Page 14 of The Vineyard Bride

Chapter Six

“Audrey!Are you coming?If we don’t start decorating in the next half-hour, I don’t know if we’ll have enough time.”Amanda slid her sunglasses over her nose and crossed her arms, catching a glimpse of herself in the downstairs mirror at the Sheridan House.It was a gorgeous day in late May and the Sheridan House creaked around her, catching the breeze off the Vineyard Sound.She and Audrey were the only ones there, as Grandpa Wes spent the day with his sister, Aunt Kerry, and Max was over at Noah’s, who’d agreed to babysit.

Audrey bustled down the staircase, carrying a wide array of feather boas, hats, bustiers, and high-heeled boots, most of which they’d purchased from the local consignment shop the previous evening.On the last step, she caught herself on the feather boa and nearly teetered forward, yelping with alarm.

“Let me help you.”Amanda hurried up and grabbed one-half of the mass, laughing.“I told you.We need a better system.”

“You and your systems,” Audrey teased.“I think we’re doing just fine.Let’s shove everything into the trunk and head over.”

Amanda groaned inwardly as she led her cousin out to the driveway, where they loaded up the rest of the costumes.That night, they’d rented a cabin on the outskirts of Edgartown, along the waterline, where they planned to stage the “Grandest Sheridan Bachelorette Weekend Ever.”It was a secret, something they’d concocted with Susan and Christine’s help to ensure that Lola was free and there would be babysitting available for Mia and Max.They’d also invited Charlotte, Claire, and Kelli Montgomery, along with two of Lola’s dear friends from Boston, Valerie and Jenny.

Amanda started the engine and began to drive down the driveway in reverse.Her heart pounded in her throat.When her tail traced the edge of the driveway, another car sped past.She shrieked with fear and pressed her foot hard on the brake.

“Uh oh,” Audrey muttered.“This is your first time driving since the accident, isn’t it?”

Amanda groaned.“I hate myself right now.”

“Just let me drive,” Audrey offered.

“You?You barely even know the concept of red lights.”

“I view red lights as suggestions,” Audrey said with a shrug.

“You’re insane.”Amanda giggled good-naturedly and forced herself to breathe.“I can handle it.I can’t let that idiot destroy my life.”

“Yeah!Not another one, anyway,” Audrey said with a crooked smile.

Amanda rolled her eyes.“I assume you’re talking about my lovely ex-fiancé?”

“No.I’m talking about Ryan Gosling when he had babies with Eva Mendes.”

Before Amanda knew it, she’d driven the car from the driveway and pointed them toward the cabin on the outskirts of Edgartown.Her stomach bubbled with laughter as Audrey continued to prattle on, easily drawing her from one topic of conversation to the next.The questions were ridiculous yet easily answered.

“Do you think Ryan Gosling ever misses Rachel McAdams?”

“Do you think Selena Gomez is secretly glad that she and Justin Bieber broke up for good?”

“If someone had forced you to be famous, would you rather be a singer, dancer, actor, or artist?”

Amanda fell into easy conversation with her cousin, one of her greatest friends in the world, as she slowly but surely traced the path to the cabin along the waterline.When she parked outside, she dropped her shoulders forward and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” she finally said, locking eyes with Audrey.

“For what?”Audrey said in a sing-song voice, despite knowing that she’d gotten them the rest of the way to the cabin on conversation alone.

Amanda and Audrey gathered the decorations and costumes from the back seat and trunk of Amanda’s car and headed toward the creaky porch of the wooden cabin.There, they discovered the key under the mat (just as the owner had told them) and entered a beautiful old-world fantasy with large windows that opened onto the Atlantic Ocean.Frothing waves surged toward them before dangerously dunking themselves along the beach.

“It’s perfect,” Audrey breathed, closing her eyes as the salty winds came over them.

Amanda began to organize the costumes: the boas and leather jackets and leather skirts and high-heeled boots and silly hats.On top of streamers, giant letter balloons, and gorgeous flowers (which they’d picked up from Claire), they also had a custom-made sign that read:

WELCOME TO THE BACHELORETTE PARTY

IN HONOR OF

LOLA SHERIDAN

May 20th, 2022

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