this out. Politics or not.”
Cassandra opens her mouth, then clearly thinks better of it. She slinks back to her spot with a dramatic sigh.
The next run-through is smoother. Meredith walks with grace and confidence, her fiancé Evan catching her hand at the arch with a grin. Everyone breathes easier. Even the DJ seems to relax.
After the final walkthrough, Meredith hugs me tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I couldn’t have said that. Not with them watching.”
“You didn’t need to I’m the planner. I’m supposed to take the heat.”
Mr Langford walks over next, hands behind his back.
“Well-managed,” he says, with a clipped nod. “My apologies for any disruption. Some things… fall outside the itinerary.”
I smile politely. “That’s why I carry a red pen.”
He almost smiles.
As the crowd disperses, Dylan appears at my side, coffee in one hand, toolbelt still strapped to his waist. He offers me the cup wordlessly. It’s exactly how I take it.
“I watched the whole thing,” he says quietly. “You didn’t even raise your voice.”
“I didn’t need to.”
He nudges my shoulder. “That was hot.”
I laugh, the tension finally loosening, and blush a little. “She tried to hijack the bride’s moment. I couldn’t let her.”
“I know. You handled it like a boss.”
We walk in silence for a few moments, taking in the orchard, the calm after the storm — literal and otherwise.
“You really okay?” he asks.
I look at him, and I don’t deflect. “I think so. Last night. I had the keys in the ignition…”
“But you didn’t go. That’s what matters.”
I stare at the orchard. “I didn’t think I’d have the courage to face all this again.”
“You didn’t need courage,” he says. “You just needed to remember who you are.”
I lean against him for a moment. “Who I am?”
“The woman who made this happen — storm, scandal, and all.”
I chuckle.
He leans in closer. “But you don’t have to do everything by yourself.”
And I believe him.
For the first time in a long time, I really believe it.
23
