Faith crossed to her mother and hugged her, receiving a hug in return. “We’ve decided to get married on Saturday,” Faith said. “Randy’s already called the church to make arrangements.” She eyed Hope as she said, “It seems Jake isn’t going to be using it.”
“Oh? Really?” her mother said, her gaze skipping to Hope.
“But Miss Carter is,” Faith continued. “She’s marrying Rabb Whitelaw on Saturday.”
Hope gasped.
Faith turned to Charity and said, “And it seems there’s been another request for the minister’s services that day.”
Charity turned to their mother and said, “That’s why I’m here. Kane and I are tying the knot. Since all his relatives are gathered for Jake’s wedding, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to marry this Saturday.”
“Good heavens!” her mother exclaimed. She turned to Faith and said, “Both of you are getting married the same day?” She looked from Faith to Charity and said, “Would you consider a double wedding?”
Faith hadn’t considered the idea, but she thought of her mother sitting through two ceremonies and realized it would be easier on her if she and Charity married at the same time. “I don’t think Randy would mind,” she said tentatively.
Charity eyed Faith, then turned to their mother and said, “If it would make it easier on you, I’d be willing. I’ll have to talk with Kane, but when he hears the circumstances, I don’t think he’ll mind, either.”
Faith felt relief as she watched the smile widen on her mother’s face.
“Two of my girls getting married together. I feel like dancing!”
“Save that for Saturday,” Hope said. She turned to Charity and said, “I suppose congratulations are in order.”
“Don’t knock yourself out,” Charity retorted.
Faith crossed around the foot of the bed and put herself between her sisters. “Congratulations,” she said, hugging Charity as though they’d spent their lives together. She was pleased to feel Charity hug her back. Then she turned to Hope, whose eyes looked troubled, and whose heart, she knew, must be aching.
She put her arms around Hope and whispered, “He’s yours, if you want him. Just go get him!”
Hope ended the hug and snapped, “If he wants me, he’s going to have to come after me.”
“I’m right here.”
* * *
HOPE
* * *
HOPE TURNED TO FIND JAKE STANDING in the doorway.
“Hello, Jake,” Mrs. Butler said.
“Hello, ma’am,” Jake replied. “How are you?”
“Just fine,” Mrs. Butler said, beaming.
“I’d like to borrow Hope for a few minutes, if that would be all right.”
“I’m visiting my mother,” Hope said.
“I can spare you for a little while,” her mother said, “while Charity and Faith and I work on plans for their double wedding.”
“You and Randy are getting married?” he asked Faith.
“On Saturday. Along with Charity and Kane,” Faith supplied.
Jake turned his attention to Charity and said, “This is a surprise.”
“We’re going to make it a double wedding to save Mrs. Butler from having to sit through two ceremonies,” Charity said.
“Hold that thought,” Jake said, “while I talk to Hope.”
Jake caught her by the arm and started out of the room, but Hope balked.
“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say right here.”
“What I have to say is between you and me,” Jake said implacably.
Hope’s heart was beating erratically, and her pulse had jumped at Jake’s appearance. She wanted to believe he was going to propose to her at last, that they were going to have a triple wedding. But she’d been wrong too many times in the past.
“Come with me, Hope,” Jake said. “Please.”
It was the “please” that got her moving. Jake wasn’t used to asking for what he wanted. If he was asking, rather than ordering, maybe he was going to say something she wanted to hear.
She didn’t answer him, merely tugged her arm free of his grasp and headed out the door ahead of him. She heard her mother’s hospital-room door swish closed behind Jake and turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. “Well? I’m listening. What is it you want to say?”
“It appears you’ve heard that my brother Rabb is marrying Amanda on Saturday.”
“I heard.”
“So you know my engagement to Amanda is over.”
“It appears so.”
“You’re not making this easy for me,” Jake said, adjusting the collar at his throat as though it were tight, even though the top two buttons were undone.
“What is it you have to say to me?” Hope said, unwilling to bend even an inch to accommodate him.
“We could make it a triple wedding,” Jake blurted.
“Who is we?”
“You and I could get married on Saturday, too.”
“Could we?”
“What’s going on, Hope?” Jake said irritably. “You’ve got what you wanted. I’m willing to marry you.”
Hope felt the ache spread across her chest, feeling the pain of Jake’s halfhearted offer as a physical thing. “No thanks,” Hope said.
“Damn it, Hope. What in hell is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? Nothing. You’re the one with the problem.”
Jake grabbed her arms in a hold so tight she would have bruises when he let go, and his blue eyes sought hers in a look so piercing she gasped. “You’ve been wagging that tail of yours in my direction for three years, and now that I’ve finally come to heel, you’re giving me the bum’s rush. I want to know why.”
“You’re willing to marry me? At last? When you’ve run out of other options? Why, Jake? What’s different today from yesterday, or even this morning? Miss Carter’s dumped you, that’s what’s different. I’m not willing to be second choice. I want a man who wants me, who can’t live without me, who loves me!” Hope cried.
“I love you, goddammit! I wouldn’t be marrying you if I didn’t. I’ve loved you since the day you lured me into your father’s barn and did that damned striptease. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head—or my heart—no matter how hard I’ve tried. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Hope stared at Jake, dumbfounded by his declaration. “Then why—”
“I’ve been—”
“Afraid,” she said.
“An idiot,” he said at the same time.
“Yeah, that too,” she said with a smile.
His mouth found hers as he gathered her up in his arms and pulled her tight against him. Hope slid her fingers into his hair and held on as he kissed her silly.
“I love you, Hope,” he said when they both came up for air. “Marry me. Spend the rest of your life with me.”
Hope grinned. He was back to imperatives. He would never be the sort of man who asked for what he wanted. He would always demand it. But she was the sort of woman who could handle that sort of man. “Ask me nice,” she murmured against his lips. “And maybe I’ll say yes.”
He took her deep again, asking with kisses, rather than words. She could feel the urgency in his hands, as they wrapped around her, in his heart, which beat hard against her own, and in his mouth and teeth and tongue, which made an eloquent plea on his behalf.
“Yes,” she said as he kissed her cheeks and her nose and her eyelids.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir?” she said with an impish grin.
He framed her face with his strong hands and forced her to look him in the eye. “Will you marry me, Hope? Will you have my babies?”
Hope felt the lump in her th
roat, felt the sting of tears in her nose, felt the tears well in her eyes and spill.
He caught the tears with his tongue, then kissed her so she tasted the salt of her tears. “I love you, Hope. I’ll always love you.”
“Yes,” she managed to rasp. “I’ll marry you, Jake Whitelaw. I love you...so much.”
He put his arms around her and hugged her tight.
“Hey, you two. Are you going to join us on Saturday?”
Hope turned to find Faith in the doorway to her mother’s room. She glanced at Jake, who nodded. She grinned and said, “You bet.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY
“I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE ALL GOING TO be married thirty minutes from now,” Faith said as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror behind the door of the church vestry.
“I can’t believe it, either,” Hope said sardonically. “Especially since one of us isn’t here.”
Faith grimaced. “Charity will be here. She probably—”
“She probably changed her mind. Again,” Hope said.
“I’m convinced she loves Kane,” Faith said.
“That isn’t the problem, and you know it,” Hope said.
The three sisters had spent enough time together over the past week to begin to know one another. It had been apparent from their first conversations that Charity found it difficult to trust in anyone or anything. She moved on tiptoe, as though with every step she expected the rug to be pulled out from under her.
It had been difficult for Hope to identify with her sister’s problem. If anything, she had too much self-confidence. Faith had been more understanding—she always was—and had tried to make Charity feel more comfortable sharing her life story with them.
It hadn’t made easy listening.
Hope had been more and more grateful that she’d been spared the life Charity had led. She found herself admiring her sister tremendously, especially when she heard how Charity planned to spend two years with the Peace Corps.
“Kane has agreed to put his career on hold for a couple of years so we can spend time overseas together,” Charity said.
“Can you join the Peace Corps if you’re a married couple?” Hope asked.
“I haven’t checked the rules,” Charity said. “But if there’s some restriction, we’ll find another way to spend time working with the poor. It’s something I’m committed to doing.”
“I haven’t thought about anyone but myself over the past few years,” Hope admitted. “You’ve made me realize I need to give back a little of what I’ve gotten over my lifetime.”
“You shouldn’t feel obligated—”
“I want to,” Hope interrupted. “It’s just that over the past three years my goal has been to...”
“Grow up in a hurry,” Faith supplied for her. “And you’ve done a good job of it. Which is more than I can say for myself.”
“What are you talking about?” Hope said. “You’re going to be a mother and a hospital administrator.”
“In that order,” Faith said with a laugh. She patted her belly. “And delighted with the situation.”
“I can’t wait to be a mother,” Hope said. She turned to Charity and said, “I suppose you’ll have to postpone having babies until you get back from overseas.”
Charity blushed. “I planned to. I have to admit I haven’t been as careful...about things...as I should have been this past week with Kane. I really...well...we’ve spent a great deal of time together since I agreed to marry him.”
Faith grinned. “I suppose what you’re saying is there’s a good chance you’ll be working with the poor right here at home.”
“It’s true I don’t have to go overseas to help,” Charity said.
“All right, girls,” Mrs. Caruso interrupted, “let me see the three of you together. Perfect! You’re beautiful. I know three young men who are going to feel very lucky on Saturday.”
“It wasn’t luck that two of these dresses were already made and ready to go,” Hope said. She gave Faith a hug. “I have you to thank for planning ahead and having Mrs. Caruso make these fabulous wedding gowns.”
Hope didn’t have to look at herself in a mirror, she only had to look at Faith and Charity, since they were dressed exactly alike. “We look like three Cinderellas, ready for the ball,” Hope said with a laugh.
“Once I knew I was pregnant, I figured I’d be getting married over Christmas,” Faith said. “I knew sooner or later Jake would realize he loved you—”
“Right,” Hope said, making a face.
“Well, he did!” Faith said. “I wasn’t sure how much I’d show, so I wanted a dress that fit around the waist but wouldn’t reveal my growing belly—”
“So we got Cinderella ballgowns,” Hope finished with a grin.
The dresses might as well have been created by Disney, they were so fantastical, with heart-shaped bodices, capped sleeves, fitted waists and bell-shaped skirts.
“I’m just glad Mrs. Caruso could finish a matching gown for me so quickly,” Charity said.
“I’ve been working on your dress for almost a week,” Mrs. Caruso said.
Charity’s brow furrowed. “But—”
“I asked her to get started on it,” Faith said. “Just in case. Then I did what I could to help things along between you and Kane. I hope you don’t mind.”
Charity laughed. “How can I mind, when I’m going to be part of a triple wedding with my long-lost sisters?”
She’d seemed pretty certain about going through with the wedding then. But she hadn’t shown up at the church this morning.
“What shall we do?” Faith asked. “Who should we call? Where could she be?”
“I’m right here.”
Hope and Faith turned to see Charity in the doorway.
“You’re not dressed!” Faith said.
“That’s because I’m not getting married.”
“Why not?” Hope demanded.
“Because it won’t last,” Charity said. “Because I’d rather not be one of those who ‘loved and lost.’”
“Too late to avoid the pain now,” Hope said. “You’ve already admitted you’re in love. Why not grab for some of the joy?”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who—”
“Faith and I know what you’ve been through. You’ve gone to great pains to tell us. I admire how well you survived your past,” Hope said. “But here’s a news flash. All that admiration’s going out the window if you throw away this chance at happiness.”
“I look on it as self-preservation,” Charity said.
“Cowardice is what it is,” Hope retorted.
Charity’s nostrils flared and her lips pressed flat.
“That’s a little strong,” Faith said, ever the mediator.
“Maybe not strong enough,” Hope said. “How about, you’re chicken.” She made a sound like a chicken and flapped her elbows like wings.
“Cut it out,” Faith said, watching Charity’s face turn red with anger.
“Sticks and stones—”
“Give me a break,” Hope interrupted. “And get out. Go ahead and go! Just don’t come around here looking for sympathy when you get back from darkest Africa. It’s going to be in short supply.”
Charity had already whirled to leave when Faith grabbed her arm and said, “Don’t go! Please. Mom is looking forward to this—”
Hope realized in two seconds that Faith had used the wrong argument.
“She’s your mother, not mine!” Charity snapped.
Faith let go of Charity’s arm as though it had turned into a pit viper. “What did you say?”
“You heard me!”
She pointed her hook at Charity and said, “You’re n
ot the only one who paid a price for the fact there were three of us in that womb. I did, too! So don’t think you’re the only one who’s made sacrifices. Mom deserves your consideration. You can’t blow off this wedding without hurting her, too.”
“She’s not involved in—”
“Get real,” Hope interrupted. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out Mom and Dad have suffered every day since they gave you away. Charity begins at home,” she snarled.
“Oh, that’s a good one,” Charity snapped back. “Just what exactly did you have in mind?”
She was glaring at Hope, but Faith answered, “Put on your wedding dress and join us at the altar.”
“I’m supposed to get married so your mother doesn’t feel bad about giving me away? Forget it.”
“Then get married because you love Kane and it’s the best way to make yourself happy,” Hope said.
“Because it is!” Faith added.
“It won’t last,” Charity said.
“Talk about neurotic behavior,” Hope muttered.
“What did you say?” Charity asked, crossing to confront her.
“When circumstances change, you have to change right along with them,” Hope said. “Your adoptive father abandoned your mother. So he was a creep. What does that have to do with you? And you know why Mom and Dad gave you away. Not because they didn’t love you. In fact, they loved you best!”
“That just proves my point!” Charity said. “They loved me and yet they abandoned me. Kane could do the same thing.”
Hope threw up her hands. “I give up. You talk to her,” she said to Faith.
Faith grimaced. “She does have a point. In fact, what guarantees do any of us have? Randy could decide he doesn’t want to take a chance that his children will be born...like me.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” Hope said. “Don’t even think it!”
“Of course it could happen,” Faith said. “And Jake could decide that after worrying so long about whether you’d be satisfied living with him, he isn’t satisfied living with you.”
“Perish the thought!” Hope said, crossing herself, even though she wasn’t Catholic.
“And Kane could decide somewhere down the road that he doesn’t want to be married to Charity,” Faith said, her eyes locked with Charity’s.
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