Free The Wedding She Always Wanted by Stacy Connelly

before Emily had watched as those packages arrived, one after the other, and she’d tried to guess what might be inside, like a kid in the days leading up to Christmas.
    She didn’t remember when she stopped believing in Santa, but she’d been just as foolish to believe in happily ever after.
    “Don’t forget to…” Charlene Wilson strode into the foyer, only to stop short when she saw her daughter. “Oh, Emily. I didn’t realize you were back already.”
    Emily thought a look of uneasiness crossed her mother’s features, but it was hard to tell. Wearing tan slacks and a copper-colored silk blouse that complemented her brown hair and eyes, Charlene Wilson was as composed as always. Emotional outbursts were unacceptable in her world.
    Yell and scream and let it all out until you feel better .
    Emily wondered what her mother would do if she took Javy’s advice—if she yelled, screamed or even so much as raised her voice. She couldn’t imagine Charlene’s response. But when Emily realized she couldn’t picture herself actually doing any of those things, a feeling of discontent swept through her.
    What was so wrong with real, honest emotion? Why did she feel as if she’d spent her whole life covering up…when she didn’t even know what she had to hide?
    “I was planning to return the wedding gifts myself,” shetold her mother stiffly as the driver came back inside and piled his arms high once more.
    Waffle maker , she guessed as he picked up the first rectangle. Good thing it was going back. She loved waffles, and in the mood she was in, she’d likely eat forty-seven. Each and every one topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
    “There’s no need for you to worry about it,” her mother was saying.
    She would have hated doing it, Emily admitted. Every word she wrote to the people kind enough to send gifts would have made her feel more of a fool and a failure. And yet…“I said I would.”
    “And now you don’t have to, Emily. It’s been taken care of.”
    Just like her parents had taken care of everything. Everything she didn’t want to deal with and, in the case of Connor McClane, everything they hadn’t wanted to deal with. They’d done such a good job taking care of her, she’d missed out on the growing pains, where she was supposed to learn to take care of herself.
    It was on the tip of her tongue to ask her mother about the money they’d paid Connor to leave town. About the money they’d wasted, since she never would have had the guts to run away with Connor, anyway.
    But then Javy’s face flashed in her mind, his obvious love for his family’s restaurant shining in his dark eyes, and she reminded herself that things happened for a reason.
    Taking a deep breath, Emily said, “Thank you, Mother.”
    “You’re welcome,” Charlene said as she led the way toward the living room.
    Emily always thought her mother had exceptional taste. It showed throughout the house, the living room being no exception. The rich green and beige tones of the couches were a perfect match for the gold-hued coffee and end tables. Thefloor-to-ceiling slate fireplace was the focal point of the room, although Emily couldn’t recall it ever being used, and a family portrait hung above the mantle.
    The photographer had captured Emily’s perfect smile with the flash of his camera, but for the first time, Emily noticed how the smile never reached her eyes. For all the years of practice, she hadn’t gotten that part right.
    “Did Aileen get in touch with you?” her mother asked.
    “She did.”
    “Good. I’m going to need your help with the dinner party.”
    Emily turned away from the portrait as her mother took a seat on the couch. “My help?”
    “Yes, it wouldn’t hurt for you to be more involved in your father’s business.”
    Thinking that deciding on appetizers and selecting entrées would hardly help her father, Emily nonetheless said, “All right. I’ll help.”
    “Good.” Charlene nodded in