Chapter 16
Before she’d left her meeting with Rosemary and Jenna, Emily had not only had a contract to play at the wedding reception, but an invitation to the prenuptial dinner held on Friday night.
It was to be a casual event, catered by the Manse, at Daniel and Jenna Grace’s home. They’d told Emily she could bring a plus-one.
Chloe was her first choice, but Emily discovered she would be helping Jaclyn with the catering. Mackenna had a date.
Friday rolled around, and Emily still didn’t have a plus-one. Though she’d attended many events solo throughout the years, tonight she felt in need of some moral support.
When Myra asked that morning if she’d be interested in sharing a scone and coffee on the back terrace, it wasn’t the offer of a lemon blueberry scone that had her saying yes.
Emily lifted the china cup to her lips and peered at Myra over the rim. “What are your plans for this evening?”
Myra broke off a piece of scone. Her lips curved ever so slightly. “This may shock you, but my social calendar is completely open. Why do you ask?”
As age had crept up on her in her previous life, Emily had discovered she could no longer go out as frequently as she had in the past. Yet she’d also discovered that spending too much time alone and not having a purpose wasn’t healthy. Not for her. And, she suspected, not for Myra.
“Tonight, I’m attending a prenuptial dinner at the Grace home.” Emily kept her tone deliberately casual. “Rosemary and Jenna said I could bring a plus-one. Would you be interested in going with me?”
Surprise skittered across Myra’s face. She lowered her cup, setting it on the saucer. “Now why on earth would you want to take an old woman as your plus-one?”
The hope that eventually Myra could find some friends among these women who’d once been Emily’s was something Emily preferred to keep to herself.
“You’re poised and possess a vast amount of knowledge about any number of things,” Emily said honestly. “As you are a master of small talk, this is the perfect party for you.”
Emily could almost see the question hovering on Myra’s lips. “I’m also being selfish,” Emily added. “It would be fun for me to have someone to go with. You’ll likely know most of those in attendance, so you can pave the way for me to become better acquainted.”
Myra closed her mouth and took a contemplative sip of coffee. “It might be fun.”
Emily fought a surge of hope. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” Myra smiled. “It sounds like fun.”
Emily wore one of her new summer dresses, this one a hot pink fit and flare that she coupled with ballet flats. Though she would have preferred to wear heels, since the party would be in a backyard, flats seemed more sensible.
Myra emerged from her bedroom shortly before they were to leave in a casual A-line dress that boasted blue flowers on a white background. Her shoes, the same blue as her dress, had kitten heels. The straw bag she carried held the AED.
They were ready to walk out the door when Dalton appeared.
His gaze shifted from his grandmother to Emily. “Wow. You two look gorgeous. Where are you headed?”
“Emily is taking me as her plus-one to Rosemary Woodsen’s prenuptial dinner.” Myra waved an airy hand. “It’s really more of a garden party. Your sister is overseeing the catering.”
Dalton’s gaze returned to Emily. “You’re taking Gran?”
“I am.” Emily smiled at Myra. “We best get going.”
When they reached the Grace home, Rosemary and Barry greeted them at the front of the house. “Thank you so much for coming.”
Emily saw Rosemary trying to place Myra, while Barry was trying to place Emily, so she quickly performed the introductions, then added, “Thank you both so much for the invitation and for the chance to be part of your big day tomorrow.”
“Barry and I have known each other for years.” Myra spoke for the first time, offering Rosemary’s fiancé a warm smile. “He and I served together on the Funland renovation committee.”
“I didn’t realize you had that kind of experience.” Rosemary glanced at her fiancé.
“This lady is the one with the experience.” Barry, a genial fellow with a Vandyke beard, gestured to Myra. “She led the committee.”
Interest sparked in Rosemary’s blue eyes as they settled on Myra. “You may have heard about the Maplewood Park renovation project. Would you be interested in joining our committee? We could definitely use someone with your expertise.”
“I’d be interested in visiting with you about the possibility.” Myra offered a warm smile. “For now, please know I wish you both all happiness.”
The backyard, the site for tomorrow’s nuptials, had been transformed into a romantic paradise, with flowers and fairy lights and a tempting array of food on long tables covered in linen.
Emily had known that Daniel and Jenna would go all out, especially when she’d heard the Manse was catering tonight, but she hadn’t expected this. Instead of heading straight for the food, she and Myra wandered the area, visiting with the other guests.
Emily noticed immediately that the guest list hadn’t been confined to the wedding party or even to those, like her, who had a part in the wedding.
Most of those in attendance she knew. The trouble was, they didn’t know her.
Geraldine and Beverly, her cardplaying buddies, were there. Beverly, the more social of the two, actually came up to Emily and Myra and introduced herself.
“I’ve heard that you two are quite the cardplayers,” Emily said after the introductions were completed.
“Who did you hear that from?” Geraldine was nobody’s fool, and her gaze turned sharp and assessing.
“I-I’m not sure,” Emily stammered. “Somewhere.”
She should have known that Geraldine would be all over that statement.
“Oh, Geraldine, everyone in GraceTown knows how much we love playing cards.” Beverly spoke cheerfully. “I believe it was even mentioned in that article about Til.”
“I’m sorry you lost your friend.” Emily shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“I’m sorry as well,” Myra added. “Although I didn’t know her personally, I read the article in the Gazette. She was truly an asset to the community.”
“That was our Til.” Beverly nearly sighed the words. “She was determined to do what she could to make the lives of those in GraceTown better.”
“She was also one heckuva cardplayer,” Geraldine added.
“What kind of cards do you play?” Interest sparked in Myra’s blue eyes.
As the conversation veered to the virtues of various card games, Emily slipped away. Myra didn’t need her hovering around.
It was equally clear to Emily that her old friends saw her as a young woman, a granddaughter type rather than a friend with shared experiences. She couldn’t talk with them about the ’70s or the ’80s, couldn’t recount where she was when Kennedy was shot or when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.
No more looking back,she reminded herself.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Chloe at the appetizer table. Pleasure rushed through her. She’d nearly forgotten that Chloe would be here.
With purposeful steps, Emily crossed the yard to where Chloe was replenishing crispy triangles of shrimp toast.
“Looks like Jaclyn is keeping you busy.”
The comment had Chloe looking up. “Hi, Emily.” Chloe offered a quick smile, then returned her attention to the toast. “Enjoying the party?”
“I am.” Lifting a piece of shrimp toast, Emily took a bite and went for casual as she asked, “Are you free on Sunday? I?—”
“I’d love to talk, Em, but we’re shorthanded, and now I see we’re nearly out of crab cakes.” Turning, Chloe strode off without a backward glance.
“Those shrimp toasts are amazing.”
Emily whirled to see Jenna and Daniel smiling at her. “They are incredibly good.”
“Emily, I’d like you to meet my husband.” Jenna laid a hand on her handsome husband’s arm. “Daniel, this is Emily Curtis.”
Daniel, with his mass of brown hair and vivid green eyes, smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I love your books.” Emily spoke from the heart. She’d devoured his first two releases and was eagerly anticipating his third.
“Emily Curtis.” A contemplative look filled his eyes, then a smile broke free and had the fine lines around his eyes crinkling. He chuckled.
“What is it?” Jenna asked. “What’s so funny?”
“Emily Curtis,” he repeated. “Curtis is the name of the protagonist in my first novel, and Emily is the name of a prominent secondary character.” Daniel shifted his gaze back to Emily. “Good thing I didn’t know you back then, or you might think I commandeered your name.”
Actually, Emily thought, she was the one who’d done just that. “I would have been honored if that had happened.”
Daniel smiled. “After listening to Jenna and Rosemary rave, I can’t wait to hear you play tomorrow.”
Emily’s gaze slid to where Barry and Rosemary chatted with a couple, his hand around her back and resting lightly on her waist. “It’s as if her coming to GraceTown and meeting him was meant to be.”
“I’ve had that same thought,” Daniel said, then glanced at his wife. “Not just about Rosemary.”
The love in his eyes stole Emily’s breath.
Would she ever have that? She thought she had found that with Vince. But if he had truly loved her, the way he’d said he had, wouldn’t he have understood that she’d needed to take that time to care for her father, a man who’d always been there for her?
Even when Vince had moved to Baltimore for his new job, she’d thought—hoped—that he’d wait for her.
Yet, when her father had passed away less than two years later and she’d looked up Vince, she’d discovered he’d been married for nearly a year.
Emily had told herself it was for the best that she had found out what he was like. Regardless of what he’d said, he hadn’t loved her. At least not the way a man should love a woman he planned to marry.
The years that had followed had been rich and full. She’d carved out a life for herself, filling it with projects that had satisfied her and with friends who’d loved and supported her.
Marriage, well, marriage would have been nice, but only to the right man…and he’d never come along.
Perhaps he would never come along in this lifetime either.
Whatever happened, Emily was good with it. She just hoped that even if the prince of her dreams never appeared, she still got to kiss a few frogs along the way.
Emily assumed Myra enjoyed the party, even though she was uncharacteristically quiet on the drive home.
Seeing the fatigue on the older woman’s face had Emily not pressing for details. She hoped the party hadn’t been too much for her.
When she parked the car in the garage, she hurried around to open Myra’s door and give her a hand, but found Myra already standing.
“Thank you for taking me with you.” Myra’s lips curved up ever so slightly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such an enjoyable evening.”
“It was fun.” Emily walked beside her into the house. “Everyone was so warm and welcoming.”
“Beverly invited me to be a substitute for their card group.” Myra tossed the words out there as Emily pulled the door shut behind them. “Apparently, with Til’s passing and Rosemary’s honeymoon, they are in dire need of someone who knows and enjoys cards.”
“What did you tell them?”
Myra smiled. “The same thing I said about being on the renovation committee. I would give it some thought and get back to them.”
Emily’s hopes plummeted. Then she sternly reminded herself that these were Myra’s decisions to make, just like the surgery was. “Always good to think things through.”
“I’m going to do both, of course.”
“What?” Emily couldn’t hide her surprise. “You are?”
“I’ll wait a few days, then let them know.” Myra opened the door to her suite and turned back to Emily. “It’s never good to appear too eager.”
As the woman disappeared into her room, a thought struck Emily. Had Jaclyn said something to her grandmother about Emily’s frequent texts to both her and Chloe asking about getting together?
Had she been too eager and, because of that, pushed them away? It was definitely something to consider.