Christmas, Alabama
Alabama Series by Susan Sands Publication Date: October 26, 2017 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, HolidayExcept:
Rachel
Prudhomme absorbed more truth through the lens of her camera than words, true
or not, could speak. Eyes didn’t lie. Expressions caught off guard didn’t lie.
The bride
wore an exquisite white, off-the-shoulder beaded gown, and the groom, a sharply-tailored
black tux. Their smiles were radiant. The wedding party smiled, and their
families, despite a few obvious squabbles, smiled too. But something was off.
It wasn’t obvious, and Rachel might have missed it had she not zoomed in on her
subjects—the bride and groom—through the viewfinder.
They
weren’t the dreamy, happy couple they appeared to be. There was a tightness
around the eyes and mouth of the groom. A sadness behind the smile of the
bride. Yet, everyone was participating in this expensive and very public lie,
and all were smiling their way through the photos and poses. Or maybe it wasn’t
quite a lie, but more of an imbalance.
Vows were
made and cake was cut amidst the flowers and music. The band played and the
guests danced. Maybe nobody knew anything was amiss, or if they did, they
pretended they didn’t. Rachel had learned the hard way that this was none of
her concern. Maybe they’d had a fight over the cost of the wedding, or the
destination of the honeymoon. Or, perhaps he’d waited too long to propose.
Whatever
was at play here, weddings brought out the stress and inner beast in everyone,
all while they smiled and played the parts of the happiest people on the planet
for their families and friends. The photos were the key to remembrance.
This was a
Thanksgiving wedding. The food was heavy, harvest fare. The flowers were deep
shades of crimson, linen and champagne, and golds. The greenery was heavy and
dark. The autumnal tones, spicy cinnamon candles, combined with the cool
temperature outside set the stage for rich, lasting memories.
So, Rachel
would do her job to cement the memories for this couple, hopefully, a
lifetime’s worth. The stress, the fight, or whatever had happened prior to the
ceremony wouldn’t carry through when they looked at their wedding photos in ten
years if Rachel did her job well.
The photos
made the re-remembering pure perfection. “Hey, Rach, could we get a shot of
Grandma Jean with the garter on her leg?” the bride asked, her smile bright.
The alcohol was clearly doing its job now.
Sands,
Susan. Christmas, Alabama (Alabama series Book 4) (Kindle Locations 67-70).
Tule Publishing. Kindle Edition.
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