Against the glow of the morning sun, I heard her mutter through gritted teeth.
"Jesse Swanson better act like a man this time and protect you."
"If he dares let you down, he'd better pray I never catch another Swanson in my crosshairs."
By the time the clock struck twelve, I had wrinkled the lace hem of my wedding dress beyond recognition.
There was an unspoken rule for weddings in Harbor City: anything past noon was bad luck.
A family like the Swansons, with all their obsession over tradition and propriety, would never allow such a blunder.
My texts went unanswered. My calls rang out.
A bad feeling settled in my gut.
Nora handed me a glass of water, worry etched across her face.
At first, she had been ranting about how unreliable Jesse was. Then she had gone quiet.
Now, somehow, she was the one making excuses for him.
"Addie, don't overthink this. Jesse might be a lot of things, but even he wouldn't joke around with something as serious as a wedding. He'll come."
I tightened my grip on the glass and turned my gaze toward Shoreline Bay in the distance.
Sunlight spilled across the sand. A couple stood by the water's edge, posing for wedding photos, their smiles wide and radiant.