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“Do you think I could borrow a car? I need a few things for my event.”
Cara dug into a drawer under the keyboard at the desk. “Here, take mine.”
“Thanks.” I took my purse and tablet, then I checked out the credit card that was used for expenses. “I’ll be back in about an hour. Do you need anything?”
“Duct tape and a rope?”
I laughed. “Jess is a sucker for cheap Mexican food. It’s a weakness. So if you send her up tacos after the brunch, she’ll probably sleep away half the afternoon. God knows she won’t actually eat in front of people.”
“You goddess.” Laverne rushed forward and kissed me. “I’ll do that. Now if we could only do the same for her mother.”
“Daphne likes champagne cocktails. Keep filling her glass with Bellinis and you’ll find her much easier to deal with.”
“How do you know all this?” Laverne scribbled something on a tiny notepad she kept in her pocket.
“Years of parties. Her mother and mine are friends,” I said absently. I kept my eye on Jessica and her best friend.
“Oh. I didn’t even think of that. I just assumed you were good at the covert listening. That’s how I figure out things.” Laverne noticed how distracted I was. “Sweetie, is everything okay?”
“Yes, of course.” I gave her a tight smile.
The lobby started filling with older women in sundresses that probably cost as much as my entire new wardrobe from Vintage December. My new hair might have inadvertently disguised me earlier, but I couldn’t avoid that many people without being recognized.
“I’ll be back soon. If I see duct tape at the craft store, I’ll grab some,” I said lightly.
I escaped out the employee entrance near the Dumpsters and cut back off the path to the employee parking tucked out of the way. When I drove down the familiar roads that took me out of the orchard, I finally relaxed.
The knee-jerk reaction to hide made me feel awful, but I wasn’t ready to answer questions about Rachel’s wedding and to have everyone look at me with pity.
Helena Danbury, the runaway bridesmaid.
I’d seen some of the comments on the video that had been posted. Most had been of the romanticized tone. The cowboy who whisked me away on his horse—the ultimate fantasy.
But then the others. The passive aggressive comments from people who knew me. Knew my family. Poor Helena, the one no one wanted.
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel of Cara’s old Toyota. I almost wanted to thank Reid, because I’d found so much more when I’d run to Beckett and Storm at the wedding. I thought I’d just been running away from my problems, but now I knew I’d been running to my future.
But that meant I also had to face my past.
I pulled into the lot of the nearby big box craft store and parked. I pulled out my phone and finally called back my mother. The line went right to voicemail. She was probably still pissed at me.
“Hello Mother, please give me a call when you get this. We have a few things to talk about.”
There.
Not much I could do besides face the fire, but for now I’d deal with my current responsibilities.
I found what I needed and a few more things that I definitely did not. But the papers and Regency era-looking frames would be a nice addition to the tables. I grabbed a few paint pens for good measure.
Maybe Cara’s junk journaling talents would come in handy. Some wine and maybe we could personalize the tables a little.
Happy with my purchases, I drove back to the orchard and even treated myself to an extra large coffee along the way. I noticed Beckett’s truck along the side of the building. Maybe I’d be able to steal him away for a few minutes.
I wove my way along the paths. The hum of conversation and laughter had me quickening my pace to get inside The Lodge.
“Helena?”
My shoulders went up. I gripped the bags more firmly.
