Chapter 7
Quinn and Mallory stayed at their reception until all the guests had departed, except for her father and stepmother, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy.
“I’m sure you kids want to get on with the wedding night,” Big Mac said, grimacing.
Mallory laughed. “What I’d love more than anything is a glass of sparkling cider with my parents on the porch before we say good night.”
Big Mac smiled at his daughter. “We can certainly make that happen. We’ll get the cider and meet you out there.”
After he and Linda had walked away to speak to the bartender, Mallory looked up at her handsome husband. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t.”
“I wanted a minute with them to thank them again for this amazing day. I wouldn’t have thought I wanted the big production, but this was…”
“It was magical.”
She put her arms around his waist, inside his suit coat, and rested her head on his chest. “Yes, it was.”
“My bride was the most beautiful bride in the history of beautiful brides.”
She laughed again. She did that a lot with him. “And you’re not the slightest bit biased, right?”
“Not at all. It’s just true.”
“Thank you for this beautiful second chance. After Ryan died, I honestly believed that part of my life was over until I met you and found a whole new love.” Her first husband had died suddenly at twenty-seven, a lifetime ago.
“You don’t have to thank me, sweetheart. I was a wreck of a man until I met you the day we came upon that accident and found out we had so much in common.”
“That feels like a million years ago when you consider what’s happened since then.”
As they talked, they swayed to the instrumental music the cleanup crew had playing.
“Best year of my life, hands down,” he said.
“Me, too.”
“Did you check on Jared and Lizzie?” Mallory asked.
“I texted with him. They took the baby home with them tonight, and he’s calling in an investigator to find the mom tomorrow.”
“What an awful situation, especially after what they’ve been through recently.”
“I know. I’m glad Coop is there to support them. My baby brother is all grown up.”
“He’s a sweetheart.”
Big Mac returned with a bottle of cider and four glasses. “Ready for a nightcap?”
“We’re ready,” Mallory said, taking Quinn’s hand to follow Big Mac and Linda to the back porch.
Big Mac popped the cork and filled the four glasses, handing one to each of them. “A toast to my daughter and son-in-law. I hope you’re as happy every day as you were today.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Quinn said as they all touched glasses and took a sip of bubbly.
“A toast to my dad and extra mom,” Mallory said. “Thank you so much for this beautiful day, for convincing me to upgrade my wedding plans and for giving me the family I’ve never had but always wanted. The best thing I ever did was come to find my dad on Gansett Island.”
Her father blinked back tears as he touched his glass to hers. “After I recovered from the shock of finding out I had a daughter I never knew about, that became one of the seven best days of my life—one for my wedding day and one for each of my six kids.”
She loved being one of his six kids, even if she hadn’t met him until she was in her late thirties. They’d done their best ever since to make up for the time they’d lost.
“A toast to my spare daughter,” Linda said, “and new son-in-law. If you’d asked me before we met you, Mallory, if our family was complete, I would’ve said yes, it was. But you’ve completed us so beautifully, and we love you very much.”
“Thank you,” Mallory said over a huge lump in her throat. “You’re the key to it all, Linda. If you hadn’t supported both of us the way you did, things could’ve turned out very differently.”
“My Lin is the best of the best,” Big Mac said. “And with that, we’re going to let you newlyweds have some time to yourselves.” He put down his glass and held out his arms to her.
Mallory went to him as if she’d been doing it all her life.
Tears filled her eyes as her dad wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“Love you so much,” she whispered. In her wildest dreams about her missing father, she never could’ve imagined the reality of Big Mac McCarthy, the kindest, sweetest, funniest, most loving dad there ever was.
“Love you more,” he said.
She hugged Linda while Quinn hugged Big Mac, and then they delivered their bottle and glasses to one of the trays waiting for cleanup and walked to the foyer.
“I meant to ask if you’ve heard any more from Mac and Maddie,” Mallory said.
“I talked to him an hour ago, and mother and babies are doing well,” Big Mac said. “They’re going to keep the babies for a few days to monitor their breathing. Hopefully, they’ll be home within a week or two.”
“I can’t wait to see them when we get back from our trip,” Mallory said. “What a day for the McCarthy family.”
“Indeed,” Big Mac said. “It’s not every day that we acquire three new members.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Linda said. “My blood pressure couldn’t handle it.”
They shared a laugh before Big Mac put his arm around Linda. “Take me home to bed, my love.”
Mallory realized he was more than a little tipsy, but happier than she’d ever seen him—and that was saying something. He was the happiest person she’d ever met.
“I’m making breakfast in the morning for everyone,” Linda said over her shoulder. “Come by before you leave if you’d like.”
“We will,” Mallory said.
They waved them off as Linda drove Big Mac’s truck down the driveway.
“Ready to check out the honeymoon suite?” Quinn asked, extending a hand to Mallory.
“So ready.”
He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and escorted her up the stairs to the third-floor suite that Lizzie kept off-limits to brides and grooms until after the wedding. As a result, they had no idea what to expect when they stepped into the candlelit room.
“Oh, wow,” Mallory said, taking in the beautiful room with the king-size bed. White curtains fluttered in the ocean breeze, and a table had been set with a late-night snack of cheese, crackers, grapes, chocolate-covered strawberries and more sparkling cider.
Mallory had never had more cider in a single day than she’d had that day. Years after giving up alcohol, she didn’t miss it at all—or the way it made her feel sick the next day.
“This is great,” Quinn said of the room.
As he stepped toward the table for a closer look at the snacks, she noticed a slight limp from being on his feet most of the day. Most of the time, it was easy to forget he was an amputee, until he did too much and paid the price.
“Is your leg hurting?”
“A little. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“What do you say we get out of these clothes and make ourselves comfortable?”
“I say that sounds like a very good idea.”
“I thought you might approve.” She turned her back to him. “Can you unzip me?”
“I’d be happy to, although I’m sad that I’ll never again see you in this amazing dress.”
“It’s my favorite dress ever,” she said of the off-the-shoulder silk dress that had made her feel young and sexy.
From behind her, he kissed her shoulder and neck. “At least we’ll have pictures.”
“Yes, we will.”
He unzipped her slowly and nudged the dress off her shoulders, letting it fall into a cloud of silk at her feet. Extending his hand, he held hers while she stepped free of the dress, his eyes going wide at the sight of the getup Tiffany Taylor had talked her into for under the dress.
“What the…”
“You like?” she asked of the bustier, garter belt and stockings that had made her giggle earlier when she put them on, anticipating this very moment.
“Holy hell. Can I take a picture of this?”
“No!”
“Please? I promise no one will ever see it but me.”
“Famous last words.”
“I mean it. I want to remember the way you look right now for the rest of my life.”
How could she say no to that? “All right. As long as you promise it’s only for you.”
“I wouldn’t share you with anyone.”
Mallory felt ridiculous as she struck a pose for her new husband, who took a quick photo and then tossed his phone aside. He’d just reached for her when the phone rang. Groaning, he said, “I need to check that in case it’s Jared. I told him to call me if they needed anything with the baby.”
“No problem.”
He glanced at the phone. “It’s my parents. I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time.”
“Hey,” he said. “Yes, it was a great day. Glad you were able to watch the ceremony. How’s Italy?” After a long pause, he said, “Don’t feel bad. You were here in spirit.” To Mallory, he said, “They say happy birthday to both of us.”
“Tell them thanks from me.”
“She says thanks. We’ll do that. Call me when you get home, and we’ll make some plans. Love you, too.” He ended the call and put the phone on a table. “They said they are so sorry they missed the big day and want to come visit when they get back from Italy.”
“That would be fun.”
“Enough of everyone who isn’t my gorgeous wife.” He put his arms around her and stared down at her for the longest time.
“What?”
“Just looking at what’s mine. I feel so lucky to have you and us and this.”
“I feel just as lucky. I thought I was done being in love and getting married and all that, and then there you were to show me otherwise.”
“In case you’re wondering, this was the absolute best day of my entire life. And I know this day is tied with another for you.”
“No, it’s not,” Mallory said, choosing her words carefully.
“This was the best day of my life, too, because it’s proof that life goes on, even when you think it won’t.
I don’t mean to take anything away from my wedding day with Ryan, because that was right up there as one of the best days.
But this one means even more to me after everything I went through to get here. What we both went through.”
“Well said, love. I know Ryan will always be part of you and part of us.”
“Thank you for honoring him that way.”
“Thank you for marrying me,” he said, smiling.
“Best thing I ever did.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “I’ve been thinking about changing my name.”
“Have you?”