Between The Vows

Chapter Seven

This chapter is dedicated to LakeyiaAnnMarie❤ Thank you for the comments so far. You are the sweetest.
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The caterers were running late. I stood in the industrial kitchen of the clubhouse and paced back and forth, continuously checking my watch. It was quarter to seven and dinner was supposed to be at six sharp. The maid-of-honor of the Miller Wedding looked like she wanted to claw my eyes out, so I hid as far away from her as I could.

The bride's family was Lebanese, so of course, they wanted Mediterranean food for the reception. The clubhouse was not too happy we opted out of their dinner choices, but they let it slide due to the amount of business I give them yearly.

I dialed the caterer's number, but it went straight to voicemail. Whenever disaster strikes during a wedding, I always think there is nothing that could top the current situation, but I am proved wrong every single time.

"I can't keep sending out hors-d'oeuvres." Savannah busted through the swinging doors. The cocktail waiters kept coming in one by one, grabbing the remaining trays of appetizers I ordered from the clubhouse restaurant to hold the guests over until dinner.

I leaned on the stainless-steel counter and rested my head in my hands, practicing my mother's deep breathing exercises. I was almost to a calm state of mind when the catering van pulled up. The waiters got to work by rolling out the carts of food and putting them in the warmer. The caterer and I put gloves on and sorted the plates of food to the appropriate tray that was going to be sent out to the table. It took about twenty minutes for each guest to receive their food, but once they did, they were happy. The bridal party calmed down, thanked me for my help, and continued with the night.

Savannah persuaded me into going to Tyler's house party. Since going home and falling asleep was not an option due to the rowdiness of the party going on next door, I really had no other choice.

We parked in my driveway and followed the noise. Country music was blasting through the speakers and we elbowed our way through the crowd in the living room. Savannah ransacked his liquor cabinet while I grabbed a water from the fridge. It was my safest bet since drinking was not something I enjoyed, and I hated doing it around strangers.

Savannah ditched me like I knew she would. She joined Tyler and his friends on the back deck. Tyler was grilling burgers while Savannah talked everyone's ear off. I made my way over to them and hopped up on the wooden railing and looked out at the ocean. There were a few people out there with paddle boards. They were pushing and splashing each other, and I smiled at the good time they were having. This summer gave me limited time for enjoyment. My days and nights consisted of weddings, but sometimes I wished I had some time of my own.

When I was younger, I lived in the water. We used to bring our rafts far out and float all day long. Savannah, Anna, Ellie, and I would go to the beach while our parents were at work and spent our days soaking up the sun. I would bring a book to read and made sure to keep a close eye on Ellie as she swam, while Savannah and Anna flipped through magazines and discussed which boys they thought were the cutest. After we had enough of the sun, we would walk to get an ice cream at our favorite shop on the pier, Babydoll's Sweet Treats. Savannah claimed their Rocky Road was the best on the East Coast, but I knew it was because Tyler worked there.

I looked over at them and smiled. Something was holding Savannah back. Tyler would do anything to be with her. I always brought up the conversation with her, but she waved me off and said she wasn't ready to settle down. She has had so many boyfriends over the years but once they're ready to commit, she was out the door. I wanted her to be happy, of course, and I knew it was up to her to decide what she wanted when it came to relationships. But I also knew that there is nobody better than Tyler. He worshiped the ground she walked on, always there when she needed support and took care of her like no one else did.