Destination Wedding ~ A Novel by Deanna Lynn Sletten Read Free Book Online Page B

and everyone started talking about the local food and what they wanted to try while they were there. Of course, fish and other seafood dominated the menu, but Claire didn’t mind. She enjoyed seafood, and fresh seafood was going to be a delight.
    "Do they ever smile?" Jim whispered in Claire's ear as he discretely pointed his menu toward Janice and Carl Fisher.
    Claire looked in their direction. Both Fishers frowned at their menus. It was Claire's guess that they weren't adventurous eaters and were trying to find something familiar to eat. She had to admit, they both looked uptight. While everyone else had worn their beach clothes and flip flops to dinner, Janice and Carl had actually dressed up. They not only looked out of place at their table, but also in the entire restaurant. The other diners were wearing what they'd worn to the beach or on their boats for the day. Everyone except the Fishers.
    Claire pursed her lips. She wasn't really a fan of Craig's parents, but she wasn't going to be unkind about them, either. They could do whatever made them feel comfortable. "Don't be mean," she whispered back to Jim. "They just don't seem very comfortable here. This wasn't their idea of the perfect wedding. They wanted to have a church wedding at home and a reception at the country club."
    Jim nodded. "Country club? As in golfing or tennis?"
    Claire turned to him. "Golfing. Why?"
    Jim winked at her in reply, which infuriated her.
    After everyone had ordered, Claire watched Jim put on his most winning smile and speak up toward Carl at the other end of the table. "So, Carl. You're a golfer, I hear."
    Carl looked up, surprised at being called upon. "Um. Yes, I am. Do you golf, Jim?"
    Jim nodded. "I've been known to hit a ball or two around a course."
    Claire rolled her eyes. Jim was an excellent golfer, or at least he'd been one when they were married.
    "Maybe we should see if there's a golf course here," Jim suggested. Claire realized he was trying to put Carl at ease, and she thought it was nice of him.
    "Daddy," Mandy interrupted. "There are no golf courses on this island. I think there may be one over near Marsh Harbour, but I have no idea what it costs to golf there."
    "We can ask Sandra at the lodge," Jim suggested. "I'm sure Craig and some of the other people here golf. Glen, you still golf, don't you?"
    "Sometimes. Not as often as I'd like. But I could try to keep up," Glen said.
    At the end of the table, Carl cleared his throat. "That sounds like a nice idea, but I don't have my clubs along. I never golf without my custom-made clubs."
    Craig looked uncomfortable. Claire guessed that he knew Jim was trying to make his father feel comfortable with the group but that his father wasn't interested. "My dad has a wonderful set of custom-made clubs. He really doesn't enjoy playing without them. It was nice of you to suggest it, though, Jim."
    Jim sat back in his chair, smiled, and nodded. Under his breath, he said loud enough for only Claire to hear, "Snob."
    Claire had just sipped her iced tea when he said it and almost spit it out in a laugh. She grabbed her napkin and covered her mouth as she managed to swallow the liquid.
    "Are you okay, Mom? Mandy asked, patting her on the back.
    Claire slid her gaze to Jim, then turned back to Mandy. "Yes. I'm fine. It just went down the wrong way." When the attention was off her, Claire turned toward Jim and hissed, "Be nice!"
    Their dinner was delicious. Claire had tried the fish of the day, which was red snapper that had been rolled in a crushed almond and bread crumb mixture and deep fried. It had tasted amazing. Jim had tried the fried conch, which he insisted Claire take a bite of, too. Everyone tasted a bite of each other's food since most of it was food no one had ever tried before. Everyone except Janice and Carl. They had stuck to plain chicken and rice.
    It was late and the sky was inky black when the group walked back to the lodge. The town had quieted down and there were hardly