Page 31 of Wedding Season
“I’m not meeting with anybody,” Mariella said as Mary Ellen bustled off toward the counter. She leveled a stare at Heather. “What are you talking about as far as alluding to cancellations at the inn?”
Heather slunk a little bit lower in her seat. “I don’t know. It’s just something I overheard. Forget about me. That should be easy enough for you.”
“Oh, no.” Mariella wagged her hand in a finger in front of the girl. “You are not distracting me this time. Do you know what she’s talking about?” she asked Avery.
Avery tucked a strand of glossy hair behind one ear. “I do. Although that’s part of the reason Emma isn’t involved, but she didn’t want you to worry. She said you had enough on your plate right now.”
“Tell me.”
“There was an article published in the Raleigh paper this morning. An interview with the mother of the jilted groom. She spent a lot of time badmouthing her son’s former fiancée but saved a bit of vitriol for Emma and the Wildflower.”
“What did the inn or Emma have to do with a cheating fiancée?”
“The mom said this isn’t the first bride scheduled to get married at the inn who has gotten cold feet.”
“And she talked about you.” Heather pointed at Mariella, earning a glare from Avery.
“The groom’s mother was angry and emotional.” Avery bit down on her lower lip. “I told Emma that we can spin this from a PR standpoint. It’s not going to affect the wedding business.”
“But it has.” Mariella didn’t need to ask. She said the words as a statement rather than a question. She didn’t need to ask the question when she could already tell from Avery’s tight expression what the answer would be.
“She’s had a couple of worried brides call.”
“Have they canceled their events?”
“Why does it matter?” Luann sat back in her chair. “Love is stupid and fleeting anyway. Better to cut their losses.”
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Avery said. “This is all an unrelated misunderstanding.” She gave a pointed look at Heather. “One that is going to be worked out without anybody blowing things out of proportion.”
“She has a right to know,” the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She’s part of the reason things are going bad and she has a right to know. You shouldn’t keep secrets from people.”
Avery blinked. “It wasn’t exactly a secret. Emma wanted a chance to make things right before talking to you about it, Mariella. She didn’t want you to feel responsible or guilty for—”
“Too late.” Mariella grabbed her latte and stood from the table. She lobbed a glare at Luann. “I’m not taking over your role.” Then she switched her gaze to Heather. “You’re right about not keeping secrets. So think about what you’re planning to tell people about yours.”
Finally, she turned to Avery. “I’m in for your stupid festival if it helps Emma and the inn. Parade me out with a big, fat smile and I’ll charm everybody from here to Charleston.”
Even though it hurt that Emma hadn’t talked to her, Mariella would make it right. She had to try.
CHAPTER NINE
MARIELLASTOODINthe front yard of the Wildflower Inn gazing at the crisp white facade. The black shutters were like a fringe of eyebrows framing each of the gabled windows. Blossoms of riotous color filled ceramic pots on the front porch. The entire property had been given new life as a result of Emma’s renovation.
Mariella had first noticed the dilapidated mansion when she’d initially moved to Magnolia. At that point, Mariella had spent hours walking the streets of the city and the trails around town.
She’d needed fresh air like a plant needed sunshine. After so many years of running herself ragged in the big city, the slower pace of small-town life was a welcome change. But she’d found it hard to quiet her mind without relying on the drinks and drugs that had become her habit. Her crutch.
At that point, she’d thought about buying the house herself. Something in it called to her. She longed to see it restored to its former glory. So when she’d heard about the stranger moving to town and converting it to an inn, Mariella had been more than a little intrigued.
So much so that she’d inserted herself into Emma’s life as a partner. She didn’t want to be involved in the day-to-day running of the Wildflower, but she’d loved helping to design and decorate the different bedrooms, each with a specific theme.
And when Emma had started taking on more wedding bookings, Mariella had rediscovered her passion for designing gowns and helping the Wildflower brides to create their perfect day.
Emma took care of the logistics, business and marketing. Angi handled the food and any catering needs. Which left Mariella in her happy space of creativity.
She believed she was adding something of real value to the inn, and it gave her a purpose in addition to running the store in town.
After this morning’s meeting and what she’d discovered about the fallout from the inn’s streak of runaway brides, she wondered if she was doing more harm than good with her involvement. The fact that Emma hadn’t shared the potential issues with her had to mean her friend thought the same thing.
