Chapter 30 The Scheme
Chapter30 The Scheme
The Mother of the Groom
“Mom? What are you doing here?”
“Supporting you!” It was the answer that Abigail had rehearsed, knowing this moment would come when she and Alexa had finalized
the plans. Her son was going to ask, so she had better be ready, she told herself. “We respect you. We adore you. And we want
you to be happy.”
“What is going on?” Chase said, looking around at the assembled crew, which included his parents, his boss and his boss’s
security detail, a cellist, two aging ballroom dancers, those DAR friends of his mom’s in wellies, and his college buddy,
who was holding his little sister’s hand. None of this made any sense to a logical, one-step-ahead guy like Chase. “Is this
an intervention?”
“A love intervention!” Sarah answered, and everyone laughed. Everyone but Chase.
“Could someone please explain this to me?” Chase said, looking directly at his father.
George started to step forward and tell his son the plan, even though he had the barest connection to Operation Butterfly. But the mayor opened his glorious mouth first. “What we have here is a group of concerned citizens. And we’re concerned that in the aftermath of breaking off your engagement, you’ve broken your own heart. And Penny’s heart. And this team of people is going to help you put those hearts back together again.”
Abigail took over from the mayor, explaining the timeline of the evening with just the right level of detail. She explained
that Penny was in the museum, that everyone present was rooting for them, and that the sushi was from the place they went
on their first date. She finished with emotion in her voice. “We all believe you and Penny should give this relationship one
more chance. Don’t let planning a wedding get in the way of planning your life. The wedding, your wedding, won’t be the most
important day of your life by a long shot. There will be so many other days that will define your union that won’t involve
caterers and bouquets. But a wedding will be the start of something new, and we are all here for you.”
Chase looked at his mother with amazement and then hugged her deeply. The same for Sarah, followed by quick handshakes with
his father, his friend, and his boss. “I’m all in. Let’s do this.”
“No cheering,” Sarah stage-whispered. “Penny’s upstairs!”
The mayor took the warning to heart and said quietly, “Now, does someone have a drink for the young lad?”
Lloyd, who had put together a bar cart for the evening, rolled it toward his friend and said, “What can I make you?”
***
Just as the mayor, Abigail, and Sarah triple-teamed the explanation, the text came that the Merry Widows were done with their
tour of the second floor and headed down to the first floor and garden.
“It’s go time!” Sarah announced with great energy but low volume, directing the mayor, her parents, and the Daughters of the American Revolution design team to exit the building through the back door. “It will be more romantic if Chase is alone in the garden with the lanterns and the music and the dancers. He doesn’t need to look like he’s at a cocktail party, standing around here with his boss and parents. Off you go! We’ll see you at the restaurant afterward,” Sarah said, alluding to the meetup spot arranged by Alexa.
But Abigail turned to Chase, getting in a hug and a few words of encouragement. “The right partner in life is a tremendous
gift. Especially where you’re headed. Don’t let Penny slip through your hands.”
“What made you change your mind? I thought Penny wasn’t our kind?” Chase asked in the least judgmental tone he could muster.
Abigail was humbled, but she didn’t have time to explain it all to her son at this moment. She would soon. She thought of
everything she had learned about Penny and her family since the day they announced the engagement. Their strong family connection
to relatives in Greece. About the tragic death of Alexa’s mother and how that shaped her as an adult woman. How hard Penny
worked from the time she was a teenager until now, never feeling entitled to anything. Plus, she learned of Penny’s warmth
and genuine care for others from the Widows. Abigail had made snap judgments based on old stereotypes, lack of knowledge,
and her own biases. “I was wrong. She is as special as you are.”
“Yes, she is.” George echoed the sentiment with a nod. “The key to any successful relationship is to keep growing and changing.
And admitting mistakes when it’s the right thing to do. And forgiving whenever you can. Right, dear?”
“Right.” Then the two of them, Abigail and George, walked out of the museum hand in hand, followed by the mayor and his bodyguards,
leaving Chase to change his destiny.
The Blakeman siblings stood side by side watching their parents leave the building, actually touching each other in public.
“What has gotten into them?” Chase asked, and then turned to his sister and his best man, gesturing to the couple. “And we
need to talk about the two of you because this is weird, too.”
“Love is in the air, bruh,” Lloyd said, squeezing Sarah’s broad shoulders. “What can I say? She swept me off my feet.”
“It was more of a stick tackle,” Sarah claimed, mimicking the move, then she put on her coach voice. “All right, Chase, hustle
up and go stand over there,” she commanded, pointing to a particularly lovely section of the garden lit by lanterns. “I’m
counting on you to turn this setback into an opportunity. You got this?”
Now that was a pep talk a third team all-state former high school lacrosse player understood. He high-fived his sister and
his friend. “I got this.”