Chapter Twenty-Four

Caroline had been holding her breath, but now she exhaled as a combination of panic and relief overtook her. Panic that Misty might still appear and relief when she didn’t, because Richard rushed back outside alone to rejoin his confused guests. He had a piece of paper clutched tightly in his hand.

“Hey, folks,” Jack called out as he waved his arms to get attention, “let Richard speak.”

Richard walked to the front of the tent. His brow furrowed and moist with sweat, his expression pained, he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Richard took a deep breath, cleared his throat and tried again. “Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that the wedding’s off. Misty has left town, but she asked me to invite all of you to stay for the party that’s been planned. I apologize for the inconvenience and urge you to take your gifts with you when you leave. I hope you’ll feel free to enjoy the buffet and dancing first, though.”

The crowd buzzed with the news. Tildie Peterson stood up and seemed close to fainting, but her husband caught her and helped her to the house. She cried out, “My baby!” as Merrill had to practically carry her away.

Caroline turned to Allie in shock, and Susan came over to hug both her daughters. Megan danced out of the bridesmaid formation and joined her mother and sisters in a group hug. All of them jumped up and down, laughing and crying at the same time.

“Yes!” said an exuberant voice in the front row. Adele adjusted her red hat and walked out, heading straight for the champagne table set up for the reception.

Murmuring guests slowly stood. A few of them followed Richard’s suggestion that they move to the waiting reception tent, while others headed for their cars.

Richard pulled his sister aside. “Sharlene, could you help the guests…”

“Richard, how could you?” She was shouting at him, oblivious to the fact that people were staring. “What did you do to Misty? I’m so embarrassed! I’ll never be able to show my face in public again!”

A well-dressed young man stepped out of the crowd and stuck a recorder in Sharlene’s face. “Mrs. Meadows-Benedict, may I ask you…”

“No!” she shouted at him.

“Sharlene…” Richard watched in confusion as his sister ran off toward the house.

Without Sharlene to take charge, no one seemed to know what to do. Finally Krystal stepped forward. Taking her husband’s arm, she said loudly, “Folks, there’s a buffet supper waiting for us, champagne and cake, music, a party! Let’s go!”

“Mom, should we…?” Caroline glanced around at all the commotion, wondering if she should go to Richard, take her family and quietly leave, or what?

The other bridesmaids and groomsmen followed Krystal’s lead and headed to the reception. The chamber orchestra gathered their instruments and moved into the reception tent to join the larger band, reset and started playing again, this time contemporary dance music. Gradually the remaining guests dispersed. Richard grabbed Caroline’s arm, dragged her away from her mother and sisters, and hurried her off in the opposite direction to the deserted gazebo.

“Richard, what happened?” Caroline tried to catch her breath as they stepped onto the gazebo. “What happened when you went to the house? Misty left town?”

Richard ran a hand through his hair, nervously mussing it up. “I got to her room and found the door ajar. Misty’s wedding dress, with the ten thousand dollar price tag attached, was still in its bag on her bed, untouched. Her dresser drawers were empty and hanging open, and there was nothing in the closet either. Everything was gone, even in the bathroom.”

Caroline was bewildered. “But how do you know she left town? Maybe she just got cold feet, and she’s waiting for you to come find her someplace.” Caroline hoped that wasn’t true, but this was Misty, so who knew what she’d do?

Richard shook his head. “There was an envelope with my name sitting on the nightstand, propped up against the lamp. Inside were these.” Richard pulled Misty’s engagement ring out of his pocket and waved the letter at Caroline. “Dumped by a Dear John letter,” he said with a huff.

“Dumped?” Caroline had never trusted Misty, but this was out of character even for her. “Why would she dump you?”

Richard shrugged. “Here, read it for yourself.” He thrust Misty’s letter into Caroline’s shaking hands.

Dear Richard,

Sorry about the short notice, but I had to be sure all my plans would work out first. I don’t love you, and I’m pretty sure you feel the same about me, so neither of us will cry if we don’t get married. I’ve fallen in love with another man. In order to get my hands on Grandmother Peterson’s trust fund, I have to be married to a man who is my social equal for at least a year. You did just fine until he came along, so we’re eloping. I’m sure you’ll be happy with that insipid Caroline, because you two bores deserve each other. Give my engagement ring back to Daddy, since he paid for it, and ask our guests to stay for the party that my parents paid for. As for me, I’m off to Chicago to start my new life with Mark Townsend.

XOXOX Misty

Caroline gasped as she read and reread the letter. “Mark Townsend?” She looked up at Richard, who seemed just as stunned. “Misty ran away with Mark?”

Richard shoved the hair out of his face. “Wasn’t he the guy dating your sister earlier this summer?”

“Yeah, and Mark dumped Allie because she was broke, saying he needed an infusion of cash from somewhere.” Caroline looked up from the letter. “I guess he found it.”

Richard looked bewildered. “When did all this happen?”

Caroline hesitated. Should she tell him? It didn’t seem like it would make a difference, now that he and Misty had broken up. The words came tumbling out of her mouth, explaining how she’d seen Misty and Mark together last June, and then saw them dancing in a Chicago bar right before he dumped Allie. “And Mark was here this very afternoon, claiming he was a guest of the bride,” she finished.

Richard looked stunned. “You saw Misty and Mark together this summer? Why didn’t tell you me?”

Caroline sat down on a bench. “I tried, but I just couldn’t get the words out. I thought maybe you really loved her. The first time I saw them, they were in a group of people just talking, but in Chicago it was obvious something was going on between them, judging by the way he was holding Misty in his arms.”

Richard sat down on the bench next to her. “So Misty and Mark have been carrying on all summer.” He was quiet a moment, staring down at his feet. “I guess that makes me a clueless idiot.”

“You trusted her.” Caroline felt devastated for Richard, who had been taken in by Misty’s con, but shook her head, still dismayed at the quirky turn of events. “Your grandmother was right, you know. Misty never loved you at all.”

Richard took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’m sure Grandmother is dying to say ‘I told you so.’”

Caroline smiled when she felt his light kiss on her trembling hand.

“But what I don’t understand is why Misty didn’t put a stop to all this,” Richard waved his arms around, indicating all the wedding preparations, “if she was so in love with Townsend the whole time. It would’ve saved everyone a lot of trouble.”

Caroline’s heart broke for Richard. She reached for his hand and held it tight. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”

Richard shook his head. “I’m not hurt, I’m angry, mostly at myself. I should’ve listened to you, and to my grandmother, and Jack. I knew I didn’t love her, but I thought I had to follow through with the promises I’d made.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His shoulders rose, making him appear inches taller, and then the tension left his face. “I feel like a weight’s been lifted off me.”

Caroline smiled. “I think it has.”

Richard looked into Caroline’s eyes as he held both her hands. “That quirky dinner date we had made me realize I’d fallen in love with you, but I found myself in an impossible situation, trapped between Sharlene and Misty. Can you ever forgive me?”

Caroline blinked in surprise. “Wait. You love me?”

He gave her a wry smile. “I know it’s poor form to profess love to a woman on the day I was to marry another one, but do you think you could ever love me back?”

“You love me? Can it be true?”

“Yes, Caroline Benedict, I love you!”

Tears came to Caroline’s eyes as Richard pulled her close. He lifted her chin, pulled her lips to his, and kissed her, slowly at first, and then with more urgency, until they seemed to melt into one another. She sighed with happiness.

They pulled apart when they heard music playing in the background. “Come on,” Richard said, helping her to her feet, “we’re missing the party!”

The ‘reception’ was in full swing. The guests were eating, dancing, and thoroughly enjoying themselves despite the lack of newlyweds. The wedding cake sat untouched atop the buffet table, a silent monument to the failed nuptials.

Allie and Brandon were salsa dancing with total abandon. Daniel was dancing with Megan since Sharlene was nowhere to be seen. Emily and Sara were joyously swing dancing, and Jack danced over with Natalie just as Richard and Caroline rejoined the party guests. Caroline was beaming, and Jack gave Richard a thumbs-up.

Allie grabbed Caroline’s arm and pulled her aside. “Well? What happened?”

Caroline hesitated for a moment. “Do you mean to the wedding or to Misty?”

“Either. Both.” Allie stamped her foot. “Caroline, spill!”

Caroline felt like smiling and laughing, but for Allie’s sake, she didn’t. “Brace yourself, Allie. Misty ran off to Chicago—with Mark!”

Allie gasped. “What? Wow!”

Caroline studied her sister closely. “Are you okay?”

Allie had to take a minute to let that sink in, then burst into a wide grin. “I’m better than okay! Mark did me a favor. His breaking up with me was the reason I took a second look at Brandon, and it’s because of Brandon that I now have a full-ride scholarship to Bradley.”

“There sure was a lot of pretending going on this summer,” Caroline mused. “Mark pretending to be in love with you, Misty pretending to be in love with Richard, and Richard pretending he wanted to get married.”

Allie frowned. “I guess it was all about the money, like Mark said.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I think you were spared a lifetime of heartache,” Caroline said, squeezing Allie’s shoulder. “Mark doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who likes to make sacrifices.”

Allie nodded in agreement. “Sometimes things work out for the best. Misty and Mark deserve each other.” She suppressed a giggle.

“Hey, there’s a party going on here!” Richard interrupted the sisters as he happily led Caroline out onto the dance floor.

Allie walked over to the orchestra and said something to the leader, who nodded. Allie sat down at the piano and began playing “Feeling Good.” As Richard held Caroline while they danced closely, they both smiled at the lyrics while he sang off key in her ear. From her vantage point on the dance floor, Caroline could see Adele and her Red Hat friends guzzling champagne, and Patrick with his arm around her mother.

Daniel abruptly stopped dancing with Megan and walked her across the floor to her mother before making his way to the bar.

“Double scotch,” Daniel yelled at the bartender, his voice reverberating through the tent.

Megan sat down at her mother’s side for a moment, but popped up again with teenage exuberance and headed for the dance floor, grabbing a pre-teen boy to dance with her as the band switched to a more modern tune. Allie sat happily accompanying the other musicians on the piano, and soon Patrick offered Susan his arm and led her out onto the dance floor.

“Uh-oh,” Caroline whispered to Richard. “Mom’s kinda rusty at this. She hasn’t gone dancing in years.” Then, to her utter surprise and amusement, Patrick pulled Susan close and began to waltz her around the floor, despite the fast music. Caroline burst out laughing.

Brandon sat on the piano bench next to Allie. He whispered something in her ear. She smiled and nodded as Brandon joined her in a duet on the keyboard.

“Richard!” Megan shouted over the music. “What about the cake?”

Richard took Caroline by the hand and led her to the table with the artfully decorated wedding cake. “I say we eat it!” Richard shouted back. He took up the carving knife which was set aside for the bridal couple, and sliced a large piece of cake off the bottom tier. Without bothering with a plate, he stuffed a bite into his mouth while the guests looked on in amusement. “It’s delicious!” he announced with his mouth full. “Come on, everyone, help yourselves!”

The orchestra struck up a rendition of a rowdy dance tune as guests swarmed around the cake. Jack picked up a glass of champagne and jumped up on a chair to make a toast. Richard looked at him askance.

Jack winked at Richard. “Hey, it’s the best man’s job to propose a toast.” Addressing the guests, Jack raised his glass. “To Richard. May his future be less sensible!”

Caroline said a silent amen.