“Cigar?”
Jed nodded and took one, reminding himself of stealing these very cigars on his monthly visits to his father’s house. Jed hadn’t smoked in years, but allowed Edward to light the tip, nonetheless. He exhaled a cloud of fragrant smoke.
“Just like you remember?” asked Edward with a smirk.
“So you knew about that.”
Edward nodded. “I knew about the scotch, too.”
“And here I thought you were an uninvolved parent.”
His father’s face fell.
“I’m sorry,” Jed said. “That was rude of me.”
“No, no. You’re not wrong to criticize. I wasn’t involved in your life, it’s true. I wanted to be, though.” He inhaled from his cigar. “It seemed the older you got, the more I wanted it.”
Jed sidled up to the railing beside his old man, the two of them looking over the lake. “I missed you, growing up. I used to imagine I’d become a smart and powerful adult, and you’d come crawling back to me, asking if you could take me fishing on your boat.”
“Why fishing?”
“A picture on your desk. A fishing trip with Gabe.”
“Ah, yes. I caught nothing, while your brother caught a mackerel and screamed like a little girl when it was time to get it off the hook. His mother then berated me for not knowing how to relate to children.”
“It looked like more fun than that.”
“Things are not always as they appear.”
Jed nodded. That was certainly true.
“Jed, thank you for coming to Moon Lake. For giving me another chance, even though I didn’t deserve it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Quiet settled over the two men as smoke swirled up to the sky.
Edward chuckled lightly. “Perhaps now that you’re smart and powerful, you’d like to go fishing with me sometime.”
“Do I get to steer the boat?”
“I think that can be arranged.”
Jed smiled. “I’d like that.”
~~~
Chapter 9
Turquoise of blue and the brightest of greens
Opaque in its lustrous yet heartwarming sheen
Smooth to the fingers but cold to the touch
Its twin made of metal all souls in its clutch
We promise each other our hearts with our gold
Our diamonds, our virtue, to have and to hold
The prettiest treasures can’t come close enough
To matching the power of love’s magic touch
~~~
Tori stood behind her mother in the vanity mirror, helping to put on her mother’s veil, which was short and topped with a crown of baby’s breath flowers.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Bonnie said, adjusting the tulle.
Tori was getting choked up already, a full half an hour before the ceremony would begin. She leaned over her mother’s shoulder. “You look so beautiful, Mom.”
“Do you really think so?”
Tori nodded.
“Well, love will do that to a person.” Bonnie reached for her blush and a makeup brush. “I’ve wondered lately if you might be in love, too.”
Tori blinked. “No.”
Her mom caught her eye in the mirror. “Jed is a wonderful man.”
The corners of Tori’s mouth turned down. “I’m not in love with him.”
“I saw the two of you together several times. There is a kind of energy between you that reminds me your father and me.”
Tori sat down. “It’s not like that between us, Mom.”
“Oh, no?”
She shook her head. “That summer when we first met the Trainors, I had a crush on Gabe. Nothing happened.” She blew out air. “Not much, anyway. He was my first kiss. So when you said you were marrying Edward…”
“You were thinking something might happen between you and Gabe.”
Tori nodded. “Did you know his girlfriend is Jed’s old fiancé?”
“Edward mentioned something about that. He said Gabe and Evelyn have been together for quite some time, and she’s the reason the boys don’t get along.”
“I like Gabe, Mom. I really do.”
“And Jed?”
“Honestly? Every time I look at him, it’s like I’ve swallowed a bucketful of jitterbugs. But I don’t want to care about him.”
“We don’t get to choose the people we fall in love with. Something
Jed nodded and took one, reminding himself of stealing these very cigars on his monthly visits to his father’s house. Jed hadn’t smoked in years, but allowed Edward to light the tip, nonetheless. He exhaled a cloud of fragrant smoke.
“Just like you remember?” asked Edward with a smirk.
“So you knew about that.”
Edward nodded. “I knew about the scotch, too.”
“And here I thought you were an uninvolved parent.”
His father’s face fell.
“I’m sorry,” Jed said. “That was rude of me.”
“No, no. You’re not wrong to criticize. I wasn’t involved in your life, it’s true. I wanted to be, though.” He inhaled from his cigar. “It seemed the older you got, the more I wanted it.”
Jed sidled up to the railing beside his old man, the two of them looking over the lake. “I missed you, growing up. I used to imagine I’d become a smart and powerful adult, and you’d come crawling back to me, asking if you could take me fishing on your boat.”
“Why fishing?”
“A picture on your desk. A fishing trip with Gabe.”
“Ah, yes. I caught nothing, while your brother caught a mackerel and screamed like a little girl when it was time to get it off the hook. His mother then berated me for not knowing how to relate to children.”
“It looked like more fun than that.”
“Things are not always as they appear.”
Jed nodded. That was certainly true.
“Jed, thank you for coming to Moon Lake. For giving me another chance, even though I didn’t deserve it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Quiet settled over the two men as smoke swirled up to the sky.
Edward chuckled lightly. “Perhaps now that you’re smart and powerful, you’d like to go fishing with me sometime.”
“Do I get to steer the boat?”
“I think that can be arranged.”
Jed smiled. “I’d like that.”
~~~
Chapter 9
Turquoise of blue and the brightest of greens
Opaque in its lustrous yet heartwarming sheen
Smooth to the fingers but cold to the touch
Its twin made of metal all souls in its clutch
We promise each other our hearts with our gold
Our diamonds, our virtue, to have and to hold
The prettiest treasures can’t come close enough
To matching the power of love’s magic touch
~~~
Tori stood behind her mother in the vanity mirror, helping to put on her mother’s veil, which was short and topped with a crown of baby’s breath flowers.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Bonnie said, adjusting the tulle.
Tori was getting choked up already, a full half an hour before the ceremony would begin. She leaned over her mother’s shoulder. “You look so beautiful, Mom.”
“Do you really think so?”
Tori nodded.
“Well, love will do that to a person.” Bonnie reached for her blush and a makeup brush. “I’ve wondered lately if you might be in love, too.”
Tori blinked. “No.”
Her mom caught her eye in the mirror. “Jed is a wonderful man.”
The corners of Tori’s mouth turned down. “I’m not in love with him.”
“I saw the two of you together several times. There is a kind of energy between you that reminds me your father and me.”
Tori sat down. “It’s not like that between us, Mom.”
“Oh, no?”
She shook her head. “That summer when we first met the Trainors, I had a crush on Gabe. Nothing happened.” She blew out air. “Not much, anyway. He was my first kiss. So when you said you were marrying Edward…”
“You were thinking something might happen between you and Gabe.”
Tori nodded. “Did you know his girlfriend is Jed’s old fiancé?”
“Edward mentioned something about that. He said Gabe and Evelyn have been together for quite some time, and she’s the reason the boys don’t get along.”
“I like Gabe, Mom. I really do.”
“And Jed?”
“Honestly? Every time I look at him, it’s like I’ve swallowed a bucketful of jitterbugs. But I don’t want to care about him.”
“We don’t get to choose the people we fall in love with. Something
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