by Talley, Liz
“But you can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You left. You started this. Don’t look to me to fix it for you,” she said, rising as the band launched into “We Are Family.”
Something in her heart tore a bit when she thought about this song and the way Hillary had always sung it when they did karaoke, but then she felt a tug on her hand.
“Wanna dance, pretty lady?” Tennyson asked, angling her toward the dance floor.
Tennyson wore a tight violet dress with a huge bow above her rounded backside. There was no back in the thing, and her boobs were fluffy meringue atop the glittering bodice. There was a good chance if she shimmied a bit too hard, her girls were going to make an encore performance.
Hell, that could be the reason Tennyson wanted to dance. She was extraordinarily proud of those breasts. Obviously.
Melanie nodded. “All right, let’s shake a leg and show Shreveport that we—”
“Are family?” Tennyson finished.
Melanie laughed. “Well, heck, I guess it’s true now.”
They made their way to the dance floor, stopping to give a hug here or there to friends and family who wanted to say how beautiful the wedding was, how gorgeous (and glowing) Emma looked, and who did the flowers, by the way? The whole time they wove through the guests, Melanie could feel her mother’s gaze on her. Anne still hadn’t spoken to Tennyson and had endured the wedding party pictures with a stoic expression that resembled a smile only when they did the pictures of Anne and Emma by themselves. Melanie cast a look at her mother right before she and Tennyson reached the dance floor. Her mother narrowed her eyes and frowned.
Melanie waved and gave her a big smile.
Tennyson lifted her hands and started gyrating, her old slinky-snake standby, and Melanie started her shoulder shake. The lights around the stage flashed pink, purple, and blue, and everyone was laughing and shaking it to the surprisingly good band Andrew had found through a friend.
Melanie looked at Tennyson, who sang along, pointing her finger at Melanie when she got to the “I got all my sisters and me,” and felt tears prick at her eyes. This was the way it was supposed to be—her and Teeny laughing with each other again. She was grateful. Lord, she was grateful that they had found each other again.
Because life was fun when Teeny was in it.
Then Emma and Andrew showed up, dancing with them, delight in their eyes. The bracelet Melanie had given her the night before glinted in the flashing lights, representing the newly united family.
The traditional first dances had been sedate and sentimental. This was altogether different. This was a celebration. As if sensing the same, the band rolled right into “Celebration.”
Melanie giggled when Tennyson grabbed her hand and twirled her beneath her arm. She returned the favor, much as she’d done when they were eleven years old, dancing to Kool and the Gang when the song was new. Joseph appeared, looking very much the hot cop that Tennyson had dubbed him, in his tuxedo with the purple tie that she bet Tennyson had paid too much for. He grabbed Tennyson around the waist and grooved with her.
Kit joined them, too, looking less joyous but determined that the wedding reception would be one to remember for Emma and Andrew. He caught her eye, and she smiled at him.
Maybe.
She wasn’t sure if she and Kit would make it. Oh, she still loved him, but sometimes love wasn’t enough. Not if it erased one of the people.
Kit took her hand and pulled her to him. “You look gorgeous tonight, Mel. Even prettier than the day I married you. Thank you for giving me the world.”
Melanie smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Then she let his hand go and grabbed Tennyson’s. Her friend rocked and rolled, her feet bare because no one could dance in the things she’d worn for the wedding.
“I have something for you,” Melanie yelled over the music.
“You do?” Tennyson asked, dipping low.
“Your boobs are about to fall out,” Melanie called down to her.
Tennyson’s eyes lit with amusement. “That’s why I’m taped up.”
The song ended, and everyone moved over to the table with the cake, where Marc stood looking perturbed that the band had gone rogue and gotten him off schedule. The confection was gorgeous with beautiful flowers that mimicked the ballet-pink ones on Emma’s dress. Melanie’s daughter and new son-in-law stood behind the cake and thanked everyone for coming. A photographer swarmed like a yellow jacket, snapping pictures, buzzing this way and that. He turned and snapped one of her and Tennyson when they were unprepared.
“Lord, I’m all sweaty,” Melanie said.
“Me too, but who cares? We just burned a crap ton of calories. I’m eating a big piece of cake. Now what did you want to give me?”
Melanie held up her wrist and unclasped one of the bracelets she wore. She took Tennyson’s arm and fastened the bracelet there. Tennyson watched with a bemused look on her face. After Melanie released her hand, Tennyson brought her arm up and caught hold of the gold circlet with the small medallion that read 4EVER.
“That’s what we forgot,” Melanie said.
“What?”
“You bought us the best friends necklace. We should have added the 4ever. That’s been the problem. We forgot the 4ever.”
Tennyson’s eyes sheened with tears. “Well, of course. How stupid of us.”
“Yep. And I have one, too. To remind me that some things should be forever.” Melanie held her own arm up and wriggled it so the bracelet flashed in the dim lighting. It was her apology, her promise to her friend.
Together they turned as Andrew smashed a piece of cake all over Emma’s face.
“He totally takes after his mother.” Melanie laughed.
Emma retaliated by pouring champagne on Andrew’s head. The two young newlyweds then dissolved into laughter, kissing one another and licking the icing off their fingers. Everyone around them smiled and clapped.
“How come no one clapped when we did that?” Tennyson asked.
“Because we were displaying ‘bad behavior,’” Melanie said, hooking her fingers in the air and grinning.
“Well, my dear, that’s the absolute best kind,” Tennyson said, wiping away the moisture glistening in her eyes.
Melanie smiled as the band struck up “Brick House.” “They’re playing our song.”
Tennyson nodded. “Let’s go.”
Melanie had a sneaking suspicion that she would be hearing those words often in the next few years. And that was perfectly fine with her.
Time to fly.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m often asked how I come up with story ideas. It’s easy—all you must do is have an active imagination and friends who love the absurd. This book came about on a walk with my writer friends Phylis Caskey and Jennifer Moorhead. As we often do, we were chatting about our lives, and at one point I said, “Oh my goodness. Can you imagine those two women having to do a wedding together?” And then I immediately said, “That would make a good book. I might write that book.” They both said, “You absolutely should.”
And so I did.
Tennyson came to me very easily, as did Melanie. They blossomed into real people, and I felt as if I had known them all my life. Their story was a joy to write . . . and all that goodness originated in laughter with friends. Maybe the best stories come from laughing with friends.
So I would like to acknowledge Phylis and Jennifer for their contributions, creativity, and humor. I would also like to acknowledge my editor, Alison Dasho, who has steadfastly believed in me, and my agent, Michelle Grajkowski, who is my biggest cheerleader (other than my mother). Special thanks to Selina Mclemore for her editing skills and the entire team at Montlake and Amazon Publishing, who have always been helpful. Special thank-you to Kayla Southard of Moonlight and Lace Weddings for her insights into planning a wedding. A special shout-out to my Fiction from the Heart sisters Tracy Brogan, Jamie Beck, Sonali Dev, K. M. J
ackson, Virginia Kantra, Donna Kauffman, Sally Kilpatrick, Falguni Kothari, Priscilla Oliveras, Hope Ramsay, and Barbara Samuels. They give me wings.
And as always, my love to my family. My mother and father come to all my signings, rain or shine. My husband is great at carrying boxes and quietly cheering for my successes. And my boys are good at saying, “Cool, Mom,” when I tell them fun things about writing.
Finally, I acknowledge all of you who buy my books and thus become part of my life. Without readers, there is no reason to write. It’s a contract between me and you and fulfilled when you close the last page. My sincere thank-you for spending this time with me.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Wedding planning can be a huge stressor on families. What is the benefit of spending so much time, energy, and money on an event like this? How does planning a wedding help bring mothers, daughters, or other family members closer together? How can it help blend two families into one?
Melanie and Tennyson complement one another well. Do you relate more strongly to one or the other of them? Would you like a friend (or do you have a friend) like Mel or Teeny?
Melanie’s mother, Anne, prioritizes keeping up appearances over all things. What does this cost her, in terms of her relationships? Do you think she understands the things she’s lost, or do you think she believes she’s been right to always focus on how things appear to those outside the family?
Put yourself in Melanie’s shoes. Could you ever forgive Tennyson for the way she acted at the wedding?
Was Melanie’s father’s suicide due entirely to Tennyson’s revelations at the wedding? What other hints does the author give us about his character and his frame of mind? Do you think he might have committed suicide one day even if Tennyson had not revealed his secret so publicly?
How do Tennyson and Melanie use their wealth to hide or cover up their emotions?
Who was your favorite character in the novel? Who did you dislike the most, and why?
What do you think the future holds for Melanie and Kit? Will they reconcile? Should they, in your opinion?
What about Tennyson and Hot Cop? Do they seem to have a relationship that will endure, or will she wind up alone again?
How valuable are female friendships in today’s world? What can a close friend give you that a spouse may not provide?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2017 Courtney Hartness
A finalist for both the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards, Liz Talley is the author of Room to Breathe, Come Home to Me, and Charmingly Yours and Perfectly Charming in the Morning Glory series, among many more novels. Finding a home writing heartwarming contemporary romance, the author sets her stories in the South, where the tea is sweet, the summers are hot, and the porches are wide. Liz lives in North Louisiana with her childhood sweetheart, two handsome children, three dogs, and a naughty kitty. Readers can visit Liz at www.liztalleybooks.com to learn more about her upcoming novels.