Dream Chaser (41 page)

In the velvety darkness, she let her tears for Sam
and Emma flow again. W
hen they finally ceased, she w
alked
slowly up the stairs to bed. While she lay there, she reached over to the empty side of the bed, pulled two extra pillows to her breast, and let sleep finally overtake her.

The wedding day dawned hotter than expected for late June. The girls gathered their dresses and a mountain of cosmetics, jewelry, and other paraphernalia, and loaded
Suzanna’s old SUV
to the brim. S
he
slid into the front seat, telling the girls she would come back for them after delivering “the goods” to the church.
Ronnie’s mother supervised while everyone dressed, participated in picture-taking, and prepared for their walk down the aisle.

Suzanna
entered
the room where the groomsmen had gathered and beckoned to Kevin.
She
patted the white rose in his lapel.
“You look
so
handsome.” She started to choke up. Her younger child was getting married. How could he have grown so fast, become so mature in such a short time?

“You look pretty good yourself. That pale blue looks great on you
, Mom
. How’d you convince Ronnie’s mother?
She
said her mom didn’t want anyone wearing blue except her.”

“I told her that whatever she wore would so outshine my
dress that no one would notice,
and then I picked a pale color and let her go with the darker shades, which set off her gray hair so nicely.”

“Did
Jonathan
make it
?” Kevin looked around. “I want to introduce him to Ronnie’s folks
, so they’ll know
he was the one who sent my resumé on to
Professor
O’Neil.”

“I haven’t seen him yet. H
e’s been in London
this
past week.” She paused, her eye
s filling as she remembered his call
to her about Emma. “He wasn’t sure he
would be able to make it. But
I’m sure he’ll do his best to get here.” She looked around. “I think I’m going to have to let you go.”
In more ways than one.
She gave him a
quick
hug.

“Mom…
”
He didn’t
speak for a moment, and she noticed a brightness to his eyes that told her he
might be
feeling the same emotions she was experiencing.
“Ronnie
says you’
re the kind of wife and mother she wants to be.”

Suzanna shook her head.
How could she possibly be a role model? There were so many things she’d done wrong, so many dreams that had ended badly. She’d been too young, unprepared for marriage, although she hadn’t felt that way at the time. Images of her babies and their pudgy cheeks and bright eyes floated in her mind. How proud she was, that each of them moved into adulthood so effortlessly. Not like her, so uncertain about herself when she’d met Brad, who’d told her he would take care of her. But not in the way she’d expected.

“She sho
uldn’t use me as a role model, dear.
”

“
But, she admires you so much
for the way you remade your life after Dad died. That’s what she wants our life to be
. O
ur life together, where we can
each
be ourselves—individuals, not just part of a couple.”

Remade her life? She startled inwardly and wondered for a moment if he could tell how pleased she was that he recognized how she had changed. On her trip west, maybe even before.

She patted Kevin’s cheek and smiled.
“
Tell
her I’m honored she thinks
so
.”
She
heard
Penny call her,
waving
for her to take her position at the back of the church. Her heart full to bursting, s
he
gave
Kevin one last hug before
preparing
for her own walk down the aisle.

Minutes later, as t
he
Canon in D
played,
Suzanna found her seat next to Penny. She concluded, with regret, that Jonathan would not be seated next to her.
As the
Trumpet Voluntary
rang out, she watched the bride
s
maids process to the front of the church and take their places.

Images of her son at different ages blended with the words and music of the ceremony the young couple had
organized themselves
to commemorate the beginning of their life together.
Keep doing that, you two, working together as partners.

When
Suzanna
walked out of the church and moved on to the reception area amidst the throngs of wellwishers, she couldn’t
sto
p smiling, even as she brushed away tears of happiness.
She wandered around the area, greeting friends and neighbors
.

“Suzanna.” Brad’s former law partner
greeted her warmly
and kissed her cheek
.

“George! It’s so good to see you again.”

“I’m going to miss Kevin,” he said. “He was one of our best summer gofers. I hear he’s off to Canada for an internship at the Consulate.”

She nodded as he
joined her at the punch bowl.
“A lovely wedding with a handsome groom
,
a radiant bride
,
and a beautiful mother of the groom.
You look a lot happier than two years ago. Hard to believe
it
’s been that long since Brad passed.
”

“Yes.
Two
years in
August
.” It seemed longer
, maybe because she wasn’t the same person she had been then
.

“When you have some free time, stop by the office
.
I want you to meet our new associate.
”

“
I will
.” She moved on to chat with others who were seeking her attention.

The first dance of the young couple began
.
Ronnie’s father
squired his wife onto the dance floor. Suzanna
felt a hand press the small of her back and
a familiar voice
murmur her name. Her breath caught.

“I believe it’s time for the mother of the groom to be dancing.” Jonathan gathered her into his arms. “Don’t look so shocked,” he whispered, “or people will talk. I’ve been trying to find you since I arrived. Didn’t you see me
trying to get your attention
at the back of the church?”

She shook her head, her heart in her throat, her pulse beating furiously.

“The plane was late, but I found a cabbie willing to break all speed records from the airport hotel to get me here
after I changed clothes.”

“Good,
”
she croaked.

He lowered his head. “And I would have made it except for a truck that stalled in the middle of an intersection.”

She
looked up at him
.

“The bride,
your new daughter-in-law
,
is lovely. No wonder Kevin has eyes only for her.” Jonathan pulled her a bit closer.

She patted his chest where he held her hand.

Silence reigned for a couple of minutes.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“No.”

“Then why have you been reduced to monosyllables?”

“Because if I start to talk, I may begin to cry.” She sniffed
for emphasis
.

“L
et’s go outside, away from this mob.” He danced them gradually to the edge of the dance floor.

She looked up at him
and blinked, suddenly finding her voice and starting to pull away. “I can’t leave.
As the mother of the groom, I have to stay.
Wedding protocol and all.
”

“I wasn’t thinking of leaving completely, just getting some fresh air,” he assured her.

“Oh,” she smiled, and followed
Jonathan
out of the crowded room and onto the covered porch. “I’m so glad you made it.”
What she really wanted she couldn’t do in public. Dancing would have to substitute. She pressed her cheek against his chest to feel his steady heartbeat, steadfast like he was, simultaneously calming and exciting her, holding the promise of a life she craved.

“I wouldn’t have missed it.”

Suzanna
stepped back, still holding his hands, while she feasted on the look of him, so tall, so handsome, that glint in his eyes of a secret something he was thinking
. “That tux looks familiar.”

“I give it an airing every once in a while.
If
I was going to stand next to the groom’s mother,
I figured
I’d better be dressed appropriately.”

“It fits you
so
well.” She hug
ged him then remembered
. “I promised Margaret
you would
dance with
her
.”
She grinned at him. “
Will you do her that favor?”

“Take me to her.”

She le
d him into the reception
hall
.
He paused to speak to Kevin. The next time she saw him, Jonathan
was
dancing
a beaming Margaret around the room.

Kevin approached her while Suzanna watched. “Mom, may we dance?”

“Of course, dear
. W
here is Ronnie?”

“She’s getting changed so we can leave.
I wanted to thank you for
everything,
all that you’ve done
,
with the wedding and all.”

“It was my pleasure.
As the mother of the groom, I had to hold up my end.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you were able to introduce Jonathan to Ronnie’s parents. Isn’t that what you were doing before he started dancing with Margaret?”

“Yes. Mom, Penny and I’
ve been talking—”

“I hope you haven’t been arguing. I seem to recall the two of you doing that on occasion.”

“No, Mom, as a matter of fact—”

“Oh
dear. I guess this is the end of our dance.” She pulled away from him
as shouts from the sidelines signaled Ronnie had returned
.

“But, I wanted to tell you—”

“You’d better hurry, Kevin. Ronnie’s waving to you. I believe it’s time for you
to leave. One hug for the road.
” She
clung
to him for just a moment before sending him off to his bride.
She ached with so many emotions. She was losing the child he’d been, and gaining an adult son, now a husband. In the blink of an eye. How had that happened?

Kevin
waved
to
her
and called out,
“I’ll talk to you when we get back.”

She
waved
at Kevin and Ronnie before turning
away
to wipe her eyes
, afraid she would begin weeping again.

As the crowd cheered, the young couple left in the limo.

“My dear!” Margaret
huffed
, out of breath
and fanning herself
. “That man is
such
a good dancer. And so tall,
but he doesn’t talk all th
at much, does he? How he managed
to stay hidden away on that ranch with no woman snatching him up is beyond me!
” S
he grasped Suzanna’s hand.
“
I think he’d make the most magnificent boy-toy—and if you d
on’t grab him, I think I will,
”
s
he chortled
.

“Would you happen to know where he went?”
Will I ever walk down the aisle—toward Jonathan?
Where had that thought come from?

“
Jonathan seems to like Kevin. I saw them chatting before that boy gave him a man-hug.”

“Man-hug?”

“You know, enthusiastic hand shaking and back patting at the same time.” Margaret smirked. “Now h
e’s talking with Pen
ny
. You’d better go rescue him.
Or is she well and truly over her mad
?”