Page 13 of The Sweet Part
“We’re here,” Mason announces, parking in the back lot behind Ludbury House.
Thank God. I’m not up to reasoning with Sophie on why our family’s already complete. She doesn’t buy it now that she knows her friends have dads and siblings. I need to finesse athere’s all kinds of familiesspeech.
As soon as Mason turns off the truck, Sophie clambers out the door. I hurry out of the truck. “Freeze!”
Sophie freezes.
“Now walk back to me.”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “Stay with us.”
“Hey, Sophie,” Mason says as he opens the back door of the truck. “Do you want to carry the wedding present in?”
Her eyes get big, and she runs over to him, holding out her hands. He sets a small rectangular box in her hands with a card attached.
She shakes it.
He steadies the box. “Careful. It’s fragile.”
“What is it?” she asks.
“A framed picture of Shayla and Owen with a bunch of us cousins when we were teenagers.”
“You were a teenager?” Sophie asks.
“I was a baby once too,” he says.
Sophie cracks up at this. Guess she can’t imagine the man ever being a baby.
Mason offers his arm, so I take it. Heat rushes through my body. I make a point of looking at Ludbury House and not him as we approach. I’ve passed this place so many times, but never had an invite to a private event held here. It’s a sprawling two-and-a-half-story white clapboard mansion with white columns and a wraparound porch. I’m starting to feel like I’m Cinderella for the night.
* * *
Mason
Ludbury House is decorated with a winter white theme with silver and white silk streamers and plenty of white flowers. My aunt Hailey approaches. She’s wearing a headset over her long strawberry blonde hair with a blue dress and heels. She’s working. It belatedly occurs to me I should’ve told Hailey, the wedding planner, that I was bringing two guests. I cleared it with Shayla and Owen. I’m not sure if they passed the message along.
“Hi, Mason.” She kisses my cheek. “I see you brought a plus two.” She smiles at them. “Hi, May, hi, Sophie.” She glances at me. “We’ve met at Happy Endings before.”
“Hello,” May says.
“Hi!” Sophie says. “I brought the present.” She hands it to Hailey.
“Thank you. I’ll put this on the gift table. Let me just rustle up a couple more chairs, and we can welcome you into the parlor.”
She hurries off, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
May grabs my arm, and it warms on the spot. “They’re not expecting us?”
“I cleared it with the bride and groom, but I guess they forgot to pass it on to Aunt Hailey. It’s no problem. She runs weddings at Ludbury House like clockwork. Nothing throws her.”
May puts a hand over her face, embarrassed. Sophie takes that opportunity to rush into the parlor. May drops her hand, realizes Sophie’s gone, and looks panicked.
“She went into the parlor.” I gesture to the room on our right.
We arrive in the room to find Sophie standing in front of the fireplace. She touches each white flower draped across the mantel and sniffs them. Rows of folding chairs draped in white fill the space. There’re probably around fifty guests. Looks like Sophie’s the only kid. Hope she behaves herself. Flower sniffing seems okay to me.
May rushes to Sophie, takes her by the hand, and guides her to the back of the room.
