EIGHT:

After Alice's visit life went back to normal for a few days- and when I say normal I mean we just did the same old things. Not that I was complaining totally. There was something nice in just spending time with my daughter and husband. Then something had to come along and change all of it, didn't it?

Cary came in for dinner, carrying the mail. He looked at a creamy colored envelope formally addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Cary Logan." He flipped it over to me on the table. "Looks kind of posh." He commented.

I wiped my dirty hands on my apron before opening it. As I read it my jaw dropped open with surprise. Cary was watching the expression on my face. "It's not one of those poison pen letters is it?" He asked with a grin.

I shook my head. "Not exactly no. It's an invitation." I said, and then I read from the invitation "Mr. and Mrs. Jackson would like the pleasure of the company of Cary and Melody at the marriage of their son Adam, to Francine. And then it goes on with the details and such."

Cary sat down in the nearest chair and reached for a cookie from the basket in the middle of the table, but I slapped his hand away. "Dinners nearly ready. You'll spoil your appetite." I told him and he laughed but moved his hand away.

I turned back to the stove, glad to be with my back to Cary where he couldn't see my face. Cary was always sensitive and I worried that my puzzlement might either alert him to something being wrong, or worry him. I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Adam in town only a few weeks back, the one I'd tried to put out of my mind. He'd basically admitted he didn't love Francine- or at least not the way he loved me- yet he was still marrying her. I felt sorry for her, she had no idea what a snake her husband to be was.

"Why do you think we were invited?" Cary asked. "Do you think it was your father's idea?"

That surprised me as Cary hardly ever mentioned my father, as though he thought talking about him would make him part of our lives or something? "I don't know." I said with a shrug.

"Or maybe they wanted to show off? Show us how big a real wedding could be?" Cary asked, a bitter note in his voice.

"Does it matter why they invited us?" I asked casually. For my own part I had my suspicions that it had been Adam, not Teddy, who decided that we should be invited. The conversation with him hadn't changed my opinion about him, but it had shown me that he was still carrying a torch for me. Maybe he thought if I was there, at the wedding, I might change my mind about his proposition. The idea made me sick- even if he WASN'T my half brother there was no way I'd be with Adam Jackson.

"I guess not since we won't go." Cary replied, with a shrug.

I turned to face him now. "We won't?" I asked.

"What? You want to go?" Cary asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Cary the wedding is a few weeks away right? I was thinking if we hold your boat launch just before the wedding that it could be a good place for you to get some business." I said.

Cary frowned deeper. "I don't know Melody. I'd feel weird asking rich people like there would be at the wedding if they wanted to let me build a boat for them.."

I laughed. "Cary, if the launch goes to plan you won't be asking them anything- they'll be asking YOU!" I explained.

A smile slowly lit up Cary's face. "Now that's a thought isn't it?"

"It is." I agreed, and I turned back to the stove to dish up our dinner.

*****

The next day I left Lara with Cary, telling him I had to go into town to think about a few things for getting the boat launch going. I told him I wouldn't be long though, and kissed him on the cheek. I had no intention of doing what I'd told him though. Instead I drove to the offices where my real father practiced. They didn't hold the greatest of memories for me, having been where I'd argued with him before, but I wanted to know whose idea it was to invite me to the wedding, and what the motivation behind it was.

"I'd like to speak to Mr. Jackson please." I told his secretary.

She looked up at me, over her glasses and pursed her lips. "Mr. Jackson is a very busy man." She told me. "Usually an appointment is required to speak to him otherwise we'd have no order in this place."

I frowned. "Could you please tell him Melody is here?" I asked. "I think he might chose to speak to me."

She gave me a look indicating that she thought otherwise and then went through into my father's office. A moment later she came out and avoiding my eyes said "Mr. Jackson would like you to step right through please."

I almost said "I told you so" but decided that was a little childish for me, and instead I just smiled at her briefly as I went through. My father was seated behind his desk, but as soon as I walked in he jumped up, almost like a jack in the box with springs on him. "Melody, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked eagerly. I realised he was delighted I'd come in to visit him- almost as if he thought that it meant I'd forgiven him or something.

Without being asked I took a seat and waited for him to sit back down too before responding. "I got an invitation in the mail yesterday." I said.

"Ah yes, Adam's wedding." He nodded happily. "A fine match. Francine's family have as much money as we do, and she's a very well bred lady."

"Indeed." I said wondering whether he had any idea at all of his son's discontent with the whole relationship?

"Yes, yes. They'll be very happy together." He continued.

I decided to come to the point. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Jackson, I was surprised to receive an invitation." I admitted. "I mean we're not exactly in your close circle of friends are we now?"

Was it my imagination or did the great Teddy Jackson look distinctly uncomfortable at this comment? He shifted slightly in his chair before replying. "Well Melody, you might not realise it but with your inheritance you and Cary are two of the more important members of Provincetown society now."

"Oh great," I said sarcastically. "So now we can lie and cheat and get away with everything? I'd rather not be part of society thank you."

"Are you going to come to the wedding?" Mr. Jackson asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Surely you realise I am not keen on that idea." I said, thinking that he must have realised it by my comments.

"Melody, I am begging you to come." Mr. Jackson pleaded.

I didn't know what to say. The sight of someone pleading with me to do something made me feel ill generally, but especially this someone: my real father who was one of the weakest men I'd ever met. "What makes you think I should do you any favors?" I snapped.

"Melody, I overheard the conversation you and Adam were having the other week- well the end of it anyway, and put two and two together. I knew Adam liked you a lot, but I thought once he knew you were related that would be it. Unfortunately some of us can't control our urges.." He sighed as he said that.

"Clearly." I said meaningfully, and he had the good grace to at least blush.

"The point is Melody, if Adam sees you and Cary, with Lara at the wedding than maybe he will realise that there is no future for you two together. Maybe then he can appreciate what he has in Francine?" Mr. Jackson said.

I thought for a moment. It certainly made sense, and it wasn't as if I were so much doing a favor for Mr. Jackson, or even Adam, as I were for Francine. "I'll have to think about it Mr. Jackson." I said, letting him sweat a bit, not admitting that Cary and I'd already decided to go so we could see what would happen after the boat launch.

"Thank you Melody." Mr. Jackson said. "You really are a great person."

That was going a little bit too far in my opinion, and I shrugged the comment off and went home. I didn't tell Cary where I'd been, he would have been hurt at me lying to him in the first place and I decided he didn't really need to know the details of the conversation. Instead we sat down at the kitchen table and got stuck into plans for the launch.