“Now see, that’s the one thing that’s bothering me the most about her being here. I don’t want Hal to get all sentimental over her. I don’t think he’s ever gotten over her. She married someone else way back then-and she’s married several other someones since-and she’s just lost another husband, which means she’s going to be looking for a new one sometime real soon. Maggie is never without a man in her life. Besides, she isn’t good for Hal.”
“Well, I think that would be for them to work out.”
The conversation dropped because the photographer had the shot lined up and was only waiting for Mia and Vanessa to take their places, Mia in the center with her new husband, Vanessa on the end with Grady.
“So did you get rid of him?” Grady whispered as she posed.
“Get rid of who?” she whispered back.
“Whoever it was you had to see.”
“It’s a long story.” She sighed. “But it wasn’t a him. It was my mother…”
“Oh.”
“Mia had the same reaction when I told her. Just… ‘oh.’ I guess no one knows what else to say.”
“What did you say when you realized she was here? Or did you know she was coming?”
“I think my first reaction might have been, ‘Oh shit, that can’t be her.’ But I can’t be sure because I was walking up the aisle when I saw her and I think my mind went temporarily numb. And no, I didn’t know she even knew about the wedding.”
“Are you upset that she’s here?”
“I’m upset that she upset Beck by coming uninvited. I’m upset because she knows better. And I’m upset because I’m afraid she’ll…” She could barely get the words out.
“You’re afraid she’ll what?”
“She’s newly single and I’m afraid she’ll hit on Hal.”
“Well.” Grady cleared his throat. “I didn’t see that coming. But, if I could point out, you’re upset for everyone except yourself.”
“I can handle Maggie being here.”
“You sure about that?”
“Of course.”
“Then maybe you should let everyone else handle her presence here on their own terms, too.”
She fell silent, and was grateful when the photographer switched their placements so that all the men were on one side and all the women on the other. After the last frame was shot, it was time for dinner to be served, and the wedding party went as a group to the tent that had been set up on the south lawn, facing the Bay. There were toasts before and during dinner, and dancing on the wooden dance floor in the center of the tent. Vanessa tried to push from her mind the whole unsettling mess of her mother being there and her brother refusing to acknowledge it.
Grady is right, she told herself as she swayed in his arms to a seventies ballad. We’ll all have to deal with this on our own.
At that moment, all she really wanted to deal with was Grady. She pushed everything else from her mind, and moved closer when he drew her in, reluctant to move away when the band stopped playing. She liked the feel of his body next to hers, the way they moved together, the way he held her, the way she almost came up to the tip of his chin-well, at least in these shoes she did.
She knew the exact moment she decided to seduce him.
The band had just finished playing two slow dances back-to-back: a fairly decent cover of Journey’s “Open Arms” led right into the brassy female lead singer’s somewhat cheesy version of the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame.” Grady never let Vanessa out of his arms, just held her, his eyes looking into hers as they moved from one dance into the next. In that moment, her entire body seemed to come to life, and she wanted the music to keep playing on and on. When the last note faded away, it took all of her willpower not to wrap her arms around his neck and draw him into the longest kiss he’d ever had.
Oh, my. Wouldn’t Cuppachino be buzzing in the morning.
The best part was she knew that he was thinking-feeling-exactly the same way, that her thoughts had somehow become his, and her wants mirrored his own. Had it been anyone’s wedding other than her brother’s, she would have suggested that they leave right then and there.
But it was her brother’s wedding-his sister’s, too, she reminded herself-and there’d be no sneaking out early. It was all right, though, she told herself. She could wait. They’d have all night.
And there was still Maggie…
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Maggie caught Vanessa’s arm as she and Grady made their way back to their seats at the head table.
“Maggie, this is Grady Shields,” Vanessa said levelly. “Grady, meet my mother, Maggie Turner.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Turner.” Grady greeted Maggie politely, as Vanessa knew he would do.
“Well, you’re certainly a tall one, aren’t you?” Maggie appraised him. “But very good-looking. Vanessa, don’t you think he’s-”
“Ah, Grady, now would be a good time to maybe scout up a glass of wine for me, if you wouldn’t mind.” Vanessa forced a smile, something she felt she’d gotten plenty of practice doing that day.
“I don’t mind at all.” He turned to Maggie. “Mrs. Turner? Could I bring something for you?”
“Why, a glass of champagne would be lovely, thank you.” Maggie flashed him her best smile, one Vanessa was certain was not fake. Maggie loved nothing more than flirting with a good-looking man.
“Should I bring the bottle?” he deadpanned, and Vanessa nodded slowly.
“Well, he certainly is something.” Maggie appraised Grady as he walked away. “Did you say he’s the bride’s brother?”
“No, I didn’t say, but he is.” Vanessa sighed and sat in the nearest chair. “I see you decided to stay.”
“And I’m glad I did. It’s a lovely reception.” Maggie scanned the room, her eyes fixing on Mia. “Is she as nice as she seems?”
“She’s wonderful. Beck couldn’t have found anyone nicer.”
“I’m glad.” Maggie’s face softened. “He deserves… well, I guess we all deserve to be happy, don’t we?” She forced a brightness into her voice that Vanessa suspected she didn’t really feel.
“I suppose.”
Maggie patted Vanessa on the arm. “I’m sure you’ll find someone just as nice, honey.”
“I’m not looking for another husband, Maggie. I’m not going that route again. Twice was enough.”
“Oh, you say that now. But I bet you’ll change your mind when-”
“I doubt anything could change my mind.”
“Life can get very lonely when you’re by yourself.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “When were you ever by yourself? I can’t remember a time when you weren’t with someone.”
If Vanessa had intended to wound, she’d hit the mark.
“You don’t know everything, missy,” Maggie snapped.
“I know that there was never a time in my life, growing up, when there wasn’t one man leaving and another coming in to take his place.”
“Is that really what you remember, when you look back on your childhood?” Maggie appeared surprised.
Vanessa nodded.
“Oh, honey…” Maggie moved toward her daughter, but Vanessa stepped back, both hands up as if to ward off her mother.
“It’s a little late, Maggie,” Vanessa told her. “Besides, that’s a conversation for another day.”
“All right.” Maggie nodded. “We’ll talk about something a little less… charged.” She appeared to think for a moment, then said, “So, I guess you were surprised to hear from Shannon.”
“Who?”
“Shannon. Your best friend from high school.”
“Maggie, I didn’t have any friends in high school.”
“Of course you did, honey. Don’t be silly. Why else would she have called to get your address so that she could get in touch about the reunion?”
“What reunion?” Vanessa frowned. “Who wanted my address?”
“Haven’t you been paying any attention? Shann
on called about your high school reunion.”
“Shannon who?”
“I don’t know.” Maggie’s exasperation was evident. “She was your friend.”
“I don’t know anyone named Shannon, and I cannot imagine that anyone I went to high school with would give a rat’s ass whether I showed up at a reunion or not.”
“So, I guess that means you haven’t heard from her.”
“I haven’t heard from her or anyone else.” Vanessa rubbed her temples. The headache had all the makings of a monster. Please, she begged the tiny man she imagined was responsible for all the pounding inside her head. Please go away. Not tonight…
“That’s strange, because she called over a week ago, and seemed so eager to get in touch. She was so interested in hearing about where you lived and what you were doing these days. I’m really surprised that you haven’t heard from her.”
“Well, if I ever do, I suppose the mystery will be solved.”
The band started up again, and Vanessa watched Steffie lead a tall, ruggedly handsome man onto the dance floor, and she wondered if this was the enigmatic Wade MacGregor.
Steffie does look fabulous in that dress, Vanessa thought. I’m going to have to tell her…
“… but I’m not sure that I want to do that,” Maggie was saying.
“Not sure you want to do what?” Vanessa tuned back in.
“I’m not sure I want to stay in St. Dennis for a few more days.”
“Why would you?”
“Hal said he had some things he wanted to talk over with me.” Maggie’s eyes took on a soft shine. “You know, he’s still the most wonderful man I have ever-”
“Uh-uh.” Vanessa took her mother by the hand. “Please, don’t get involved with him, don’t get his hopes up. Don’t get him tangled up with you again after all these years. Leave him alone, Maggie.”
Maggie looked as if she’d been slapped. She backed away from Vanessa, and walked through the dancers toward the opposite side of the tent.
“Was it something you said?” Grady handed Vanessa a glass, and poured from the bottle he’d managed to talk one of the waiters out of.
“I’m afraid so.” Vanessa bit the inside of her bottom lip and wondered if she should have just kept her mouth shut and let Hal take care of himself.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later.” She took a sip of champagne and stood, slipping her arm through his. “Right now, it looks as if Mia and Beck are about to cut the cake. Let’s go watch.”
And after that, she thought as they joined the bride and groom at the cake station, they’ll leave.
And then, so will we…
Chapter 10
EVERYTHING about the evening was perfect.
The moon was high and cast golden shadows on the Bay. There was music outside the tent as well as within: the gentle lapping of the water upon the sandy shore, the soft call of an owl, the hush of the breeze playing through the reeds at the far end of the lawn.
If I were ever to believe in romance, which I most certainly do not, Vanessa mused as she and Grady strolled through the Inn’s lobby into the night air, I almost could believe tonight.
Hand in hand, Vanessa and Grady walked with their hips lightly touching as they descended the front steps.
“The car’s at the far side of the lot. I’ll run and get it,” Grady told her. “I’ll be right back.”
She opened her mouth to say she didn’t mind the walk, when she saw Steffie flying up the circular drive as if in a royal snit. Seeing Vanessa, she stormed toward the steps.
“You are not going to believe this.” Steffie was wild-eyed.
“That ass Wade MacGregor, with whom I thought I was having the perfect evening, walks me outside, and of course I’m thinking, ‘Yay, big night ahead.’ But it turns out he’s walking me to my car and he tells me he has a plane to catch, but it was sure nice seeing me and catching up and maybe we’ll run into each other the next time he’s in town.”
“Oh, Stef…” Vanessa began, hoping to spare Grady the full Steffie blowout.
“No, no. I’m not finished. That was just the first part.” Steffie was on a roll. There’d be no stopping her now. “So I say, well, don’t let me keep you from your flight, and I stomp off to get into my car, and there are four cars parked behind me. Not one, but four boneheaded fools who think it’s okay to block someone in have parked behind me. I can’t even make a grand exit and blow cinders all over his car as I do wheelies and screech by him in a cloud of exhaust. Then Tina calls to tell me she can’t lock up because she just realized I forgot to leave her the key.”
Steffie blew out a long, angry breath.
“Why don’t you go in and see if someone can give you a hand finding out who owns the cars that are blocking you?” Vanessa suggested. “Write down the license-plate numbers and ask the band to announce it.”
Steffie waved a piece of paper. “I did that. It’s going to take forever, though. Want to bet that at least two of these blockheads are in the bar, drunk, and at least one of them is in the restroom? I told Tina I’d be there fifteen minutes ago.”
“I can’t help you with the guy, but I can drive you to your place so you can lock up,” Grady offered. “By the time we bring you back, the cars may have been moved.”
“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. We were just on our way out. You two wait here,” Grady told them.
“Wow. He is really hot,” Steffie told Vanessa when Grady disappeared into the lot. “And nice. Hot and nice. I’m having serious envy here. I’m really sorry you saw him first.”
“I’m not.” Vanessa grinned.
“What happened to ‘I’m not interested in finding anyone, I don’t want another guy in my life’… I can’t recall your exact words, by virtue of the amount of champagne I drank tonight, but I definitely remember you saying you were not interested.”
“That was then,” Vanessa said. “Besides, it’s just for tonight. He’s leaving tomorrow. I probably won’t even see him again unless Beck and Mia have a baby and he comes to the christening.”
“What is it with these guys who blast out of here like St. Dennis is the Village of the Damned?”
“He’s made plans to do something.” Vanessa shrugged. “And that’s fine. He doesn’t have to stick around. I was serious when I said I don’t want anyone in my life. I just want someone for tonight.” She watched the car approaching, the headlights flashing across the grass.
“God, Ness, you are the very soul of romance.”
“Well, not just any someone. Him. I want him. Which doesn’t necessarily mean I want to keep him.”
“Can I have him when you’re done with him?” Steffie stage-whispered when the car stopped in front of the Inn and Grady got out to open the car doors for the two women.
“Awww,” Steffie sighed as she got into the backseat. “I love it when a guy does that.”
Grady got back behind the wheel and started out of the lot.
“Well, at least you’ll get to try Mocha Berry Vanessa,” Steffie said, and poked Vanessa’s arm to get her attention. “I did tell you that I named a newly created special flavor in your honor?”
“Grady told me.” Vanessa turned in the front passenger seat and looked around the headrest to Steffie. “And I am honored.”
“You should be. It’s pretty terrific, if I do say so myself. Right, Grady?”
Grady nodded. “It’s very good, Steffie.”
“Yeah, it’s been pretty popular,” Steffie went on. “I think I’ll keep it on the board for a while.”
They merged onto the main road and headed toward the center of town.
“Hey, Ness, did I tell you I saw Candice coming out of Sips this afternoon?”
“Candice who was in my shop this week and put that white eyelet number aside?”
“Uh-huh. I’m certain it was her.”
“Oh, good. Maybe she stopped in and picked up that dress after all. I left i
t in the back room over the weekend, just in case she didn’t get a chance to come in yesterday.” Vanessa smiled in the dark. “I hope she did. It looked really nice on her, and she looked like someone who needed something pretty and new.”
“That could have something to do with the company she keeps. The guy she was with today…” Steffie shuddered. “Let’s just say he didn’t look like a very nice guy.” She paused. “Then again, he probably didn’t dump her after a few hours of playing cozy at a friend’s wedding, either. God, men are so annoying.” She paused again. “Present company excluded, of course.”
Grady looked at Steffie through the rearview mirror. “I guess it depends on who you talk to. I admit to having been called annoying a time or two. Actually, I’ve been called much worse than that.”
“Not by me,” Steffie told him. “I think you’re a prince.”
Grady laughed and made the left onto Kelly’s Point Road, which, except for the occasional streetlamp, was dark until they approached the municipal building, which was well illuminated. The reserved parking spots for the police cruisers were all filled.
“So do you think there’s anyone actually on duty tonight?” Steffie asked as they drove past. “I could swear I saw the entire police force at the wedding.”
“You did. Beck wanted everyone to come, but obviously they couldn’t all attend at the same time. So the night shift came early, for the ceremony and the cocktail hour, though of course they weren’t drinking anything stronger than club soda. The day shift came for dinner and dancing after the night shift clocked in.”
“Nice. Oh, Grady, turn left here into the parking lot and drive all the way down to the end,” Steffie instructed. “Go all the way to the back corner.”
“Why all the way down there?” Vanessa asked. “That’s the darkest corner of the lot.”
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