Chapter 36
Jeff was dozing when his mother, Charlie and grandparents arrived in a flurry of anxious activity that had his eyes opening to see what was going on.
His mom leaned over the bed to kiss his cheek and stroke his hair. “I’m so glad to see you,” she said.
“Same. Sorry to mess up your trip.”
“You didn’t. That bitch Ethel did.”
He laughed and then grimaced. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“Whoops. How’s the pain?”
“Manageable. Hey, Gran,” he said when Adele kissed the other side of his face.
“Hi there, my sweet boy. Sorry you’re hurting.”
“I’m okay.”
They moved to the other bed to see Kelsey, who greeted them warmly.
“Mom, Charlie, Gram, Gramps, meet Kelsey’s parents, Dave and Liz,” Jeff said.
They shook hands and introduced themselves.
“We hear there’s a wedding to be planned,” Sarah said to Kelsey’s mother.
“That’s the word on the street.”
“We should exchange numbers so we can stay in touch,” Sarah said.
As they did that, Jeff said, “Hey, Kels?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Mark this as the moment we lost control of the wedding.”
At the Gansett Island Town Hall on Monday morning, Finn and Chloe looked for the town clerk’s office.
“Over there,” Finn said, pointing.
“May I help you?” the woman working at the desk asked.
“We need a marriage license, please,” Finn said.
“I can help with that, and congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said.
“Is it possible to backdate it by two days?” Finn asked.
“Normally, we couldn’t do that, but considering the storm, let me see what I can do.”
“That’d be great,” Finn said. “Thank you.” While they waited, he grinned at his wife. His wife. He still couldn’t believe they were married.
“Fancy meeting you guys here,” Deacon Taylor said from behind them.
They turned to find him and his fiancée, Julia Lawry.
“Need we ask why you’re here?” Deacon asked, smiling.
“Probably the same reason you are.”
“Congratulations,” Julia said, hugging Chloe and then Finn.
“Same to you guys. When’s the big day?”
“Later today, but we’re not telling anyone,” Deacon said, gazing at Julia. “We’ll have a party later when Jeff and Kelsey are better and can join us. How about you?”
“We did the deed two days ago,” Finn said with a dirty grin for Chloe. “Just making it legal today.”
“That’s awesome. Congratulations.”
“We were so happy to hear you’re safe, Deacon,” Chloe said.
“Thank you. It was a wild few hours, to say the least.”
Julia shuddered. “It was horrible, and I never want to think about that again.”
The clerk returned with some forms for Finn and Chloe, who signed where directed and received a marriage license bearing a date of two days earlier.
“Congratulations, Mrs. McCarthy,” Finn said, kissing her.
“Congratulations, Mr. McCarthy.”
“And now,” he said, “for the honeymoon.”
“Next year, let’s celebrate our first anniversaries together,” Julia said.
“Let’s do it,” Chloe said. “All the best to you guys.”
“Same to you,” Deacon said as he shook Finn’s hand and kissed Chloe’s cheek.
Chloe curled her hand around the arm Finn offered her, and they walked out of town hall legally married.
“We need a real honeymoon,” Finn said as he held the car door for her. “Where would my wife like to go?”
“I’m perfectly content to be right here with my handsome husband.”
“We’ll have our whole lives right here,” he said when he got in the car. “Let’s go somewhere fabulous.”
“Like where?”
“Where have you always wanted to go?”
“I’ve never been anywhere, so you tell me. Where do you want to go?”
“Paris?”
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely. Would you like to go to Paris with me, Mrs. McCarthy?”
“I would love that, Mr. McCarthy.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Julia and Deacon arrived back at the garage apartment behind Blaine and Tiffany’s house with a marriage license in hand.
“What time did you tell Frank, Katie and Shane?” Deacon asked.
“Six o’clock.”
“Whatever shall we do with ourselves until then?” he asked, backing her up to the counter in the kitchen.
“I can’t think of a single thing.”
“Not one thing?” he asked, kissing her neck and making her shiver.
“Nope.”
He put his arm around her and lifted her off her feet. “Then I guess I’ll have to do the thinking for both of us.”
She held on tight to him as he carried her to the bedroom. “I hope you’ll understand if I’m a little clingy for a while.”
“There’s nothing I love more than when you cling to me.”
“This is apt to be the suffocating kind of clingy.”
“I can handle whatever you’re dishing out.
” He came down on top of her, gazing at her sweet face, committing every fine detail to memory.
“All the time I was out there, the only thing I thought about was you.” He brushed a soft kiss over lips swollen from a night full of love. “Don’t tell my mom that, okay?”
Smiling, she said, “Your secret is safe with me.”
Pupwell jumped up on the bed and nosed his way between them.
“Listen, you little cockblocker,” Deacon said. “How many times do I have to tell you that you have to share Mommy with me?”
Pupwell whined.
“Don’t be mean to my baby,” she said, cuddling the dog.
“He needs to share you with me.”
“He knows that, don’t you, sweet boy?”
Pupwell sighed with pleasure that Deacon certainly understood. Being loved by Julia Lawry was the best thing to ever happen to them.
They spent the afternoon in bed, napping, making love, making plans and snuggling with Pupwell. At five, they got up to shower and change for their wedding.
At five thirty, Deacon knocked on the bedroom door. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, come in.”
Julia turned away from the full-length mirror to face him, wearing the dress Tiffany had helped her buy quite some time ago, in anticipation of their wedding.
“Wow,” he said on a long exhale.
The dress was a creamy off-white silk with spaghetti straps, a fitted bodice and a long, flowing skirt. She’d put her hair up and had put a white bow tie on Pupwell, who would serve as their ring bearer.
A few weeks ago, they’d traveled to the mainland to purchase wedding rings for when they were ready.
“You’re… Stunning. How lucky am I?”
His reaction to her in the dress was everything she’d hoped it would be—and then some. “I’m glad you like it.” She took in the sight of him in the khaki suit and white dress shirt he’d bought for the occasion.
“Like it?” He put his hands on her hips. “I love it.” With a soft, sweet kiss, he added, “I love you, and I can’t wait to get married.”
“I can’t wait either. And by the way, you look beautiful, too.”
“Thank you.” Deacon took Pupwell’s leash from her. “And isn’t our little boy looking dapper, too?”
“He’s the cutest.”
“In case I forget to mention it later, this was the best day of my life,” Deacon said before he escorted her from the room.
“The best day of my life was when I heard you’d been rescued.”
“Let’s go top that, shall we?”
“Yes, please.”
“And Julia didn’t say why they were coming by?” Shane asked Katie, who was running around straightening up before her sister and Deacon arrived.
“No, just that they wanted to share something with us.”
“Will you stop cleaning up for your sister? This place is immaculate, as always.”
Katie stopped suddenly, looked around as if seeing their home for the first time and realized he was right.
She’d been doing it again, trying to bring ruthless order to places that didn’t need it.
The trait was another holdover from a childhood spent trying to please a career Air Force officer who’d been impossible to please.
Nothing was ever clean enough, orderly enough, organized enough.
Nothing was ever enough.
“No one is judging you or your home,” Shane said gently. “Not me or anyone who will visit you here.”
“Thank you for reminding me. Sometimes I still need that.”
“I’m here for it, any time.”
“I hate how he’s still in there, still controlling me.”
Shane gathered her in close to him. “He’s not controlling you.”
“Feels like it sometimes.”
“He’s out of your life and exactly where he belongs.”
“Keep telling me.”
“I will. For as long as you need to hear it.”
“How about some good news?” Katie asked, looking up at him.
“I’m here for that, too.”
“During the storm, I asked Vic to do blood work because I thought I might be pregnant, and I wanted to be sure.”
“And?” he asked, breathless.
“I am.”
“Oh my God, Katie. How did you keep this from me?”
“I wanted to wait until we could celebrate properly.”
He hugged her tightly. “How’re you feeling?”
“Anxious but happy.” A miscarriage earlier in the summer had devastated them, but they’d agreed to try again right away.
“I have a good feeling that this one will stick.”
“I really hope so.”
“No matter what happens, we’ve got this.”
“Having you by my side is what got me through before.”
They hugged for a long time.
“I’m so excited,” he whispered.
“I am, too. I’ll try not to be a nervous wreck the whole time.”
The moment was interrupted by the doorbell.
“This conversation will be continued later,” he said.
“I’ll look forward to later.”
Shane went to get the door and was surprised to see his dad and Betsy. He pushed open the storm door to admit them. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
“Julia asked me to meet her here,” Frank said.
“She did?” Katie glanced at Shane, who shrugged. “Wonder what’s going on?”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”