Picture Perfect Love (Year Of Weddings 2 Book 7; Series Order 19) (Christian Romance) Read online

  ZONDERVAN

  Picture Perfect Love

  Copyright © 2015 by Melissa McClone

  Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

  ePub Edition © April 2015: ISBN 978-0-3103-9624-6

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: Kristen Ingebretson Interior design: James Phinney

  To my husband and three children for their patience, prayers, and making sure at deadline time my iced tea glass is full, there’s a bag of M&Ms in the house, and Peanut Buster Parfaits show up at just the right time.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  Thanks to my editor, Becky Monds, as well as Becky Philpott, Karli Jackson, and the rest of the team at HarperCollins Christian. I so appreciate this opportunity! I’m thrilled to be a part of the Year of Weddings series!

  A special thanks to my line editor, Jamie Chavez, for the time you spent on this project and all the back-and-forth emails.

  A shout-out to my agents Christina Hogrebe and Annelise Robey at Jane Rotrosen Agency for thinking of me when they heard about this project and making it happen. I cannot thank you enough for all that you do and have done for me over the years!

  Thank you to my dear friend Terri Reed for your support, friendship, and prayers as we’ve traveled the road from unpublished to published authors and beyond. I hope you know what a blessing you are in my life.

  Thanks to my sweet friend Kimberly Field for reading this manuscript, offering encouragement and help when I needed it most. You’re another one of my blessings, and I pray we can meet in person someday!

  A high five to my Panera Write-In Group —Amy, Delle, Marilyn, Melania, and Peggy. Next to attending church on Sunday, meeting with you is the other thing I look forward to each week. Thanks for getting together so we can socialize and get words written too!

  A big hug to my oldest daughter for helping me brainstorm my hero’s first name by telling me the names of the guys in your favorite band.

  And finally, lots of love to my readers. You’re the best! I pray that God blesses each one of you the way you have blessed me.

  Oh, no. Jenna Harrison stared at the clock hanging on the wall of her photography studio—aka a converted bedroom. Only fifteen minutes until her clients arrived for their engagement photo session.

  The tick-tock of the second hand pounded in her brain like a marching band bass drum. She tightened her grip on the sparkly tiara cutout attached to a long stick.

  With a flurry of June weddings to shoot, her business, Picture Perfect Photography of Sweetwater, Washington, had been crazy busy since the month began. She hadn’t planned on a new save-the-date photo idea striking her at lunch today. But she recognized the potential, so she’d been making new signs to go with the photo booth props—mustaches, lips, glasses, hats, and dialogue bubbles.

  She placed the tiara with the other items on a nearby table, then printed out the couple’s photo requests, including shots with the new puppy they’d rescued from a local animal shelter. They wanted fun and fabulous engagement pictures. As if Jenna took any other kind. And her calendar stayed full with proposals, weddings, and engagement sessions.

  Her cell phone rang. The generic ring tone didn’t belong to her parents or her brother, Colton. With no time to talk, she glanced at caller ID. Kerri Williams, a friend from church and one half of the couple Jenna was expecting for the photo shoot. Better take this call.

  “Picture Perfect Photography. This is Jenna.”

  “Hey, it’s Kerri.” The October bride’s breath sounded ragged and uneven, as if she’d been exercising. “We’re running late.”

  “No problem. We’ve got all afternoon.” A half-howl, half-whimper filled Jenna’s ear. More animal than human. “Is everything okay?”

  “Now, yes. Ten minutes ago, no. When Michael arrived at my house, we realized Peaches had escaped from the backyard. The shelter told us she was a digger, but we hadn’t seen her do that yet. We found her splashing in a puddle a block away. I’d taken her to the dog groomer this morning, and she looked so pretty. Michael has her in the bathtub and is washing off the dirt.”

  Michael was Kerri’s high school sweetheart and fiancé. A nice guy who cracked jokes and treated his bride-to-be like a princess.

  “I’m sorry. We can reschedule the session if that would be easier.”

  “Today is fine,” Kerri said. “Peaches would rather be dirty than clean, so this might happen again if we reschedule. Who am I kidding? I’m sure she would get herself into some kind of mess or trouble.”

  Kerri’s exasperation brought a smile to Jenna’s lips. “Don’t worry. There’s no rush.” By the time Kerri and Michael arrived with Peaches, Jenna would be ready. She added two veil cutouts and three different bow tie selections to the other props on the table. Now to select frames. “You’re my only appointment today.”

  Having a few extra minutes to prepare for the session meant no more rushing around. Not that Jenna’s clients would know she was behind schedule. She’d built her reputation being calm and cool under pressure, especially on wedding days when stress levels could skyrocket into the stratosphere over a loose thread or scuffed shoes.

  “Oh, thank you.” Kerri’s relief was palpable. “We shouldn’t be long. I never realized a puppy could be such hard work. Or how fast those little paws could dig or run.”

  “Yes, but they’re so cute!” Jenna searched through her frame assortment for ones to match the couple’s outgoing personality. Maybe the black one. “Plus you get amazing welcome-home greetings and unconditional love.”

  “Sounds like you want a puppy.”

  “I thought about getting a dog two years ago after my wedding was canceled, but decided against one.” A pet was more than she could afford then. Maybe when she was out of debt . . .

  “Speaking of canceled weddings, I saw Claire Conway this morning at the bakery.” Kerri sounded worried, the way all of them had been about the physical therapist. “Maybe she should get a dog so she won’t be so lonely.”

  Jenna’s chest tightened, a mix of sadness and em
pathy for her former client whose groom had called off their upcoming wedding because he’d fallen in love with someone else. “How is she doing?”

  “Hard to tell. She looks tired. Not at all like her normal bubbly self.”

  “She needs time to deal with what happened and sleep.” Jenna hadn’t slept through the night for months after being jilted at the altar during her wedding rehearsal. Tears had flowed like Sweetwater Creek after a rainstorm. Smiling hurt, as if her facial muscles were attached to her aching heart. “It’ll be tough for a while.”

  She let go of the black frame. Too thick. Fanciful design, but a lighter color would suit Kerri and Michael better.

  “Claire said you returned her nonrefundable deposit.”

  “Least I could do.” Jenna had been destroyed emotionally and financially by her breakup. She was still paying off the wedding-that-didn’t-happen debt. “When I went through this, more than one person told me that God had a plan. I didn’t believe them. Turned my back on everything, on Him. But thankfully had a change of heart.”

  “And found Sweetwater Community Church.”

  “That’s right.” The church felt like a second home now, and Jenna’s friends had become family with hers so far away. “My faith grew stronger after the breakup. My life changed for the better. I’m grateful for that. Something I never imagined happening at the beginning. I pray the same thing happens to Claire.”

  “There’s always a plan.” Kerri’s voice lightened. Her puppy frustration disappeared. She sounded like she was smiling. “Not yours or mine, but His.”

  “Couldn’t agree more.” That was why a never-worn wedding dress hung in the back of Jenna’s closet, a reminder that relationships weren’t always as wonderful as they looked through her viewfinder. “If I fall in love and want to get married again, I’m eloping. That was my parents’ advice the last time since plane tickets weren’t in their budget and my brother was deployed. Should have listened.”

  Kerri laughed. “That’s funny coming from a wedding photographer.”

  “Maybe.” Jenna pulled out a scalloped white frame. This would work better than the darker one. She placed it against the table, then grabbed a brown frame. “Though I’d better find a date before I start talking about another wedding.”

  “Does that mean you’re ready to be set up?”

  “No.” The word flew from Jenna’s mouth faster than a moth dive-bombing a lit candle. She nearly dropped the frame on the floor. Her heart was still on sabbatical. “Thanks, but I’m not ready for blind dates.”

  Jenna had faith that God would bring her the right guy. One who believed in her and loved her unconditionally. Until then, she had to be patient and trust in God’s plan for her. The last thing she wanted was a repeat performance of what happened with her ex-fiancé. No more rushing into a commitment.

  “Maybe not, but I’ve never heard you mention the d-word,” Kerri teased.

  D-word. Date.

  Jenna’s skin prickled. Her stomach spun like she’d ridden the Tilt-a-Whirl at the fair. Nope. Not ready yet. And that was okay. No matter what anyone else said.

  “Uh-oh.” Worry returned to Kerri’s voice.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The blow dryer stopped. Better find out what’s going on.”

  “Okay. See you soon.”

  The call ended. Jenna placed the brown frame next to the white one she’d selected, then double-checked the list of shots. Formal portraits and fun ones without Peaches would come first. Then puppy madness photography would ensue.

  Most ideas would come to Jenna during the session, but she planned ahead to make sure she didn’t miss anything. One time, early in her career, failing to get a picture of the bride with her parents had taught Jenna the importance of lists.

  A knock sounded.

  Kerri and Michael couldn’t have arrived that quickly. A client must be here to pick up prints. Sometimes they didn’t call ahead of time if they knew their package was ready.

  Jenna crossed the studio, stepped into the small foyer, and opened the door.

  Her heart slammed into her ribcage like a battering ram against a fortress gate. Her world tilted sideward. She clutched the door handle, as if it were a lifeline.

  What in the world was he doing here?

  Her ex-fiancé, Ashton Vance, was the last person Jenna expected to see. Wanted to see. Ever.

  He looked . . . good. His classically handsome features seemed more chiseled than two years ago. Maybe that was due to his shorter, corporate haircut. So different from the longer, curly-at-the-ends style he’d worn before. His tailored suit screamed successful attorney. No sign of the beard stubble she’d found so appealing.

  She blinked, thinking she must be hallucinating, then refocused. He was still standing on her front step, an unreadable expression on his face.

  “Hello, Jenna.”

  His voice washed over her like chocolate fondue. Deep, rich, warm. Exactly how she remembered. But hearing him say her name no longer gave her the good, shoot-to-her-toes chills. More like a shiver down her spine.

  Please, God, give me strength. A little grace wouldn’t hurt.

  She forced herself to breathe. “Why are you here?”

  Her voice sounded shaky, the way her insides felt. Ashton had been the man she’d dreamed of being with for the rest of her life. The man who hadn’t believed his own fiancée was telling the truth. The man who’d broken her heart.

  “A fair question.”

  Nothing had been fair. Not the weeks of crying. Not the months trying to get over him. Not the nearly two years putting herself and her life back together. Jenna’s muscles bunched, one after another, into a mass of triple knots.

  She raised her chin, not about to make this easy on him. She was no longer a pushover and had found strength, not in herself, but in God. “Then answer my question.”

  Ashton flinched.

  Jenna didn’t care. Ashton Vance . . . Ash had been her world. She would have done anything for the man, but she had zero patience now. She wanted him gone.

  He glanced around. “May I come in?”

  “No.” Turning the cheek was one thing. Acting like an idiot was another. She wasn’t being rude, but practical. “Clients will be arriving soon.”

  “Fine.”

  A vein throbbed at his jaw. His blue eyes resembled the color of the Columbia River during a storm. She probably shouldn’t take so much pleasure in his unease.

  He cleared his throat. “I just found out you didn’t post that photo. I’m sorry for blaming you and calling you a liar.”

  Finally.

  She waited for relief to hit. It didn’t. Nor did any other emotion now that he’d accepted the truth. She felt disconnected, more observer than participant. Strange, given the times she’d imagined this moment, but his showing up seemed anticlimactic. Maybe because she’d realized their relationship hadn’t been based on unconditional love, but on being the perfect couple, attending the most popular church in town, and having a big wedding so voters would think he was a happily married family man, rather than a bachelor who lived in a downtown condo.

  “Amber came clean,” Jenna said.

  His lips parted, matching the surprise in his eyes. “You knew my sister sent the photo?”

  “Having me Photoshop the picture was her idea. She was the only other person who knew it existed.”

  Ash’s gaze narrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I did, but you’d made up your mind I had to be the one who posted the picture to the newspaper’s Facebook page.”

  “I had. That’s why I want to apologize.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I feel horrible for everything that happened.”

  “Welcome to my world.”

  “Jenna . . .”

  “What?” Okay, maybe her words hadn’t been polite, but she’d been honest. The one thing she’d been through the ordeal. Though few had believed her. Everyone—from their friends to those who attended West
side Christian Church—had sided with him. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

  “Accepting my apology would be nice.”

  “Nice.” The word tasted like dirt in her mouth. “There’s nothing nice about this.”

  “I thought you’d be happy I don’t blame you any longer.”

  “I am, but I would be happier if you’d believed before this.”

  “I thought about calling you. Several times.”

  “But you didn’t. You’re only here because you have proof.”

  His mouth twitched. “Don’t make this more difficult on me than it already is.”

  “Difficult on you?”

  He couldn’t be serious, except he wasn’t smiling. His chin jutted forward.

  Unbelievable. He meant it.

  Her blood pressure rocketed into the danger zone. “You canceled our wedding and broke up with me over something I didn’t do. You called me a liar in front of your family, friends, and church. My business suffered because no one would hire a distrustful, lying wedding photographer.”

  “Jenna—”

  She held up her hand, needing to say more. “I’m not finished.”

  He nodded once.

  “You’re the one who didn’t want to get married, but I had to call the guests, return gifts, and deal with the finances.”

  “You planned everything and knew who to talk to.”

  She glared at him. “Because you were too busy with work and your campaign. Your last-minute cancellation meant deposits weren’t returned. Most I’d charged on credit cards, thinking we’d pay them off together after we married. A few places were still owed money so I had to cover those bills, even though you were the one who wanted the huge, expensive wedding that cost two times what I make a year.”

  Her tone was hard like granite, the way her heart felt, but she kept her voice low and steady. Yelling wouldn’t accomplish anything.

  Jenna ignored the look of shock on his face. She wanted him to know how difficult the past two years had been because of his actions. “My name was on the contracts, but legally you were the one responsible since you broke our engagement. That’s considered a contract, which you ignored. Unfortunately I couldn’t afford an attorney to sue you.”