The Unexpected Shelter Page 8

  Savannah took Boone by the hand. “Boone, this is Luke. Remember, he helps us in the shelter with the dogs?”

  Boone’s thick gray eyebrows drew together. “Oh, right. Luke. With the dogs. Come on in. You’re dressed mighty nice.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Luke said. He glanced at Savannah to get a clue as to how she wanted him to handle Boone today.

  Over the weeks that Luke had been working with her, they’d created a simple nonverbal communication about Boone. The you might want to stay out of his way, he’s angry look. The he’s really confused, so just smile and nod look.

  But when Luke’s eyes landed on her, all the thoughts of how she might want to address Boone today flew out of her mind. He swallowed hard, the Adam’s apple in his throat working up and down.

  Savannah felt a flush creep over her body. Nobody had stared at her like that in a long time. Maybe not even Billy Ray.

  “You look so beautiful,” Luke said.

  This caught Boone’s attention. He glanced from Luke to Savannah and back to Luke again. “Are you taking my daughter on a date?” Boone asked.

  “I’m taking her to Anna’s wedding, sir,” Luke said.

  Boone nodded, his eyes searching the floor as if the answer could be read there. “A wedding. That’s mighty fine.”

  Then something seemed to dawn on him and he bounced on his feet. “A wedding! Finally!” He turned to Savannah. “And you make a most beautiful bride!”

  Savannah’s mouth went dry. She wasn’t sure how to correct him or if he would even understand. If his emotions got this high, they could easily turn belligerent, and then Flo would have a hard time.

  Finally, she just said, “Thank you, Boone.”

  Boone leaned forward to shake Luke’s hand. “I’m so happy to know that Savannah is taken care of,” he said. “That’s been on my mind a lot lately. I sure am glad for it.” The shake became fierce, pumping up and down for long moments.

  But Luke just kept the same easy smile. “Thank you, sir.”

  Savannah’s stomach dropped. Boone worried about her? He wanted her married?

  Boone finally released Luke’s hand. “Well, you lovebirds better get to it. Can’t keep the preacher man waiting. Nothing more romantic than two people running off to get married. That’s what me and Savannah’s mother did.”

  Savannah bit the inside of her cheek to keep her eyes from pricking. She reached for her bag. “He’s right, Luke. We should go.”

  Flo came back into the living room as they approached the door. “You guys have a good time.”

  Boone turned to her sister. “Did you know they were getting married? Best news I’ve had all year.”

  Flo understood the situation. She took Boone’s arm and led him back to his chair. “I heard. Isn’t that just lovely?”

  As they got settled, Savannah and Luke headed out the front door. She still felt a little shook up as they got into the truck.

  When they were headed down the highway, Luke said, “That’s got to be really tough.”

  Savannah watched the landscape slide by. “I didn’t want to upset him right before we left by telling him he was wrong. But I’ll tell him tomorrow.”

  “Okay, good,” Luke said. “I don’t want to fool him. But I understand.”

  “He may not even remember,” Savannah said. “Don’t worry.”

  “You really do look beautiful,” Luke said. “It’s not right, outshining the bride like you will.”

  Savannah to him. “You look pretty smart yourself. I hate that you’re going to be stuck there for so many hours.”

  “I’ll find something to do,” he said. “It’s been a spell since I’ve been to a wedding. I’m just going for the cake.”

  That was so Luke, always making it seem like some big favor wasn’t any trouble at all. Savannah was grateful for him and vowed that she would do something to help him the way he had helped her.

  Luke had never been to a wedding where he didn’t know anyone, not even the bride.

  He didn’t often find himself in situations like this, though, so he rolled with the novelty of it and tried to make himself useful.

  Savannah had disappeared immediately into the bowels of the church to help the bride get dressed. Initially, Luke sat on a pew situated in the entryway.

  A rather harried woman had entered the space trying to drag a large folding table while wearing a floral dress and low heels. Luke jumped up immediately to carry the table.

  “Where do you want it?” he asked.

  “Near the door. It’s for the guestbook and a place for people who bring gifts to the ceremony instead of the reception.”

  He set the table on its side, pulling down the legs and locking them in place. When it was situated where the woman wanted, they covered it with a tablecloth.

  “Thank you,” the woman said. “Do I know you?”

  Luke extended a hand. “I’m Luke Southard. I came with Savannah, one of the bridesmaids.”

  “Oh, how lovely. Savannah is such a sweet girl,” the woman said. She straightened a long necklace of clear beads across her chest. “I’m Felicia Morrow, Anna’s aunt. I’m helping with the setup.”

  “I’m at your disposal until the wedding begins,” Luke said. “I know Savannah will be quite busy getting prepared and taking photographs.”

  “Aren’t you a doll,” Felicia said. “Come to my car. Carrying boxes is much quicker with a strong young man.”

  And just like that, Luke became a part of the proceedings. He unloaded boxes. Carried flower arrangements. Set out photographs of the bride and groom, pausing at the image of Savannah as a young girl sitting in her own backyard with a bunch of puppy dogs, alongside the other girls who ended up in the bridal party.

  What a nice thing to have friends your whole life. Luke and his mother had moved around quite a lot in his early years. Mom had never really succeeded anywhere, and often they took off to avoid bills or eviction or an unruly ex.

  Luke could scarcely remember the name of anyone he played with as a child. Funny the things that made you lucky in life. It often had nothing to do with the kind of car you drove or the size of your house. Little things, like friends you’d known since you were five.

  “Oh, Luke!” Felicia called. “The girls would love it if you would carry the bouquets while they take pictures without them.”

  He liked this. He’d get to see Savannah with her friends.

  He followed Felicia down a set of stairs where the church must hold Sunday school, as each door had a sign with a set of ages for the children.

  Felicia led him to a door marked nursery.

  A couple of girls sat in rocking chairs, watching the bride, who posed for the photographer in front of a large window with white curtains.

  He scanned the room for Savannah but didn’t see her.

  Felicia led him to a box filled with flowers. “Each bouquet is in a little jug of water,” she said. “If you take them out, they need to be dried off or you’ll get water spots on your clothes.” She tucked a hand towel in the corner.

  Luke gave her a quick nod to show he understood. He accepted the box and waited for further instructions.

  A door opened from a tiny room in the back, and Savannah emerged. She stopped short when she saw him. “Luke!” She glanced at the box in his hands. “Glad you found something to do.”

  “Oh, he has been such a doll. Helping all over the place.” Felicia fluttered over to Savannah, adjusting her dress, and straightening a little pin that was fastened over her heart. That was new. Probably a gift from the bride, as all the bridesmaids had them.

  A photographer instructed the bride to shift her face in the light from the window and snapped a series of shots. Then the bridesmaids were arranged around her. As they worked, Luke began to pick the girls apart. Candace was tall, with straight black hair and an expression that always made it seem like she’d rather be somewhere else, even when she smiled.

  Violet was silly and fun, cracking jokes
that only the girls seemed to understand. They all wore peach dresses with lacy tops, but in his opinion, Savannah wore it best.

  “Do you want the bouquets?” Felicia asked the photographer.

  “Not until the formal pictures,” he said.

  As they made their way up the stairs to the main level of the church, Felicia came up behind him. “Luke, can you make sure that the groom and groomsmen are nowhere in sight? We can’t have him seeing the bride before the ceremony.”

  Luke hesitated, not wanting to admit that he had no clue what the groom looked like, but then he remembered that he did know Billy Ray, and it might be amusing to bump into him this way.

  He moved out beyond the last step and looked around. A few more people had gathered, almost exclusively older women in variations of the same style of flowered dress. He turned back to Felicia. “No man on this level currently,” he said.

  “Okay, girls,” Felicia said.

  They hurried inside the sanctuary and walked down the aisle. A white arch had been constructed at the front, covered in peach and white flowers. The photographer arranged the women around it and took another series of pictures. Finally, he said, “I’m going to go to the groom now. I’ll be back when Anna’s father comes to fetch her.”

  “Should we put our bouquets back in water?” Violet asked Felicia.

  “Give them back to Luke,” Felicia said. “We want them to stay fresh.”

  Luke lowered his box so that each girl could place her bouquet inside. Anna and the other bridesmaids hurried back down the stairs to their hidden room, but Savannah held back to walk with Luke. “Everything going okay? I’m sorry it’s such a long wait. I could’ve driven myself.”

  “No, I don’t mind. It’s been sort of fun meeting people who know you outside of the shelter.”

  Savannah grinned up at him, and the glow in his chest fired up again. “Has everything been okay so far?” he asked.

  “Perfect. The groomsmen aren’t allowed anywhere near us so it’s just been us friends.”

  “It must be nice.”

  “I’m pretty much free now. Anna’s parents will take over, and we won’t be expected to be near her until about fifteen minutes before the ceremony.”

  “Then I say let’s drop this box off with the others and take a look around,” Luke said.

  So they did, leaving the box in Violet’s care and heading back up the stairs. They walked outside, where the early fall day shone bright and clear.

  Cars were starting to arrive, the early birds who probably worried about being late.

  “Where’s the reception?” Luke asked.

  “A little hall on the other side of town,” Savannah said.

  “Will you ride with me?”

  “Yes. They only got a limo for the bride and groom.”

  She led him down a concrete path. Luke could see the gardens just ahead. A spiral of hedges led to a flower garden.

  “This is nice,” he said.

  They made it to the very center of the garden and sat on a little concrete bench.

  “Sometimes I wish I could make a flower garden on the land beyond the dog yards,” Savannah said. “When I was little, I would plant flowers here and there, just outside the fence. But there never seems to be enough time.”

  “I think we make time for the things that are important to us,” Luke said.

  “Well, unless I can add another hour to every day, I won’t be adding a flower garden to my daily duties.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t have more volunteers. When I was up at the veterinary school in Montana, all of us were expected to put in quite a few hours at clinics and shelters.”

  Savannah looked down at her hands. “We did. But Boone caused some issues and the school took us off the list.”

  “Can you get back on?”

  “Not likely. I get some help around town, people who’ve known Boone for years. Like Franny, who came to adoption day. And there are a few others. Gayle, who you haven’t met. And sometimes Jesse comes.”

  “That’s not a lot of respite for you.”

  Savannah shrugged. “I manage.”

  Luke decided to let it go. He didn’t want to ruin the happy day with hard conversation. Across from them, an explosion of blooms in a tiered concrete planter was the centerpiece of the garden.

  “So which of those flowers are your favorite?” he asked.

  “The anemones, I’d say. They’re so red, like jewels.”

  “They do stand out. Are those others daisies?”

  “Yes. They are small but they have a lot of color.”

  “And roses bloom in the fall?”

  “Lots of flowers do, if they’re cared for properly.”

  Savannah stood and leaned closer to the flowers, her hand cupping a bright red blossom. Luke wanted to freeze the moment of her standing there, backed by so much riotous color, looking as beautiful as any girl he’d ever seen.

  “I’m glad I came with you,” he said.

  She smiled over at him. “Even as a fake date?”

  “Is it?” He left the bench to come nearer to her. “This feels pretty real.” His heart pounded in his ears. He was taking a terrible risk. If she thought he was being too pushy, he could spoil everything.

  But she looked up at him, and in this light, with them so close, he could see little gold specks dancing in her warm brown eyes.

  “It does,” she said, and her voice was so soft, and her gaze so easy, that he knew she felt like he did. That this was right. They worked well together, side by side. And now he could feel something else sparking through him, lighting a path to his heart like a fuse.

  He reached for her hand, and she let him, their fingers entwining. They kept staring at each other, and he thought he might lean in, learn the softness of her lips, when the bells at the top of the church began to peel.

  “Oh no,” she said. “I’m late!”

  She released him and they hurried toward the church in a mad dash.

  Chapter 12

  The ceremony itself was lovely. Savannah enjoyed standing at the front of the church, watching her childhood friend marry the man of her dreams.

  She felt Billy Ray’s eyes on her throughout the service. The bridesmaids were angled toward the couple, so it was easy for him to snag her attention. He winked at her at least a dozen times, setting off an internal groan with each one.

  Thankfully, the bride was in a happy glow, because she hadn’t noticed that the groomsmen, who probably hadn’t paid that much attention to these details, were not standing in the right order for Billy Ray to pair up with Savannah.

  Due to the boys’ mistake, neither Candace nor Savannah had to walk with their exes at the end. Every time Savannah thought of it, she wanted to giggle.

  Savannah couldn’t see Luke. He sat at the far end of the aisle behind her, which was too much of a turn for Savannah to attempt while standing up front.

  Billy Ray could see him though. Savannah suspected that Luke must have looked at her regularly, based on the occasional scowl that crossed Billy Ray’s face.

  As Anna and Landon declared their love for each other, Savannah’s mind kept drifting back to that moment in the garden. There was no doubt that she felt an attraction for Luke. Who wouldn’t? He was thoughtful, kind, helpful, and she couldn’t even get started on his looks.

  In fact, based on how every single girl was watching him as they dashed to the church, he wouldn’t be single for long. Not if they could help it.

  Did she have time for this? When would she go out on a date? She had the puppies, the dogs and the cats. And Boone.

  The minister pronounced the couple husband and wife, and the organist began playing the recessional. Landon and Anna moved up the aisle, and Savannah and Candace glanced at each other with a grin, waiting for the boys to realize they were out of order.

  Frederick and Violet met at the center and proceeded out of the sanctuary.

  Billy Ray stepped forward, frowning when he saw Candace
there.

  “Excuse me,” he said, trying to pass her to grab Savannah’s arm.

  But Candace was having none of that. She slid her arm through Billy Ray’s with a stiff smile and said, “Escort me and do not make a fuss.”

  Jeremy looked completely confused but lined up behind Billy Ray to take Savannah’s arm. After a stumbling start, Candace and Billy Ray finally moved forward. Savannah struggled to hold back her laughter. It really was just like Billy Ray not to plan ahead even when something mattered as much to him as walking her down the aisle.

  Jeremy and Savannah followed them at the proper distance, and she finally got an opportunity to cast her gaze over to where Luke was sitting.

  His eyebrows were lifted, and his pinched lips told her he was also trying not to laugh.

  Billy Ray must’ve noticed, because he turned around to look at Savannah as if to confirm that she and Luke were laughing at him.

  Well, they were. Billy Ray slowed down and stumbled in his step, but Candace gripped him more firmly and dragged him out the door.

  The wedding party descended the stairs to the bottom level so that the guests could filter out. They would return for pictures once the sanctuary was clear.

  Anna positively glowed. She couldn’t take her eyes off her finger, which now sported a wedding band in addition to her engagement ring.

  “We did it! We did it!” she kept saying over and over. She hugged everybody, and Billy Ray had the good sense not to complain about the order of the recessional and put a damper on her excitement.

  The photographer hurried into the room. “I’m going to steal the bride and groom for some shots in the gardens,” he said. “We’ll all meet up by the altar in ten minutes.”

  “I’m going to go find Luke,” Savannah said.

  Violet sidled up close to her. “I saw you two getting cozy in the garden,” she said. “I was a little surprised that he was bringing you, but now I see it.”

  Savannah glanced nervously over at Billy Ray. “I’ll see you guys when we do pictures.”

  She raced swiftly up the stairs before Billy Ray could say anything or catch her arm.

  Luke had already been enlisted to help Felicia pack up the gifts. When Savannah approached, Felicia said, “I don’t know what I would’ve done without this young man today. It’s always so much harder when the wedding isn’t in Applebottom proper. We lose half our help.”