Read Online In a Moon Smile by Sherri Coner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherri Coner
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Cooper are practically comatose. They yawn their way through a predictable life. Both of them keep their noses in the air, acting like they are above everyone else. But Chesney bit her tongue.
I can’t rally enough confidence to strike back. I always feel less worthy than Charlotte. And she knows it.
“So when are you moving in?” Madelyn’s voice squeaked from the other side of the table. She clawed gently at the little flap of barely wrinkled skin under her chin. Her eyes tried to hide the horror of how it would feel to again cancel wedding guests.
Things got sticky for Madelyn during the first cancelled wedding. Now that she faced the second cancellation of ice sculptures, harpists and photographers, she realized that her foolish daughter’s muddy marital tracks would be impossible to cover. Before Chesney was engaged the first time, Madelyn perfected a way to spin her daughter’s bachelorette status to friends. At Euchre club, Madelyn dove away from conversations about Chesney’s single status. Then she babbled fast about how her oldest daughter left Illinois for Manhattan. Wasn’t that amazing? How could a famous author possibly have time to fall in love? The story worked wonders until Ernie slid the first rock on Chesney’s hand then left with his boyfriend.
Now here they were again, on the edge of being the top gossip all over town. Madelyn still hadn’t recovered from the shame of Chesney’s first marital disaster. To tell the truth, she had never been crazy about that swishy Ernie. She believed her reputation was saved when Chesney somehow attracted the attention of such a driven, handsome tycoon with big investments. She had no clue how to break the bad news of the second cancelled wedding. Mitzy Walters and Joanna Hurley would beat her to death with questions she honestly could not answer about her own child. They would shame her, slowly shake their heads and chuckle. Behind her back, those nosy bitches would likely laugh at her. What was she supposed to say? She obviously had no clue what in the hell was wrong with Chesney. If she did, by damn, she would certainly get busy trying to fix it.
Chesney saw that her mother was already stewing about the many ways she would be socially persecuted simply because she gave birth to such a disappointing wedding failure. Madelyn’s stress would be worse because Chesney wasn’t only skipping out on a second trip down the aisle. She was also relocating, from gorgeous Chicago and exciting New York City, to boring Bean Blossom, Indiana, population 452.
As she balanced three kernels of corn on her fork, Chesney knew that her mother was mulling it over; how to put a positive spin on the story, how to possibly explain her oldest offspring’s quirkiness. Madelyn’s face revealed that she had no idea how to avoid humiliation when friends learned the truth about Chesney, the family misfit.
“I’m hoping to move next month,” Chesney said with an excited grin. “When I get everything in order, I will invite you to spend a weekend.”
“Piper will be driving her own vehicle by the time you get that place renovated,” Charlotte said with a dry giggle. Cardboard Cooper patted Charlotte’s shoulder to publicly celebrate her wit. Madelyn dropped her gaze to scoop crumbs from the tablecloth to her palm. Lyle cleared his throat and fiddled with the watch band on his wrist. And Chesney thought about pouncing on top of the table, kicking over the gravy boat, smashing the butter all over Charlotte’s hair. She wanted to scream at them to see her for who she was, to cut her some slack, to understand that she had some pretty darn serious issues. Relationships being at the top of the list, especially relationships with all the people seated at this table.
Instead of playing in to her sister’s cattiness, Chesney helped herself to the bowl of slaw. She avoided eye contact with all of them and was thankful when Piper began to fuss. Everyone else swooped around the
I can’t rally enough confidence to strike back. I always feel less worthy than Charlotte. And she knows it.
“So when are you moving in?” Madelyn’s voice squeaked from the other side of the table. She clawed gently at the little flap of barely wrinkled skin under her chin. Her eyes tried to hide the horror of how it would feel to again cancel wedding guests.
Things got sticky for Madelyn during the first cancelled wedding. Now that she faced the second cancellation of ice sculptures, harpists and photographers, she realized that her foolish daughter’s muddy marital tracks would be impossible to cover. Before Chesney was engaged the first time, Madelyn perfected a way to spin her daughter’s bachelorette status to friends. At Euchre club, Madelyn dove away from conversations about Chesney’s single status. Then she babbled fast about how her oldest daughter left Illinois for Manhattan. Wasn’t that amazing? How could a famous author possibly have time to fall in love? The story worked wonders until Ernie slid the first rock on Chesney’s hand then left with his boyfriend.
Now here they were again, on the edge of being the top gossip all over town. Madelyn still hadn’t recovered from the shame of Chesney’s first marital disaster. To tell the truth, she had never been crazy about that swishy Ernie. She believed her reputation was saved when Chesney somehow attracted the attention of such a driven, handsome tycoon with big investments. She had no clue how to break the bad news of the second cancelled wedding. Mitzy Walters and Joanna Hurley would beat her to death with questions she honestly could not answer about her own child. They would shame her, slowly shake their heads and chuckle. Behind her back, those nosy bitches would likely laugh at her. What was she supposed to say? She obviously had no clue what in the hell was wrong with Chesney. If she did, by damn, she would certainly get busy trying to fix it.
Chesney saw that her mother was already stewing about the many ways she would be socially persecuted simply because she gave birth to such a disappointing wedding failure. Madelyn’s stress would be worse because Chesney wasn’t only skipping out on a second trip down the aisle. She was also relocating, from gorgeous Chicago and exciting New York City, to boring Bean Blossom, Indiana, population 452.
As she balanced three kernels of corn on her fork, Chesney knew that her mother was mulling it over; how to put a positive spin on the story, how to possibly explain her oldest offspring’s quirkiness. Madelyn’s face revealed that she had no idea how to avoid humiliation when friends learned the truth about Chesney, the family misfit.
“I’m hoping to move next month,” Chesney said with an excited grin. “When I get everything in order, I will invite you to spend a weekend.”
“Piper will be driving her own vehicle by the time you get that place renovated,” Charlotte said with a dry giggle. Cardboard Cooper patted Charlotte’s shoulder to publicly celebrate her wit. Madelyn dropped her gaze to scoop crumbs from the tablecloth to her palm. Lyle cleared his throat and fiddled with the watch band on his wrist. And Chesney thought about pouncing on top of the table, kicking over the gravy boat, smashing the butter all over Charlotte’s hair. She wanted to scream at them to see her for who she was, to cut her some slack, to understand that she had some pretty darn serious issues. Relationships being at the top of the list, especially relationships with all the people seated at this table.
Instead of playing in to her sister’s cattiness, Chesney helped herself to the bowl of slaw. She avoided eye contact with all of them and was thankful when Piper began to fuss. Everyone else swooped around the
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