“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? Shannon 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.”