“I forgot to comb it before I came over. It’s a mess.”
“Yeah, I should have such messes in my life.”
Whereas Val was facing rapidly thinning hair associated with menopause, Missy’s thick unruly curls had been a long-term bone of contention between the two women. Playing with her hair was one of her tell tale signs for anxiety.
“Talk to me, sweetie.”
“He’s dating,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Val nodded in silent encouragement.
Missy met her friend’s eyes and wanted to hit something. “Why is my acclimation to this separation so hard while he seems to be finding it so easy?”
Val walked to the wine rack on the counter, pulled out a bottle of Merlot, poured Missy a large glass and handed it to her. “Men are idiots with as much depth as a can of peas.”
“Thanks for being on my side.” Missy sipped from her glass of sanity.
The two women clinked their glasses in toast. “Honey, yours is the only side.”
Chapter Two
On Friday morning, Missy picked up the shop phone and heard her daughter’s voice. “Hi, Mom. I was hoping you’d be free tomorrow.”
As Cara’s usually frazzled tone had kicked up a couple notches, Missy’s radar rose. “Sure. Why?”
“I was talking to a friend of mine who got married last year, and she said if I don’t go as soon as possible and pick out a wedding gown, it may not be ready in four weeks.”
Missy gnawed at her bottom lip. Delays in available wedding dresses only topped the list of bad news. She’d spent the morning on the phone with catering halls. “I’m glad you mentioned the time dilemma, honey, because all the places on the list you gave me are booked solid for at least a year.”
“I’m sure you’ll find one, Mom. So, tomorrow morning can you meet me at my apartment by ten so we can hit a few bridal salons?”
“You bet. See you then.”
The fact that Cara wasn’t worried about a catering hall didn’t unnerve her. Missy was worried enough for fifty people. She pulled the phone book from the shelf and began circling places that Cara hadn’t listed. There were five possibilities, so she got right to work. Forty minutes later, Ann walked into the backroom and offered a mug of hot coffee.
Missy held the mug in her hands and inhaled the tantalizing aroma of almond biscotti. “Thanks, I need this.”
“What’s wrong?” She plopped into the oversized chair opposite the desk.
Missy took another sip from the mug before leaning back in her desk chair. “I can’t find a place to hold the wedding reception. Every hall I’ve called is booked into next year.”
Ann quickly spouted the names of half a dozen locations.
Missy shook her head. “I called all of them.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll have to talk to Cara tomorrow before we go shopping for wedding gowns. Maybe we can come up with an alternative venue.”
Ann picked up the photo of Cara from her senior prom that Missy kept on her desk. “They grow up so fast.”
Missy sighed. “My baby buying a wedding gown. It’s hard to digest.”
Ann turned to leave after the bell above the door rang. “Just make sure you bring lots of tissues.”
Missy sipped her coffee. Tissues. Right. One more thing she needed to think about: bawling like a baby.
****
The next morning, Missy climbed the four flights of stairs to her daughter’s apartment in Manhattan. Blaring televisions, crying babies, and people yelling at each other seeped from under doorways. With the hallway reeking of cat urine, she inhaled only when necessary and, after reaching the top, paused to catch her breath.
Cara claimed the rent for their two bedroom was cheap, but Missy had to think even the bargain of the century wasn’t worth watery eyes and holding your breath for four flights every single day. She rang the bell. Flushed and out of breath, she ran her hands down her linen pants, which had become incredibly wrinkled after the two hour train ride into the city.
“Hi, Mom. Come in.”
Missy relished her daughter’s hard hug and returned it ten times over. Why was she so emotional? It really wasn’t like her and it had to stop before she collapsed into a puddle. “Don’t we have to get going?”
“We have a few minutes. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine.” She followed her daughter down the long hall into the bright and sparsely decorated living room. She and Dan were into that whole “less is more” trend. Missy thought it just made the apartment look cold and empty, but hell, she didn’t have to live there.
“You look like a deer in the headlights, Miss.”
Vinnie. She hadn’t seen him in nine months and wasn’t prepared for him now. The news that he’d been dating upset her more than she liked to admit. She assumed she still had a few weeks to compartmentalize the information, to place him in a part of her brain where he no longer affected her before they saw each other at the wedding. She’d prayed time apart would expedite this. No such luck.
Seeing him now brought all of their years together rushing back. Why he still affected her, she wasn’t sure, but damn, she hated that these feelings for him still existed. How far down would she have to push her emotions for this man before they stayed buried?
But there he stood, hands shoved into the pockets of stone-washed jeans that fit much too well, a blue pullover shirt and matching sports jacket and black shoes. She didn’t recognize his finished look—and hell if the look wasn’t magic. Damn him.
To make matters worse, a large smile was plastered on his face as he walked over and hugged her. “Missy. You look wonderful.”
The delicious, woodsy aftershave weakened her knees. Curse him.
She pulled away and croaked a thank you. Then, brushing her hands on her slacks, she shot Cara a, why didn’t you tell me he’d be here? glance.
“What a nice surprise,” Missy lied and felt particularly uncomfortable as her daughter rung her hands and bit her bottom lip; two sure signs the kid was a nervous wreck.
Cara walked over and took her mother’s hand. “I was afraid if I told you Dad would be joining us, you might not come. Today’s important, Mom. I want you both with me.”
Missy shot Vinnie a say anything out of line and I’ll kick your ass look. Gritting her teeth till she was certain blood dripped from each corner of her mouth, she muttered, “I wouldn’t miss this day for anything, honey. Besides, your father and I are adults. We’re past all that stuff.” She turned to glare at him through slitted eyes. “Right?”
Vinnie cleared his throat and took a step back. “Absolutely. Your wedding is the most important thing to us, sweetie.”
Cara walked to the sofa where she picked up her jacket. “Thank God. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do if you two…well, never mind. Just goes to show, Dan was right.”
“About what?” Missy asked.
“He thinks I don’t give the two of you enough credit. That it’s been almost a year and I am worrying for nothing.”
“Dan is very wise.” Missy glanced at her snake in the grass husband who still wore that ridiculous smile on his too handsome face. “You shouldn’t worry about the two of us.”
As they walked toward the door, Vinnie placed one hand on Missy’s lower back. After a sharp elbow in the ribs, he quickly dropped his hand. Ignoring the familiar tingle shooting through her, she pushed all thoughts pertaining to him aside. Today was about Cara.
After arriving at Beautiful Bridals by Barbara, Vinnie excused himself to visit the men’s room while Cara went over the specifications for her dress with the saleswoman, emphasizing the four-week deadline.
Activity filled the dress shop. What Missy assumed were brides-to-be giggled and laughed in small groups throughout the expansive lobby. A larger than life crystal chandelier hung above them while soft music played in the background and an almost electric vibe filled the upscale shop.
After the clerk and Cara disappeared into one of the dressing rooms, Missy took a deep breath then sat on the sofa provided for the bride’s family. In front of the couch stood a full-length triple mirror and a small stage where the bride would stand while she modeled gown possibilities. A voice inside Missy’s head screamed,
enjoy yourself! Don’t let Vinnie unnerve you
.
When he returned from the john, he sat next to her. Right next to her. With barely an inch between them. An entire sofa available and he had to sit this close? What was with him?
“So, this is a big day.” In a ritual of motion, he rubbed both hands on the legs of his jeans. “I didn’t think I’d be nervous. Must be...pre-wedding jitters.”
Why was he so nervous? All he has to do is just show up the day of the wedding.
Sure, giving his baby away is going to be hard, but honestly, suck it up
, she told him silently.
I’m the one with a list so long I can’t keep track
.
Mega annoyed, Missy cleared her throat. “We should talk about a budget.”
He nodded, barely meeting her gaze. “Whatever Cara wants, she’ll have.”
Missy wanted to choke him. Mr. Cheapskate speaks. The man who saved bubble wrap and cardboard boxes until their garage screamed for help, claiming when they sold the house, they’d need it for packing. Had she just entered the Twilight Zone? “Excuse me?”
He nodded and gave her that stupid smile again. “Whatever our little girl wants—within reason, of course.”
“Who are you and what did you do with the real Vincenzo Giuseppe Modesto?”
He didn’t have a chance to answer because Cara entered the room in an absolutely stunning strapless gown with tiny pearls embossing the bodice.
“Wow,” Missy said.
“Do you like it?”
“You look like a princess,” Vinnie whispered.
Missy glanced at him. Had he read her mind?
Cara frowned. “It almost feels like a prom dress. I don’t think it’s the one.”
The saleswomen nodded. Cara hiked up the gown so she wouldn’t trip on the hem and followed her back to the dressing room.
Missy watched Vinnie swallow hard. “I’m not ready for this,” he muttered. “Wasn’t she sixteen yesterday?”
As melancholy for past times ripped through her, Missy took another sip of the now warm soda. “It seems like that, but she’s a grown woman.”
Over the next hour and a half, Cara tried on a plethora of gowns, but nothing pleased her. This one was too fussy. The next featured an open back that plunged all the way down to her butt. At that one, Vinnie groaned under his breath. Silently, Missy agreed, but applauded his sense to keep quiet.
“So how are things at the shop?” he asked during one interminable lull in the process.
“Busy. Very busy.”
“Busy is good.”
Missy frowned. “Since when?”
She scolded herself for the sarcasm-laced question. But seriously, when they were still together, he’d made it a practice to complain about how much time she spent at the shop.
When his eyes, dark as night, captured hers, her stomach did a flip flop. Would she ever not get this tingly feeling when he was around? Would she ever become immune to his charm?
“I owe you an apology, Miss. You were right about many things.”
Man, she was so screwed.
****
From Vinnie, an apology was the same as taking a bullet to the heart. “I’ve been busy building my business. I even joined the Chamber of Commerce.”
Missy told herself to stop being so judgmental. They were legally separated. He didn’t have to please her and she didn’t have to approve of what he was up to. Just get through each day.
Vinnie chuckled. “Don’t look so shocked. People can change. Anyway, those monthly meetings have increased business for me and I’ve had to hire more help.”
Increased business? Hiring help? He hadn’t changed. He’d morphed into a completely different man. In the past, business came to Vinnie in small increments. Having done the bare minimum to get by had been enough. Now he went out and found clients? Like a vacuum sucking up dirt? It was all too much for her to absorb.
The silence between them dissolved when Cara entered wearing the gown of all gowns. Eggshell in color, the bodice featured satin covered buttons that went all the way down, past her delicate waist, and sported a cathedral train comprised of multiple layers of lush satin. Other than the lace sleeves, the only embellishments on the dress were iridescent pearls scattered across the bodice.
Eyes burning, Missy reached into her pocket. Damn. Hadn’t Val said to pack lots of tissues? In this gown, Cara looked like a bride. Her daughter’s eyes met hers and Missy couldn’t help the tears sliding down her cheeks. Vinnie handed her a white handkerchief. Missy dabbed her wet cheeks. “You look...gorgeous.”
Cara turned to study her reflection in the mirror from every angle. “I feel regal and grown up. I’d like this to be the one, but I’m not sure. It’s a little more than what I thought we’d spend.” She turned toward her father. “Daddy? What do you think?”
Missy saw Vinnie’s throat working overtime. He pulled another handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose. “Cost isn’t a concern,” he croaked. “If this is the dress you want, it’s yours.”
A huge smile covered Cara’s face. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Mom?”
Missy nodded.
Their daughter squealed like a teenager. “Thank you both, so much.”
Vinnie nodded and Missy blew Cara a kiss before she lifted the hem of the dress and almost skipped back into the dressing room.
“That dress costs six thousand dollars,” Missy hissed.
“Do you have the heart to tell her it’s too expensive?”
She blew out a deep breath. She hadn’t. The look of delight on Cara’s face was worth the price. “No.”
“I’ve been putting extra money away. I had a feeling she and Dan would get married this year.” His eyes met hers. “They’re the same age as us when we were married.”
“Well, life is different now. Don’t expect any grandchildren anytime soon, either. She’s already read me the riot act on that topic.”
“Good. She needs to get her career on track first.”
She glanced at him. What the hell was he shoveling? They'd not been married six months when he announced he wanted to start a family. If Missy hadn’t made absolutely certain she was protected, she swore he would have gotten her pregnant that same night.