“It wasn’t quite that simple.”
“Whatever you say, Maggie.” Vanessa felt a monster headache coming on. “How did you know about the wedding?”
“Well, obviously not from either of my children.”
“Did Hal tell you?” As soon as she said it, Vanessa knew he had not. Knowing how Beck felt about his mother, Hal never would have done such a thing behind his back.
“Of course not.”
“Then who…?”
“I called your shop the other day, and when I told the girl who answered that I was your mother, she said you were home baking cookies for Beck’s wedding. Well, of course I wanted to be here. I took the first flight I could get-I had to take several connecting flights; it was not a pleasant trip, let me tell you. But I got into town early this morning, took a room here at the Inn, and here we are.”
“Where’s…” Vanessa tried to recall the name of her mother’s current husband. “You know. Mr. Turner.”
“He passed away six weeks ago. That’s why I’ve been calling you and leaving messages that haven’t been returned.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss, Maggie.” Vanessa conveniently passed over the part about the unreturned phone calls. She would have called to offer condolences if her mother had left a message that had gone beyond “Call me.”
“Well, you know, he was so much older than I, and he’d been ill for a long time now.” She shook her head imperceptibly. “I do wish you could have met him, Vanessa. He was the best of all the ones I married.”
“Well, knowing you, Maggie, I’m sure you’ll land on your feet.”
“That was a mean-spirited thing to say to a woman who’s just been widowed.”
Before Vanessa could reply, Mia swept across the brick floor and grabbed Vanessa’s hand.
“We’re doing pictures.” When she realized Vanessa had been in conversation, she apologized. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt…”
“That’s all right, dear,” Maggie told her. “We were finished.”
Mia hesitated. “Do I know you?”
“Ah, no.” Vanessa squeezed Mia’s hand. “This is… ah, this is my mother, Maggie Turner.”
“Oh.” Mia looked momentarily startled, but recovered nicely. “Well. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s lovely to meet you.” If Maggie had anything else to say, she kept it to herself. Mia saved the awkward moment. “I hope you’ll stay for the reception, Mrs. Turner.”
“I don’t believe my son would like that, but I appreciate the thought.”
“I know there will be room. We had a few unexpected no-shows, so please stay.”
“Mia.” Annie poked her head through the door. “The photographer is getting antsy.”
“Right. We’re coming.” Mia smiled at Maggie. “Stay.”
“Thank you,” Maggie said noncommittally.
Vanessa all but dragged Mia into the lobby.
“Are you crazy? Beck is going to have a fit. He doesn’t want Maggie here. I think he made that very clear.”
“She’s come a long way, right? From somewhere out west? She should stay. If Beck doesn’t want to speak with her, that is his choice. Not the one I’d make, if it were up to me, or if she was my mother, but he has that right. And I have the right to ask her to stay.” Mia slowed her steps. “She looked so sad, Vanessa. When I saw her standing there with you, my first thought was, ‘Who is that sad woman?’ It isn’t going to hurt anyone if she’s here for a while. Besides, I bet Hal will be happy to see her.”
“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.