The Wedding Season Read online

  “Yeah, well, it doesn’t just bother me. Ryan complains about it too. Every time I talk to him he tells me how it’s easier to find Waldo than it is to find Steph.”

  “Yeah, well…Ryan’s just grumpy. I swear, he’s always got something to complain about.” It was only partially true. Ryan was Sean’s older brother and while he and Sean had a great relationship, any time Tricia was around him he seemed to be irritated.

  Sean chuckled. “I don’t know where you get it from. Ry’s not like that. He does his own fair share of traveling but even with that, Steph has him beat.”

  “I think that’s great for her!”

  “You women. Always sticking together.”

  “And don’t you forget it.” There was a moment of companionable silence before Tricia spoke again. “So you really think you’ll be coming home this time?”

  “I do. I know I said that six months ago but then the tsunami hit. I was already over here with a team. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You don’t have to fix the entire world, Sean. You have people back here who love you and want to see you.”

  “Aww…see? You love me. It’s going to be so easy for you to play the part of my girlfriend for these weddings!” he teased.

  “You’re an idiot,” she laughed.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” he agreed. “But you still love me.”

  That just made her laugh harder. “Knock it off, doofus.”

  “Come on. I’m not completely hideous to look at, am I?”

  “Now you’re just fishing for compliments. And besides, you’ve been gone for like two years. For all I know you could look like some kind of yeti now.”

  “I promise to shave,” he said with a laugh. “Admit it. This is going to be so much fun. We can watch all of their shocked faces and we can be as outrageous as we want.”

  “I’m sure I’m going to regret this at some point, but okay. Fine. I guess it could be kind of fun. Plus, we’ll get to spend a whole lot of time together getting caught up.”

  “So…it’s a plan?”

  She nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Definitely. I’ll take care of all the RSVP’ing for us if you don’t mind.”

  “Be my guest, sweetheart,” he gushed.

  “Ugh…knock it off. Save it for the audience.”

  “You’re no fun. How are we supposed to come off as being believable if we don’t practice?”

  “Sean?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Let it go. We’ll be fine and I don’t think either of us is going to have to pull off an Oscar-worthy performance.”

  “You never know…”

  Tricia didn’t even want to think about it. All she knew was her best friend was coming home and they’d have a couple of weeks to hang out together. Weddings or no weddings, it was going to be fun.

  Two

  Several things hit Tricia at once as she pulled into her driveway a month later. First, it was too hot to cook. Second, there was bird poop on her windshield so she was going to have to wash her car. And lastly, there was a strange car in her driveway.

  “Sean!” she instantly squealed as she parked and climbed out of the car. He had mentioned he wouldn’t be home until the end of May and that was still a few weeks away but…who else would it be? He probably just wanted to throw her off so he could surprise her.

  Grabbing her purse, she closed the car door and practically ran up the front steps of the house. Sean still had a key so no doubt he was inside already. She let herself in, dropped her things in the doorway, and went looking for him.

  No sign of him in the living room.

  No sign of him in the kitchen.

  Tricia was about to turn and walk up the stairs to look in his room when she caught sight of him through the French doors that led out to the deck. For a minute, all she could do was stop and stare. He was here, really and truly here. He looked bigger, taller, like he had filled out from all his time in construction. His brown hair looked kissed by the sun but could definitely use a trim, she thought with a smile.

  With a contented sigh, she decided she’d be the one to surprise him by sneaking up on him. He may have heard the car, but it wasn’t enough to make him come inside to investigate. Toeing off her shoes, she tiptoed through the kitchen and over to the doors. He looked completely at peace, although that could have something to do with the yard. Steph had been a whiz with the landscaping and gardening and she had really created something special back here.

  An oasis.

  At least that’s what Tricia thought of it. With the Koi pond and lush foliage, it was something out of a magazine. And it was hers now – sort of. Tricia was certain that after all of the horrors Sean had witnessed in the last several years, this space must really seem like a little bit of heaven to him. It almost seemed a shame to disturb him but…she needed to. She needed to hug him, to see his face and make sure he was real.

  In her best stealth mode, she quietly walked through the open doors and out onto the deck and didn’t stop until she was directly behind him. He was standing on the edge of the deck looking down at the fish. Part of her wanted to be playful and yell “Gotcha!” but the softer side – the side that was just so happy to have him home – won out. Reaching out, Tricia simply wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his back.

  “I’m so glad you’re finally here,” she said softly as she squeezed. He cleared his throat and Tricia stiffened and pulled away before taking a step back.

  “Hey, Tricia.”

  Apparently someone wanted to surprise her, but it wasn’t Sean.

  It was Ryan.

  ****

  He had heard the car pull up.

  He had known he’d have to see her.

  But being touched by Tricia? Um, yeah. That wasn’t something he’d counted on.

  Slowly he turned around and faced her. And smiled. Everything about Tricia Patterson was familiar and yet looking at her right now, different. From the copper-colored hair to her green eyes, she was the girl he remembered. But taking in the rest of her? Well, she wasn’t a girl any more. She had most definitely blossomed into a woman.

  Ryan tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and took a steadying breath. “How have you been?”

  Her smile had only faltered slightly when she realized it wasn’t Sean she was hugging and now - even though she was still smiling - he could see the apprehension there. “I’m fine. Fine. Um…how about you?”

  He nodded. “I’m good.” Ryan looked around the yard and knew this peaceful reprieve was over. “You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here.”

  She blushed and ducked her head a little. “Well…yeah. I think the last time I saw you was…”

  “About six years ago,” he finished for her. “At Sean’s graduation.”

  “Right,” she said softly and then looked toward the house. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? Can I get you something to drink?” But before Ryan could answer, Tricia was walking back into the house.

  He followed and found her in the kitchen. “I wasn’t expecting anyone so I’m afraid I don’t have a lot to offer – water, Coke, orange juice…”

  “I’ll take a Coke,” he said, even though he wasn’t particularly thirsty. Standing back, he watched Tricia flutter around the kitchen pouring their drinks. When she handed the glass to him, her eyes barely met his. “I probably shouldn’t have just let myself in,” he finally said to break the silence.

  “What? Oh, no…it’s fine. I told your mom when she rented the place to me that it’s still your family’s home. I’m just borrowing it for a while.”

  “Still…you had no idea I was coming, but I didn’t know when you’d be home.”

  “You could have called,” she said and glanced at him through her lashes.

  Ryan nodded and placed his glass down on the counter. “Look, Tricia, this isn’t really a social call. Which – ironically – is why I didn’t call.”

  She paled and place
d her own drink down next to his. “What’s going on?” she asked nervously. “Is it your mom? Sean?”

  Shit. He hated doing this, hated being the messenger and delivering bad news. “Why don’t we go and sit down?” he asked quietly and went to reach for her arm to guide her out to the living room.

  “Just tell me,” she said, taking a cautious step back. “Please, Ryan.” There was a tremble in her voice and it affected him more than it should have.

  He sighed with resignation. “There was another storm,” he said lowly, watching her face as his words sank in. “It hit in the middle of the night. No one saw it coming.”

  Tricia’s body slowly began to sag to the floor. Ryan tried to reach out and catch her, but all he managed to do was sit down on the ceramic tile beside her. Tricia’s green eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. “Sean?” she whispered.

  “It’s too soon to tell. Mom got the call and then called me. We’ve been trying to get someone to talk to us but it’s chaos over there.”

  “I…I don’t understand,” she said as the tears began to fall. “How…? Why…?”

  Ryan wrapped an arm around her shoulders – it seemed like the thing to do. “I was out east when I got the call. I had some business out there and I was going to just head back to Jersey and see what I could do, but mom mentioned she was going to call you and I just thought…” He shrugged. “I thought this was something you should hear in person.”

  It was clearly the wrong thing to say because her expression crumbled and the next thing Ryan knew, Tricia was sobbing hysterically against his shoulder.

  “No…no,” he said, trying to tuck a finger under her chin to get her to look at him. “We have to stay positive. Just because we haven’t heard anything doesn’t mean something’s happened to Sean.”

  He only wished he believed it.

  “I just…well…I know how close you and my brother are and I felt like it was better if someone was here with you.”

  Tricia nodded and looked up at him. “What about…where’s Steph? Is she okay?”

  It always amazed him how Tricia’s first reaction was to always think about others. For as long as he’d known her, he found that to be true about her. “She’s upset and worried but she’s in Palm Springs surrounded by her friends and for now…she’s okay.”

  Quickly climbing to her feet, Tricia stood and immediately walked out of the kitchen. Ryan followed after her. “What are you doing?”

  “I should call her,” she said, scanning through her contacts before hitting send. She looked over at Ryan. “I just want her to know I’m here for her.”

  Unable to help himself, Ryan smiled. How was it that not thirty seconds ago this woman was on the floor crying her heart out and now she was going to offer her support to his mother? Not wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation, he walked back to the kitchen.

  When his mother had called him, the first thing he’d felt was dread. Then anger. He hated that Sean was constantly putting himself in harm’s way by working in such a dangerous region. Sure it was admirable work, but there were plenty of ways he could put his skills to work here at home.

  With him.

  Hell, he’d been after Sean to go into business with him since he graduated! Between Ryan’s architecture skills and Sean’s building ability, they could do great things together. But Sean wanted to go out and help the masses, the world – be anyplace but here.

  And now what? Didn’t Sean realize there were people here who cared about him? Worried about him? Hell, Ryan had started making calls as soon as he’d gotten off the phone with his mother. When he realized with the time difference and the magnitude of the damages over in the Philippines that he wasn’t going to get anywhere, his first instinct had been to go home and be by himself.

  And then his mother had mentioned Tricia.

  Even now Ryan couldn’t say why he felt the need to come here and tell her himself. He meant what he said to her earlier about how he didn’t think she should be alone when she heard, but that didn’t mean he had to be the one here with her. And yet…who knows? Maybe on some level he needed to be here. This was his childhood home. He felt a connection to Sean here that he couldn’t find anyplace else.

  With a shaky hand, he reached for his drink and walked back out to the deck. He remembered all the work his mother had put in back here. After his father had died, working in the garden had been one of the few things that had brought her joy. Tricia had done a great job keeping up with it – no doubt it was a full-time job in itself.

  Several minutes had gone by when he heard her come outside. Looking over his shoulder, he saw she looked a little more at peace. “How’d it go?”

  Tricia took a shuddery breath. “Like us, she’s scared and worried and just wishes someone would call and give her an update.” She stood beside him and looked out at the yard. “I told her you were here and she said she would probably be heading back this way soon too.”

  Ryan nodded. There was nothing they could do right now but wait. He’d done what he said he’d do – he came and broke the news to Tricia in person. Looking at his watch he saw it was a little after six. If he got in the car now, he could be home before nine. The thought of driving wasn’t all that appealing but at least he had missed most of the evening traffic.

  “I think I’m gonna hit the road,” he finally said and finished his drink. “It’s a long drive and it’s been a long day.”

  “Oh,” Tricia said softly. “I…I guess I just thought you’d stay here tonight. There’s plenty of room.” Then she chuckled. “Actually, there’s your room.”

  Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle too. It was a very appealing offer. He was tired and more than a little distracted. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing for him to do tonight.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want to impose.”

  She smiled. “Are you kidding me? The thought of being alone after learning all of this will just have me probably sitting in the dark and crying. Please stay.” She paused. “I…I’d really appreciate it.”

  Ryan turned his head and looked at her and smiled back. “Thanks. I’d like that too.”

  ****

  Ryan Peterson was four years older than Tricia and Sean and by the time she and her mom had moved up the block, he had already graduated from high school. Tricia really only saw him when he was home from college during breaks and even during those times, it wasn’t very often.

  He was much more serious than Sean ever was and Tricia always had the feeling she annoyed him. True, that was a long time ago and they were both adults now, but that didn’t stop her from feeling a little awkward with him.

  A small breeze blew and the first few sprinkles of rain began to fall. “I don’t remember hearing rain was in the forecast,” Tricia said as they walked back into the house, shutting the French doors behind them.

  Ryan simply nodded and went to place his glass in the sink. Tricia studied him for a moment – now that she knew it was him, she couldn’t believe she had actually thought he was Sean earlier. For starters, he was taller – easily six feet if not more. And where Sean was always a bit thin and wiry, Ryan was a bit more…solid and muscular. He was dressed casually in well-worn blue jeans, a black t-shirt and work boots and there was a definite five o’clock shadow shading his strong jaw.

  He turned and caught her staring. “You look great, Trish,” he said as he seemed to equally appraise her as she’d just done to him. After a minute he turned and began walking around the house. “I can’t believe how much everything still looks the same around here. I thought for sure you would have changed some things around.”

  “Are you kidding?” she asked with a laugh. “This house is amazing. I’ve always loved it. All of the furniture is so comfortable and other than putting up some personal stuff, like my pictures and whatnot, I can’t imagine changing a thing.”

  He looked at her and laughed too. “Are you just saying that because it’s me? I would imagine if mom actually sold
you the place you’d make some changes.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. I mean, the only room I really made my own was the master bedroom. Other than that, it’s all your family’s stuff. I was just joking with Sean not too long ago how your bedroom is still intact. All of your posters are still up on the wall and…”

  And then it hit her.

  Sean.

  Ryan must have sensed what she was thinking because he was immediately at her side, his hands on her shoulders. “Hey,” he began softly. “Come on. None of that.” He looked around the room. “Seriously. Everything looks wonderful. You’re taking good care of my house.” He winked at her before removing his hands and taking a step back.

  “Your house, huh? Any chance of you sticking around long enough to clean out your gutters?” She was teasing but Ryan immediately jumped into action.

  “Sure. Is there a ladder out in the garage? I can easily…”

  “Ryan, I was just kidding!” she chuckled. “Besides, it’s raining, remember?”

  “Oh…yeah. Right. Anyway, I can definitely do that for you tomorrow.”

  “It’s really not a big deal. Honest. I was just goofing around.”

  With a nod, Ryan looked around the rest of the main floor. Tricia walked along with him. It wasn’t a large house – a three bedroom Cape Cod – but for her, it was the greatest house she’d ever lived in. To her, this house represented a happy family, something she didn’t have growing up. Once she and Sean had become friends, she’d spent a lot of time here and all of her memories were good ones.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked before Ryan started up the stairs. She didn’t feel the need to go and tour his old bedroom with him. “I hadn’t planned on cooking tonight but I could very easily call in for pizza or something.”

  “That actually sounds good,” he said. “Unless you want to go someplace? I wouldn’t mind checking out some of the old local restaurants.”

  “Are you sure? I know you hadn’t planned on any of this…”

  “I think you know enough about me to know I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious, Tricia.” His voice was firm but there was a glimmer of humor in his eyes. “Besides, I think it might be good for both of us to get out for a little while. And I’ll have my phone with me – just in case.”