Chapter 15
W ith another three tiny homes leaving the factory on Friday afternoon, the weekend came around far too quickly. For the last two days, Joseph had hardly seen Shona. She’d spent most of her free time helping Paris and Richard with any last-minute wedding details.
Between taking Adele to school and making sure she didn’t miss the writing club at The Welcome Center, he hadn’t had much time to think about what they’d wear to the wedding. It turned out his daughter had been thinking about it a lot more than he had.
“I can’t wear that dress, Dad. It’s too short.”
He frowned at the red polka-dot dress. “It’s your favorite.”
“It used to be, but it isn’t anymore. You bought it for me last year for Granddad’s birthday. I’m a lot taller now.”
“Which one do you like now?”
Adele puffed out her cheeks as she looked through her closet. “I like my red one, but that doesn’t fit either. I don’t have anything I can wear.”
He scanned the rail. Most of the time, Adele wore jeans and T-shirts. It wasn’t often she needed a dress. In desperation, he pulled out a black pair of leggings and held them under the dress.
“What if you wear these? It doesn’t matter how short the dress is, then.”
Adele shook her head. “It looks weird.”
Joseph checked his watch. With less than two hours before the wedding, he needed to find something for her to wear. “We need to go into town. There’ll be a store that sells something you can wear.”
“Can Shona come with us? She knows what looks good.”
“I’ll call her, but she might be helping Paris.”
Adele waited patiently beside him while he called Shona. He breathed a sigh of relief when she said she’d meet them in town. “Okay, pumpkin. Get your shoes and socks on. Shona’s meeting us at Junior Things in ten minutes.”
“Yeah!” Adele grabbed a pair of socks off the floor and ran into the hallway.
It was just as well Shona was working in her store. If they’d had to wait until she’d driven into town, they really would’ve been pushing their luck.
“Come on, Dad,” Adele yelled from the entryway. “We’re gonna be late.”
With Adele desperate for a new dress, there wasn’t much hope of that. “I’m coming.”
With one last look in her closet, he realized she’d need more than one dress. He had a lot of skills, but shopping for clothes wasn’t one of them. Hopefully, Shona was happy to come to their rescue.
Shona held a pink dress against Adele and tilted her head to the side. “What do you think of this one?”
Adele’s eyes narrowed as she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror. “It’s nice. I like the little flowers on the skirt.”
“It’s the right length and the color looks lovely against your skin. Let’s try it on.” She walked across to Joseph and collected the other dresses they’d found. “Thanks for looking after the clothes for us.”
“That’s okay. I’m grateful you’re here.”
Shona grinned. After five minutes of hunting through the store, she’d realized shopping for clothes wasn’t something Joseph enjoyed. He was distracted by the people milling around the shelves and hated waiting while someone else looked through the clothes. When a fire engine roared past the building, he disappeared onto the sidewalk to see where it was going. In the end, he was happy to follow them around the store, holding the clothes they thought had potential.
And they’d found some great options.
Pulling back a changing room curtain, Shona hung the dresses on the hooks. “Your dad and I will be waiting right outside, Adele. Let me know when you’re ready to show us what they look like.”
“Okay.” With an excited smile, Adele pulled the curtain closed.
Joseph walked toward her holding another dress. “I found this on a rack of clothes waiting to go back into the store. What do you think?”
The pale blue dress was super cute. With short, puffy sleeves, a round neckline, and a sash that tied into a bow, it would look lovely on Adele. She checked the price and gulped. “It’s gorgeous, but Adele might only wear it a few times before she outgrows it.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Shona leaned closer to Joseph. “Have you seen the price?” she whispered. “It’s three times what the other dresses cost.”
He looked at the tag and frowned. “It’s not too bad.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled and kissed her gently on the lips. “Positive.”
“Are you trying to distract me with butterfly kisses?”
“I could be.”
Shona sighed. “You’re a wicked man, Joseph Adams.”
“Only for you.” The seductive note in his voice sent goose bumps tingling along her skin.
She placed her hands on his chest. The steady beat of his heart made her yearn for something that had been missing from her life since Chris died. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Kiss me senseless, then pledge your unwavering love and affection for me.”
“That sounds wonderful, but I’m not sure the staff or customers would agree.” She ran a fingertip along his jaw. “But we could continue our discussion later?”
His eyes turned a deep, slate gray. “How much later are you?—”
“I’m ready,” Adele said in an excited voice. “Come and look.”
Joseph sighed and touched his forehead against Shona’s. “One day, I’m taking you on vacation. Just the two of us, alone, with no distractions.”
Shona smiled. “It sounds like bliss. But, until then, your daughter’s waiting for us.”
From the moment they arrived at the church, Joseph had felt the weight of the excitement in the room. Paris and Richard's family and friends had gathered to celebrate one of the most important days of their lives.
Even to his jaded heart, the church looked beautiful. With baskets of flowers everywhere, masses of white fabric falling from the ceiling, and a rose-covered arch where the happy couple would exchange their wedding vows, it was perfect.
Shona touched his arm. After they’d left town, she’d gone home and changed into a peach-colored dress. With its soft folds draped around her body, she looked amazing. “There’s a basket of rose petals under each seat on the aisle. When Richard and Paris walk down the aisle after they’re married, Adele can throw the rose petals at them.”
He looked under Adele’s seat. Sure enough, a small basket of flowers was hidden beneath the seat. “I’ll tell her later.”
“Good idea.”
Shona settled back in her seat and Joseph held her hand. With her beside him, the wedding wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Richard stood nervously at the front of the room with his son, Jack. Their dog, Louie, had delighted their guests when he’d arrived wearing a doggy tuxedo. As if sensing the enormity of what was about to happen, the three-legged dog with a shaggy brown coat and pointy ears followed Richard’s every move.
Adele had wanted to pat Louie, but Joseph had convinced her to wait until after the ceremony.
“When will Paris be here?” Adele whispered.
“Soon.”
She stood on tippy-toes. “I can't see anything. Is Louie still sitting beside Jack’s dad?”
Joseph nodded. “He's still there.”
They’d had a wonderful time in town. Adele had found four dresses and bought a new pair of shoes. He smiled at his daughter in the pale blue dress she’d chosen for the wedding.
It was the one he’d found, and the one she liked the most.
Shona squeezed his fingers. “Paris must have arrived. There’s a flurry of movement at the back of the church.”
Joseph looked over his shoulder. A flash of color shot past the doors leading into the church. That was probably one of the bridesmaids. Hopefully, Paris had arrived without any major mishaps.
The music changed, and Adele looked down the aisle. “Here they come,” she whispered. “They look so pretty.”
He glanced at Richard. He was anxiously looking at the back of the church. Joseph didn’t need to turn around to know when Paris began to walk down the aisle. Richard’s face relaxed into a besotted smile. With eyes brimming with tears, he watched his wife-to-be move toward him.
Adele sighed and Joseph turned around.
Andrea and Jackie walked past them carrying large bouquets of pale pink roses. A few seconds later, Paris followed them toward the front of the church. With her jet-black hair swept into a fancy knot on the top of her head and her sparkling blue eyes focused on Richard, she was stunning.
“Look at Paris’ veil,” Adele said wistfully. “It’s so pretty.”
All Joseph could do was nod.
Shona sent him a reassuring smile, as if she knew he was thinking about his wedding. He’d married Hillary believing it was the beginning of something special. Instead, he’d stepped headfirst into a relationship that wasn’t good for either of them.
He wrapped his arm around Shona’s waist. “How are you feeling?” he whispered.
“All right. I haven’t been to a wedding since Chris died. Seeing Paris has brought back a lot of memories.”
He kissed the side of her head and held her close. From what she’d said, her marriage to Chris was the complete opposite of his. They’d enjoyed a strong, loving relationship that made his marriage look like a train wreck waiting to happen.
The music faded, and Pastor John stepped forward. The service was heartfelt and sweet. It focused on unconditional love, on accepting the person you love for who they truly are, and being there for them no matter what.
Joseph wished he’d taken those sentiments on board when he’d married Hillary. He regretted many things, but the most important was his marriage. He’d made mistakes, but he was too headstrong and focused on things that weren't important to fix what he’d broken.
With everything inside of him, he vowed in front of God, that he wouldn’t do the same thing again.