by Ginny Baird
Several people said aww, and Elsa dabbed the corner of her eye with a napkin.
“So, here’s to an amazing wedding tomorrow. And to two people who were meant to be together.” Meredith lifted her wineglass high. “To a long and happy marriage for both of you.”
Chapter Eighteen
Hope awoke to the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen, and she smelled coffee brewing. Meredith and her mom were up making breakfast: her wedding-day breakfast. Yikes. Hope lunged for the phone on her nightstand, praying for an eleventh-hour reprieve. Maybe she’d heard from Jackie that she was on her way. Maybe everything would be all right after all. But, when Hope reviewed her messages, she saw the most recent one from Jackie had come in at two a.m. She’d heard her phone ding and read the text blurry-eyed. Something about the email being sent.
She flipped to her email app, opening the early-morning missive from her sister. It explained in detail how they’d meet up at the Boston airport outside gate security. They’d do a brief wardrobe exchange in the ladies’ room, and then Jackie would go off on her honeymoon with Brent, as expected, and Hope could go on home. Her heart sank when she realized they might actually pull this off and that her sister would stand to benefit from the progress she’d made in Blue Hill, including with amazing Brent.
Then a stunning thought occurred to Hope. What if Brent hadn’t been able to tell that she wasn’t Jackie because he hadn’t known Jackie well enough—but that he could sense it when the “Jackie” he’d be reunited with in Boston seems so different from the one he’d gotten to know? Know and love, Hope couldn’t help think with a whimper.
“Good morning, Dancing Queen,” Meredith said, waltzing into the bedroom with a coffee mug. Hope sat up in bed, turning her phone facedown on the duvet.
“Thank you.” She forced a smile. “Coffee’s just what I need.” Plus a double-shot of confidence. And maybe a sanity check. She took a sip of coffee, her nerves on edge.
“I know you’re upset,” Meredith said kindly. “All of us are.”
“I’ve never been in such a bind. But the Albrights…” Her voice wavered, and Meredith sat on the edge of her bed, taking her hand.
“They’re pretty special, I know.”
Hope’s eyes burned hot. “Especially Brent.”
“You’ve really come to care for him.” Meredith smiled. “More than care. Right?” She handed hope a napkin, and Hope wiped her damp cheeks.
“He doesn’t deserve either of us, you know?”
“Maybe not—but Hope?”
“Huh?”
“I do understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
Hope sniffled. “Yeah? Why?”
“It’s because you’re a good person, deep down inside. You don’t want to hurt anyone. You’re trying to help your sister and don’t want to ruin the wedding for the Albrights. But, most of all, I suspect, you don’t want to disillusion Brent.”
“This would kill him, Meredith. Break his heart. And I can’t—”
Meredith raised her chin with one hand. “So, then don’t.”
“You can’t imagine how conflicted I feel.”
“Actually,” Meredith said glumly. “I can.”
…
Brent opened his eyes, then squinted them shut as bright light poured in from the partially opened blinds on the window.
“Up and Adam, Adam Ant,” William said, uttering the expression their grandpa had used to rouse them during those childhood summer mornings when he and Brent had shared this room in the house.
Brent sat up partway, and his head throbbed when he gazed at William, who was surrounded in a sunny haze. “Darker, please.”
William chuckled and handed Brent a mug of coffee before striding to the window and tilting the blinds upward. “How much wine did you have at dinner, man?”
“Not a ton, but maybe too much.”
“It’s a good thing Derrick was our DD.”
“Yeah,” Brent replied. Derrick had only had that one drink, even if he’d had the harder stuff. He set his feet on the floor and took a swig of coffee, which made him feel slightly human again. That’s when he remembered it was his wedding day. A happy grin spread across his lips in spite of himself. “Thanks for the jo, bro,” he teased lightly.
“Is it helping?”
Brent nodded and took another long drag of the steaming java.
“Good.”
Brent took a moment to peruse the room, his eyes adjusting to the faint natural light. “It seems eons ago we were kids here.”
“It was eons ago.” William laughed and took a seat on the twin bed that used to be his. “Those were some good times, huh?”
Brent reflected on those carefree summers, when the most pressing things he had to do were build fires for clambakes and go sailing with his grandpa. “Yeah, when we were little it was cool. Back before we became teenagers and started getting those summer jobs. Then, college came along…”
“And life.” William sighed happily. “Not that life is bad now.”
Brent smiled. “From the looks of things, you and Sofia have got it pretty good.”
“It’s great being married,” William promised. “You’ll love it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Brent checked his phone on the nightstand, seeing it was nearly nine o’clock. “ Eleanor will be arriving soon, and I need to shower and shave. Thanks for the wake-up call.”
“Someone had to do it,” William joked. “So we drew straws.”
“Shut up. I bet Derrick isn’t even here yet.”
“You’re right. He’s not.”
“I’m excited for you and Sofia,” Brent said. “About the baby.” William had confided in his brothers, dad, and grandpa during their card game because he’d never been able to pull off a poker face. Particularly about something so personal and important.
When Brent had guessed the truth, William had spilled. Later, Brent discovered that the ladies had learned the happy news from Sofia on the boat, so the whole family was abreast of the information and fully on William and Sofia’s side, emitting positive vibes.
“Thanks. We’re excited, too.”
“It’s going to go great,” Brent told him kindly. “You’ll see.”
William’s eyes sparkled. “Sofia and I have a request.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“If things go as planned, and well… We’re hoping…” William took a deep breath and pressed ahead. “Hoping that you and Jackie can be our baby’s godparents.”
Brent’s eyes warmed. He’d never felt so honored. “That would be amazing.” He swallowed past the sore spot in his throat. “I’m sure Jackie would think so, too.”
“She’s a special woman,” William said. “You’re lucky to have her.” His smile sparkled. “Of course, that goes both ways.”
Brent laughed and drained the rest of his coffee. “Thanks. Yeah, I feel pretty lucky. Jackie’s so much more than I hoped for. I mean, she really makes me happy. Really gets me. You know? I didn’t think that it was possible for me to have what you and Sofia have. What Mom and Dad have. Even Grandpa and Grandmother.”
William wiggled his eyebrows. “Love works in mysterious ways.”
“Sure does.”
“I’m really sorry about her sister, though,” William said. “I can’t imagine how I might have felt if you or Derrick hadn’t made my and Sofia’s ceremony.”
“I know. The entire situation rots. I wish I’d met Hope earlier, but this thing with me and Jackie happened pretty fast.”
“Don’t I know it,” William said, but his tone was lighthearted. “All of us knew it.” Next, he confided quietly, “And, honestly? A few of us were concerned.”
“And now?”
William stood and swatted him on the shoulder. “N
ow I’m worried for Jackie.”
“Ha-ha.” Brent smirked at his brother, not minding the playful ribbing.
“You two will do just fine. Everyone loves her.” He chuckled. “She’s prettier than you.”
Brent set his mug down and lifted a pillow, preparing to lob it at William, who ducked behind the door.
“Bro.”
William peered back into the room.
“Have you got another minute?”
“Sure.” His brow creased. “What’s up?”
Brent waited while William took a seat on the other twin bed, then said, “We’ve never really talked about this Grandpa thing.”
“About Albright Enterprises, you mean?”
Brent nodded. “Yeah, that.”
“Look, Brent. I’m really cool with it. I’ve got my job, and it’s all good.”
“But did you want it?” Brent was ashamed he’d never asked.
“At one point, I might have thought…maybe. But there are other things that matter to me more.”
“Wow, William. You’re just so perfect all the time. Even graceful about this.”
“I am far from perfect. Just ask Sofia.”
“Why her?”
“Because she knows all my flaws.”
“Like what?” Brent joked. “You don’t always floss your teeth?”
“Funny. Sure.”
“I mean it. Tell me one thing. Anything. Give me something to work with to make me feel less…”
William worriedly met his gaze. “Less what, man? You can’t mean to tell me you’re… No. No way. My rich and successful little brother is not jealous of me.”
Brent arched his eyebrows. “One thing. Come on, man. Give.”
William chuckled out loud. “Okay, all right. But you can’t breathe a word.”
“Cross my heart,” Brent said kiddingly.
“I’ve always been jealous of Derrick.”
“No way.”
William set his chin. “He’s so stinking creative. I mean, really. He’s amazing with his hands. I could never do what he does.”
Brent considered this a minute. “Who knew? Derrick.”
“And Sally,” William admitted.
“Sally?”
“She’s the genius in our family. Always got straight As.”
“So did you.”
“Yeah, but I had to work for them. She never did.”
“You don’t know that’s true.”
“Sure I do—because I asked her.”
Brent chortled, imagining his sister’s retort. “Of course she told you that. Sally wants to think she’s better than the rest of us guys.”
“Couldn’t have been easy growing up with only brothers.”
“We were nice ones, though.”
“Yep. That’s true.” William pursed his lips and said, “And then there’s you.”
His brother could have bowled him over. “Me?”
“You always had all the girls, man. I was just tall and gangly.”
“Come on, you had girlfriends.” Brent stopped himself. “I mean, one—before Sofia.”
“Ah, but you had plenty.” A sly smile crept onto William’s lips. “You even stole one of mine.”
“What? No.”
“Laurin Turner,” William stated.
“Who?”
“She wasn’t even in your grade at school. She was in mine.”
“Wait a minute.” Brent chuckled. “Are we talking elementary school? That’s really reaching.”
“She was my first love.” William shared a wistful look, though he was clearly playing around. “But she was in love with my baby brother.”
Brent searched the recesses of his brain. Laurin. Laurin. “The one with braids who lived down the street from us?”
“That’s the one.” William’s eyes held a mysterious twinkle. “I tried to send her a love note, you know.”
“You did not.”
“Did so.”
“What did it say?”
“It was pretty straightforward. Just ‘William plus Laurin’ with a little heart drawn after her name.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, except she asked me what that blob meant.”
“Blob?”
“I told you I wasn’t artistic.”
Brent chuckled. “Aww.”
“And then, she told me there was only one Albright for her: you.”
“I had no idea.”
“Maybe she was hoping I’d fix you up.”
“Sure, man. Sure,” Brent said, laughing.
William stood and walked toward the door. “In any case, you’d better hurry up and get dressed. You should probably grab something to eat, too. The caterers are already here commandeering the kitchen and setting stuff up, so you’ll have to move fast.”
Brent nodded at his brother. “Thanks for all of that.”
“No worries. Just don’t go blabbing my secrets.”
“You know,” he said as William turned. “You’re going to make a really great dad.”
William smiled over his shoulder. “Thanks, man. So are you.”
…
Sally held in Hope’s waist as Meredith laced up the wedding gown. The fit wasn’t too, too bad. Just slightly snugger than on Wednesday. Thank goodness for Grandmother Margaret’s shapewear, which helped.
They were in her bedroom on the second floor. The men had congregated in Grandpa Chad’s study behind closed doors, and Hope knew they all sported tuxedos. She foolishly couldn’t wait to see Brent in his, knowing he’d make a dreamy picture. Her heart pounded at the idea that he might consider her appearance dreamy as well. She couldn’t help but wonder about Jackie and Brent and what they might each be feeling on this day if things had been different.
If it had been Jackie here in Hope’s place this week, would the bride and groom be just as excited about getting married as Brent and Hope felt now? Would there be butterflies in Jackie’s stomach at the thought of holding both Brent’s hands while gazing into his eyes and saying “I do”? Hope just didn’t know, so she willed herself not to think about it. She was only torturing herself, in the end. It was best to focus on procedure while trying to divorce herself from her emotions, because it was her emotional self that was most likely to trip her up.
When Hope, her mom, and Meredith had entered the main house, Sally had met them in the foyer and hurried them upstairs to where Sofia, Elsa, and Margaret were already beautifully dressed and waiting. The navy blue bridesmaids dresses worn by Sofia, Sally, and Meredith had fitted bodices and an off-the-shoulder look on one side, which tied up in a silky bow on the other. They all wore cream-colored pumps, pearl necklaces, and silk flowers in their upswept hair.
Brent’s grandma wore a pale blue silk suit, while Ava had donned a pale rose slip dress that hugged her figure, hitting right above the knees. Elsa wore a powder blue tunic and sleek cream-colored slacks. This was the first time she’d seen Elsa wear her hair down, and it tumbled past her shoulders in silky yellow waves.
Hope wore pearl stud earrings and her gold-heart necklace. She briefly considered taking it off but opted to keep it on as some kind of weird good-luck charm. And today, she needed all the good luck she could get.
“Everyone looks so pretty,” she said, glancing around at the group.
“None of us outshines the bride,” Elsa said, admiring Hope’s refection in the mirror. Color dusted Hope’s cheeks, and her eyes appeared extra dramatic, probably due to the heavy eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow that Meredith had applied.
Meredith had insisted on giving Hope a makeover in the carriage house after breakfast, and Ava had urged her to go along with it to get her more “in character.”
As if Hope wasn’t deeply imbedded as Jackie already.
&
nbsp; Though Hope didn’t typically wear this much makeup, she conceded the effect was stunning—in the right sort of way for a bride on her wedding day. She actually looked radiant and not overly clownish, which she’d at first feared she might.
“It’s true,” Ava said. “I’ve never seen you looking so beautiful.” Then she pulled her daughter in for a hug and whispered, “Everything’s going to be fine.”
But Hope knew that it wouldn’t.
This was supposed to be the best day of her life—or really, Jackie’s.
She was so mixed up, she didn’t know what to feel.
Elation? Confusion? Fear? The tiniest glimmer of hope?
Meredith gently rubbed her back. “Hey, you,” she said softly as Hope struggled to hold in her building tears. Hope peered at her, and she mouthed firmly, “You’ve got this.”
Hope gathered her nerve, then blinked back the moisture in her eyes and forced a big smile, turning back toward the others. “So?” she asked, doing a mini pirouette in her gorgeous wedding dress. “Do I look okay?”
Sofia beamed. “You look incredible.”
“Like a dream,” Meredith said.
Ava pulled a tissue from her purse on the bed and dabbed her eye. “My first baby getting married,” she said with a sniff.
“I couldn’t have wished for a nicer granddaughter-in-law,” Margaret said.
Elsa smiled. “Nor I a sweeter new daughter.”
“Aww, thank you.” Hope blushed hotly. “I couldn’t have asked to join a nicer family, that’s for sure.” And she really meant that part. If only it could be her marrying Brent for real—that would be like the most amazing dream come true.
But dreams didn’t come true for people like Hope. Especially when they committed horrible, unforgiveable sins like this one.
She told herself not to let her mind go down that road and to focus on the positive. Her sister and Brent were going to have a wonderful marriage because Brent was going to work hard at it.
Jackie would, too, if she knew what was good for her. Hope was going to do her best to make sure of that.