She giggled. “I supposed I can do one day of camping in between days at a five-star hotel.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
46
Avery
After a way-too-heavy kiss, I took my overnight bag and set off to my grandmother’s house. She lived several blocks over from Main Street in one of the residential areas. After that hot breakfast, I needed the fresh air. I couldn’t wait to move back to Harrogate. The people were friendlier than in Manhattan, the buildings didn’t make me feel claustrophobic, and the historic architecture was very much my aesthetic.
What I was absolutely not thinking about was how I had had sex with Blade. It was a one-time slip-up.Two-times.Two-time slip-up. And it would never happen again. Nope, never.
My grandmother was waiting for me on her front porch. Spring was just around the corner, and she was sweeping off the wood decking and inspecting several pots. I knew she was setting up for her spring planting. That was one of my favorite things to do with my grandmother along with cooking and decorating.
“Avery!” she exclaimed. “Did you recover from your engagement party?”
“Engagement festival is more like it. I think I ate way too much fried food,” I said, hugging her.
“Cassie and Ensley are inside. They’re making some cocktails. I want us to have a fun girls’ afternoon talking about your wedding,” she said, bustling me inside.
I steeled myself for my family’s mean comments.
“I’m just so glad I could have Amy with Weddings in the City do my flowers,” Cassie was saying. “Daddy was so generous to pay extra for her.”
“She is the best,” my stepmother replied as Dottie and I went into the kitchen. “And I only want the best for my little girl!”
“It’s too bad you insisted on having a shotgun wedding,” my sister said haughtily when she saw me. “You’re not going to have any of the best decorators to do anything for you.”
“I have friends and family helping,” I said, clenching my teeth.
“Of course she does!” Dottie said.
I hugged her. I did love my grandmother, and I was grateful she was so invested in my fake wedding.
“Do you want a drink?” she said, pouring me a glass of the pink cocktail that had crushed raspberries floating in it.
“We also have a soothing cucumber water,” Cassie offered. “After all that fried food, this will help clean you out and not make you look so puffy.”
“Here, you need a big glass of this,” my stepmother said.
“Thanks, guys,” I said dryly.
“I want to hear all about the weddings, girls,” my grandmother said. “Cassie, you have your dress fitting soon, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve ordered one of the Weddings in the City dresses,” she said. “I had to buy it thirteen months in advance. But it’s worth it to wear one of those beautiful dresses. It was the first thing I did after Trevor proposed.”
I remembered Cassie’s dress. I had been there when she found it. She tried on dress after dress, all the while lording her wedding over me as my father sat there and told the designer that there were to be no expenses spared for his little girl. As much as I wanted to hate it, Cassie’s dress was exactly the kind I wanted—ethereal, with layers of the finest, softest laces and appliqués and a romantic sweetheart neckline that made her look like a fairy princess.
“Have you started dress shopping?” my stepmother asked me.
“My friends are helping me look,” I said. “Hopefully I can find a nice one to wear.”
My grandmother was almost bouncing in her seat from excitement.
“I think we have the perfect solution,” my stepmother said. “You can wear your grandmother’s dress! We were all just discussing it last night. It would be a perfect homage to one of the most important women in your life.”
“I couldn’t do that,” I demurred. I’d seen pictures of my grandmother’s early-eighties wedding. It was the furthest thing from the classy, tasteful ceremony that I wanted. “Surely Cassie would rather wear it? She’s the one who got engaged first. Besides,” I said, grasping at straws, “my mother was such an awful person, surely you don’t want me to sully the dress with that sordid history.”
Come on, Mom, come through for me just this once!I prayed my grandmother’s disgust at my mother would save the day. Alas, it did not. My grandmother placed a hand over mine.
