It’s a quarter after three before we’redone at the spa, and my mother is frantic that we are fifteen minutes behindschedule. “Mom, it’s fine. It’s only fifteen minutes.” I try to reassure her,but it doesn’t seem to help, as she practically runs a red light. “Better thatwe show up alive, don’t you think?” I say, doing up my seatbelt.
“I just want everything to be perfect,”she says, her voice cracking.
“Mom pull over.” She looks at me likeI’ve asked her to help me do something completely outrageous, like bury a body.“Please, just pull over for two seconds.” I’m amazed she does.
“Okay, you have one minute. Talk fast.”
“I want to say that all of this isperfect. That you’vedoneso much work in such a short period. That you wanted to do this for me. It’sperfect. Even if it’s not. Relax and enjoy the fruits of all your hard work. Iknow I am.”
My mom takes a deep breath and some ofthe tension in the car dissipates. “When did you get so wise?”
“Oh, you know, I have a great mom.” Shepats my shoulder, and I can see the sparkle of tears in her eyes.
“Okay.” She turns back to the road,pulling into traffic. She still drives like a maniac. When we pull into thevineyard, Cole and the guys are standing on the front steps. I try to roll mywindow down and say hi but my mom puts the child locks on and the window grindsto a halt only an inch of the way down.
“Hey, I wanted to say hi. I haven’t seenhim all day.”
“You’ll see him soon enough.”
If you only knew, Mom. You’d probably gooff like a firecracker if I told you what Cole and I did in the back seat ofgrandma’s car this morning. She gives me a side glance when I don’t retort.
“What? You’re right, I can’t wait to seehim standing at the end of the aisle.” The thought makes my heart pound harder,and I think of how nervous and excited I was the first time. My mom drivesaround to the back of the house, almost up to the back steps.
“Out and don’t you dare try to go seeCole.” She has her finger ready to point at me.
“Okay, okay, just don’t point your fingerat me.” I smile at her, then jump out of the car, running up the steps and intothe house. My grandma Alice and Alan Prescott are sitting at the kitchen table.“Hey Grandma, Grandpa.” I stop, catching my breath.
“Hi Katie girl, everyone’s upstairsgetting ready.”
“Great.” I walk up the first set of stepsand turn to take the second when I hear Cole’s voice.
“Hey, did Kate come this way?”
“Kate who?” My grandma repliesdeadpanned. This I have to hear. I sit on the bottom step, just out of sight.
“Oh Grandma Alice, have I told you howbeautiful you look today?” Oh man, grandma is getting the full force of Cole’scharm. “I keep telling my grandpa here he needs to find a beautiful woman likeyou to tame his hot head. Kate definitely gets all her gorgeous looks fromyou.”
“She went upstairs.” No way! Mygrandmother totally caved. That man of mine is good. I laugh but remember, I’msupposed to be a fly on the wall and slap a hand over it.
“Kate,” Cole calls.
“Not so fast, you fancy pants boy.” Mygrandma shouts. “The only way you’re going up those stairs is over my deadbody.” I laugh out loud again and run upstairs into the master bedroom.
“Kate, wait.” Cole shouts, but I shut thedoor to the bedroom.
“What are you smiling about?” Laura asks,pulling a pair of panty hose on.
“I was listening to Cole try to charm mygrandmother into telling him which way I went.”
“You didn’t see him, did you?” Annieasks, coming into the bedroom.
“I saw him standing in the front yard,but other than that, no.” I watch Annie for a minute. She ignores my answer,pulling her dress out of the hanging garment bag. I have the urge to ask herwhat her problem is and to be nice to me. It is my wedding day. But I don’t. Ineed to find a quiet moment to talk to her, not yell at her.
“Cookie.” Cole taps on the door. Anniegives me the evil eye and Laura laughs. I walk up to the door, opening it acrack.
“Cole, did you kill my grandma?”
It takes Cole a minute to understand, butwhen he gets it, he laughs. “No, I snuck up the front stairs. Your mom has Kurtguarding them. I gave him a hundred-dollar bill, and he turned his back.”
