Epilogue
Six Months Later
“Dylan, can you help me with this zipper?” Cathleen turned her back to her husband, then smoothed the silk fabric of her dress over her rounded belly.
They were in the Mission room of the B and B, getting dressed after some impromptu lovemaking.
Though she was six months pregnant, Dylan seemed to find her sexier than ever.
“Hey, any chance to touch you, babe.” Dylan caressed her back as he slowly eased the zipper upward. He paused at one point. “Hm. A little tight here.”
“Dang. It fit perfectly when I bought it two weeks ago. Can’t believe I’m expanding so quickly.”
“And getting more beautiful with each inch.” Dylan worked past the tight spot, closed the eye hook at the collar, then planted a warm kiss on her neck.
She swiveled to face him. “I hope you still think that three months from now.”
“Do you doubt it?” Dylan placed his hands gently on the baby bump. “Hey, kids. Go easy on your momma. No kicking during the wedding ceremony, you hear?”
Cathleen smiled. “Just think, this time next year we’re going to have two babies to look after. I still can’t believe we’re having twins.”
“You always were one for dramatic gestures,” Dylan said. “But if anyone can handle two babies, it’s you. And now that Jake’s my partner, I’ll be a hands-on daddy. You’ll have plenty of help.”
“Yes, we’re lucky. Two grandmas, two aunts and an older cousin, all ready to dote on little Annie and Ty.” Cathleen turned to the mirror and, despite the tight dress, was happy with what she saw. Life was so good right now. And it was about to get even better.
“Here’s your flowers.” Dylan handed her the small bouquet of white roses and freesia. “Now you better go help the bride.”
“I sure will. I still can’t believe she asked me to be the matron of honor.”
“Lucky for me she did.” Dylan kissed the top of her head. “Now I get a second chance to watch the prettiest girl in Montana walk down the aisle.”
*
In the Teddy Bear room Holly fastened the clasp on her new silver necklace with a heart-shaped locket. It had been a gift from her mom for her thirteenth birthday last month. Inside the locket was a picture of Holly with her dad, taken on Big Mountain a year before her father died.
The picture captured all the things Holly loved most about her dad. The way his eyes sparkled when he was having fun. His adventurous spirit. The smile he gave her whenever he called her his sweet baby girl.
“Miss you, Dad.” Holly kissed the locket, then turned to the bride and groom teddy bears on the shelves. “Wish me luck, you guys.”
She was excited about being in the wedding party even though she was a bit too old to be a flower girl. Her friends Mads and Adam had been invited. The three of them were going to have a blast at the old-fashioned barn dance planned for after the dinner.
There were a lot of exciting things to look forward to these days.
In a few months the big house her mom and Jake were building was going to be finished.
Then they’d get to move out to live on the Thunder Bar M.
Aunt Cathleen was going to have twins—a boy and a girl!
—and even better, Dylan had promised the first spring colt was going to be hers.
Holly suspected her mother hoped all these exciting things would keep her from getting involved in any new mysteries. But Holly took a lot of pride in the fact that Beth and Max were both in prison now, along with James Strongman.
Also thanks to her, Thunder Valley Developments had been dismantled. Dylan and Jake had bought up some of the land. The rest was being turned into a state-owned nature preserve.
“Not bad for our first case, hey, Stanley?” She straightened the cape of the little detective bear, then picked up the basket of rose petals she was meant to scatter after the ceremony. Then she glanced back at Stanley. “Don’t worry, it won’t be the last.”
*
Kelly was French braiding Mandy’s hair for the wedding, when Mick and Billy came into the Glacier room of the B and B. They’d gotten dressed in their suits and ties twenty minutes earlier, so Mick had taken Billy for a walk to keep him occupied.
“Aren’t you ready yet?” Billy asked. “Why does it take girls so long?”
Mandy stuck out her chin. “We have longer hair, that’s why. Right, Kelly?”
Kelly couldn’t believe how much Mandy had matured in the past six months.
She’d dropped the baby lisp and her vocabulary seemed to expand every day.
Kelly hoped it was a sign that Mandy was moving past the trauma of her early years with Sharon.
“That’s right. But we’re finished now. Are you guys excited about the wedding? ”
“Not really,” Billy said. “We have to be quiet and sit still.”
“That’s just for the first part,” Mick said. “You can run around all you want at the barn dance later.”
“I wish it could be all dancing,” Billy said.
“But the wedding part is pretty,” Mandy said. “Remember how nice it was when Uncle Mick and Kelly got married?”
“That was the best day of my life,” Mick said. He kissed Kelly then whispered, “Today might be the second best. Guess what just dropped into my email?”
“Is it about the adoption?”
He nodded. “It’s all finalized. They’ll be sending the official paperwork next week.”
“Oh, Mick!” Kelly wrapped her arms around her husband.
Earlier that year Billy and Mandy’s mother had agreed to let them legally adopt the children. Sharon was living off the grid in Mexico with a new man. She claimed she’d been too young to have children and called this her second chance at happiness.
Her utter selfishness astounded both Kelly and Mick, but fortunately neither Billy nor Mandy seemed to expect anything different from their mother.
“It’s time to go.” Billy stepped back into the hall. “The music started.”
Kelly recognized the Beatles’s classic, “In My Life,” being played by the classical trio outside on the front lawn where the ceremony was taking place. Thank goodness they were enjoying a beautiful blue sky Montana day. She reached for Mick’s hand as the children rushed ahead of them.
“When should we tell the kids?”
“Let’s wait a few weeks, until the happy couple is back from their honeymoon. Then I think we should have a big family dinner and make an official announcement. What do you think?”
“I love that idea.” She, Mick and the kids, finally a family in every sense of the word. This was one of those moments she would remember all her life, Kelly thought. Thanks to Mick, and the children, she now had many of them.
*
It was strange, Poppy reflected, how years, sometimes decades, could pass by without anything major happening in your life. Then there were times when things changed so fast your life became unrecognizable.
Two years ago she’d been living alone in an apartment in a small city in Maine, with only a few close friends to stave off the loneliness that often plagued her.
Now she was running a bed-and-breakfast in Montana.
She was reconnected to her beautiful granddaughters.
And if that wasn’t enough she was about to get married.
She held her head still as Cathleen adjusted the fascinator she had chosen to complement her classic cream silk suit.
“You look like royalty,” Cathleen said when she was done. She kissed Poppy’s cheek. “I’m so glad you and Harvey came to your senses. You’re perfect together.”
“That man does make me happy. Thank the Lord he chose me over Arizona.”
“That’s a no-brainer. But Dylan and I were talking and we have a proposition for the two of you. I want to run it by you first, to make sure you’re okay with it.”
“Oh?” Poppy felt a flutter of concern. Everything in her life was perfect. She didn’t want anything to change.
“Business is so slow at the B and B during January and February. What would you think about closing up for those two months? That way you and Harvey could escape to Arizona for the coldest part of winter.”
Poppy’s concern turned to elation. She had been feeling so guilty about Harvey suffering with his arthritis for her sake. This would make a wonderful compromise. “Bless you, Cathleen, that would be perfect. But are you sure we can afford to close for that long?”
“We’d actually do better financially according to Dylan. He says we always lose money those months.”
“Oh you are such a love. I can’t wait to tell Harvey. He’s going to be so happy.”
“He already looks pretty happy to me,” Cathleen said, glancing out the window to where the guests and groom were already congregated.
The bedroom door opened and Holly ran in holding her basket of rose petals. “Are you ready, Grandma? The music has started. Mom says it’s time.”
Poppy smiled. “You bet I am. Let’s get this party started.”
*
As the music changed from the Beatles to Beethoven, Maureen twisted in her chair. Sure enough the bridal process had begun. First was her beautiful daughter, scattering rose petals just as Maureen had shown her.
Maureen felt as if her heart would burst with pride and love.
Next came Cathleen, six months pregnant and gorgeous as ever. Trust her baby sister to be having twins. A normal pregnancy wasn’t exciting enough for her.
And finally there was Poppy. The dear sweet woman who had grounded their family and who was now finally getting the love and happiness she deserved.
Maureen blew her a kiss when their gazes connected. Poppy winked back, then held out her hand to her groom. Harvey couldn’t have looked happier as he drew his bride in close.
Maureen’s gaze shifted to the man standing on Harvey’s right. Jake was looking right at her, grinning. She guessed he was thinking the same thing she was. In one month this would be them.
They’d decided to get married at Grizzly Peaks the week before the sale of the property closed. Jake felt it would be a fitting end to his career as a heli-ski operator, whereas Maureen didn’t care where they got married as long as the people she loved were present.
As the marriage officiant began speaking, Maureen’s thoughts turned to her own mother and father.
Their relationship may have been turbulent, but together they had given her life…
and two wonderful sisters. She was so glad Kelly and Cathleen had both found men they could love and honor for the rest of their lives.
A year ago she would never have guessed the same happy future was in store for her.
But thanks to Jake—and a little matchmaking from her sisters—it was.
The End