The Bridesmaid (25 page)

Authors: Hailey Abbott

“Sounds like a plan,” Noah said. He reached out and took her free hand and that was all Abby needed to complete her day. She was utterly happy.

“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Abby asked. “I’m starved.”

Noah smiled, understanding that all was well between them. “Absolutely.”

They walked up to the patio together. Guests were mingling and snacking on finger foods. There were small tables draped in white linen tablecloths with small flower arrangements at the center. Every available pole, gutter and grate was covered in ribbons that were fluttering in the breeze. Rocco carved turkey and roast beef at the meat and cheese station while Big Pete served up fresh lobster and shrimp at the seafood station. Little Pete cleared used plates and napkins. Glasses clinked and silverware chimed. Becky stood back in the corner, watching it all with a satisfied smile. Abby felt as light as air. It was time to finally relax.

“Abby!” her mother said, practically skipping over to her. Her mother wrapped her up in a huge bear hug, clutching her so hard Abby could feel the beads of the wedding gown pressing into her skin. “Thank you so much for this day. I don’t know what your father and I have been thinking, but this was exactly what we needed.”

“Exactly,” her father said, joining them. He handed his wife a glass of champagne and took a sip from his own. “We’re sorry about everything you’ve been through the last few months. You must have hated us.”

“I never hated you, Dad,” Abby said. “I was just worried.”

“Well, your father and I just talked about it, and we need to look over the paperwork for this exchange program. But if it all checks out, well then, you can go.”

“We’ll miss you, of course, but we know we can’t keep you here forever,” her dad added.

“You only live once, Abby,” her mother said. “You gave us a second chance at our wedding tonight, but you may never get an opportunity like this again.”

Abby felt as if she were about to overflow with emotion. She was going to Italy! Her parents had said yes!

All the muscles in Noah’s face went slack.

“Noah, the cake looks beautiful,” Abby’s mother said as her parents started to move away. “We need to say hello to a few more people, but we’ll talk about this more later.” She squeezed Abby’s hand before heading off to say hello to Abby’s aunt.

Abby’s father pinched her cheek quickly and followed his wife, leaving Abby alone to deal with her sort-of boyfriend.

“So, that’s great that they said yes,” Noah said, pushing his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah . . . ,” Abby said slowly.

“Do you think you’ll go?” Noah asked.

“Yeah, I think I will,” Abby replied. “My parents are right, Noah. I have to do this. If there’s one thing I can take from all this—Carol and Tucker and my parents—it’s that you have to do what you have to do, you know? If I don’t go to Italy, it’ll be for you . . . and I’ll just end up resenting it later.”

“Resenting me,” Noah said, looking at the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Abby said, tears stinging at her eyes. “I know the timing sucks. Believe me, I know.”

“It’s okay,” Noah said, raising his head to look her in the eye. “I understand. I really do.” He reached out for her hand and she laced her fingers through his again. “I’m just really going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too.”

At that moment, the doors to the ballroom opened and the crowd hushed slightly. Abby looked up to see Becky, totally in her element, raise her hands in the air, palms up. “Everyone please join us in the ballroom!” she announced with her perfect smile. “It’s time to party!”

Abby stood at the edge of the dance floor between Noah and Carol. Standing behind Carol was Tucker, who had his arms wrapped around her. In the center of the floor, with candles twinkling all around, her parents waltzed to the theme from
Sleeping Beauty,
one of Abby’s mother’s favorite movies. As she watched her parents gaze into each other’s eyes, she could almost imagine what they might have looked like on their first wedding day twenty-three years before.

“Wow, Abby. You almost look moved,” Carol said, nudging her with her elbow.

“Me? Nah,” Abby said, waving her hand. “I was just thinking about the scene all the guests are gonna make when they find out we have carrot cake.”

Carol clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “You try to do something original and this one’s all over you. You know, Abby. I’m beginning to think you’re more of a traditionalist than you like to admit.”

Abby’s jaw dropped, but she never got a chance to protest. Roger Birnbaum, the leader of her parents’ favorite band, Twilight, came to the microphone. He was decked out in a black tuxedo as always, his silver hair practically glowing in the candlelight.

“And now our bride and groom would like their daughters and their dates to join them on the dance floor!” he announced.

Noah took Abby’s hand and pulled her out from the crowd. “I’ve been waiting for this all night,” he said, pulling her into his arms.

Abby laughed as Carol and Tucker twirled by, doing an exaggerated waltz. Everyone applauded and sniffled and looked truly moved. Abby had to bury her face in Noah’s shoulder to keep from overdosing on the cheesiness of the moment. Here was one more thing she had never done before—danced in front of a weepy crowd.

“So . . . Italy, huh?” Noah squeezed the fingers of her right hand as they moved in a slow circle.

Abby’s heart gave a nervous and sad pang. Was she going to feel like this every time the subject came up? Excited but melancholy all at once?

“Yeah,” she said, looking up at him. “It’s kinda far away, isn’t it?”

Noah tilted his head. “I don’t know. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“Oh, really?” she asked. “Have you moved on already?”

The last few strains of the song filled the room and Noah stopped moving. He put his hands on Abby’s waist and leaned in close to her.

“Actually, I understand Italy has some killer schools for the pastry and baking arts,” he whispered in her ear just as the song came to a close.

Abby felt a shiver all down her spine. She looked up into Noah’s eyes as everyone on the dance floor applauded the Beaumont family.

“What about your dad? I thought you needed to be here for him,” Abby said as all the other guests ran out onto the dance floor. Predictably ignoring Abby’s do-not-play list, Twilight launched into a raucous version of “Celebration” and the whole room started to shake around them.

“We can always hire an interim decorator,” Noah shouted over the music. “We’ll have to interview about a thousand people, but still. I’m sure my dad would agree with the whole ‘You only live once’ thing.”

“So you’re serious,” Abby said in happy disbelief. “You want to come to Italy.”

“Yeah! I can hone my craft and be with you,” Noah said with a grin. “I kind of see that as a win-win. What do you think?”

“I think . . . ,” Abby said, throwing one arm around his neck, then the other. “I think that this Italy trip just got a whole lot more appealing.”

Noah reached up and ran his fingers along her cheek. “
Ti amo
, Abby.”

Abby laughed. “What does
that
mean?”

“It means ‘I love you’!” Noah exclaimed. “Jeez! Haven’t you been studying?”

“You are so cheesy!” she replied, shoving his shoulder. “You learned to say ‘I love you’ in Italian?”

“All right, that’s it. I’m outta here!” Noah said, throwing his hands up.

Abby grabbed him around the waist before he could get away and pulled him to her, laughing.

“C’mere, loser,” she said.

He smiled, his lips hovering ever so close to hers. “Freakshow,” he said softly.

Then Abby kissed him, right there in the center of the party, with a hundred Kool-and-the-Gang-crazed guests jumping up and down around them. Her parents were wrapped up in their just-married daze, her sister and Tucker were giggling over glasses of champagne, Delila and Christopher were dancing together, laughing and looking for all the world like they had never said an unkind word to each other.

Somehow, the Dove’s Roost Chateau had worked its magic on her family and friends. As she stood in the middle of the dance floor Abby realized, for the first time, that not every wedding had to be a dish-tossing disaster. And maybe, just maybe, there was such a thing as a happy ending.

Dear Mom, Dad and Carol,

Buon giorno! We’re all having a great time in
Venice (Venezia). No one’s killed each other yet,
but Christopher threatened to drown himself in one of the canals yesterday (ieri) if Delila and I
didn’t stop trying to sing TV show themes in
Italian. (The Brady Bunch sounds really cool!)
Noah got his master baker’s certificate on
Friday (venerdi) and plans to make Us all fat
(grasso) before we get home. Hope all is going well
at the Roost! Love to you and to Tucker as well.
Abby

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