She headed for the kitchen, clapping her hands. “All right everybody. Work stoppage is over. I’ll have Tory print a newsletter and you can read all about it.”
Chance laughed. “Are you ready for this? I mean, my life isn’t easy and Gwen’s kind of a nut—”
She smiled up at him. “I’ve never been more ready.”
EPILOGUE
A YEAR AND A HALF later, Chance stood in front of the altar, at the end of a long aisle, Max at his side. Dressed in a rose-colored dress, Trisha had already walked down the satin-and-rose-petal walkway, and stood in front of the first pew. Holding a bouquet as she tried to corral Cindy and Sam, Kate was next.
She wore the same color and style dress as Trisha and so did the little peanut—two-and-a-half-year-old Cindy. The cap sleeve slid off her tiny shoulder and her little legs peeked out from beneath a knee-length skirt that was nothing but ruffles. She happily waved to the people in the pews who tittered behind their hands, their eyes shining as they watched the tuxedo-clad little boy and attention-loving little girl make their way down the aisle.
Then the music stopped, paused dramatically, before the organist broke into “Here Comes the Bride.”
And his heart stopped, paused dramatically, when Tory and her dad appeared at the door.
In a rustle of white skirts, she and her dad, a proud papa grinning like a Cheshire cat, started down the aisle.
But Chance’s eyes were glued on Tory. In the past year, she’d finished community college, and they’d begun to date. Even now he smiled at the memory. Neither one of them had dated in so long they almost didn’t know how, but loving each other had come easily.
So easily.
And now she was here. His.
His chest tightened with joy.
Her big brown eyes sparkled back at him as she approached. His gazed drifted down to the pretty white gown, strapless and shimmering, it molded to her sleek body, riding the curve of her waist, hugging her shapely hips and sliding down her thighs until it hit her knees. Then it belled out several rows of ruffles that looked like—
She got closer.
His eyes narrowed.
Feathers?
The skirt of her dress was feathers? He laughed out loud. Not that the feathers looked funny. They didn’t. Soft and shimmery, they enhanced the beauty of the dress. But they were fun.
Like she was.
She might be sweet. She might even be a wonderful, serious mother. But she had a silly side. A fabulous, hysterical silly side that, he believed, had actually gotten them both beyond Jason’s death.
She finally reached him and he took her hand from her father’s.
Then they turned and faced the altar and said their vows.
To love and cherish.
Respect each other.
Until death do they part.
The ceremony ended. Pictures, thanks to the dictations of his mother and Tory’s, took an hour. Finally, finally, they herded into limos and headed for the reception. When they reached the country club, he helped Tory and her feathery gown out of the limo.
She smiled up at him, leaned against him and kissed him.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The photographer pointed to a gazebo and started giving instructions about even more pictures.
Kate, Trisha, Tory and even Cindy hurried to follow his directions.
But Chance held back. He wasn’t needed anyway. The photographer first wanted to get tons of pictures of Tory and the bridesmaids.
Content, he leaned against the black limo, listened to the happy birds, watched his bride and his daughter pose for pictures….
But an abrupt, unexpected “something” filled the air. Almost as if someone was talking to him.
He glanced around. The peace and privacy of the exclusive country club surrounded him.
He started to relax but the feeling returned. This time stronger.
He glanced at happy Tory, and suddenly knew what was nagging him.
He looked up at the blue, blue sky. “I don’t know where you are.” He grimaced. “It feels like you’re right here. Beside me. But I don’t care. You can shadow me forever.” He sucked in a breath. “I owe you. Not for dying, but for saving her. She believes you saved her that day on the bike, and I believe her.” He swallowed hard. “So thanks.”
The unexpected feeling intensified. He whipped around, glanced at Tory again, posing with his baby girl and little bruiser son.
He looked up at the sky again. “I adore her. If you’re waiting for me to say I’ll take good care of her, I’m saying it. I will take very, very good care of her.”