Read Online Waterfront Weddings by Annalisa Daughety - Free Book Online
Authors: Annalisa Daughety
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favorite grandson-in-law?”
He chuckled. “You might not want to say that too loud, considering I’m not your only grandson-in-law.”
Gram shot him a mischievous look. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, you can do as you please.” She patted his arm. “Someday you’ll know what I mean.” She winked.
Summer walked over to them carrying two glasses of sweet tea. “Here you go.” She handed one to Luke. “The food looks wonderful.”
Luke looked over at the spread of food. “Impressive.” He glanced at Gram. “Catered?”
She laughed. “Of course.” She shook her head. “I wanted to do the cooking, but Vivian wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Well, it looks good, but I know your cookin’ would taste better,” he said with a smile.
Gram’s wrinkled face lit up. “Thanks.” She motioned toward a table next to the pool. “I’m going to go have a seat. But once you’ve filled your plates, come sit with me.”
Summer nodded. “We will.” She turned to Luke. “Guess we should go say hello to Daddy and Mitch.”
Luke looked around the expansive backyard. “There sure are a lot of people here. I thought this was just going to be a small family gathering.”
“I have no idea what’s going on.” She motioned toward where her father stood with a group of men. “There they are. Come on.”
Luke clutched his sweet tea and followed behind her.
“Hi, Daddy,” Summer greeted her father.
Thomas Rutledge bent down to kiss his oldest child on the cheek. “Hey, baby.” He nodded in Luke’s direction. “Luke.”
Luke nodded and shook his father-in-law’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for having us, Mr. Rutledge.”
“Well, well.” Mitch Rutledge stepped from behind his father. “I haven’t seen you two in a while.”
Summer smiled at her brother. “We’ve been busy.”
“Busy?” Mitch shook his head. “That sounds like a flimsy excuse to me.” He pounded Luke on the back. “After y’all skipped out on Christmas with the family, we were all beginning to think we’d done something to offend.” He smirked. “I figured it was something Chloe had done, but she denied it.”
Luke locked eyes with Summer. Except for Gram, her family had no idea why they hadn’t made it to Christmas. “We both were a little under the weather,” he explained. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. The events before Christmas had made both of them physically ill, but not with an actual sickness.
“Summer
Nelson
. I haven’t seen you in fifteen years, and now I see you twice in one week,” a deep voice said from behind them.
Luke turned to see a tall, familiar-looking man with his eyes on Summer.
“Hi, Jefferson,” she said softly.
Luke fought to keep his face neutral. Jefferson Boudreaux had been Summer’s first love. His family and Summer’s family had been friends for generations. There were even pictures of Jefferson and Summer playing together as babies. The guy might be rich and good-looking, but as far as Luke was concerned, he was a pompous jerk. “Hi there, Jeff.” He knew the nickname would get under Jefferson’s skin.
A shadow crossed Jefferson’s face. “Luke.” He held out a hand. “So good to see you again.”
Luke reluctantly shook hands. Back when they were teenagers, Jefferson had done all he could to make Luke look stupid in front of Summer. He’d mocked his clothes, made fun of his vehicle—even accused him of stealing a watch one time. “Good to see you, too.” He almost choked on the words. “Hope you enjoy your visit.”
Jefferson smirked. “Didn’t Summer tell you?” He raised his eyebrows in Summer’s direction. “I’m back for good. I’m house hunting now.” He pounded Luke on the back. “Maybe we’ll wind up neighbors.”
Luke would rather walk over hot coals than have Jefferson as a neighbor. “Great.” He considered it a minor miracle that he was able to keep from punching that smirk right off Jefferson’s face. He turned to Summer. “Babe,
He chuckled. “You might not want to say that too loud, considering I’m not your only grandson-in-law.”
Gram shot him a mischievous look. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, you can do as you please.” She patted his arm. “Someday you’ll know what I mean.” She winked.
Summer walked over to them carrying two glasses of sweet tea. “Here you go.” She handed one to Luke. “The food looks wonderful.”
Luke looked over at the spread of food. “Impressive.” He glanced at Gram. “Catered?”
She laughed. “Of course.” She shook her head. “I wanted to do the cooking, but Vivian wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Well, it looks good, but I know your cookin’ would taste better,” he said with a smile.
Gram’s wrinkled face lit up. “Thanks.” She motioned toward a table next to the pool. “I’m going to go have a seat. But once you’ve filled your plates, come sit with me.”
Summer nodded. “We will.” She turned to Luke. “Guess we should go say hello to Daddy and Mitch.”
Luke looked around the expansive backyard. “There sure are a lot of people here. I thought this was just going to be a small family gathering.”
“I have no idea what’s going on.” She motioned toward where her father stood with a group of men. “There they are. Come on.”
Luke clutched his sweet tea and followed behind her.
“Hi, Daddy,” Summer greeted her father.
Thomas Rutledge bent down to kiss his oldest child on the cheek. “Hey, baby.” He nodded in Luke’s direction. “Luke.”
Luke nodded and shook his father-in-law’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for having us, Mr. Rutledge.”
“Well, well.” Mitch Rutledge stepped from behind his father. “I haven’t seen you two in a while.”
Summer smiled at her brother. “We’ve been busy.”
“Busy?” Mitch shook his head. “That sounds like a flimsy excuse to me.” He pounded Luke on the back. “After y’all skipped out on Christmas with the family, we were all beginning to think we’d done something to offend.” He smirked. “I figured it was something Chloe had done, but she denied it.”
Luke locked eyes with Summer. Except for Gram, her family had no idea why they hadn’t made it to Christmas. “We both were a little under the weather,” he explained. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. The events before Christmas had made both of them physically ill, but not with an actual sickness.
“Summer
Nelson
. I haven’t seen you in fifteen years, and now I see you twice in one week,” a deep voice said from behind them.
Luke turned to see a tall, familiar-looking man with his eyes on Summer.
“Hi, Jefferson,” she said softly.
Luke fought to keep his face neutral. Jefferson Boudreaux had been Summer’s first love. His family and Summer’s family had been friends for generations. There were even pictures of Jefferson and Summer playing together as babies. The guy might be rich and good-looking, but as far as Luke was concerned, he was a pompous jerk. “Hi there, Jeff.” He knew the nickname would get under Jefferson’s skin.
A shadow crossed Jefferson’s face. “Luke.” He held out a hand. “So good to see you again.”
Luke reluctantly shook hands. Back when they were teenagers, Jefferson had done all he could to make Luke look stupid in front of Summer. He’d mocked his clothes, made fun of his vehicle—even accused him of stealing a watch one time. “Good to see you, too.” He almost choked on the words. “Hope you enjoy your visit.”
Jefferson smirked. “Didn’t Summer tell you?” He raised his eyebrows in Summer’s direction. “I’m back for good. I’m house hunting now.” He pounded Luke on the back. “Maybe we’ll wind up neighbors.”
Luke would rather walk over hot coals than have Jefferson as a neighbor. “Great.” He considered it a minor miracle that he was able to keep from punching that smirk right off Jefferson’s face. He turned to Summer. “Babe,
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