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

She blew out a sigh and turned away from the canopy to go check on the kitchen help, but just then, Rev. St. Pierre came strolling through the garden gate.

He was still having breakfast down the street with Brooklyn, which meant she didn’t see him as often these days. Only on Sundays or at museum board meetings. But they’d never again had a conversation like the one they’d had about Adam and Grandmother.

Which was a good thing, probably, because she’d followed his advice, evicting the Piece Makers from the inn, only to discover that she missed baking for them. And she hated going over to Patsy’s every Tuesday because she had to find someone to watch the inn and keep an eye on Jackie.

So she’d gotten what she’d wanted. But not really.

Maybe she’d totally misunderstood what he’d been trying to tell her about moving on in her life. But damned if she was about to knock on his door and ask for further guidance.

“Hey,” she said.

He nodded and checked his watch. “I guess I’m a little early.”

“You’re officiating at this wedding?”

“I am. You were expecting Pastor Pasidena perhaps?”

“I guess not, since Jim’s defected.”

“Score one for the Episcopalians.” His mouth twitched in that almost-smile that was so disarming.

“So…” he said, clasping his arms behind his back. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear that the Rev was nervous. Why would he be nervous?

“Well…” She backed up a few paces. “Gotta go check on the—”

“Ashley,” he interrupted, “I want to apologize.”

“What?”

“You’re right. I should never have pressed you about the Piece Makers. I was—”

“But I kicked them out of Howland House.”

“You did?”

She nodded. “I haven’t baked them a cake in weeks. You haven’t noticed the dearth of cars every Tuesday night? We’re meeting at Patsy’s these days.”

He shook his head. “No, I hadn’t noticed.”

Of course not. “Well, I did what you said I should do.”

“I didn’t say you should do that.”

“No? You sure suggested it. But it’s fine. No more obligations.” She smiled and decided not to confess her dissatisfaction with the outcome. She had more important things to talk about. And it struck her, like the sun glaring down on her head, that she really missed having coffee with him most mornings.

“You got a minute?” she asked.

He checked his watch. “At least five,” he said.

“Walk with me.” She turned and walked through the garden’s back gate by the cottage and headed down the curving path across the lawn in the direction of the live oak, which Jackie fondly referred to as “the captain’s tree.”

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“I know I have a gigantic penance to pay for the mistakes I made last year with Topher. I meddled in his life. I gossiped and messed things up for him. And I promised myself I’d never gossip again.”

“Good thinking.”

She stopped and turned. “But what if I know something? A secret that needs to be spoken out loud.”

“Who’s kept this secret? You?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s someone else’s secret.”

“Then you don’t get to tell anyone.”

“That’s what I thought.” She looked away toward the bay. The big trees shaded her from the unrelenting sun, and she wondered if maybe she should have set up the wedding here. Too late now. She looked at the Rev out of the corner of her eye. “What if this secret is hurting the person keeping it?”

“There’s not much you can do.”

“Dammit…Ugh, sorry.”

“This must be a pretty big secret.”

“Micah, I need your special kind of help.”

“What?”

“Do you remember that time when you got all up in Jude’s face and made him see what an idiot he’d be to let Jenna run away?”

“Yeah, so?”

“And the way you pushed Topher to take a chance on Jessica?”

“I remember that too.”

“And I don’t know if you had anything to do with Noah and Lia, but Lia is your friend and you went up to talk to her the night Noah decided not to move away.”

“I had nothing to do with that. Honestly. What are you driving at?”

“I need that kind of help. Right now. Today.”

“Wait. Are you asking me to be some kind of matchmaker?”

She shook her head. “No. The match is already made. It just needs a little push in the right direction.”

“Who are we talking about?”

“Ella and Dylan.” Ashley said the names in a hoarse whisper.

And Micah stood there staring at her as if she’d grown another head.

“Are you delusional?” he finally asked. “From the gossip on the street, they hate each other.”

“They do not hate each other. They were…”

“What?”

“Well…hanging out. A lot. At night. But they broke it off right after Brenda got sick. I think they’re worried about messing things up for their parents. Oh my goodness, this is so complicated.”

“Yeah, it is. Ashley, I’m not going to—”

“Forget it. It was a crazy idea.”

“How do you know all this?” His tone was almost accusatory.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t been spying. But Ella lives under my roof, and I’m not blind. There is no question she and Dylan were having a fling. The rest is conjecture on my part. But Jackie says he’s heard her crying sometimes at night when he goes to the bathroom.”

“Jackie is a spy.”

“I know. But in this case, I believe him. He’s worried about her. I’m worried about her. She’s going away. She says it’s to pursue her career, but I don’t buy it. I think she’s going because she loves Dylan.”

“But you don’t know that. And you’re asking me to do what? Have a talk with her right in the middle of her mother’s wedding?”

“Yeah, I know. Crazy. But, Micah, you have a knack for this kind of thing.”

He shook his head. “I most certainly do not have a knack for matchmaking or meddling in people’s lives. And I don’t think revealing this secret to the bride and groom on their wedding day is a good idea. Do you?”

She shook her head. “I guess not. I was just hoping for a miracle, you know?”

“Well, I’m not a miracle worker.” He pointed up. “That’s