Adams Grove 03-Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes (28 page)

Steffi motioned the cameraman to the detail. “Zoom in here on this sugar bubble. There are tiny pieces of edible artwork inside each bubble. Truly a masterpiece.”

The cameraman pulled back. “We’ll be chatting with Mac and a few of the artists at the noon hour.”

“That’s great. Thanks for the live report,” Jenn said.

“Bring us a piece of cake,” Greg added.

“I’ll see what I can do about that. Coming to you live from Adams Grove, Virginia—I’m Steffi Zimmer.”

The cameraman counted down on his fingers in 3-2-1 and then made a fist. Steffi dropped back into a casual Southern drawl and gave Jill a hug.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Carolanne’s responsibility of keeping folks out of the way during the taping of the news pieces was done, and she had some time to mingle since doing the stats for Jill wouldn’t start until the end of the day. It was fun to play a supporting role in something rather than running it for a change. Maybe she
would
eventually get used to the slower pace of Adams Grove.

Pearl’s death shook this whole town, but it had been pivotal in her returning home to help Jill through it, and that was just like Pearl to have her way with all of them even when she was gone. She’d been right about Jill and Garrett all along, and now that their nuptials were official, only she and Connor stood in the way of a perfect record for Pearl Clemmons in the matchmaking arena.

Never doubt Pearl’s wisdom.

She’d given that advice to many over the years. Why hadn’t she believed it herself?
Because I’m more complicated than all that.

Carolanne pulled in a quick breath as a warm rush teased her senses at the memories of Connor’s touch. He wasn’t one of those guys who worked with his hands all day like those she was usually attracted to. There wasn’t one callus on his manicured
hands—and she and Jill had given him plenty of grief over that—but what Carolanne hadn’t expected was the power and strength in his hands. They’d awakened her in ways she’d never imagined. She’d also never noticed the tiny golden flecks that danced in his blue eyes or the way his normally booming voice could quiet to a tingling whisper on her neck.

People crowded the front lawn. A bright-yellow ribbon spanned the porch, keeping visitors from entering the building until after the ceremony, so she took the side door and bypassed all the hype.

She walked to her car and sat in the driver’s seat to change into nicer heels from her practical flats. She tossed her purse back in the car and locked it up. No sense dealing with her purse on her shoulder all day long in this crowd. She didn’t need anything in it.

Around front, she hiked up the slope toward where all the ribbon-cutting festivities would take place. She had to admit Dad had done a pretty amazing job whipping the grounds into a nice-looking array of colors and greenery. Who knew he had such a green thumb? She was proud of him, something new in the dad department for her. The thought of her and Dad working on the yard at her house together brought a smile to her lips.

Carolanne exchanged waves with a few of the locals as she got closer to the front of the building. She rose on her toes as she walked to keep her high heels from sinking into the soft soil.

A warm glow flowed through her when she caught the light dancing off strawberry-blonde hair in the distance. The ginger tone wasn’t too hard to pick out in a crowd, even with his back to her. Her heart danced a little jig as she headed in his direction to join him for the ceremony.

Then she stopped.

About five yards beyond Connor, a woman dressed to the nines in all black and big baubles at her throat and wrists stood with her arms outstretched and a huge too-white smile. And
that woman seemed to be looking straight at Connor. The voices around Carolanne seemed to merge into a low hum as she stopped, standing their frozen for a two-count. Carolanne watched Connor begin to walk toward that woman.

For every step he drew closer to the other woman, Carolanne took one backward. The crowd around her may as well have disappeared. Uncertainties threatened to bring her to her knees. She spun around, trying to keep from watching, but dying to at the same time.

With her back to Connor, she took a second to make herself breathe.
It has to be Katherine.
She’d never met her, but that girl had rich Chicago girl written all over her. She was out of the picture. Hadn’t he said that? Or maybe it was that he’d said nothing about her. What else didn’t she know about Connor? She’d never considered herself the jealous kind, but what she was feeling right now…It wasn’t good.

What if she talked him into going back to practice in Chicago? A partnership in a big firm could mean big things for him, and his mom was gone—nothing to tie him to Adams Grove now.

She took a careful step forward, not sure for a moment if she could even walk. She turned back for a second look, but they were gone. She scanned the groups of people making their way from the extended parking area to the center. Doing a full pirouette, she didn’t see Connor or that lady in black anywhere.

The last thing she wanted was to bump into them now. She spun and went back toward her car.

“Hi, Carolanne,” Patsy Malloy called out.

“Forgot something.” Carolanne pasted a fake smile on her face and waved as she passed Garrett’s mom and dad. “I’ll be back.”

“We’ll save you a spot,” Mrs. Malloy said with a nod.

I’ll never be missed in this crowd.
A single tear escaped as she finally rounded the corner and could see her car. She jogged the rest of the way and brushed the tear from her cheek as she grabbed for the door handle and lifted. Locked. Realization struck.

“Doggone it.” Carolanne smacked the car and leaned against the door with her eyes closed.
How could I have locked my purse and keys in the car? No escaping now. Pull it together, girl. There could be an explanation. No, there’s not. Who am I fooling? Only myself. Men. They’re all the same. They can’t be trusted—any of them. Ever.

Well, if there was any good news about the last week being hectic, it was that she hadn’t told anyone, not even Jill, about what she’d thought was news in her and Connor’s relationship. It had been up, down, sideways, and hopeful again, but no one would be the wiser to what a fool she’d been.

She smoothed her blouse and ran her fingers under her eyes to tame any mascara runs, then plastered her old cheerleader smile back on her face and headed back to the ribbon cutting. If there was one thing she’d mastered over the years after Momma died and Daddy went drunk-nuts, it was looking cool and nonchalant, no matter what was going on in her heart.

Carolanne ran back inside the artisan center through the back door to escape the feelings that threatened to make her scream in the middle of the crowd out front.

Jill nearly bumped into her. “Have you seen Garrett? We’re almost ready for the ceremony, and he’s conveniently disappeared.”

Carolanne had to laugh, although she knew Jill didn’t think it was funny. “That man’s superpower is being able to disappear when a camera comes within shooting distance.”

“I think you’re right.”

Carolanne noticed Jill’s left eyebrow rise—her tell sign that Jill was stressing out.

“Calm down. We’ll find him. Come on.”

She and Jill speed-walked past each of the named rooms. Just as they passed the Dogwood Room, something caught Carolanne’s eye just outside the window.

“Keep going. I’m going to backtrack.” Only, she didn’t. Instead, she took two steps back. Someone was standing at the side of
the building. There was no reason for anyone to be out there. Carolanne stepped inside the room, next to a display near the window, to take a closer look.

Connor’s face was redder than his hair, and he looked flustered by more than just the humidity. His voice rose to a level that she could hear from inside the building, but she couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem pleasant.

Across from him, the woman in all black with lots of blingy jewelry had her arms crossed and her stare leveled on Connor. Her tight lips had that crinkly look.
Probably a smoker.
She bit back the catty thought. OK, so Pearl had predisposed her to not like Katherine.

Connor seemed to be the only one doing any talking, and he looked a bit like a giant pterodactyl the way his arms were flapping around as he spoke. Katherine glanced up toward the window.

Carolanne stepped out of view.
Why is she even here?
Just then, Anita walked up, and Connor threw his hands up and left. Anita and the woman in black embraced. Maybe it wasn’t Connor who had invited Katherine, after all, or maybe the woman wasn’t Katherine.

She leaned forward to take another look, feeling like a fool for reacting so badly without even giving Connor a chance to explain.

“There you are.”

Carolanne spun around at the sound of Garrett’s voice.

Garrett stood at the edge of the display area. “Jill and I were looking for you. We’re headed out front for the ribbon cutting. Come on.”

Carolanne glanced to the window and then back at Garrett.

“Are you OK?” he asked.

“Yeah. OK. Yeah. I’m fine.” She ran her hand through her bangs.

Jill stood next to the front door, waving Garrett to hurry up.

“This is your moment,” Carolanne said to Garrett. “Go on. I’m going to slip out the side door and watch from out front.”

Carolanne watched Garrett leave through the huge hand-carved doors that led to the front porch of the artisan center where he and Jill would cut the ribbon. She went out the side door and walked around to the front. Her heart swelled as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Everyone she knew was here showing their support, and there were lots of people she’d never seen before, too. She spotted Connor, and he waved for her to join him with the Malloys.

“Excuse me. Sorry,” Carolanne said as she maneuvered through the crowd toward Connor. She looked around for the lady in black, but didn’t see her.

“Where were you?” he whispered.

“Where were
you
and with
who
is a better question!” Her words bit, and she wasn’t proud of it, but she couldn’t masquerade as if everything were OK. It just wasn’t her nature.

He leaned in. “What?”

Someone behind them shushed them.

Carolanne glared at him.

“I saw you.” Clenching her teeth, she was even madder now that he was playing all coy. “Don’t deny it. I saw
her
.”

The look on his face confirmed he knew exactly what she was talking about.

She lifted her chin and forced herself to pay attention to the ceremony.

Jill stood between Garrett and the mayor behind the supersize ribbon that stretched from post to post across the entryway of the new Adams Grove Artisan Center.

Mayor Winnberg began his speech. The light-colored plaid suit jacket he was wearing strained from one too many Southern meals, and the bright sunshine glistened off his balding head.

Carolanne resisted looking over at Connor, although she could feel his eyes on her.

The mayor would drone on too long like he always did. Pearl used to call him “Mayor Windbag,” and she’d never made it any secret that she hadn’t cast her vote for him. Carolanne loved that about Pearl.

Carolanne tipped her chin to the bright sun. Despite the clear blue sky, her day felt cloudy and gloomy. She watched Garrett give Jill’s hand a squeeze. The pride he felt for Jill’s accomplishment was very telling. Those two seemed to be able to communicate without even saying a word—soul mates.

She’d let herself believe that she and Connor might be like that.
I know better than to get caught up in that.

The mayor continued his speech. His enthusiasm was as high as his hopes that the attraction would slow tourists down for a visit on their way east to Virginia Beach. As nice as that was, she wished he’d wrap it up before she fell over from the heat or made a scene in front of all these people and ruined Jill and Garrett’s big day.

Carolanne recognized Jack from the
County Gazette
front and center but was delighted to see they weren’t the only ones pressing forward for a good camera angle. There were several press types up front and at least three TV crew vans with their huge live-broadcast satellites stretched into the sky.
All the more reason not to make a scene today. I’d be front-page news, and not in a good way.