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She pried her eyes open to sunshine and a sight and a scent that warmed her heart. Mason. Her Mason. Holding two steaming mugs of divinely aromatic coffee. “What time is it?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What are you doing here? How did you get into my room?”
The mattress dipped as he sat beside her. “I swiped your extra key card last night. You were so upset, and I wanted to check in on you. Actually, I wanted tostaywith you, but we have too much family occupying rooms along this hallway for me to be comfortable with that.”
She accepted the mug he offered, sniffed appreciatively, then took a reverent sip. As a delicious nutty flavor exploded on her tongue, memories of the previous evening flooded her brain, and her stomach lurched. The reunion dinner. Her suggestion. Her mother’s brittle expression. Her somber father’s distracted attempt to assure Molly that her sobs over the broken ornament had been a case of the bridal jitters. Molly—and Mason—had known better. Her not-so-little emotional outburst in the Angel’s Rest parlor had nothing to do with getting married; it was all about the ending of one. “Oh, Mason. I’m so thankful that I have you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Luckily for us both, you’ll never have to know.” He tenderly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Now, how do you feel? Are you rested? We have a busy day ahead of us.”
Beginning with my bridal portraits,Molly thought.The morning after a major crying jag. What spectacular timing.
“Do we need to reschedule some things?” Mason asked, watching her closely.
“No. I’ll be fine. Thank heavens for Photoshop, though. And the fact that photography is my dad’s hobby, and he’s really good at it. My eyes feel as if sandpaper lines my lids. I’m afraid to look in the mirror.”
“You’re beautiful, Molly. I can’t wait to see you in your wedding gown.”
She gazed up at her fiancé, and her heart went gooey. They’d met by happenstance; the student ticket lottery having given them seats next to each other at the A&M vs. Missouri baseball game. The Aggies didn’t win that game . . . but she’d hit a home run.
“I’m just as excited to see you in a tux.” She glanced at the bedside clock, then leaned forward and kissed him. “However, neither one will happen today. Thank you for bringing me coffee and checking on me, but I guess I’d better get moving. I’m due at the spa for hair and makeup in twenty minutes.”
He sipped his coffee and studied her. “You’re really okay, honey?”
She took stock. Angry...frustrated...terribly sad, but...“I’m okay. I’ll see you and your family at lunch. I can’t wait to meet your Great-Uncle Fred.”
“Don’t remind me!” Mason closed his eyes and groaned. “I swear, if he takes out his teeth and wiggles his tongue at you, I’ll deck him.”
Following one last quick kiss, Mason exited the room, accompanied by Molly’s laughter. But as soon as the door shut behind him, tears again flooded her eyes.Stop it,she told herself, throwing back the plump comforter and exiting the bed.No more tears until after pictures.
She showered and dressed and managed...barely...to greet her mother with a smile at the spa. To Molly’s relief, when the topic of marriage entered the conversation, the only marriage under discussion was the one to be consecrated in St. Stephen’s on the twenty-eighth. The hairdresser asked about Mason as she went to work on Molly’s updo. The makeup artist brandished eye cream and drops he guaranteed would deal with the ravages of tears. Molly was able to shift her focus away from her parents and enjoy the experience of being pampered. By the time the makeup guy brushed gloss across her lips and pronounced her done, excitement had displaced much of Molly’s anger.
Emma moved to stand behind her, and they both stared at Molly’s reflection in the mirror. “You look gorgeous,” Emma told her. “Simply gorgeous.”
“She’s a younger version of you, Emma,” Celeste observed from the doorway. “You are both gorgeous women.”
Emma gave a little laugh. “That’s kind of you, Celeste. You are totally right about Molly, but, unfortunately, I feel more gargoyle than gorgeous today.”
“That’s just silly, Mom.” Molly rose from her seat and, careful not to smudge makeup or muss hair, hugged her mother. “I was looking at your wedding pictures the last time I was home. If I can look half as good on my wedding day as you looked the day you married Dad, I’ll be thrilled. You were the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
“Now, who’s being silly?”
“It’s true. Aunt Shelby agreed with me when I said it.” Following a significant pause, she added, “Dad did, too.”
Emma’s eyes rounded, and she briefly went still. Intrigued by the reaction, Molly expounded. “We were talking about the bridal portraits and wedding photos. I was putting together a list of the pictures I want to be taken during the ceremony and reception. Dad talked quite a bit about your wedding day.”
“Oh,” Emma said, a series of emotions fluttering across her expression—surprise, curiosity, pain. “Well...hmm...I’d better go settle the bill.”
She hurried off, leaving Molly staring after her, tapping her toes in frustration. Celeste moved to Molly’s side and linked their arms. “Honey, is there anything else I can do for you this morning?”
Molly thought about the contents of the closet in her room. After graduation, she’d spent a few days at the Wildcatter, where she’d made a spur-of-the-moment addition to her luggage before leaving for Eternity Springs. “You know what? I do believe there is. If you’re free for the next half hour or so, I could use some help with something.” Narrowing her eyes, she watched her mother sign a credit card receipt and added, “I have a surprise for my parents.”
* * *
Outside of Angel’s Rest’s front parlor, Emma hesitated and braced herself.You can do this. You’ve been performing for years. This is what you do. You’re a professional.Pasting a smile onto her face, she stepped into the room. “Good morning, Jared.”
He stood in front of one of the room’s tall windows, gazing out onto the estate’s snow-covered grounds. She detected a slight stiffening of his spine before he turned. “Hello, Emma. Is Molly almost ready?”
“Actually, I don’t know. Celeste is helping her dress. Molly banished me from her bedroom. She said she wants to make an entrance—with a capitalE.”
Jared nodded. “Sounds like Molly.”
