27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter 27
Mason’s eyes swept the reception hall. The seating chart, drawn artfully on a chalkboard, an homage to Laurel’s profession, told him he’d be sitting at table nine. Table tents, printed on eye charts, an homage to the groom’s profession, showed him where he belonged for the next few hours.
He walked to the bar to get a beverage and made small talk with an older woman who’d sat in the second row on the groom’s side, likely Patrick’s grandmother. She was bubbly and excited to get her groove on, or so she said.
At table nine, Mason introduced himself to the people around the table. He met Linda’s boss, his girlfriend, the dates of several groomsmen and bridesmaids, and Wyatt.
Wyatt.
Linda's date for the evening.
Mason wanted to dislike the guy, but after speaking to him for several minutes, he found they had a few things in common: they both liked to travel, they both loved to listen to nineties grunge, and they both loved to run.
Does Linda find us similar? Mason pondered as they took their seats. He was happy to sit between the fiancée of the best man and Nica, Grady’s girlfriend. Grady sat on the other side of her and the three of them chatted throughout dinner. Wyatt was on the other side of the table, sitting between the girlfriend of one groomsman and a friend of Laurel’s from grade school.
When Grady left to get drink refills at the bar, Mason asked Nica about her work. Nica told him about a design she’d done for her former boss that looked like a storefront to be used at booths for farmers’ markets or vendor fairs.
“Huh. That’s interesting. You know Linda is talking about selling at those types of markets.”
“Oh, yeah?” Nica asked, her eyes wide.
“Yes. She wants to make journals, to-do lists, stationery stuff. She thought having a booth where she could sell directly to customers would give her insight into what people want. And she wants to get her products into other boutique stores.”
“That’s fabulous!"
“I agree. I wonder if she could use something like you mentioned. A cool facade for a booth.”
“I’d be happy to help. Though,” Nica twisted her mouth, thinking. “I wonder…I’ve seen people remake old school buses or campers into little stores on wheels. If I were ever to open a store—I’m not, I’d prefer to design and build the store, but if I were—I would do something like that.”
“Oh, a SOW, Store On Wheels. That would be perfect. She could drive it around to different locations.”
Nica nodded. “You know, if she had one and needed a place to leave it when not in use, I’m sure Grady has a commercial property where it could be stored. Linda knows all the locations as well as Grady. She might think of something.”
Nica’s shoulders shimmied, and her eyes narrowed. “Another idea. That booth I built that looked like a store?”
“Yes.”
“That was for my former boss, Anna Lee. She owned a flower shop in Bloomington. It’s called ‘In Bloom’. She’s since retired, but the store is now owned by a friend of mine, Tilly. There’s a large parking lot next to the building. Linda could probably set up her trailer there. She wouldn’t need to have the exact same hours as In Bloom, but with some overlapping, it could help attract customers to both businesses. In Bloom doesn’t carry a lot of the items you said Linda wants to sell. I don’t know. I’m only brainstorming. It’s what I do, as Grady and Linda could tell ya.”
His mind swirled, thinking about the possibilities. If she could take her store with her, she could go anywhere.
“Nica, you’re brilliant!”
“Remind Grady of that, will you?”
Grady leaned over, setting a drink in front of Nica. “Remind me of what?”
“Your girlfriend is brilliant!” Mason said.
“Oh, I know that.” Grady nodded as he sat back down. He leaned over and kissed the feisty brunette on the cheek.
Wyatt caught the attention of the table at that moment by raising his hand. “Hey, Grady, what do you do again?”
“I manage the Brightside Bank.”
“Sweet. I’ve been trying to get my resumé in there, but wasn’t sure how to go about it,” Wyatt said. “Any ideas?”
Grady laughed. “Yes, contact me. Here’s my card.” He pulled his wallet out and handed a card to Wyatt.
“Thank you! Linda said you were the best boss ever.”
Grady shook his head but smiled. “I’m lucky she puts up with me.”
The conversation moved on to how everyone knew the bride and/or groom, but Mason mostly tuned it out. He kept thinking about the movable store idea. He loved it and thought Linda would, too. It wouldn’t be a silver bullet to patch things up. It wouldn’t even be a start, but if there was anything Mason could do to help her, he would.
Mason glanced at the wedding party sitting at the head table. He still couldn’t believe Linda had dyed her hair to make her sister happy. He loved the individualism she showed with her vibrant hair colors. But he also understood that she loved her sister and would do whatever she could to make Laurel happy. Even dimming her own light so her sister could shine on her wedding day.
It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. He thought about Linda’s wedding day, and wondered what she would ask Laurel to do, and whether Laurel would comply with her requests.
Then he pictured Linda in a pink dress with matching hair. He smiled at the image.
He saw himself waiting near the officiant, watching Linda walking down the aisle toward him. He had a lot to do to win her over and prove to her they were right for each other. But first, he needed to ensure Wyatt was a one date and done deal.
Linda eyed table nine warily. Again. How could Laurel put Mason at the same table as Grady and Wyatt? This is not going to end well.
“Everyone!” Laurel shouted at the wedding party. “After cake is served, we’ll need to be ready for the wedding-party dance. Don’t rush off.”
Linda took a sip of champagne. It was almost time to break free of the assigned seats. She’d be able to mingle, check in with table nine—make sure they weren’t exchanging crazy stories about her—and have a dance with Wyatt.
Laurel leaned over and whispered in her ear. “That Wyatt is H. O. T. Hot.”
“Yeah,” Linda replied. He was dreamy, but he wasn’t the one who had filled her dreams all week. Mason had. He’d probably haunt her dreams for a long time, but it would eventually fade. He’d go back to Seattle, then on to who knows where. She’d remain. It’s the way it was meant to be.
She’d have fun with Wyatt until that ran its course. She gave it a good chance for four dates, then it would fizzle. Four dates were four dates. Pretty good going, by her track record.
“Is it weird seeing Mason again?” Laurel asked.
Linda couldn’t believe her sister was asking so many questions on her wedding day. Didn't she have more important things to think about? Oh well, it showed she cared.
“No. It’s fine. We’re friends. I’m glad he’s here to celebrate your special day.”
She was. It would be strange for him to not be. His parents were here. Erin was sitting on Linda’s right. Their families were always together for important occasions. It was natural.
Twenty minutes later, the wedding-party dance was over, and the wedding party was free to mingle. Linda approached table nine with a mix of trepidation and excitement.
Wyatt rose as she approached and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Great job on your speech,” he said close to her ear.
His praise warmed her. “I hope everyone at the table treated you well.” She glanced quickly at Mason, who was smiling at her and rising.
He was only five feet away and moving closer. She did not want to be standing in a conversation circle with Wyatt and Mason. Wyatt saw Mason approach and turned to include him in their bubble. Drats!
“Linda, Mason told me you two are childhood friends.” Wyatt put his hand on her lower back, and she froze.
“Yes, we go way back,” Linda replied, thankful Mason hadn’t told him they’d been a couple. “Back to skinned knees, action figures, and Barbie dolls.”
“I hated it when she took my Barbies,” Mason quipped.
“Ha! That’s cool.” Wyatt nodded. “I was trying to picture you as an awkward teen, but Mason said you were nothing of the sort.”
“He’s being too kind,” Linda returned.
Mason shook his head. “I was the awkward one. Being surrounded by three spunky, sweet, and adventurous girls will do that to a guy.”
Linda glanced at the table, waving to Grady and Nica. “And you met my boss. I hope you were both well-behaved.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Wyatt chuckled. “I’m going to send him my resumé. I’d love to get on at the bank.”
What? Wyatt asked Grady for a job? I didn’t expect that kind of disaster.
“Oh?” Her calm voice masked her internal dismay.
Mason gave her a look that suggested, “You don’t know the half of it”. This was not good.
Wyatt elaborated, but she wanted him to stop talking. “Yes. Told Grady that I’ve wanted to get on there. He gave me his card. If I get a job there, this will be the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”
Linda looked at Mason and rolled her eyes, knowing Wyatt couldn’t see her face.
The DJ started a slow song, and Mason reached for her hand.
“You don’t mind if I dance with my childhood friend, do you, Wyatt?” Mason looked at Wyatt as he squeezed Linda’s hand.
“Oh, but it’s a slow song,” Wyatt protested.
“Right, and I need to catch up on a few things with Linda about the wedding,” Mason replied.
Linda knew they had nothing “to catch up on” for Laurel’s wedding.
“In that case, sure,” Wyatt agreed.
Linda followed Mason to the dance floor, her hand clasped in his. She saw Erin watching from a tall cocktail table near the dance floor, smiling. That was reassuring.
In the middle of the dance floor, Mason finally turned to her and pulled her close.
“Hey,” he whispered, his eyes soft and his smile wide.
“Hey,” she whispered back. “How was your dinner conversation?”
“Interesting and lively. Nica is a riot.”
“She’s spunky, that’s for sure. She’s good for Grady.”
“I get that. He’s a good guy. I can see why you enjoy working for him.”
“Thanks.”
They swayed slowly and Linda looked at the other couples on the dance floor. Her parents were dancing. Laurel and Patrick were holding each other; Linda wasn’t sure if they were dancing or simply hugging, and numerous other swaying couples surrounded them.
The lights had been turned down after dinner, and the dance floor was illuminated by fairy lights strung from the ceiling. It was magical and romantic.
“And Wyatt,” Mason said.
Did she miss something?
“What about Wyatt?”
“Imagine my surprise when I met your date. I assumed you were coming alone.”
Linda looked at the lapel of his jacket, not wanting to meet his eyes.
“I never said that I was.”
“Right, but I was hoping I’d be your unofficial date.”“Mason,” she began, in what was clearly a “It’s not you, it’s me” voice.
“Wait,” he cut her off. “I have a few things to say.”
There was something different in the tone of his voice. Linda raised her eyes, searching his. They were still swaying, but she couldn’t hear the music.
“When you were in Seattle, I brought up the idea of staying. But I saw the look on your face when I did that. I realized that even though you were interested in visiting, you had no interest in staying. Even if I was there.”
He paused. “I was caught up in the moment. Excited that you came to see me. But I let that excitement cloud what I knew: you love it here. This is home. Moving around seems normal to me, and I forget how unusual it is for most people.”
“And I would never ask you to give up what makes you happy.”
“I know you wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t ask you to. But here’s the thing. You make me happy. Being with you makes me happy. And most importantly, making you happy makes me happy. I can work anywhere. What I can’t do is be happy without you.”
Linda bit her lip. His words were perfect and easy to say, but they weren’t enough. She couldn’t do a long-distance relationship. She didn’t want a long-distance relationship. She had to tell him.
“I don’t think I can do a long-distance relationship.”
“Not asking you to. I’m coming home.”
Her eyes widened. Had she heard him correctly?
“Home?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He smiled. “I’m still looking for the right job here, but I’ve talked to my placement manager about getting closer in the meantime. We’ll see what they come up with.”
“Are you sure? What if you come back and you hate it?”
“How could I hate it? The only thing I would hate is if you didn’t want to be with me. If you were interested in someone else, like Wyatt.”
“No. How could I be? It’s always been you.”
He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on the top of her head, and pulled her closer. “I’ve known it was you since we were kids. It just took reconnecting for me to remember that. I pushed a lot of things out of my life so I wouldn’t feel pain, but someone reminded me recently that life is not about avoiding the pain, it’s about searching for the joy. And that’s what I have when I’m with you.”
She pulled back to search his eyes again. They reflected the love and devotion she felt for him. To share that with her best friend was everything.
“Now.” Mason stopped dancing and pulled back from her. “Can we talk about what you’ve done with your hair? I can’t believe she talked you into dyeing it.”
Linda giggled. “I didn’t.”
Confusion crossed his face, and he shook his head. “But…”
Linda reached up and tugged lightly at the hairline. “It’s a wig.”
“No way! It looks real.” He put his hand on his heart. “Thank goodness. I’ve been missing your pink hair all evening. When can you get rid of the wig?”
She shrugged. “Pictures are done…”
“Go. Go now!” he said, pointing towards the door.
“I’ll be back.”
Linda rushed to the bridal suite where they’d gotten ready. Her hands shook as she searched her hairline for the pins holding the wig in place, thankful she hadn’t let the hairdresser use glue.
It took several minutes to get all the pins out and the wig off. She grabbed a can of dry shampoo, sprayed, and leaned over, flipping her hair upside down to add volume.
There was no time to curl it or make it fancy, but a few brush strokes made her presentable.
She reapplied her lipstick and turned towards the door. Doubt crept in. How long had Mason felt this way? Did he change his mind about traveling when she was in Seattle? Or was it driven by seeing her with Wyatt tonight? She took a moment to remind herself not to get caught up in the romance of the wedding. If Mason was serious, he’d take action. She could wait and see.
But maybe she needed to show Mason that she was serious about him, too. If he was willing to settle down, she could have a say about where. It didn’t have to be here in central Illinois, though that’s what she’d prefer. She wanted to be with Mason, and there was something she could do to prove it to him.
The timing was good. Now that Laurel’s wedding was complete and Linda was making progress with her new line of business, it was time for a few more changes.