A Wedding on Lilac Lane by Hope Ramsay (best book clubs .txt) 📕

life. She’d been judged by her ability to play the notes on the page. No one cared much about her ability to play really fast jigs and reels. Instead of boosting her confidence, that summer had destroyed it.

Candi and the kitchen help got busy with the dining room cleanup, while Ashley turned toward Dylan. “I’m so sorry you ended up sitting here. I require reservations, but I’ll let Candi know that you are welcome to tea any time when Ella is playing.”

The innkeeper turned back toward Ella. “Are you planning to play for your mother’s wedding?”

“Uh, well, um…”

“You should.” Ashley tapped her mouth as if in thought. “You know, we do our share of weddings out in the garden when June rolls around. And weddings often disrupt our Saturday-afternoon teas, so keep that in mind. But I’m wondering…Brides are always asking me to recommend musicians. I’ve got a harpist and a flutist I recommend, but I’d like to add you to the list, if that’s okay.”

“Yes, thanks. That would be great.” Wow, Ashley was such a kind person. Ella had never met anyone so interested in giving her a break.

“Wonderful job, Ella, really. I’m so glad you’ve joined our community in Magnolia Harbor.” With that praise, Ashley breezed out of the room, leaving Ella alone with Doctor D.

For the second time that day, Ella wanted him to disappear into thin air. But this time was different. Earlier he’d been destroying the family dynamic. But now he was charging the atmosphere, setting up a strange, almost electric hum in her brain that threatened to spark lightning.

“So,” he said. “I have reservations for two at Cibo Dell’anima. It’s a new Italian restaurant that just opened on Harbor Drive. It’s supposed to have a party room. Want to go check it out?”

“I thought you and Jim wanted the engagement party at the yacht club,” she said, turning away and putting her fiddle in its case.

“Change of plans. Your mother has nixed that idea.”

“Oh?” She turned. “When did she do that?”

“Right after you stormed off in a snit.”

A blush crawled up her face as she remembered the feel of his hard shoulder against her face as she’d cried. He’d been so sturdy and patient in that moment. He hadn’t told her to shut up or that she was stupid for crying. He’d just stood there and held her up. It had been…nice.

But now? Now she worried that he was judging her again. “Is that why you came this afternoon? To deliver that message?”

“No. Although for the record, I concede that you were right about your mom’s reaction to the yacht club.”

“Thanks. I think.”

The corner of his mouth curled into a little comma. Like the Amazon smile. “But I didn’t come for that reason. I came because I wanted to listen to you play this time, instead of surreptitiously watching the basketball game. And also, I came to, well…” He shrugged.

“Your father asked you to apologize again?” She snapped the fiddle case closed.

“No. He didn’t think I needed to apologize to you. He’s furious that I’m not down with this idea of him getting married. But that’s between him and me.”

“So…why are you here?”

“Like I said, I have dinner reservations. For two.”

She studied him for a long moment. He wasn’t handing her some BS line this time. He was being honest. And actually, he’d always been honest. From the start. He’d never tried to hide his feelings about Mom and Jim’s relationship.

“Okay, thanks for being honest.”

“Honest?” He seemed surprised.

“For telling me exactly what you think of my mother, even though I’m sure you knew I didn’t want to hear it. I almost admire that. It flies in the face of what we were always taught. You know, about not saying anything unless you had something nice to say.”

“Ella, I don’t think your mother follows that advice.”

He was right about that. Mom had always told her exactly what she thought of her violin performances. So maybe Mom had been honest from the start, and Ella’s biggest problem was that she didn’t like to hear the truth.

On the other hand, Cody’s BS had worn thin after a while.

“Well,” she said, “I guess there is something to be said about not wasting your time trying to make everyone happy.” The way I do. She didn’t say the last part out loud.

“I’m interested in my dad’s happiness,” he said. “We simply have different ideas about what that might look like.”

“Shouldn’t he be the one who chooses?”

“I’m sure he feels that way.”

“And you don’t?”

He shrugged. “I care about him. But I’m going to get with the program for the time being. And help with the party. So…dinner?”

He obviously expected her to drop everything and go off to dinner with him.  It seemed a bit high-handed. But she didn’t have anything else going on in her life. And if they weren’t going to have the party at the yacht club, they needed to figure something else out quick.

And there was a free meal at a nice restaurant involved…

“Sure. Why not?” she said, giving him a smile. “But I’m going to hold you to your promise.”

“What promise?”

“The one you made on the sidewalk today. No sneaky attempts to sabotage the party planning, okay?”

“I promise.” He crossed his chest with his finger and held up his hand. The gesture was kind of adorable.

Dylan looked honest, and he sounded honest, and he was adorable with that curl falling over his forehead. She ought to trust him. But she didn’t. Even mild-mannered Clark Kent told lies and kept secrets from Lois, and she’d given her trust away one too many times.

*  *  *

Ella was a funny woman. Not ha-ha funny, but like a mystery or a puzzle that needed solving. When Dylan had applauded her stunning solo performance, she’d blushed right up to her hairline, almost as if she wasn’t used to being praised. But certainly, someone with her musical skills had gotten praise all her life.

There had been moments during her performance when her violin seemed