Gracie’s shoulders slumped. Of course she had. “Hi, Mrs. Baxter.”
The old woman beamed. “You looked so pretty. And Riley, my oh my, he’s a fine male specimen. That earring.” The beam turned into a giggle. “Very sexy.”
Gracie blinked. Mrs. Baxter thought Riley was sexy? Gracie didn’t know if she should be impressed or completely grossed out. She figured she could decide later, and maybe use the information for ammunition.
“Are you going to listen to him talk?” Mrs. Baxter asked. “I’m thinking I will. Maybe go early and sit in the front row.” She winked. “That way I can look all I want.”
“He’s speaking somewhere?”
“At the high school later this afternoon. Something about civic responsibility, not that I care about what he’s saying. I generally vote for whoever is most attractive, and I have to say that Riley beats Franklin Yardley hands down.”
Gracie didn’t want to think about Eunice Baxter participating in their democratic system of government by voting based on looks, but there it was. The founding fathers would be so proud.
“You should stop by,” the older woman told her, then winked.
Gracie was tempted, although the reality of her showing up in the same place as Riley wasn’t something she wanted to consider. Talk about trouble.
“Thanks for the information,” she said and turned back to the house. “I need to get these designs for the cake to my sister.”
“That girl,” Mrs. Baxter said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “She and her boyfriend go at it like cats and dogs. I don’t give them a year. Alexis isn’t much better. Mark my words, Gracie, you’re the best of the lot.”
The compliment brightened Gracie’s morning. “I appreciate that, Mrs. Baxter.” Even if right now she didn’t feel all that special. She waved and hurried into the house.
Fifteen minutes later she was sorry she’d bothered. Vivian dismissed all her centerpiece ideas, saying they were too unimpressive and not one of the three cake designs had been approved.
“I like them,” Tom said. “They’re all beautiful.”
Obviously the bride and groom had made up, Gracie thought, liking Tom even more for liking her designs.
Vivian looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Honey, this is girl stuff. I know you want to be involved in the wedding, but I’ve been planning this since I was six.”
Gracie looked at Tom. He met her gaze and shrugged, as if to say, “I tried.”
Gracie felt more than a little sympathy for the man. If he really wanted to marry Vivian, he was going to have his hands full.
“The cakes are just so…I don’t know. Small, I guess,” Vivian said with a sigh as she touched the pages spread across the dining room table.
“These aren’t to scale,” Gracie told her, speaking between clenched teeth. “They’ll serve three hundred.”
Vivian pointed to a simple, but elegant design, with a cascade of orchids trailing down one side. “What if it was more like this, but all covered with flowers. Like a giant bouquet.”
“It’s not very defined. You want your guests to know there’s a cake buried under there.”
“Do they have to?”
“I like the one that looks like a present,” Alexis said, bending over the sketches. “What if there were flowers instead of bows?”
“I could do that,” Gracie said, reaching for her bottle of antacids.
She walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. Her mother followed.
“I’m sure Vivian will pick something,” she said. “I’m glad Tom wants to help.”
Gracie nodded and turned on the tap.
“It’s nice of you to do this for free. I read that article in People. I know your cakes are really expensive.”
Gracie felt some of her bad mood drain way. She smiled at her mother. “She’s my sister. I’m happy to help.”
“So we’re both running our own businesses. Who would have thought.”
Gracie wasn’t sure where her mother was going with this conversation. She wanted to believe that it was a slightly awkward peace offering, but she wasn’t sure.
“I think yours is more complicated than mine,” Gracie said. “You have employees and inventory, while I just have myself to worry about.”
“Still, you’ve made something of yourself. I’m not sure I understand how you can be so smart about everything else and so dumb about Riley.”
The arrow sailed straight and true, landing right in Gracie’s heart. She almost wasn’t surprised. “It’s probably best if we don’t talk about him. We’re going to have to agree to disagree.”
Her mother moved closer. “You’re not even trying. That’s what doesn’t make any sense. Your sister said you were over there last night.”
Gracie felt her mouth drop open. “Did Alexis mention she
Her mother ignored that. “Gracie, I only want what’s best for you. That’s what I’ve always wanted. I wish I could make you see what you’re doing. The whole town is laughing at you.”
“You know what, Mom? I think you’re wrong. I think the whole town is so busy with their own lives that they don’t have time for me. It’s been fourteen years and everyone needs to get over it.”
“You’re the one who can’t let go. You’ve never had any sense when it came to that boy.”
Gracie put down the water and crossed her arms over her chest. “Number one, he’s not a boy anymore. He’s a very successful man who’s made something of himself. I didn’t know him before, but I know him now. He’s great. He’s better than great. He’s amazing. He’s smart and sexy and fun to be with.”
Her mother flinched. “Oh, God. It’s worse than I thought.”
“It’s not anything,” Gracie told her flatly. “That’s my point. You’re upset about nothing. I’m not obsessed with Riley. I’m a completely different person. I’ve grown up, gotten a life. I’ve dated, had boyfriends and lovers and two years ago, I nearly got engaged. If anyone is lost in the past in this room, it’s you, not me.”
“You can’t see what’s happening,” her mother said, obviously distressed. “I don’t know how to help you.”
“Here’s a newsflash. I don’t need your help. Maybe I did, say fourteen years ago, but you weren’t interested. You sent me away. You were never there for me, even when I begged you to let me come home. You never cared about what I wanted, what I needed. I was desperate to be allowed to return to my family and you turned your back on me. So I got over it. I grew up, no thanks to you. So guess what? I don’t really care what you think about me or Riley or anyone else. The three of you asked me to come back for Vivian’s wedding. I said I would help and I will, but when this is all over, I’m leaving and I’m not coming back.”
Gracie walked out of the kitchen and back into the dining room.
“I think I know what I want,” Vivian said.
“Draw me a picture,” Gracie said as she grabbed her purse.
“Where are you going? Wait. I need to talk to you. I’ll tell you what I want and you can draw it. Gracie! Wait!”
But Gracie didn’t look back. She walked to her car, started it and drove away. Her heart pounded so hard she was afraid it would break. She felt shaky and sore, as if she’d just been run over.
Ever since she’d moved in with her aunt and uncle, she’d fantasized about what it would be like to come home. She’d waited and waited for her mother to call and say it had all been a mistake-that of course she was welcome to return. But the call had never come and eventually Gracie had stopped expecting it.
In time she’d told herself she’d stopped caring. She’d never come home for the holidays, instead meeting her family in L.A. or somewhere else. It had become a tradition.
Now Gracie wondered if the real reason she’d avoided Los Lobos, was the possibility of disappointment. If she came back, she would have to face what had happened. There wouldn’t be any room to hide.
Now that she was in the thick of it, she knew that staying away had been a fine idea.
She stopped at the red light and considered what to do next. There were several possibilities, including packing up her stuff and returning to L.A.
“I’m not going to run away,” she told herself, trying to sound fierce rather than broken.
She thought about going back to her rental house, but she didn’t want to be there, either. In the end, she found herself parking at the high school and walking into the auditorium to hear what Riley Whitefield had to say about
