“You would have had fun.” Additional memories of the wedding returned. Jenna couldn’t help but smile. “I loved the dance you groomsmen did. I wanted the photographs to capture that fun feeling.”
“They did.” Toby’s features relaxed. His posture looked less stiff. “I’m not big on having my picture taken, but you made the process painless. I didn’t feel like a robot or a puppet on strings.”
Jenna wiggled her toes. “Those are words every photographer loves to hear.”
Amber leaned against Toby like a possessive cat. “You were his choice of photographers, but I knew you’d say no so we went with someone else.”
“You understand why my answer is no now, right?” Jenna asked.
“Yes.” Amber stared at the tiled entryway, then raised her gaze to meet Jenna’s. “What I did. It was . . . wrong. I’m sorry. I should have spoken up right away, but I didn’t think Ash was going to cancel the wedding and ask for Grandma’s ring back. I felt horrible, but I was too afraid of getting into trouble to say anything. Thinking only of myself was selfish. If I could do it over again, I would.”
The words sounded sincere, more grown-up than Jenna expected. No doubt Toby was a good influence on Amber. “I appreciate you coming here and apologizing. Thanks.”
“I know you’d rather not photograph our wedding, but you were Toby’s first choice,” Amber added. “That’s the only say he wanted with the wedding planning.”
“The photographer and wedding cake,” Toby clarified.
“Oh, yeah,” Amber agreed. “And you didn’t get a say in that, either. But now that the other photographer is on bed rest, I thought maybe you could forget I’m the bride or pretend I’m someone else so Toby could have the photographer he wanted.”
Toby took a step forward. “No pressure, Jenna. This is an awkward situation, and we understand if you don’t feel comfortable.”
Amber opened her mouth as if to speak.
Toby shot her a sideward glance. “Don’t we, honey?”
“Of course,” Amber said.
A battle waged inside Jenna. She wanted to help Toby, but the idea of spending time with the Vance family made her stomach hurt. “My June is pretty booked with people adding Friday night and Sunday afternoon weddings to the mix.”
“Understood.” Ash held the empty lemonade glass. “Amber and Toby are getting married on Saturday, the twenty-seventh.”
Available. The word swirled through Jenna’s head, becoming louder and louder. She fought the urge to cover her ears to quiet the noise.
The twenty-seventh was supposed to have been Claire’s wedding day. But that didn’t mean . . .
Torn, Jenna prayed. “That date’s open, but—”
“Score!” Amber jumped up and down.
Toby’s grin spread across the width of his face. “Tell us what it’ll take.”
Ash nodded. “I’ll double your fee.”
Saying yes appealed to Jenna as much as eating liver and onions, her dad’s favorite dinner. Her mother had made the meal once a year. Jenna and Colton had gagged their way through miniscule servings to be rewarded with hot fudge sundaes for dessert. Maybe she could treat this wedding the same way. Sending extra money to Colton would be the cherry on top.
Except she still wanted Ash and Amber to leave. But they’d apologized. Jenna couldn’t shove them out the door. Pastor Dan had counseled her on the importance of forgiveness for her faith and so she wouldn’t be consumed by bitterness.
“If there’s anything else you want . . .” Ash added.
Wait a minute. She straightened, an idea forming in her mind. There was something she needed. Not her exactly, but the church’s youth group. They were short chaperones. If the three agreed to help . . .
She drew in a breath to calm her nerves. “My church needs adult volunteers for our youth group outing on Saturday or they’ll have to cancel. It’s all day at a ropes course, so if you’re busy—”
“I’m in,” Ash said without any hesitation.
Toby nodded. “Me too.”
Amber received a nudge from her fiancé. “Uh, sure. I can do that. But what’s a rope course?”
“Never mind what it is, you’ll have fun.” Ash looked at Jenna. “We’re happy to help out. But the decision to photograph Amber and Toby’s wedding is yours.”
Jenna had three yeses. What had Kerri said earlier?
There’s always a plan. Not yours or mine, but His.
Jenna took a deep breath and another to try to calm her nerves reaching near panic mode. Not for her. She repeated the three words in her mind. This was for Colton, her friend Sam the youth pastor, and the teens at her church. “If Ash doubles my fee and the three of you volunteer with the youth group on Saturday, I’ll photograph the wedding.”