The Wedding Circle (7 page)

Susan put down her Dubonnet and ran with the opening. “I do now. At first, I thought I would just cater to the artsy-craftsy crowd and be a supply store for them. That's why I called my little endeavor Beads and Crafty Needs. But as I got to know some of my customers better, I decided to try some of it myself. With my Jeremy and Elise all grown-up now, what's an empty nester to do? But anyhow, I like to think I've gotten quite good at it—I braid my own silk cords for the necklaces I make using a technique called kumihimo. Quite a mouthful, isn't it?” She paused for a girlish giggle. “And then I use jasper, amethyst, and jade to make some lovely pendants, if I do say so myself. They're among my best movers.”

Maura Beth was pleased to see a genuine spark of interest spread across her mother's face, banishing the glazed, weary expression she had carried into the lodge with her.

“Oh, I just adore pendants. So few people know how to accessorize these days,” Cara Lynn offered with genuine animation.

“Isn't that the truth?” Susan answered, leaning forward in her chair with a wink. “I have to cringe when some of these women walk into my shop with all this . . . bling, I believe they call it nowadays. And let's don't even talk about these piercings. Oh, the places they'll put them without a second thought. I keep wanting to ask, ‘Does that hurt?' ”

Both women chuckled richly; then Susan continued. “But don't think for a second I'm letting the men off the hook, either. Some of them come in looking just like pirates. It's all I can do when they buy beads to refrain from asking if they're going to make another pair of dangling earrings or stick them in their navels and then go terrorize a cruise ship.”

Everyone was laughing now, and Maura Beth felt her residual nervous tension melting away as she locked eyes with Jeremy. This effortless banter right off the bat was exactly what she had been hoping for. At the very least, the meeting of the in-laws was off to a promising start.

Susan continued the feeling of camaraderie that had enveloped the room. “Cara Lynn, I always travel with a few of my jewelry catalogues. They're upstairs in my suitcase, as a matter of fact. I'd be delighted to show you some of my work later on when we get a moment.”

Cara Lynn clasped her hands together excitedly. “Yes, I'd love that. Let's be sure and find the time.”

“Well, we're having dinner early at The Twinkle. That's Cherico's restaurant of choice, you know,” Connie put in. “I'm sure there'll be plenty of time when we get back. Believe me, Cara Lynn, you're going to love Susan's work. I have one of her jade pendants in my jewelry box. Matter of fact, I think I'll wear it to The Twinkle this evening.”

Maura Beth sat back, admiring the ongoing ebb and flow. Mostly flow. Had she died and gone to heaven? Here were these two larger-than-life, diva personalities getting along famously. Perhaps her decision to wear her mother's dress had turned the tide in her favor. Or even in Cherico's favor. Was it barely possible that she had worried about the wedding for nothing?

 

A couple of hours later, the dinner at The Twinkle was humming along. Periwinkle had taken Maura Beth aside and reassured her from the get-go. “We've shut the place down for two hours just for you, girlfriend. I've got my full staff work-in' for ya tonight—myself, Parker, Lalie, Barry, and my part-time cook and waitress to boot. No excuse for slow service this go-round. We've got it all covered.”

And that had definitely been the case—at least through the salad and entrée courses. The compliments had flown throughout the meal, and Maura Beth had detected no sign of her mother turning up her nose at the cuisine. In fact, she had even congratulated the chef the moment she tasted the homemade salsa generously heaped atop her grilled chicken. This was the Cara Lynn Mayhew—indeed, the mama—who she had been waiting for since adulthood.

So now there was only Mr. Place's key lime icebox pie left to serve to the eclectic mix of diners. There were several polite refusals in the form of, “I'm just too full,” or something similar when the dessert plates were whisked out, however; but it pleased Maura Beth no end that her mother was not among those who wanted to push back from the table.

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I've made up my mind to splurge a little this weekend,” Cara Lynn declared, admiring her slice of pie almost as if it were expensive jewelry.

“Dig in, Mama. You won't be sorry,” Maura Beth added. “Mr. Place is the best darn pastry chef from here to Memphis, and he's been a wonderful addition to The Twinkle.”

It was then that Barry Bevins rushed out from the kitchen, heading straight for Periwinkle, who had just placed the last dessert plate in front of William Mayhew. “Miz Peri,” he began, slightly out of breath, “we just got us a real big takeout order way out in the boonies. Do ya want me to go ahead and deliver it as soon as possible, or do ya need me to hang around a little longer for this party?”

“We're almost through here, Barry,” she told him. “We don't ever wanna keep our customers waiting. You head on out as soon as the kitchen gets it fixed. We've got our reputation to uphold.”

“I must say I'm impressed. You do seem to be the only game in town, Miz Lattimore,” Cara Lynn observed as Barry scurried away.

Periwinkle was beaming. “Oh, please call me Periwinkle. But I will say we do try awful hard, especially with our new delivery service. Cherico's never had anything quite like it—except for the pizza place, of course.”

Then Cara Lynn took her first bite of pie and everyone thought she would swoon. “Ohhh! This is insane!”

“Isn't it scrumptious?” Connie added, her face lighting up as she leaned in. “I have no business eating it with my figure, of course. But I just can't resist.”

Maura Beth continued to watch it all unfold with a satisfaction that had now morphed into outright smugness. Why, there wasn't a thing to worry about the rest of the weekend! There was now no reason to believe that her parents, particularly her mother, would not see her side of things regarding the wedding. The potluck and review of
The Robber Bridegroom
at the library tomorrow would clinch the deal. There would be an informed, intelligent discussion of a literary classic and the iconic Mississippi woman who had written it. Her parents would clearly see that both The Cherry Cola Book Club and the new library she had inspired were proof positive of the good works she was doing in Cherico, and furthermore, of how neatly their daughter blended into the fabric of this quirky little community. They would finally understand that their universe and hers might be worlds apart, but that there was nothing wrong with that. The two could coexist because father, mother, and daughter were truly a family. At long last.

The sun was getting ready to slip beneath the Lake Cherico horizon just as everyone returned to the lodge from the catered dinner at The Twinkle.

“Oh, quick!” Cara Lynn shouted in front of one of the great room windows, pointing toward the water in the distance. “Let's hurry out to the deck so I can see this for myself!” Then she grabbed Susan by the arm. “You come along with me, Miss Crafty Beads!”

The others followed, and soon everyone was outside, mesmerized by the gaudy, swollen display that could not decide which among the shades of orange, pink, and gold it preferred. At any rate, the brilliance of all the colors was short-lived as the sun finally blinked out, signaling the end of another late-summer's day in Cherico.

“You certainly didn't exaggerate,” Cara Lynn said, turning to Connie. “That was like a scene from a movie.”

Connie briefly gestured at the horizon. “Wasn't it? And I never get tired of it. I feel I'm getting my money's worth out of my retirement every time I see it.”

“Well, now that the show's over, does anyone have room for a nightcap?” Douglas asked, turning around and pointing to the great room. “I'm your bartender, if you're interested.”

Several people immediately took him up on his offer and headed back in, but Cara Lynn stayed behind, taking Susan aside at the last second. When everyone was well out of earshot, she said, “Please stay a moment with me. There's something I'd like to talk to you about.”

Susan gave her a quizzical glance but remained at the railing. “Is it about my catalogue? I could go bring one down right now if you'd like. I'm sure you'll find something that suits you.”

“Yes, we must look it over together—if not tonight, then tomorrow. I adored Connie's pendant. You are obviously quite talented.” Cara Lynn was looking out over the water now, as if searching for the right words. Finally, she turned to Susan and lowered her voice. “I don't know how you feel about this lodge wedding that my daughter has cooked up, but William and I are not very happy about it. Maura Beth is our only child, and we want to give her a big wedding with all the trimmings down in South Louisiana. It will be part of the New Orleans social scene. I just don't think having a ceremony on the deck of a fishing lodge is very proper, even if we staged it at sunset. Tell me, do you think we're being unreasonable?”

Susan looked decidedly uncomfortable, forcing a smile. “I can understand your position, Cara Lynn, but shouldn't this be between you and your daughter? For what it's worth, I can tell you that Jeremy is fine with whatever Maura Beth wants to do. I think most grooms are a bit intimidated by weddings. I know my Paul was. My mother and I just told him what to do, and he did it.”

“That may be, but I was hoping to talk her out of this idea of hers,” Cara Lynn continued. “Wouldn't you and Paul like coming down to New Orleans for a traditional wedding? St. Andrew's is such a beautiful old high church, and there's nothing like a reception at The Three-Hundred Club. It's just the grandest stage you could ever imagine—just dripping with tradition. I've been looking forward to this all my life, and I just don't understand what Maura Beth can be thinking of with this fishing lodge idea of hers. She's always been so stubborn, of course, but maybe you could talk to Jeremy about it?”

“What do you mean?” Susan said, a subtle edge to her voice.

“If you could impress upon him how much a hometown wedding would mean to me—have him put in a good word for our position with Maura Beth. Maybe she'd listen to him. Maybe he could turn this thing around for us.”

Susan's nervousness took the form of an extended sigh. “Cara Lynn, I think this is all very awkward for me. Paul and I have never been able to tell Jeremy what to do, either. We warned him that he wouldn't be making much money teaching English, and that some of the principals, headmasters, and superintendents he'd be dealing with might be nightmares. That's turned out to be the case, as a matter of fact. But he has this great passion for literature—he says he wants to improve the culture. He firmly believes it's taken a swan dive. And frankly, I think he's nailed it. Every time I see what's on television and what's playing at the movies I realize how low the bar has been set these days. And as for the wedding, I think we just have to let our children set their own agendas.”

Cara Lynn's tone of voice took on a slight chill. “I see. Then you won't try to help me with this?”

“I don't think it's my place,” Susan began. “And I have to tell you—I'm a bit surprised by all this. I thought the four of us were getting along just fine up to now. The men seem to be hitting it off in there with their after-dinner drinks, and I would imagine that Connie and your daughter are both starting to wonder what deep philosophical discussion we're having out here without them. So why don't we hurry on in and join the others, okay?”

Cara Lynn flashed a smile that was anything but sincere. “Yes, of course. And I trust this little chat we've had won't be repeated. I guess I went out on a limb expressing my opinions here so openly to you.”

“You're the mother of the bride. You have every right to. But if you don't mind, Cara Lynn, I think I'll stay out of this.”

 

Was it the B & B Maura Beth was sipping in a corner of the great room, or was it the sight of her mother and Susan McShay chatting so intensely out on the deck that was giving her such a warm, fuzzy feeling? It was obvious that these two Southern divas had become fast friends. Could it get any better than that? They were no doubt outside thinking up ways to make her wedding even more spectacular now that it was clear her mother had shown up planning to cooperate and get with the program. Perhaps Susan would be adding something artsy-craftsy to the wedding bouquet, and they were discussing other unique and colorful favors for the ceremony. What a revelation it was all turning out to be!

“What are you grinning about?” Jeremy asked, sitting in an adjoining chair and brushing up against her leg.