“Do you want me to get a ladder or something?”
“No need. I’ve got it.”Just go AWAY.
“If you’re sure…”
“OH MY GOSH.”
“Right.” The man cleared his throat. “I’ll go now.”
“Bye.”
I counted to twenty to make sure he was gone. “Hello?” No answer. Sounded like the coast was clear, and it was a good thing too, because the blood was rushing to my head. I reached behind me and tucked the hem of the dress into the waistband of my underwear then the front hem into my bodice so I could see what I was doing. With the dress out of my way, I could get to the tulle and had it secured and properly swoopy in thirty seconds flat.
I curled my hands around the frame and did a kick over, dangling for a second then dropping softly to the ground, Black Widow style. There was no one to admire my pose, thank goodness. I untucked the dress and let it fall down around my knees, smoothed my hair, and headed straight for the driveway instead of the rehearsal dinner. No way was I going to risk bumping into whoever I’d flashed.
Halfway to my car, I stopped, my fists curling tight. This night was not about me. This was about Brooke, the only friend I’d allowed myself to make since coming back to Creekville. And I was nothing if not loyal.
To a freaking fault.
I turned and headed back to the house to join the rest of the party. I’d have to hope the garden creeper was gentleman enough to never, ever mention what he’d seen to me or anyone else. I would paste on a smile and show up for Brooke, then slink away and try not to think about how many times I was going to relive this humiliation.
But right now, it was about running interference for Brooke with her mom and being there in case Brooke needed anything else. As her maid of honor, it was the least I could do.
I smoothed my dress one last time and headed around the house to the party.
It was late dusk, and gold light already spilled through Miss Lily’s windows onto the flagstone terrace behind her house. A few people stood outside, enjoying the warmth of the late spring night, the soft clink of ice in their cocktails striking the perfect note against the harmony of the season’s first crickets.
Crowds weren’t my favorite. I wasn’t much of a small talker. Give me someone who wanted to get deep and nerdy about finite element structural analysis and I could listen for hours. But chit chat about the weather? I’d rather hammer every one of my fingers like old Mr. Merlton did at least once on every project.
I climbed the shallow steps to the low terrace and smiled as I spotted Brooke tucked beneath Ian’s arm.
“Hello, Gracie Winters,” said Miss Lily’s amused voice. She was studying me from her seat at a garden table several feet away.
“Hello, Miss Lily.” It was a relief to run into her first. Miss Lily didn’t expect small talk from me. Or maybe it was the way she asked the same questions everyone else did except that she made me believe she cared about the answers.
“Come sit a minute, honey.”
I obeyed her as if she were my own grandmother, sliding out the chair across from her. “How are you holding up with all this wedding madness, Miss Lily?”
“I’m not holding up; I’mthriving.”
“I hope I have half your energy when I’m your age,” I said. “Actually, I’d love even half your energy now.”
“Would you like to know the secret?” she asked, leaning closer.
“Of course,” I said, leaning too.
“Get married, have kids and grandkids, then retire, get widowed, and spend your considerable talents and intelligence in meddling with your grandchildren’s lives.” She grinned and smacked the table. “Keeps me young. Let’s get you started. My other grandson Landon is here, andhe’snot married.”
I laughed. “Landon had a thing for Tabitha, and I could never take her leavings.”
Miss Lily scowled at me. “All right. I accept that.” Then her face smoothed out. “How’s your sister doing, anyway?”
“Great. Her show got picked up by the Food Channel, and it’s keeping her crazy busy.”
“And your parents?” Her voice grew softer, as if she were trying not to press on a bruise.
“My mom’s hanging in there. We think my dad might qualify for a medical trial that’s had good results for people with his form of lymphoma.”
