was likely their only quiet moment of the day ahead. Behind them, nascent rays illuminated the ridgetop as the earth rotated, bringing the day closer.
“I enjoyed that,” Ivy said, cradling her empty coffee cup. “But I suppose it’s time to face morning at the inn.”
“And all that it brings,” Bennett said, thinking about the York’s reaction once they discovered Rachel had eloped.
After they stood, Bennett shook sand from the blanket. As they strolled toward the inn, he felt such peace surrounding them. “This sure is a special way to start the morning.”
“We should do this again,” Ivy said, gazing up at him. “We could set our alarms for 4:00 a.m.” Laughing softly, she added, “But not too often.”
“I’d like that.” Bennett smiled down at her. He could hardly wait to wake up with her, welcoming every day with the woman he loved.
Inside the kitchen, he tied on an apron that Nan had given him. The thick, yellow cotton was embroidered with blue waves and the slogan: Life is Better in Summer Beach. This morning it sure was.
Bennett opened a package of bacon and filled a cast iron skillet with slices. He liked cooking with Ivy. He’d missed puttering in the kitchen with Jackie, and he’d never been the sort of man who wanted a wife to wait on him. It was Ivy’s strength and determination that had initially attracted him. That and her luminous green eyes blazing with curiosity, taking in the world around her.
“We’ll keep the coffee in rotation in the dining room,” Ivy said, starting another pot. “Especially today with so many guests.”
“Minus two,” Bennett said, grinning. At the smell of sizzling bacon, his stomach grumbled with hunger.
“Wait until Eleanor discovers that.” Ivy shivered. “They will probably be up in an hour or so. We should nibble on something before Vesuvius erupts. Boom,” she said, spreading her hands in the air.
Bennett laughed at that. “I’ll be here to back you up. And we’ll have crispy bacon in a few minutes.”
“Don’t you have to go into the office?”
“Fridays are usually quiet. I can work from here today.” Bennett glanced at the large kitchen table littered with stacks of napkins for the wedding, handwritten seating cards, and tiny bags of confetti. “Well, maybe not here, but on my balcony.”
“Take your laptop computer to the library. That way, you’ll hear the explosion when it happens.”
Bennett turned the bacon. “I feel sorry for Churchill—he spent thousands on the wedding. What do you think they’ll do with all this stuff?”
Ivy began to take condiments for breakfast from the refrigerator. “I’ve been thinking about that. We can take the flowers to nursing homes and hospitals in the area. I’m sure the food for the dinner has already been purchased and prepped. It’s too late for the Yorks to ask for a refund. And to think of all the people I referred them to in Summer Beach. What a nightmare.” Ivy pressed a hand against her forehead.
“It’s not your fault, and the vendors have been paid. While it doesn’t happen often, weddings do get called off at the last moment.”
Ivy piled apples, oranges, and bananas in a large bamboo bowl. “You have a point, I suppose.”
Suddenly inspired, Bennett stepped away from the stove and wrapped his arms around Ivy. “Have I told you I love you this morning?”
“Oh, once or twice,” she said, laughing. She threw her arms around him and nuzzled his neck.
“One last hug before the household wakes up,” Bennett said, smiling down at her.
While the bacon sizzled, he ran his hands over Ivy’s tousled hair. He liked the way she looked in the morning, having just rolled out of bed. He had dated other women who were afraid to be seen without makeup, but that wasn’t Ivy. She was confident in how she looked and who she was.
This past year, he’d marveled at her growth. She’d had a great deal to overcome, especially after having lived with an overbearing man like Jeremy for so long. It was as if Ivy was emerging from a cocoon, and he loved seeing her stretch her wings toward the light.
Soon the household would be awake, and this quiet time between them would slip away into the chaos of the morning. Bennett rubbed Ivy’s back and kissed her forehead, enjoying the moment they had.
Finally, taking her hands, he said, “Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready? I can handle everything down here, but you’ll need to be ready for the onslaught. Since the wedding was scheduled