Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.
They
danced for another three songs before going to get something to drink. Several
of the female guests stopped her to admire her ring. Barbara hadn’t had much of
a chance to study it herself. She would guess the diamond was at least three
carats. A little large and flashy, but she was confident she could carry it
off.
Stephanie met them by the bar.
“That
was amazing,” she said with a happy sigh. “I’m so thrilled for you both.”
“You did a very nice job,” Barbara told her,
doing her best to keep the surprise out of her voice. “The moment was perfect.”
Stephanie
hugged her. “Next, the wedding. Let me know if you want my help planning that,
Mom. It’s one of my skill sets.”
A
wedding? Barbara hadn’t thought that far ahead. Obviously she and Giorgio would
have some kind of ceremony. At their age, it made sense to make it small—family
and a few close friends.
She immediately recalled her first wedding.
She and James had been young and there hadn’t been any money to waste on
something as frivolous as a wedding. They’d been married in a small church and
the reception had been in the old farmhouse where they’d lived. It hadn’t been
the wedding of anyone’s dreams.
She
looked at the ring glinting on her left hand, then at the crowd enjoying themselves.
She was the matriarch of Bel Après, and the owner of a successful business.
Money was no object.
“Giorgio,
what do you want for a wedding?”
He
drew her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “I want whatever makes you
happy, my love.”
He
was such a good man.
Barbara considered her options. Having the
wedding at Bel Après made the most sense. There were spaces for large events.
Even though the winery wasn’t gauche enough to pimp itself out as a destination
anything, they did host parties for major customers or special occasions.
Still, a wedding required planning.
Barbara
looked at her oldest daughter. Stephanie managed the retail store and tasting
room. She could, in a pinch, manage the wine club, as well, and she planned
whatever parties were held on the property, including a handful of weddings.
While Stephanie didn’t have anything that could be considered talent, she was
organized, and honestly, how hard could it be to plan a wedding?
“All
right,” Barbara said. “Stephanie, you can plan my wedding. I want a real one,”
she added. “Traditional. Nothing ridiculously modern. I’ll accept fun and
elegant and a little over-the-top, but that’s all.”
Stephanie grinned. “We can make that happen.
We can even talk about a lot over-the-top.”
Barbara
held in a sigh. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now I want to dance with my
fiancé.”
She turned to Giorgio and held out her hand. He pulled her close, then led her to the dance floor. So much happiness, she thought, leaning against him. The night was perfect, and the rest of her life was going to be just as wonderful.
Sounds very good thank you
ReplyDeletePenney
I'm sure I'll be reading this
ReplyDeleteThis sounds lovely. Thanks for introducing me to this story.
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone is taking care and staying well.
I love reading her books.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good exploration of what is lost when a marriage dissolves. You may be married to person, but you are bound to much more by marriage.
ReplyDeleteOn my list.
ReplyDeleteThank you for featuring this! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
ReplyDelete