Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride (17 page)

"I hope so," she replied. "It's so good to see you again."

"And this must be your fiancé."

"Yes! Andy, meet Emma's mom, Avery."

"It's a pleasure," he said as Avery kissed his cheek.

"Your mother can't say enough about you, Andy. She's so happy to have you back in Atlanta."

"My mother? I didn't know you knew my mother."

"Yes, I made her acquaintance recently when she volunteered to help out with tonight's benefit."

Andy and Sherilyn exchanged puzzled glances.

"I had no idea," he admitted.

"She's lovely," Avery told them.

Sherilyn felt her hands go a little clammy. "Is she here?"

"Yes. I just saw her filling goodie bags in the back."

And has she brought her dear friend Maya along with her?
she speculated, then chastised the bitter thought. She wondered if Andy had read her mind when he patted her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I asked them to seat us all together," Avery said. "You kids and Emma and Jackson and his sisters. We've got the front couple of tables. Let's catch up over dinner. It's so good to have you back with us, Sherilyn."

"Thank you so much."

"Save me a dance, Sheri," Gavin said with a wink.

"Gavin, there's no dance floor at this one," Avery corrected.

Gavin gave Sherilyn a quick grin over his shoulder. "What kind of
gala
doesn't have a dance floor?" he teased, and the two of them moved on to the next cluster of guests.

Just as Sherilyn spotted Emma and Jackson, someone else moved into the foreground and stole her complete attention. Andy's mother Vanessa wore a simple black chiffon skirt with a red sequined top. Her coiffed blonde hair folded neatly behind her ears adorned with emerald-cut diamond stud earrings.

"Sherilyn, you look lovely," she said in her approach. She paused to kiss Andy's cheek and added, "Darling, you're just as handsome as ever."

She wished she'd known Vanessa would be attending; she could have worked up something to say to her that didn't revolve around hosting an afternoon tea for Andy's ex-girlfriend. She needn't have worried about what to say, however. Vanessa took care of that for her.

"Sherilyn, if you can spare me a moment?"

She hesitated before answering. "Of course."

Following Vanessa's lead, Sherilyn trailed behind her through the double doors and into the entry salon. When they reached the glass windows, Vanessa sat down on one of the velvet benches and patted the cushion beside her. When Sherilyn complied, the woman took her hand and examined her engagement ring.

"Did you choose the ring, or did Andrew?" she asked.

"Andy did."

"Exquisite."

"I think so too."

Vanessa paused for a moment before releasing Sherilyn's hand and shifting toward her. "Andrew was miffed with me about coming home to find Maya there," she said straight out. "And I don't blame him one little bit."

"No?"

"No. He packed his things and took that dreadful dog with him before I could explain anything to him," Vanessa told her. "He's very loyal to you, my dear."

She didn't quite know what to say to that, so she didn't say anything.

"It's one of Andrew's finest qualities." Vanessa pursed her lips. "I'm sure you're well aware."

"Yes."

With a sigh, Vanessa dropped her head for a moment before continuing. "Maya hurt my son very badly, Sherilyn. She broke his heart and drove him all the way to Chicago."

Sherilyn nodded tentatively.

"I love my son, and I missed him very much."

"I'm sure."

"I'm grateful to you for bringing him back home."

"Well, I didn't exactly—"

"Oh, I know. Not technically. But my point is that you make Andrew very happy. And that makes me happy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Not entirely," she admitted.

"You're going to be part of my family now, dear. A daughter of sorts."

"Yes, I am."

Vanessa sighed again. Sherilyn wondered what on earth she was trying to say.

"I did not invite Maya to my home, Sherilyn."

She looked the woman in the eye. "No?"

"No."

"Then why—"

"She just showed up that day. She asked if she could have a conversation with me. She'd evidently run into Andrew somewhere, old feelings kicked up and—"

"And she wanted your help to get him back," she completed for her.

"Yes. I think so."

Even though she'd known it, Sherilyn hadn't been prepared for the confirmation.

"Mrs. Drummond, I—"

"Vanessa."

"Vanessa, I understand that you don't know me. Andy and I haven't really known one another all that long. But the fact of the matter is that I adore your son. We're just an unexpected . . . fit."

"He says the same about you."

"And we are going to get married. Whether you approve, or whether you don't." She paused and absently twisted her engagement ring. "But I'd prefer it if you did."

After a moment, Vanessa reached out and took both of Sherilyn's hands between her own and smiled. "I do approve, darling."

"You do?"

She laughed. "Would I prefer a different type of ceremony, an expanded guest list, perhaps held in our family church? Yes. In no uncertain terms. Would I trade you in for Maya, or any other woman that didn't make my son light up the way you do? Absolutely not."

Sherilyn hesitated. Skepticism tickled the back of her skull; suspicion waggled about in ricochets. But something told her Vanessa could be trusted. Only the passage of time would eventually tell whether she made peace out of fear of losing her son or whether she actually wanted to forge a solid relationship between them, but for that moment just then, Sherilyn sensed an awkward sincerity in the woman's eyes.

"I hope you mean that," she said.

"I do mean it," Vanessa replied, shaking her hands for emphasis. "Welcome to my family."

October 2010

Jennifer Aames—Edward Hall

Daytime garden wedding in the courtyard

Menu:

• Appetizers and tea sandwiches

• Specialty drink: Mint julep

Cake:

• English Garden cake with roses and hydrangea

• White cake, white buttercream icing, four layers filled with raspberry ganache