John had gone casual, in jeans and a navy sweater that made his eyes look the color of the ocean. Normally she’d compare them to the sky, but it had been cloudy and overcast all day and the afternoon had felt more like true fall than the Indian summer weather they’d been enjoying.
Hope loved the slight bite to the air. While Aunt Verna dreaded the approach of winter, Hope looked forward to it. She couldn’t wait to sit in front of a roaring fire, a cup of hot cocoa in one hand, with snow falling gently outside the window.
Both John and Verna looked up when she entered.
John’s eyes widened in appreciation. “Hey, beautiful.”
Yes, the time with the curling iron had been worth the effort. Hope smiled, unable to stop the ripple of pleasure. Feeling smug, she crossed to the table, to the open laptop Aunt Verna and John had been studying.
“What are you two working on?” she asked, peering over her aunt’s shoulder.
“Invitations to Luke and Laura’s wedding,” John said.
Hope looked at the date Verna had plugged in and pulled her brows together. “The wedding is less than two months away. The invitations should already be in the mail.”
“I had to confirm the date with Pastor Dan first.” Verna gave a little shrug. “This will be a small ceremony, so it’s not as essential they go out so far in advance.”
“Even after you order,” Hope began, “it will take time to get them, then address—”
“Under control.” Verna patted Hope’s hand. “I’ll get expedited shipping. Trust me. Everything is proceeding exactly as I hoped.”
Hope wished she shared her aunt’s faith.
“What kind of invitations do Luke and Laura want?” Hope glanced at the choices on the website. “Vintage? Modern? Artistic? Classic? Whimsical?”
“Once again, they’ve given me carte blanche.”
“I can’t believe neither of them have a preference.” Hope frowned. “They don’t seem at all interested in their own wedding.”
“They’re in a war zone. They may be more focused on staying alive,” John offered.
“Good point.” Reluctantly, Hope acknowledged she may have been too quick to judge.
“You’re in your late twenties.” Verna settled her gaze on her niece. “What would you prefer?”
“I’m not into classic.” Hope studied the screen, paused, considered. “Whimsical is too cutesy. I’d say somewhere in between.”
Verna glanced at John, which led Hope to conclude Luke must be in the same age range.
“I agree with Hope.” John shot her a wink. “We’re on the same page again.”
“You guys are making this easy.” There was satisfaction in the words. Verna tapped the screen. “What about something like this?”
Hope glanced at the simple design. Clusters of pinecones edged the invitation. Their deep brown was a perfect foil for the white center where the wording was displayed. Shaped like a snowflake, the center boasted strategically placed swirls of burgundy. A single sprig of mistletoe near the date and time added a festive touch. She cocked her head, nodded. “I like it.”
“We have a winner,” John announced.
“But the wording needs some tweaking,” Hope said quickly when Verna selected the image.
“What’s wrong with the words?” Verna asked.
“If this were for me, I’d want something more personal,” Hope told her aunt.
“Like what?”
As Hope chewed on her lip and thought, John took the ball and ran with it.
“For instance, if Luke is having something personal inscribed on Laura’s band, you could get rid of this wording”—John pointed at the screen—“and substitute the inscription at the top.”
“You’re right,” Hope said, loving the suggestion. “That would be a great touch.”
“Why don’t you give me an example?” Verna asked John.
“In Hope’s ring, I had inscribed the words ‘From every valley to every summit, faithfully yours forever.’ ”
Hope didn’t know what to think when Verna began to key in the inscription. “John isn’t saying to have them use that—he’s just giving an example.”
“I understand that.” Verna continued to hunt-and-peck the letters. “If Luke hasn’t had anything inscribed in her band, I want him to see how many words would fit.”
“Oh,” Hope said. “That makes sense.”
“Where is it?” Aunt Verna asked.
Hope inclined her head.
“Your wedding ring.” Verna looked pointedly at her hand. “John is now wearing his wedding band, but your finger is still bare.”
For a second, Hope almost thrust her hand into her pocket, but that wouldn’t solve anything. Verna had already seen the bare ring finger. She lifted her chin. “I’m not quite ready to put it on.”
“I thought you’d decided to embrace your marriage.” Verna spoke as if John wasn’t even in the room.
“I have.” Hope shifted from one foot to the other, not sure how much to divulge. Some things needed to stay between her and John. Unfortunately, her decision not to wear the ring until she was sure they were going to stay together made it look as if she wasn’t invested in their marriage. Especially since John had chosen to wear his.