It was Mama’s highest compliment.
“Thank you, Ma’am. ”
A look of irritation crossed Mama’s face; it was there and gone in a flash. “Really. Call me Ellie. I hear you’re a singer. Meggy doesn’t know if you’re any good. ”
“I’m good. ”
She took his hand. “If you sing half as good as you look, you’ll be on the radio in no time. Come. Tell me about your career while we dance. ”
“I’d be honored to dance with my new mother-in-law. ” Tossing Claire a quick smile, he was off.
Claire turned at last to Meghann, who’d stood silently by for the whole exchange. “Are you okay?”
“Mama brought her dog. Not to mention an entourage of bodyguards. ”
“She could be overcome by the hoards of her fans at any moment,” Claire said in her best pseudo-Southern voice.
Meghann laughed. Then sobered. “She has to leave at eight- thirty. ”
“A manicure with Rollo?”
“Probably. Whatever it is, I believe a prayer of thanks is in order. ”
The band shifted into a sweet, soulful version of “As Time Goes By. ”
Claire stared at her sister, trying to come up with words to match her emotions. “This wedding,” she started but her voice cracked. She swallowed hard.
“I did something wrong, didn’t I?”
Claire ached then for the whole of their relationship, for the years that had been lost and those that had never been.
“You spent a fortune,” Claire said.
“No. ” Meghann shook her head. “Almost everything was on sale. They’re my Christmas lights. The tent—”
Claire touched her sister’s lips, shut her up. “I’m trying to say thank you. ”
“Oh. ”
“I wish . . . ” She didn’t even know how to word it, this sudden longing of hers. It seemed too big to stand on something as thin as words.
“I know,” Meghann said softly. “Maybe things can be different now. This time together . . . it’s made me remember how things used to be between us. ”
“You were my best friend,” Claire said, wiping her eyes carefully, so she didn’t smear her makeup. “I missed that when you . . . ” Left. She couldn’t say the harsh word, not now.
“I missed you, too. ”
“Mommy! Mommy! Come dance with us. ”
Claire twisted around and saw her dad and Alison, standing a few feet away.
“I believe it’s customary for the bride to dance with her father,” he said, smiling, holding out his calloused hand.
“And her daughter! Grandpa’ll carry me. ” Alison was hopping up and down with excitement.
Claire gave her champagne glass to Meghann, who mouthed: Go. She let herself be pulled onto the dance floor. As they made it to the center of the crowd, Dad whispered in her ear, “Someday Ali will get married and you’ll know how this feels. It’s every emotion at once. ”
“Pick me up, Grandpa!”