The Wedding, the Winery, and Will by Taylor Hahn

Author:Taylor Hahn [Hahn, Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2022-10-11T00:00:00+00:00

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The town square—yes, there is a town square, as no small town is complete without one—is festive with popcorn machines, hot cocoa dispensers, and roasting chestnuts. The high school jazz band plays holiday tunes. They’re off key and off rhythm, but couples are dancing nonetheless, including my parents, Bridget and Tim, and Margaret and some cute boy. Even Janey decided to show her face after all, though she’s wearing clown-sized sunglasses with rainbow, light-up frames to hide her bruises, and I finally get to give Peter a hug. It’s a certifiable winter wonderland. String lights wrap the tree trunks and drape along snowy boughs. There are even ice sculptures shaped like elves, much to my mom’s delight.

Everyone is there, including my brother Edward and sister Catherine and their families. Between the two of them, they’ve got nine kids, some of them redheaded like me. Even my aunt Sheryl came down from her cult compound, and I have to admit she’s looking better than ever. They must be putting something in the water up there.

I have to dole out the award for best float, so I weave my way around the dance floor and through the crowd toward the podium, where the mayor—who finally decided to make an appearance—will deliver the speech while I stand beside him, trying not to chatter my teeth.

I’m still wearing Will’s coat. When he helped me down from the float, he insisted he was fine in his wool sweater and hat, despite my protests. “I’ll drink some mulled wine,” he said. “It’ll do the trick.”

I feel a hand on my back as I pass the bonfire where people are roasting marshmallows and look over my shoulder to see Gavin. “Feel like I should get your autograph,” he says with a Prince Charming grin. “Your Majesty.”

“The real queen here is the five-year-old who is undefeated at ring toss. Have you seen her?”

“She beat me three times in a row. It was humiliating.”

“Not for her.”

He holds out his paper cone of chestnuts for me to take one. “Haven’t seen you around in a few days.”

“I’ve been busy with my niece’s wedding.” We still haven’t found a new venue, and it’s looking more like a wedding at my parents’ house with every passing day. “It’s next week.”

“Hey, if you need a date,” Gavin says. “You know where to find me.”

It’s a nice offer, and I smile my thanks, but for some reason it doesn’t interest me. Not even a little bit. Not even when he flashes me that blue-eyed, sparkly grin before heading back to the fire and striking up a sword game with a little boy and two marshmallow roasting sticks.

I doubt he’s serious anyway. He’s the type of guy who hasn’t yet learned the dangerous side of flirting, who just thinks girls are pretty and flirting is fun and life is grand. To him, it’s innocent, though I’m confident he’s broken tons of hearts without even realizing he’s done it. It’s nice to have a friendly face though.

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