The Wedding Circle by Ashton Lee

Author:Ashton Lee [Lee, Ashton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

So far, Maura Beth had had very little time alone with her father over the hectic weekend. He always seemed to be bonding with the other men over stiff drinks and stale jokes, but she was very pleased that Jeremy had been included in these macho huddles more often than not. It was a very good sign that father-in-law and son-in-law were getting along so well. In fact, Jeremy had gone out of his way to tell her so in the privacy of their apartment.

“He’s a really good guy, Maurie,” he had said. “Not at all the way I pictured he would be after everything you’ve been telling me. I think maybe you’ve been underestimating him.”

But it was now less than an hour away from her parents’ departure to Louisiana, and there were things Maura Beth needed to say to the first man in her life she had ever loved and admired.

Fortunately, the opportunity for a one-on-one conveniently arose when William Mayhew announced that he needed to run into Cherico at the last minute to gas up the Escalade. “Come on and go with me, Maura Beth,” he told her just as he was about to exit the front door.

Once they were on their way to town, Maura Beth lost no time in catching up. “I hope you understand a little better what my life is like up here, Daddy,” she began, testing the waters. “Maybe it doesn’t make much sense to you, but it’s what I’ve chosen for myself.”

William turned briefly to flash a smile and then trained his eyes once again on the winding road. “The most important thing for you to remember is that your mother and I aren’t always on the same page. I think it’s exciting that you’ve struck out on your own the way you have. I should have told you that sooner.”

“Yeah, I kinda wish you had. Mama’s always made it seem like she speaks for both of you.”

“She doesn’t, though.”

They hit a bump in the road that caused them both to lurch forward a bit. “Oops! One of our Greater Cherico potholes that Councilman Sparks is always fretting about,” she said with a weary inflection.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t taken the time to introduce us to him. Maybe that’s for the best?”

“I think so. Although I’ll probably invite him to the wedding. That is, if he doesn’t mess with me and my library too much until then.”

“That’s my girl,” William said, the pride clearly reflected in his tone. “You’re a fighter.”

“I think I probably get it from you, Daddy. You’ve argued and won a lot of cases in your time.”

“That may be, but the truth is, I haven’t been nearly as adventurous with my life as you have,” he continued. “I fell in love with your mother, the ultimate Uptowner from State Street through and through—as you well know. Of course, I let her call the shots socially, and life has been pretty good for the most part. I never even thought about moving anywhere else—certainly not the way you have.

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