Page 59 of Pierced Pages
“This is magical,” Danielle said for probably the third time since they’d arrived at Morgan’s aunt’s house.
And magical didn’t begin to describe it. The food was delicious, as promised, but it was uncomplicated and not as fussy as Danielle had expected. There was a Mediterranean feast set up over tables covered in blue and white linens. You could fill your plate with hummus, olives, cheeses, salad, and grilled vegetables and chicken.
They stood together at a round cocktail table, and Danielle was glad to have Morgan alone for a while. Especially after sitting by herself with Morgan’s cousin at the rehearsal, then wading through the gauntlet of relatives when they arrived on Morgan’s aunt’s gigantic lawn overlooking the small river that ran through Oakview. Morgan had been right, and Danielle had definitely heard a few “Interesting” comments in their brief conversations, but none of it bothered her as much as Morgan seemed to expect it to.
Still, she’d felt a whole-body sigh wash over her once they had reached the table and realized no one was rushing to join them. None of the nosy relatives were descending upon them.
It was almost like they were on a date.
But they weren’t, she kept having to remind herself. They were friends. She was a friend who was providing moral support. That was all.
But maybe, just maybe, there could be an actual date in their future.
Danielle was beginning to let herself want that. Making it happen was another issue for another day.
Maybe even tomorrow after the wedding.
At least, that was the deal she was making with herself not to blurt out something awkward at this rehearsal dinner.
Morgan, in a gorgeous blue cap-sleeved blouse that popped against her pale skin, held up a piece of grilled zucchini on her fork and waved it at the large yard around them. “This is all my mother’s doing. As gorgeous as it is and as delicious as the food is, it’s all wrong. Felicia wanted a taco bar. She was told that would be ‘beneath us.’”
Danielle scrunched her face. “What does that mean?”
“My mother thinks everything is tacky. Unless it’s something she chooses.” Morgan nodded at the rocks glass in Danielle’s hand. “How’s the drink?”
“Divine.”
The event had a full bar near the sprawling oak tree wrapped in fairy lights. The primary draw, however, was the signature drink: a Lemon and Thyme Gin and Tonic. It wouldn’t have been Danielle’s normal choice, but she couldn’t pass up the chance to have a signature drink. And this one perfectly matched the Mediterranean flavors of the food being served.
“Good,” Morgan said with a satisfied nod. “That was Felicia’s pick. At least she was allowed one choice at her own rehearsal dinner.”
Danielle was beginning to see the controlling picture Morgan had painted of her mother, even though she hadn’t met thewoman yet. She saw her at the rehearsal, of course, but they hadn’t been introduced in the frenzy of her mother giving instructions and herding folks to the next location and now overseeing this event.
A cool breeze cut across the open property, and Danielle felt a tiny shiver ripple through her. She was glad she’d chosen the linen pants and a sleeved blouse instead of the breezy dress Gerri had suggested. It had been another lovely, warm day for mid-March, but the temperature was cooling off now that the sun had begun to dip below the horizon.
The clink of a spoon against a glass rang out across the yard. A woman in a practical navy dress with a perfectly styled bob stood in front of the catering tables with a clearly practiced smile on her face.
It had to be Morgan’s mother.
“Yes, that’s her,” Morgan whispered, as if reading Danielle’s mind.
“I want to thank you all for being here,” the woman said with a flourish. “This is the beginning of a very special weekend for my daughter, and we’re so glad to have each of you as part of it.”
The woman’s eyes scanned the small crowd dotted along the lawn, then her gaze landed directly on Morgan and Danielle. A small crack of what looked like annoyance slipped through her polished veneer, but she quickly recovered and continued her speech.
“Don’t worry. It’s me, not you,” Morgan said, also catching the look she seemed no doubt used to.
“Pretty sure it’s a little bit about me.”
“You should consider it an honor that she even noticed you. Most people are just background to her.”
Danielle kind of wished she were in the background after that brief look. She couldn’t imagine what living under that stare must feel like.
When she finished speaking, Morgan’s mother stepped aside as the best man replaced her. He gave a surprisingly sweet speech coming from a hulking man who clearly spent a good bit of his days at the gym.
Next came the maid of honor. The charming petite brunette fumbled nervously with the tiny belt at the waist of her stunning yellow sundress. She talked briefly about how love doesn’t always come at you like a whirlwind, making a nod to the couple of honor’s friends-to-lovers relationship path. After a few moments, she said something that caught Danielle’s attention.
"Sometimes, the right person shows up quietly, turns your world upside down in the best way, and suddenly everything makes sense."
