Her Very Own Family (15 page)

She wouldn’t cry. Even though her mother should be here on her wedding day instead of on the other end of a phone line, Audrey refused to cry on this happiest of days. She didn’t want to mess up her makeup or arrive next to Brady in a few minutes with red, puffy eyes.

“I wish you were here,” she told her mom.

“I’m there in spirit, honey. I’m sure you are the most beautiful bride Tennessee has ever seen. Brady is a lucky man.”

“I’m the lucky one. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling the entire two weeks since he proposed.”

“I remember that feeling.” Thomasina let out a sad sigh. “Your father would have loved walking you down the aisle. Is Nelson accompanying you?”

“No, I’m walking alone.”

“Oh, sweetie.”

“It’s okay, really. It wouldn’t feel right having someone other than you or Dad.”

“I’m sorry.”

Audrey made a scolding sound. “Now, what did we say about apologies?”

“That we’d said ‘I’m sorry’ enough to last a lifetime.”

Quiet stretched between them for a moment. Audrey could hear the guests talking outside and her three new café employees, including magenta-haired Meg, downstairs getting things ready for the wedding reception to be followed by the café opening.

Word had not only gotten around about the new café but also about who she was. When she’d found out the latter, all her old fears had come back until Nelson had told her he’d made it clear at church that people weren’t to judge her based on her mother’s mistakes. And, well, once someone as respected as Nelson Witt made a proclamation in church, everyone seemed to fall in line.

“Audrey?”

“I’m here. Just daydreaming a little.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Strangely, no. It all feels…right.”

“I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to see the pictures.”

“We’re making a video for you, too, so you can feel like you were here.”

“Oh, I’ll be popular at movie night.”

Audrey laughed. She was really proud of her mom. Not only was she beating a life-threatening disease, but she was trying to touch the lives of the women with whom she was incarcerated. She didn’t call it a ministry, but in a way it was. A ministry of friendship and a shoulder to cry on and a willing ear to listen. Audrey had
no doubt some of those women would lead better lives once they were released because of her mom’s empathy.

A knock on the door drew Audrey’s attention. “I think it’s time for me to go.”

“Enjoy this day to its absolute fullest. It’ll be one of the happiest of your life.”

“I will. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart. Now go marry that handsome man.”

Sophie poked her head in as Audrey hung up the phone. “You ready to make an honest man of my brother?”

Audrey laughed at her bridesmaid as she stood. “I suppose. I can’t have his reputation in tatters.” She took one last look at herself in the mirror, unable to believe the person looking back was her. She lifted her hand to the two pink rosebuds adorning the hair piled atop her head—one for each of her parents not here today. But even that tiny emptiness didn’t dim how happy she was, like sunshine was bursting out of her.

“Okay, let’s see if I can make it down the stairs without breaking my neck. I hear neck braces are so out in bridal wear this year.”

Sophie had outdone herself, using all her bridal contacts to make the inside of the café and the gazebo look like a fairy tale, like it was a prince and princess getting married instead of a café owner and a construction worker. But as Audrey started down the stone path to the gazebo accompanied by gorgeous harp music, her eyes settled on Brady and she thought maybe Sophie had it right. She certainly felt like a princess, and Brady was definitely her prince.

A
UDREY LOOKED
across the dining room of the café from the kitchen’s pickup window and felt a swell of pride. More than ever, she was convinced of karma’s existence. For so long, it had seemed like her life was never going to be happy again. But today had been perfect—the weather, exchanging vows with Brady, how many of her new neighbors had shown up for the reception and promised to come often to sample the café’s offerings.

She’d been stunned by the number of gifts and was convinced they were given because of Brady until people started talking to her as if they hadn’t a clue she’d ever been touched by scandal. She and Brady had received everything from wineglasses to a homemade quilt to a brand-new Easy-Bake Oven from Sophie. Brady had turned a payback-is-hell look on his sister while she, Audrey, Nelson and Craig had nearly laughed themselves out of their chairs.

After the reception, the Willow Creek Café had officially opened for business and had been packed ever since. Sophie, who had taken a break from videotaping the café’s opening at the end of the wedding tape, sat at a table with Nelson, Craig and Kelly. By the quick glances Kelly shot in Craig’s direction, Audrey suspected the architecture intern had a serious case of the yearnings for Craig. Of course, Craig, being a clueless man, evidently hadn’t noticed.

Audrey jumped when Brady wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her ear.

“Hello, Mrs. Witt.”

A thrill went through her at the sound of her new name. She’d been Audrey York for so long that Audrey Witt was going to take some getting used to. But she did like the sound of it and all it represented.

“Hello, yourself. Thanks for helping tonight. We were busier than I anticipated.”

Brady looked out into the dining room. “Seems to be slowing down a bit.” He nuzzled her ear. “Why don’t you leave the rest of the work to someone else so we can go have a proper wedding night.”

She laughed as she turned in his arms. “I think perhaps we ought to have fewer people downstairs once the wedding night begins, don’t you?”

“Then let’s kick everyone out.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She punched him playfully in the chest. “Yeah, that’d be really good for business.”

“It’d be good for me.”

“You are impossible.” She gave him a quick kiss, then whispered, “We close at eight o’clock. We’ll have a proper wedding night then.”

“I can hardly wait.”

That made two of them.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-3295-6

HER VERY OWN FAMILY

Copyright © 2009 by Trish Milburn.

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