Adams Grove 03-Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes

by Naigle, Nancy

  She laughed though the tears still fell. “Look…My hands are sweating just thinking about it now.”

  “Don’t be afraid of love. It’s a good thing.”

  “It’s a hassle.”

  “No. It’s a blessing.” Ben walked back over to the box. “These are pictures from our wedding day. I’d never even seen some of these pictures until the other day when I got this box out and went through it. They are of your mom and her girlfriends at the bridal shower and getting dressed the morning of the wedding. Some of them are funny.”

  He pulled one from the stack. “Look at this one. She has a garter on her head. Now, that’s funny. I don’t care who you are. That’s funny.”

  Carolanne took the picture and held it in her hands. “Oh my gosh.”

  “I forgot how silly she could be.”

  She exchanged a smile with him. “We do look alike.”

  “Oh yeah. Very much so. You’ve always favored her.”

  Carolanne flipped through the crisp black pages of the photo album. The pictures had faded over time, but each was tucked between little corner mounts, and most had the dates and a caption under them. “Look how small the church was back then. Oh my goodness. It looks so little.”

  Ben shook his head. “The addition on the church didn’t come for quite a while after we got married.”

  “Dad, are you sure you want to let go of all of this?”

  “I want you to have it. You need to know, and remember, how happy our life was. You’re hesitating about men and relationships. I know it. I can see it. You need to live your life without worrying about the what-ifs. A safe life can keep you from finding and living the real happiness you’re meant to find.”

  She hugged the box of memorabilia to her chest. “Sometimes I have trouble remembering her. I don’t want to forget. Especially the good things.”

  “You were young. It was hard. I wasn’t there. I wish I had been.”

  “It’s easier to remember the bad things, but don’t.” She raised a hand. “Don’t, Dad. We need to just leave it in the past. You can’t live your whole life being sorry. I can’t live mine being mad at you. It’s just wrong.”

  “I want to be there for you. I want to know you don’t hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you. I really don’t. One step at a time.”

  “It’ll be nice to have you so close. I mean, with me working right over at the artisan center and all, I could help you with your yard.”

  “That would be great. I don’t know anything about that stuff.”

  “I could teach you. You even have room for a garden if you choose to go that route. Nothing like digging your hands in good rich soil to make you appreciate the bounty of nature, and what an awesome reward you get from a garden.”

  “I think for now I’d just like to have some grass.”

  “You see what I did with the artisan center grass.”

  “I know. That place looks like a golf course.”

  “Thanks. I can do that here, too.”

  “That would be amazing. Thanks.”

  “I know you want to get unpacked, and I don’t want you to feel like you need to go through this stuff now. I just wanted you to have it. I love you, Carolanne.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  He headed toward the front door.

  “Dad, wait.”

  He stopped a few feet from the door and turned.

  At this moment, he looked ten years younger. Years of stress that had hung between them had lifted. Do I dare take a chance on ruining this moment? “I need to ask you something.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  Am I sabotaging the progress we just made? God, I hope not. Please have a good answer. As casually as she could manage, she started, “The other morning, when I came to pick you up in the hospital, Scott was there.”

  “Yeah. You don’t think I was drinking, do you?”

  “No, no.” Although she had been guilty of that, she really didn’t need to go there now. “Um, this is about that girl who died in the pond, the one they found during the reception. I overheard you tell Scott you didn’t know her, but Dad…”

  She closed her eyes. It was too hard to look him in the eye and ask.

  “I know you knew her. I saw her come out of your house the night before they found her.”

  There. She’d said it.

  Tears streamed down her face, and there was no way she could stop them. Fear, hope, confusion—a mixture of emotion left her standing there wondering if she’d done the right thing by asking. Do I really want to know?

  She leveled her gaze on him. He didn’t look guilty, but he did look defeated.

  He hesitated, seeming to measure her for a moment. “I shouldn’t have lied to Scott. Don’t even know why I did, except that it was such a shock.”

  He looked like he might pass out. His voice shook. “I need some air. Can we sit on the porch?”

  She nodded and followed him out to the only piece of furniture she had, the deacon’s bench.

  He sat down and she sat next to him. He took her hand in his.

  “I can promise you, Carolanne, I had nothing to do with that girl’s death.”

  “Why was she at your house? What’s the connection?” Are you her father? Oh God, I can’t ask if he cheated on Mom.

  “Well, none to start with.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “I’d never met her. I knew her mom. When I saw her, I knew instantly she was Lindsey’s daughter. It was like the girl I knew in high school had shown up on my couch.”

  “On your couch?”

  “Yeah. That’s how I knew how to get into the back sliding door. Gina had been breaking into my house while I was at work. I had no idea until that week we had five days in row of ninety-plus heat. Remember?”

  She nodded, wondering how it all connected.

  “Jill sent me home. Told me I could split up my time between early mornings and late evenings to beat the heat. I came home to find Gina sleeping on my couch. With her boots on, no less.”

  Carolanne had to laugh at that. She knew it was one of his pet peeves—feet on the furniture. “Bet that struck a nerve.”

  “Not one you kill someone over. I shouldn’t even joke about that, but I’d have never hurt that girl. She was fighting her own set of demons. I noticed it right off, and I figured if anyone in this town owed it to someone to extend an olive branch, it was me. I let her crash at my place while she figured out her life.” He turned to her with tears in his eyes. “I struggled with it. I knew I’d been a disappointing father to you, and helping her felt good and so wrong, like a slap in the face to you, and that hurt me so much. I was afraid to risk you knowing.”

  Her tears matched his.

  “A lot of damage I’ve done over the years.” He rubbed the tears from his eyes. “Will I ever break the damn cycle?”

  “It’s OK. I get it. No, it was the right thing to do. I felt the connection to her immediately, too. She was a sweet, sweet girl. Why would anyone do that to her?”

  He shook his head. “It’s wrong. That girl deserved answers. Not more pain.”

  Carolanne nodded.

  “You deserve answers, too. I’m trying like heck to give them to you.”

  “I know. I know.”

  They sat there on the porch. My new house. New beginnings.

  His voice strained. “Should we call the sheriff?”

  “No. I don’t think so. We don’t want to give him an easy way out on this.” She studied her dad’s face. “You’re telling the truth. I know it. Not just as your daughter—and Lord knows I need it to be the truth—but my experience with criminals tells me you’re telling me the truth.”

  “I am. I promise you.”

  “I can’t lie if I’m asked, but for now…I’m not saying anything to anyone. Maybe we can figure out what happened and it won’t matter and no one needs to know.” Although, in her mind, she knew that wasn’t the right thing to do.

  “I�
�ll follow your lead.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  He stood and let out a sigh. “Not exactly how I meant this to go.”

  “I know.”

  He walked midway across the porch. “You know, since we’re getting everything out in the open…”

  All her nervousness slipped back to grip her.

  “About that bouquet toss. Your mom caught the bouquet at her best friend’s wedding the year before we got married. She didn’t know she was ready to get married, either. It might not turn out so bad. Just let nature take its course.”

  He turned and left before she could even respond.

  She watched as he walked down her driveway and jumped back on the artisan center golf cart. With a quick twist of the key, the electric cart tooled away on the only paved street in and out of Bridle Path Estates.

  Carolanne stood watching until he was out of sight.

  Old feelings and thoughts tried to push to the front, but she dared them to try to foil her new plan. Thank you, Dad. This was very thoughtful. A good step.

  As she carried the photo album that was in the box with her mom’s things to the bookshelf to put it away, a picture fluttered to the ground. She picked it up, then walked to the back of the house. From there, she could see Ben round the corner and head up the incline to the main building of the artisan center. He turned off and parked alongside the small barn next to it.

  She glanced at the picture in her hand. In it, her dad stood holding her mom’s hand and smiling a big toothy grin. He had beautiful teeth. Must be why she’d never needed braces. It was the same smile she’d seen on him earlier. It might have been the first time she’d seen that genuine smile on his face in…well, a really long time. She laid her hand on the pane of glass, dreaming of walking into church between her mom and dad. She hadn’t even realized Mom was sick at the time. She knew now that Mom had fought that battle with breast cancer for over two years. She’d only known Mom to be sick for two weeks before she died. She’d had no idea there was something wrong. It was why she’d become so religious about mammograms and early detection.

  Time. It’s something you just don’t get back. Gina sure won’t have any more.

  She wrapped her arms around herself. She’d been lucky to have the ladies of Adams Grove in her life after Mom was gone. Pearl. Milly. Jill.

  Milly’s voice, her message, was clear in her mind. Your future will be as good as you let it be.

  Wise woman.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next morning, Carolanne sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and stretching out the kinks from the day of moving. Garrett’s guys had not only moved the furniture, but placed each piece in its designated spot. When she’d walked downstairs, it looked and felt like a home. With no drapes on the windows, the morning sun had woken her much earlier than she’d have preferred, but even that couldn’t dampen her mood today.

  She glanced over at Mom’s wedding dress, still hanging on the back of the door.

  You’re probably the reason I dreamed of wedding cakes and flowers all night.

  Disoriented by her new surroundings the first night in her new house, she’d even jumped out of bed on a frantic search for baby’s breath and daffodils before realizing it was just a dream. At least waking up in search of flowers was better than the frantic fear of floating in the pond like that girl with a turtle nibbling on her shirt, which was the thought she’d had to push from her mind to get to sleep in the first place after staring out at the pond shimmering in the moonlight.

  Sipping a hot cup of coffee in her new kitchen was nice, but she already missed the morning routine of coffee with Connor and his crossword quizzes. The banter had been a nice way to start things for a person who wasn’t normally that into mornings. It was just a little too quiet here, so after just one cup of coffee she got dressed and went into the office.

  She’d already been sitting at her desk nearly an hour when Connor strolled in with coffee in a paper to-go cup.

  “You’re here early,” he said, raising his cup. “I’d have brought you a cup if I’d known.”

  “That’s OK,” Carolanne said, although she could use another cup of coffee about now. “You didn’t make any this morning?”

  The tension between them was thick.

  “Not worth making a whole pot for one person.”

  “You can make half a pot.”

  “It’s never as good, and it’s easier to just walk down the block.”

  “Maybe we could go back to making it here in the office.”

  He shrugged.

  As Connor began to walk down the hall, she felt compelled to tell him about Ben’s visit. “I talked to Dad.”

  Connor turned around. “OK?”

  She pressed her lips together. Why had it taken him being disappointed for her to do the right thing?

  “And?”

  “And I told him that I saw Gina.”

  “I’m really glad to hear that. Your dad is a good guy. I really like him, and after Mom…Well, I just hate to see you waste any time that you could spend with your dad. You just don’t know how precious it is until it’s gone.”

  Sadness clouded his eyes.

  You’ll never stop missing your mom. I know how hard it is. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately.”

  “I think about it almost every day.”

  “I know you do.” He didn’t have to say the words. She knew. “I miss your mother, too. People think it’s easier for adults to lose their parents, but I don’t think that’s true. Your mom is your mom no matter how old you are.”

  “You being there with me, through it all, it meant a lot to me.”

  “I’m glad. I wanted to be there for you. For her.”

  “Did you find out why Gina was at your dad’s house?”

  She nodded and told him about the whole conversation.

  “So he was helping her. That makes sense. Still doesn’t look good, but at least we can position it right before they make a witch hunt out of the only shred of evidence they’ve got.”

  “You’re a good friend.”

  “We could be more—you and me.”

  She didn’t respond at first. “I know we could, but it’s not going to happen, Connor. Even coming here today, after our discussion…It’s just too much pressure on us to even try and also work together. I can’t do that.”

  “My mom really loved you. She lit up whenever you came with me. She’d have liked the idea of us being together.”

  “Don’t think about coulda-beens. It’ll make you crazy.” She knew that better than anyone. “Your momma was a special lady. Probably why you’re such a great guy.” She sat back in her chair. “Connor?” I want to tell you there could be more…

  She stalled, taking a breath as he stared at her. “I’m going to the artisan center to help Jill tonight if you want to come along.”

  The Adams Grove Artisan Center looked like it was ready to be open for business by the time Carolanne and Connor strolled in that evening. Shelves were stocked and the place no longer had the echo of a new building now that the artwork covered the walls and the final pieces filled in the smaller spaces and nooks.

  Everyone was starting to run out of energy and had congregated around the jewelry counter at the front entrance. Jill had opened a bottle of local Virginia wine that the store would be selling.

  “Looks we came at just the right time,” Carolanne said as she and Connor took in the scene.

  Jill motioned them over. “Y’all come over here and let’s toast to being ready on time for the grand opening—that is, as long as Mac comes through on the cake. He’s my only loose end right now.”

  Just as they raised their glasses, headlights cast a glow through the front windows.

  “Someone’s here,” Connor said.

  “Are you expecting anyone else?” Garrett asked Jill.

  “No,” Jill said, trying to see out into the parking lot. “Anyone recognize the car?”

&n
bsp; Connor walked over to the front door and looked out the window. “It’s a van.”

  “Is it Mac?” Carolanne asked.

  Connor unlocked the front door and let Mac in. “Sure is. Look what the cat dragged in. We were just talking about you.”

  “You’re back,” Jill said. “I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have a cake!”

  “Have I ever let anyone down?” Mac spoke as slowly as he walked. He never did seem to be in a hurry.

  “Never, but I didn’t want to be the first. Although that son of yours has your talent. Everyone is still talking about that silly cake—”

  “Silly?” Garrett chimed in. “That was a kick-ass cake.”

  “Sorry. I meant to say groom’s cake.” Jill batted her eyelashes and tried to look innocent. “You missed it, Mac. When that cake started making noise and chugging smoke, Garrett’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.”

  “Hey, all the guys loved it,” Connor admitted. “That was an awesome cake.”

  “The kid was professionally trained up at the culinary institute in New York. I never had any training at all. I guess he could probably teach me a thing or two. But I have to tell you, when it comes to adding motors and mechanics to a cake, that just doesn’t even make sense to me. Whoever heard of needing a workshop to build parts for a cake?”

  “That cake was the highlight of the day for some of us,” Connor said.

  Carolanne elbowed him.

  “Except for the wedding cake and how pretty Carolanne looked. That dead body floating up was right memorable, too.”

  “Connor!” Carolanne slapped his arm.

  “What?”

  Mac looked surprised. “What’s this about a dead body?”

  “Derek didn’t fill you in?”

  “I guess not.” Mac looked pale. “We just got back in town.”

  Connor went into graphic detail about the young girl floating up in the middle of the reception. “Those Johnson boys may never be the same.”

  “Holy hell.” Mac wiped his brow. “What’s happening to our town?”

  “I’m pretty sure Scott’ll be wanting to talk to you. They’ve been talking to everyone. Seems the girl’s mom was Lindsey Dixon.”