Chapter 24
The party at Melinda’s was in full swing when Adam arrived. He knew it was going to be a good time when he saw all the cars lining the street and he had to park at the very end. He could hear the music from the backyard and noticed the vibrant red and orange colors just beginning to emerge on the large maple trees lining the street. There was nothing like early fall in New England. He marveled at how quickly the summer had flown by.
He walked in the front door and through the kitchen. Smiling to himself, he set a bouquet of pink asters on the counter before he joined the party. He wondered if he’d be around when she saw them. He was sure Mel would like them.
His gaze roamed over the backyard. She had strung white twinkle lights on the beams of the pergola and hung lanterns, more likely for bugs than light. Stacey and Will were sitting with Molly and Tim next to the fire pit as it crackled and shot sparks in the air. He spotted Melinda nearby. She looked fantastic in snug-fitting jeans, a deep pink turtleneck sweater and loafers. She was carrying a platter of what he guessed were appetizers across the lawn to a group of people.
Before intercepting Mel, he grabbed a beer, said hello to some friends and walked over to where she was standing. Softly he said in her ear, “Hey, great party,” and then took the tray out of her hands.
She turned quickly and his lips grazed her mouth. Without missing a beat, her face lit up. “About time you arrived.” She pointed to a couple admiring his handiwork. “Sara and Marcia asked who my carpenter was.” She took the tray back. “Go talk to them. Sounds like they might have some work for you.” She gave him a nudge and murmured, “Remember our deal. I’m counting on a nice dinner and I don’t plan on eating that day.”
Her laughter followed him as he went over to introduce himself.
What was that? He sort-of kissed me. Choosing to ignore the momentary awkwardness Melinda kept one eye on Adam and the other on the food table. It must have been purely by accident. If she hadn’t turned quickly and if he hadn’t been trying to be funny it would never have occurred. There was one thing she just couldn’t let happen, and that was for anyone to be less than half full when they went home. She even had to-go containers ready for her guests to take home leftovers.
“Melinda, over here,” Molly called and waved to her.
She strolled across the grass. Holding the tray out to Tim, he took a slice of the Stromboli and said, “You’re spoiling us, Melinda. We were just saying we should have all our parties’ right here.”
“Tim, stop.” She hoped she wasn’t about to blush. She enjoyed being the hostess. It was much easier than being a guest—she had a reason to stay busy and it helped her avoid any personal conversations.
Molly looped arms with Tim. “We have good and bad news.”
Melinda looked at Stacey. “Do we want to talk bad news today?”
“Well, there is a very happy conclusion, so here goes.” Molly’s face glowed. “You know I wanted to get married on Block Island and have a Christmas-themed wedding, but when the venue we wanted wasn’t available on short notice, we had to postpone.”
“Were you able to get your date for next year?”
“Funny you should ask, Melinda. We made some calls and by a fluke”—her voice went up several decibels—“someone cancelled at a mansion in Newport!” She squeezed Tim’s hand so tight that Melinda thought he would lose feeling. “We’re getting married at Rosecliff!” She bounced on her toes. “Can you believe it? We’re all going to spend a weekend in Newport and have a beautiful Christmas-themed wedding.”
Melinda wrapped her arms around Molly and Tim. “That’s unbelievable,” she said. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride.”
Adam hurried over. “What’s going on? Molly, are you crying?”
“Happy tears, Adam. We’ve moved the wedding to Newport.”
Adam clapped Tim on the back and grinned. “Wow, that is quite a change.”
“It is, but I’ve always said I was doing this one time, and we’re going to make it an unforgettable weekend.” He kissed Molly’s forehead. “It’s still going to be small, around seventy-five people. When we saw pictures of the mansion decorated for Christmas and that heart-shaped staircase, I had to agree with Molly. It is the best place for us to start our married life.”
Adam looked around the group. “Guess that means we need to make plans.”
Melinda said, “We’d all better make hotel reservations. Don’t keep us in suspense, what’s the new date?”
“It’s the second Friday in December. Not too close to Thanksgiving or Christmas. And since we’re not on an island we don’t need to worry about the weather and we can have my Christmas-themed wedding after all.” Molly beamed. “This way our anniversary won’t be too close to either holiday.”
“And the people we want at the wedding should be able to come.” Tim smiled at Melinda and Adam and Will and Stacey. “You’ll be there, right?”
Melinda said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Adam nodded. “You can count on me.”
Molly looked at Tim and then said, “One last thing. It’s an evening wedding, so the wedding will be black tie. The ladies will wear gowns and the men tuxedos.”
For the first time Will interjected. “Monkey suits?”
Adam laughed. “It won’t kill you, and I seem to recall your bride exclaiming you looked very handsome in yours.”
“Easy for you to say—you didn’t wear one that day.”
“I wore a suit.”
Melinda jumped in. “Stacey, let’s go shopping for dresses together.”
“Sounds like fun.” She poked Will. “You and Adam can go to the tux shop.”
Will groaned. Molly jutted her lower lip out, pretending to pout. “Will, for me?”
“Not to worry. You can count on me and my brother from another mother.” Will pointed to Adam. “You. Me. Tuxedos.”
“Speaking of dates,” Stacey said, “how was yours with Beth last night?”
“So, you finally called her?” Melinda said quietly. “Good for you.”
“Was this a Melinda match?” Tim asked.
“It was.” Adam kept his eyes on Mel. “We had a nice time. We were going to see that biopic about the rock band. But the lines were long, so instead we went to dinner.”
Tim looked around the small group gathered around the fire. “Maybe we’ll hear wedding bells again.”
Adam held up his hand. “Let’s not get carried away. It was our second date.”
Molly grinned. “Tim can give you pointers on engagement rings.”
Melinda felt her heart drop and noticed Adam’s face flush red. “Adam, any chance you can help me for a minute. Inside?”
“Sure.” He fell into step next to her. “Thanks.”
“I can see they weren’t going to give up on you. At least until you’re standing at the alter with a bride.”
“I’m not in any rush. I only want to get married once.” He opened the door for her and stepped to one side. “What do you need help with?”
“Nothing.” She flashed him a grin. “However, we’ll need to do something to save face.”
“I’m good at dishes.”
“Oh, Adam.” Melinda’s eyes grew bright and she sighed. “Did you bring me flowers?”
“Why do you think it was me?” He gave her a lopsided smile.
“I seem to recall one of our first conversations was about my love of flowers.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “This was very thoughtful.” She couldn’t help but notice his aftershave. Musky and very male.
“It was no big deal.” He turned to the sink and filled it with steaming water and soap bubbles. He began to scrub a few pots and, after rinsing them, set them aside to drain.
Melinda watched and smiled. She remembered another guy doing the exact same thing when they had friends over, flowers and dish duty. In some ways Adam reminded her of John but in so many more they were very different men.
“Mel?”
“What? I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“I could tell. Looked like a nice memory.” He dried his hands. “I’ve finished up these dishes. Are there more?”
“Not right now.” She looked around. “Can you grab a couple of bottles of wine and we’ll go back out?”
“Right.” He slipped a corkscrew in his back pocket. “No sense in opening them now.”
“Thinking on your feet.”
“Are you sure you’re doing okay?”
Melinda could see the concern on his face. “I was just remembering something about John.” She laid a hand on his arm. “It was a nice memory.”
“I wish I had met him,” Adam said with sincerity.
“You would have been good friends.” She picked up a stack of clear plastic cups. “Ready?”
Melinda finished the last of the dishes after the party ended. She went to lock the front door and was surprised to find it secured. “Adam.”
The house was quiet as she wandered around, double-checking the windows and doors. The more time she spent with Adam and her friends, the more she discovered the silence could become oppressive. Was she wrong to decide she was done with love? Could she give her heart to another man? Would that be betraying John’s memory?
She fired up her laptop and sent an email to Stacey, asking when she wanted to go dress shopping. She shut it down and, at a loss, decided to call Adam.
No. That was too weird. Besides, he was planning a third date with Beth. She had to wonder, since the wedding wasn’t for two months…would he rather go with her? She dialed him before she could change her mind again.
Adam answered on the first ring. “Hi, Mel. Is everything okay?”
“I was thinking about Molly and Tim’s wedding. If you want to change our plans so you can bring a plus one, I’ll understand.”
“Do you want to go alone?”
She couldn’t gauge his reaction by the tone in his deep, rich voice. “No, I’d love to go with you, it would be fun. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated since we made our plans before you and Beth…” Her voice drifted off.
“I’m glad you called. I was concerned you’d think we needed to change our plans. How about I stop over tomorrow and we can check out local hotels and get one booked? I’ll drive if you like—we can take the truck. It’s very comfortable.”
Melinda’s heart fluttered. “We’ll take my car, and I’ll do some research and see if I can find a couple of hotel options.”
“Tim mentioned it’s less than a two-hour drive.”
“Good.” Melinda hesitated. “Well, I guess that’s it for tonight.” She couldn’t find a reason to keep the conversation going.
“I’m glad that’s settled.”
“Adam, if you do change your mind, I’d understand.”
“I won’t and you can’t either. We’re going to this extravaganza together.” He chuckled. “Just curious. Do you know how to fix a bow tie?”
She laughed. “I do.”