Back on Blossom Street (22 page)

Alix Townsend

T
he weekend was hectic for Alix and Jordan as they quietly went about changing their wedding plans. The first person they talked to was Grandma Turner, who didn’t disguise her pleasure or excitement.

“I’d
love
it if you had the wedding here,” she said, beaming with pride. “Didn’t I tell you?” she whispered in Alix’s ear as she hugged her. “My grandson’s much too smart to let you go. He knows he has a winner.”

Alix felt a sense of pure joy at Grandma Turner’s words. In the time she’d stayed with Sarah, they’d grown even closer. Alix hadn’t realized how great the physical and emotional toll had been these last few months. She’d slept twelve hours both nights she was at Sarah’s.

Jordan had spent those days thinking. He confided in Alix that he hadn’t mentioned the broken engagement to anyone. Instead, he’d thought long and hard about what really mattered in his life. After that, he came to find her, to tell her how much he loved her and needed her. His declaration of love in the back room at Susannah’s Garden had been the most beautiful thing Alix had ever heard.

While they were separated, Alix had sat by the lake for hours. Being there had calmed her and revived her spirits and it had given her the courage to return to Blossom Street and face her future, with or without Jordan. She felt giddy with relief at the outcome, which his grandmother had never once doubted. It was Sarah who’d suggested the lake house as the perfect place for their wedding. At the time, Alix had been convinced there’d be no wedding.

The most difficult part would be breaking the news to Jacqueline and Susan. Jordan had asked them both to meet him and Alix at his church office, at nine o’clock Monday morning. As they waited, Alix paced nervously; she couldn’t sit or remain standing. This was going to be horrible; she just knew it. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Susan would hate her after this, and Jacqueline would think she was an ingrate.

“Your mother’s never going to forgive me,” she murmured, pacing the rug in front of Jordan’s desk.

“Alix, will you relax?”

“But all the money Jacqueline and Reese have put into this reception…”

“They should never have booked the country club before they discussed it with us. We were trapped.”

“Yes, I know,” she concurred, but while that was true, it didn’t ease the ache in her stomach.

“This is
our
wedding, Alix,” he reminded her, and it seemed deliciously ironic to have her own words quoted back to her. “I’m as much to blame as anyone. I didn’t listen to you, either. It embarrasses me that I failed you so completely.” He shook his head. “It’s a wonder you’re still willing to marry me.”

His love washed over her, bringing peace to Alix’s heart. But her sense of peace didn’t last. Susan Turner arrived first, bursting into Jordan’s office as if she had a dozen other
places she needed to be. She frowned at her watch. “I hope this isn’t going to take long,” she said impatiently.

“We’re waiting for Jacqueline,” Alix said, finally sitting down.

“Okay, fine, but I have a meeting and I can’t be late.”

“I’m sure Jacqueline will be here soon,” Alix said, although her friend would probably show up a fashionable five minutes late, if not ten or fifteen.

Jordan came around his desk and stood next to Alix’s chair, placing his arm around her shoulder.

Fortunately for Susan’s schedule and Alix’s nerves, Jacqueline got there almost right away. She looked exquisite, beautifully made up and wearing an elegant pantsuit. “You asked to see us?” she said, turning to Jordan and Alix with a smile of expectation.

“Mom, Mrs. Donovan, it might be best if you both sat down for this.” Jordan gestured to the sofa, which was positioned against the wall.

The two women exchanged a puzzled glance, as if the other should be able to provide an explanation.

Jordan waited until his mother sighed and sank onto the sofa beside Jacqueline. He reached for Alix’s hand and said, “Alix and I want you to know how much we appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

His mother checked her watch a second time. “I’m glad you’re grateful, Jordan, but Jacqueline and I are meeting with the caterers in fifteen minutes.”

Ah, so that was it, Alix thought. They were seeing the caterers for her wedding, and she hadn’t even been informed. That said it all, as far as she was concerned.

“Really?” Jordan shared a knowing look with Alix.

Alix felt vindicated; Jordan could now see for himself what had been happening all along.

“What is it?” Susan Turner demanded, glaring at them. “We have that meeting…”

Jordan returned his mother’s gaze. “Then this will be the perfect time to tell the caterers that the big, fancy wedding you two have arranged has been canceled.”

His mother’s jaw dropped and she leaped to her feet.

Jacqueline gasped. “You’re canceling the wedding?”

Jordan brought Alix’s hand up and tucked it in the crook of his elbow. “Not entirely. We—” He wasn’t allowed to complete his sentence.

“You can’t
do
this! Jordan, what are you thinking?” His mother could barely get the words out fast enough.

“Mother, if you’d allow me to finish.”

Jacqueline just sat there quietly. When she caught Alix’s eye, she winked. Alix wasn’t sure what that meant, but she had the distinct feeling Jacqueline understood more than she’d let on.

Jordan took advantage of the brief silence to say, “We’re still having a wedding. A different kind of wedding, that’s all.”

“Do you realize how much work, effort and money have already gone into the preparations for this event?” Susan shrieked.

“Yes, but—”

Jacqueline stopped her. “Susan, it’s only right to hear them out.”

“Mrs. Turner,” Alix said, speaking quickly in order to be heard. “I know this must be a shock.”

“A shock,” Susan repeated and sank down onto the sofa again. “Shock doesn’t
begin
to describe what I’m feeling right now.”

“I actually felt we’d gone too far,” Jacqueline said to the other woman.

“But—”

Jacqueline interrupted her again, nodding at Alix and Jordan. “Tell us what you’ve decided.”

“We want a small, private wedding,” Alix explained, forever grateful to her friend. “I’ve spoken with Grandma Turner and she—”

“The invitations have already been mailed,” Susan argued. “The wedding’s scheduled to take place right here in the downtown church. Our friends…” His mother paused and raked her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. “Oh, my goodness, we have friends driving all the way from California to attend our son’s wedding.”

“Then apparently you’re going to have houseguests for a while,” Jacqueline said. “We’ll go to the country club afterward.”

“But…but…” Susan sputtered.

“It’s Alix’s wedding, too,” Jordan told his mother. “She tried very hard to be the kind of bride you wanted, but unfortunately that isn’t going to happen.”

“This is the reason you disappeared, isn’t it?” Jacqueline asked.

Alix nodded.

Jordan brought her closer to his side. “Alix has been uncomfortable with this from the first and she did everything she could to let us know her feelings. But like you, I didn’t listen.”

“You
can’t
cancel,” his mother insisted. “Not at this late date. Everything’s been arranged!”

“Susan,” Jacqueline barked. “Get a grip here. This is their wedding.”

“I apologize that all of this is last-minute,” Jordan said.

“You want a small intimate wedding?” Jacqueline continued. “Then that’s what you’ll have. The people who are owed an apology are the two of you. Susan and I need to apologize for taking over the way we did.”

Jordan’s mother was speechless.

“A small wedding is what Alix has always wanted,” Jacqueline pointed out to Susan. “We were the ones who let things get out of hand. Reese told me that the other night. When Alix disappeared, he said I’d run roughshod over her, and he was right.”

Alix bit her lip to hold back tears. How privileged she was to have these two wonderful friends.

“I’ve had more time to adjust to this since Alix left,” Jacqueline said kindly. “Susan, once you’ve had a chance to think about it, you’ll see this is the best thing all around.”

In her effort to build a positive relationship with her future mother-in-law, Alix had repeatedly given in to Susan’s demands. The hives had taught her a valuable lesson—denying her emotions didn’t mean they’d disappear.

“I’m so sorry for causing all these problems,” Alix whispered, feeling guilty about the expectations she’d thwarted.

“There’s no reason for you to apologize,” Jordan said, bringing her clenched hand to his lips and kissing her fingers. “You told us what you wanted and your wishes have been consistently ignored. That won’t happen again.”

“You’re actually calling off the big wedding and planning some little gathering by the lake?” Susan obviously remained incredulous.

Jordan nodded. “Yes, Mom.”

“But I told you—the invitations have been mailed. The country club’s been booked, the dinner ordered. Everything’s in motion. I don’t know if it can be stopped.”

“It can and it will,” Jordan said with complete confidence. “Alix and I are prepared to send out a second mailing.”

“And say what?” she snapped. “How can you possibly explain what you’re doing?”

“We have everything ready to mail. The notice states that we’ve decided on a private ceremony with only our family and a few friends in attendance.”

His mother shook her head vehemently. “You can’t do that. Jordan, don’t you see what’s going to happen?” Her eyes widened with alarm. “If you cancel a church wedding at the last minute in favor of a private ceremony, people are going to talk…. It’ll hurt you. Alix,” she said, changing tactics. She turned to face her. “Is
that
how you want to start your married life, with speculation and…idle gossip as to why you and Jordan are marrying in…in secret?”

“Susan,” Jacqueline urged a second time. “Let it go, will you?”

“People can talk all they want,” Jordan said, discounting his mother’s concern. “Alix and I have nothing to hide. If there are rumors, they’ll go away soon enough.”

“Does your father know about this?” she asked next.

Jordan shook his head. “Alix and I plan to talk to Dad this afternoon.”

“What about the reception?” Jacqueline inserted.

The thing that bothered Alix most was the expense her friends had gone to on her behalf. “I’ll reimburse you, Jacqueline,” Alix promised. She had no idea how long it would take, but she was determined to pay back every dime the Donovans had invested in this wedding.

“Nonsense,” Jacqueline said emphatically. “It’s my own fault. You didn’t ask me to set this up at the country club. As Reese was more than happy to remind me, I brought it on myself.” She leaned back against the sofa. “Do you remember the time I decided to give you a makeover?” she asked, and the memory brought with it a look of sheer amusement. “I took you to my French hairdresser and it was a catastrophe.”

Alix rolled her eyes. Jacqueline had made a serious
attempt to turn her into a beauty queen, with disastrous results. It’d all started when Jordan had asked her out to dinner; it was their first date and Alix had so badly wanted to look pretty for him. In her inimitable way, Jacqueline had decided to help. Not only was the hairstylist deeply offended by Alix’s lack of appreciation, but being forced to try on designer outfits of Jacqueline’s choosing had been a nightmare. Thankfully, Tammie Lee had come to the rescue.

“Jordan,” Susan Turner said, turning to her son as if Alix wasn’t there. “Despite what Jacqueline says, I can’t allow you to do this. I
can’t.
I know you love Alix and so do I. We all do.” She spoke as if this was a foregone conclusion.

But if that was the case, Alix found it odd that Jordan’s mother had shut her out of the conversation.

“I just can’t let you throw away all our hard work. Don’t you realize Jacqueline and I have slaved on this wedding for weeks?”

“If only you’d asked me,” Alix implored, answering for Jordan, “then none of this would be necessary.”

“Okay,” Susan said, throwing her hands in the air. “I should’ve listened. Now that I think about it, I do recall your objections to certain aspects of the wedding. I agree we didn’t listen as well as we should have, but Alix, that isn’t any reason to flush all our hard work down the toilet.”

Alix was grateful Jordan’s mother remembered her small protesting voice, although she’d ignored all her wishes at the time.

“The only reason I went ahead with our plans,” Susan went on, “is that I have a lot of experience with weddings and I hoped…I
believed
you’d be interested in what I had to say.”

“I was interested, but we didn’t want the same things,” Alix said.

His mother released a deep sigh. “All right, then, I apologize. Nevertheless, it’s been done and while we can certainly make some changes, a lot of what’s already been decided will need to stay as it is.”

“No, Mother, it doesn’t,” Jordan broke in. “Alix and I have made new arrangements. We spent the weekend creating our own wedding invitations. There are about twenty and each is handmade.” Jordan walked around the desk and passed one to his mother, who stared down at it stupefied.

She looked it over, then glanced up, her expression carefully neutral.

Jacqueline took it out of her hand and studied it. “You made these?” she asked.

Jordan nodded. “Actually, Alix did most of the work. I helped where I could.”

“They’re exceptional… Alix, I had no idea you were capable of something like this. I love the way you’ve incorporated the hand-knitted lace. What a lot of work!”

“She’s baking the wedding cake, too.” Jordan looked pointedly at his mother. “It’ll be a three-tier traditional white cake, decorated with real flowers.”

“Okay, fine.” Susan Turner pronounced the words slowly and distinctly as if dragging them through her teeth. “Since you’re so set on this, the only thing left to do is compromise.”

“Mother,” Jordan said, more sternly this time. “Alix and I have made our decision. I’m sorry it isn’t one you like or approve of, but—” He shrugged. “That’s the way it’s going to be.”