Meg looked over to Gage. He was looking at Brie with that same unreadable look. It was gentle, even compassionate. Meg felt a little sick.
Brie was looking at Gage, too, but her look was icy. “You thought it was an easy make, me at a wedding, didn’t you? But when I got sick you found a backup. Funny, you dropped her pretty quickly when you saw me. Now that you’ve figured out that I’m not going to be eating out of your hand anymore, you’re back to flirting with the backup girl. You are so very predictable.”
Meg felt mortified. No one spoke for a while, since those ugly words were more than enough. This isn’t about me, she thought. “I hope you two can work this out,” she said. “For Leah’s sake.” Then she turned and went back to the meadow as fast as she could in patent leather pumps.
When she was rounding the front of the deck, she heard Catherine call her name. “Are they still taking photos?” she asked.
Meg stared at her dumbly. She had no idea, she’d been too involved in that awful conversation. “I think so,” she finally said. Catherine glared at her, her brown eyes endless, and then she crooked one finger at Meg. Like a disobedient child Meg walked slowly around to the steps and onto the deck. By that time Catherine was standing at the door and Meg got another crooked finger. She followed her into the cabin.
“Are you okay?” Catherine asked.
Meg nodded. Catherine was not buying it. “I just had a very weird conversation with Gage and Brie and I don’t know what to think, which is stupid, because it’s not any of my business.”
Catherine nodded slowly as if this made perfect sense. She touched two fingers to her lips. “I see. Well, it’s pretty clear what you should do.”
“What’s that?”
“Give him a chance to explain. Sometimes people have a hard time telling you things, for reasons you might not be able to understand.” Catherine gave Meg an even, unflinching look. “Even though it can make you feel like you’re not important in their life when someone doesn’t tell you things. But you have to give them time, sometimes a lot of time, before you judge them.”
Meg felt lower than dirt. “You know about my book.”
Catherine nodded.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You may not think you’re family, Margaret Parks, but I do.” Catherine’s eyes teared up, and Meg’s heart broke. She had never wanted to disrespect everything Catherine had done for her. “I spent at least three months a year with you your whole childhood. I wish it had been more, but the decision was not mine to make. I consider it a technicality that you didn’t come from my womb.”
Meg was speechless. She realized for the very first time that she had always assumed she was an imposition on Catherine’s family, that Catherine’s generosity was at the heart of her kindness, not love. At least not that much love.
“I know you have a mother, and she loves you with all of her heart too, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you, Meg. So whether it’s being in family pictures or telling me about the important accomplishments of your life, you can do what you want. But don’t you forget, I have room in my heart and in my life for every little thing you want to share with me, whether it’s about stubborn cowboys or an even more stubborn moose.”
Meg felt humbled. “Catherine, you’ve always been a mom to me. But I know you didn’t choose to have me, and so…”
Catherine waved away the rest of Meg’s words. “When you have your own you’ll discover you never choose any of your kids. God picks them for you, and you’re blessed to have them. He even put you in a place where you could bless two families, and yet sometimes you act like you haven’t got even one.”
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to think I didn’t love you, or to be disrespectful.” She tried a smile through her misty eyes. “You taught me better than that.”
“Yes I did.” Catherine smiled. The older woman put her arms around her, and Meg melted in the warmth of that hug. It was just exactly what she needed. First her brother, now Catherine. She would have to do more hugging; it was good for her.
“I told Mom and Dad about Mouse this morning,” she said.
“And?”
“They were happy for me.” Catherine recognized what Meg didn’t say, but she wasn’t the type to comment on it. Catherine only sighed. Meg said, “I would like to show it to you, but I sold my last copy.”
“I have three here at the cabin and three more in my car,” Catherine said. “I’m not going to tell you how many I have at home.”
Meg laughed, but the tears finally spilled over. “I’m ruining my makeup.”
Catherine fetched a tissue and expertly dabbed her tears for her. “You look good as new.”
“Aunt Catherine, please tell me you aren’t the only reason my book is selling well.”
She laughed. “No, my dear. And it is selling well, isn’t it? Evelyn down at the bookstore looked it up for me, and she told me how to find out its sales rank at Amazon, and so I’ve been tracking you.”
“How did you find out?”
“Your appearance at Crawford Elementary. The librarian is my hairdresser’s daughter. But that’s another story and has to do with another wedding, and we’re here at Joshua’s and Leah’s wedding. So we have a few things to deal with. I need you to start pouring champagne and sparkling cider. Andrew is going to pop the corks for you. It needs to be you pouring because you remember the approximate age of all our guests. Don’t be afraid to card them. Don’t you smirk, miss Meg, I’m serious.”
Most of the guests had gotten their food and settled down to eat by the time Joshua, Leah, Gage, Brie, and the photographer came around to the front of the meadow once more. Their entrance earned hoots, cheers, and applause. Meg set out the real crystal glasses at their table.
She tried not to look, but she stole one glance. Joshua and Leah were talking about something, and it seemed like Gage and Brie were leaning forward, deep in a private conversation. Meg didn’t want to know what they were talking about, and she didn’t want to care. It’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to.
With a start she realized Andrew was standing right in front of her, his arm outstretched, a glass of champagne in his hand. “Thanks,” she said. “I forgot to get one.”
With their job completed she went looking for Catherine. Her aunt was finally sitting down, and there was an empty chair near her. Meg got herself a plate and headed out across the meadow toward that safe place. Catherine looked at her, raised her eyebrows, and said, “You need to eat.”
Meg tried a little of everything. It was good, but she wasn’t very hungry. She heard the clink of silverware banging against glass. “Excuse me,” Gage said. “I would like to say a few words about my friend Joshua.”
She glanced over her shoulder. Gage was standing next to Joshua, and although his voice was upbeat he looked uncomfortable. “I was Joshua’s roommate when he first met Leah. I remember it very clearly, because I came home to find him pacing like a madman in our living room. I took a seat on the couch and watched him pace for about fifteen minutes. He told me he had met The One. Of course I didn’t believe him then. Well, that was a long time ago. A lot has changed for me, and some of that change I owe to Joshua.”
Gage stopped there, and for a second Meg wondered if he was actually choked up. But he started again, as upbeat as before. “He and I have been through some hurricanes since that day, but the way he feels about Leah has been rock solid. He’s a good man, and he picked an extraordinary girl.
“Joshua and Leah, I know your future holds a whole lifetime of blessings, but I want you to know that you’ve already been a blessing to your friends. It’s been great getting to know each of you, but getting to watch your love grow is even better. May God bless you, and from all of us, thank you.”
The cheers rose up, and Meg fished around in the grass to grab her champagne glass and raise it to join in the toast. Gage sat down and Joshua gave him a loud slap on the back. When the noise started to die down, Brie stood up.
If she was nervous she hid it well. She looked poised, with perfect posture. She lifted her glass just a little. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Brie. I have had the honor of being Leah’s friend for more than twelve years. So I thought it only fair that I give Joshua a better idea of what he’s in for. First of all, if you want to play cribbage with Leah, you’d better get used to losing. You will never get her to watch the first half of the movie Bambi, and she doesn’t even want to know what Old Yeller is about.”
Gage was looking right at Meg. She looked back at Brie as if she hadn’t seen him. She wondered what he was thinking behind those amber eyes. She wondered what hurricanes he had been in the last few years. If he’d been in a hurricane, she’d been lost in the doldrums, waiting for a puff of wind to lift her sails.
“. . . And so it’s fitting that Leah gets her happy ending today, or as I should say, her happy beginning. I love you, Leah.”
Another cheer went up, and Meg raised her glass again.
Leah’s mother demurred, and Jacob wasn’t about to make a toast. That left Catherine or Joshua’s little brother and sister, all of whom would have probably dissolved into tears. Luckily for all of the guests, they left it on the good note Brie and Gage had created.
Everyone finished their dinner, and Leah and Joshua cut the cake, gently feeding each other the first piece. That started off another herd, as inexorable as a slow buffalo stampede, that took care of most of the multiple pan cakes. Meg recognized Catherine’s signature red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and she wasn’t about to miss any of that either.
Caleb vaulted over the deck railing and headed across the empty dance floor like a man on a mission. He marched over to the Monster, jangling the keys in the air for effect. He climbed over the door, did whatever magic pedal routine Joshua usually did, and then tried to start the Hummer.
Once didn’t do it, and neither did the next four times, although his efforts filled the meadow with black exhaust and the bang of multiple backfires. When the Monster actually started, a cloud of dark smoke rose from its tailpipe. Where was he going? Meg wondered. Rather than heading down the drive, the way the vehicle was pointed, she saw the backup lights come on. Caleb was yelling, “Get out of my way!” and waving his hand.
Chairs parted, and the Monster backed up almost to the dance floor. Then, thankfully, Caleb turned off the engine. With a lot of creaking and coaxing he got both doors open. He held up what looked like a phone and plugged it into the dash. Then, being Caleb, he took a bow and everyone applauded obligingly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Joshua and Leah Parks.” He fiddled with something, and the Monster’s sound system came roaring to life. After half the people covered their ears he turned it down to a level that was merely loud.
Meg recognized the song in an instant as one of many sappy, tear-jerker Brad Paisley ballads. Josh led Leah out onto the dance floor, gently pulled her into his arms, and danced. They were smiling so hard it was impossible to watch them and not smile as well. As they danced they began to talk and laugh together, and Meg wondered what they were saying. What an adventure they were facing. And although she was happy for them, she felt a little envy creep back into her heart.
Envy was not her favorite feeling. She chased it away by reminding herself she had a good life, an interesting life, friends, and a family who loved her. And she was going to become a multibook author shortly. But whenever she looked at her life, she thought about her future and the uncertainty that came with it. It would be nice to face a future with someone, to talk and laugh in the face of it.
She rolled her eyes. That so wasn’t her! She valued her freedom. And she wasn’t like her mom and dad, without a single thought about tomorrow, but she didn’t want to be the person her brother saw, either. You aren’t old. You just live like you are. There had to be a happy medium. And whether she found it alone or with someone else, she was going to find it. Just as soon as she knew what it looked like.
When the dance was over, the newlyweds headed her way. Leah found Jacob and took his hand. His face turned a dark red, his expression stern, and he stood up a little taller. For Jacob those were all signs that he was about to complete a task that he considered important. He led his new daughter-in-law onto the dance floor to the strains of an Alan Jackson tune, and he covered every inch of that floor with his impeccable two-step. Good thing Leah knew how to two-step, Meg thought, or Joshua’s father would have dragged her around just the same.
When the music changed to some crooner classic Meg knew, it was Catherine and Joshua’s turn. In some ways it still shocked her that Joshua was taller than his mother. Now he was a married man, and he was doing a dance step she didn’t recognize, but Catherine did. They looked elegant, and when she came off the floor she was glowing with pride in her son.
The next song was an old country classic. Joshua and Leah showed that good two-stepping ran in his family. Caleb and Cadence joined them, doing a swing dance that was good enough to get them the attention they probably hoped they’d get. And then Gage and Brie joined them on the dance floor, making the bridal party complete. Gage pulled the maid of honor into his arms and they danced slowly, swaying from side to side.
Brie’s chin was tipped up, although her high heels and her natural height meant Gage was only a little taller than her. She was smiling and talking. Meg looked for something different, some sign of discomfort or awkwardness between the two, but it wasn’t there. They almost looked like Josh and Leah in their first dance. For all she knew they were talking about their future, too.
Catherine leaned over. “Margaret Parks. Get that grouchy look off your face or it’ll stick that way.”
Meg gave Catherine a guilty look. “You weren’t supposed to notice that.”
“I notice everything, honey. And I suppose you’re allowed a little grouchiness, since that lovely young woman is dancing with your man.”
“Aunt Catherine! He is not my man.”
“Mm hmm.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“You need to grab this one before he gets away, Margaret.” Catherine took a big bite of bread.
“What on earth makes you think he wants to stick around? Or more importantly, why would I want him to? I just met him. He’s just a…” Meg pictured him standing in her camper. “He’s too tall.”
Catherine, her surrogate mother, laughed out loud. “You have a crush on him.”
“Oh my goodness. This is not fifth grade.” Meg took a swig of water out of her water bottle. She knew Catherine was teasing her, but she was making her feel genuinely irate. She wanted to turn the tables on her. “Just because you think he’s cute doesn’t mean anyone else does.”
Catherine waved her hand in the air. “I already have a cowboy, and one is plenty. I do recommend you get one of your own, Margaret. They can be very… handy.”
Meg’s eyes grew wide. If her aunt meant that as a double entendre, she didn’t want to know. She heard Catherine chuckling to herself.
When the next song began, a song with a fun beat that Meg recognized from somewhere, the dance floor was flooded with dancers. This was not a shy crowd by any means.
Catherine took her husband by the hand and dragged him onto the crowded floor, where they did a two-step, of course. Meg laughed as she watched them expertly navigate a younger generation’s gyrations. Beyond the dance floor Meg caught a glimpse of Gage and Brie.
He’d leaned his shoulder against the trunk of an old pine, hands shoved into his pockets. Brie was standing with her feet slightly apart, leaning forward just a little, arms illustrating her points with big flourishes. Having heard a little of how sharp her tongue could be, Meg was happy not to be on the receiving end.
When the next song played, Leah gestured to her, and Meg joined a group of women dancing to one of the standard wedding favorites. The heat of the day was lifting, the music was loud and fun, and a long night of celebration was in front of them. Meg d
anced with the best of them until her high heels demanded a break and her throat, sore from singing along far too loudly, demanded a drink of water.
Meg tried to find her messenger bag, but the chairs were scattered and her bag was nowhere to be seen. She searched for a while and caught sight of Gage and Brie the same place in the darkening forest, still talking.
One of the tables that had held the buffet had been moved around the side of the cabin, and coats and bags were piled all over it. Meg dug until she found her water bottle and then polished off the rest of the water. Having had enough water to quench her thirst, she then poured herself a cup of coffee even though it was late. “Living on the edge,” she mumbled. She even added sugar.
“What did you say?”
This time Gage’s voice, so close behind her, took her so by surprise that she jumped and spilled coffee over her hand. He took the cup from her and set it in the grass, then he held her hand with one of his and with his other hand pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the coffee from her skin.
She stared at the once-white square of fabric. “You have a handkerchief.”
“I do.”
She looked up into his eyes. The sun was setting and the light was turning orange, and his amber eyes looked like they were made of gold. “I’ve never known anyone who carried one, except for Jacob,” she said. What a stupid thing to say.
“And Joshua. He got me in the habit. He said it was the mark of a gentleman.” He caught her eye and winked.
“I guess so,” she said lamely. She squirmed. She wanted her hand back. His hands were warm and strong and they were making her say stupid things. “Where is Brie?”
Oh, that was subtle. She cringed when she saw him lean back and look at her through narrowed eyes. “Dancing, I think. She and I had a few things to talk about, but you probably guessed that.” He folded the handkerchief and put it back in the pocket of his jeans. “I took care of what I needed to do there, and that means I’m free to do what I need to do now.”
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