When Quinn’s divorce was final that October, Bea wanted Kelly to have a real wedding even though Kelly would have been happy going to a justice of the peace. Sue also insisted that Kelly was not going to get married in jeans and a flannel shirt, so they compromised on a brief and private ceremony held in Kelly’s backyard. She bought a dress, the only one she’d shopped for in years.
The day of the wedding Kelly was startled by Sue’s sleek appearance as they stood inside the kitchen waiting for everyone to get to their places.
“Sue, you’ve cut your hair. You’ve given up.” She hugged her friend.
“For now. Maybe if I decide to date again I’ll let it grow. I want to help you with that book of yours. We can make a fortune steering women away from animals.”
“Whatever you say. But I’ve decided there are more good men than bad and more good women as well.”
Heels she would not do and stood patiently inside in a pair of white flats as she waited for Earl to get back. He wanted to give her away but had driven off to handle a call. Sue went out onto the deck to keep Nicky and Daffy from hitting each other with the ring pillow and flower basket respectively.
Kelly heard footsteps coming from the front door and saw Quinn sneaking in that way. He came and kissed her passionately with abandon before she could say anything.
“The delay is driving me bonkers. Did I smear your lipstick?”
“Quinn, I’m not wearing any. The dress I could handle, even the pantyhose, but makeup just isn’t me.”
“You look so young and beautiful you don’t need any help from anything artificial.”
“Let’s always be like that, Quinn, real. Let’s never lie about anything.”
“Agreed. Whatever we have we share whether it’s good news or bad.”
“No more trying to shield each other. It isn’t fair.”
“I know that now because of you.”
Kelly grinned. “You’d better get back to the string bean arbor by the garden. Here comes Earl.”
“Look, he probably just made an arrest and his tie isn’t even crooked.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Earl said as he popped in the screen door. For a big man he moved with grace.
“We’d never have gotten to this point without you. We were never going to tie the knot without your blessing.”
When the music started up Sue shepherded her kids down to path toward the garden, Daffy tossing rose petals and Nicky bearing a ring pillow.
Jason was standing by his father as best man.
Bea wasn’t shedding a tear as she watched her pride and joy walk down the garden path. She was not bent out of shape over Kelly marrying when she had never been able to. She and Earl were seriously seeing each other and now that she had quit smoking he was considering moving in when Kelly moved out.
Ray had done a beautiful job with the flowers and Devin took pictures. Of course they all had cooked. Who knew they had all the resources they needed in their small group to have a beautiful wedding without strangers?
After the ceremony and the picnic dinner reception, they cut Bea’s cake, which they ate politely and did not shove into each other’s faces. Quinn responded to several requests to kiss the bride and finally cracked under the pressure of the restraint he’d been under for three months and carried Kelly away to his new Jeep.
“Are you sure you didn’t tell anyone where we’re spending our honeymoon?” she asked as he frantically drove back to his house.
“Only Earl so he doesn’t bust us for breaking and entering, but he won’t let it out. I’m parking in the garage and pulling all the blinds. We have only two days before I have to go teach classes again and I intend to spend it wisely making love to you, not driving to some cheesy motel.”
“Let’s sneak in through the patio door.”
He followed with their bags and started shedding his coat and tie.
“Look, a basket from Jason. He must have guessed. We’ll bring out the romantic in him yet.”
Quinn glanced at it. “Wine, Cheetos and chocolate. He’s right. That’s probably all we’ll need this weekend.”
Quinn threw her down on the bean bag chair Sue had tossed out. “Well you’ve brought me back to your cave, the place you feel the most comfortable.” She began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Not exactly a fairy tale ending. A real knight would carry you off on his charger and lay you down in a fragrant meadow.”
Kelly laughed as she slipped her dress up over her head. “The awful thing about fairy tales is they’re not true.”
Quinn kissed her neck, her ears, her lips and finally let her take a breath. “They were once. Maybe they can be again.”
Kelly’s heart thudded in time to his, pressed so close to her. “We’ll just have to write our own happy ending.”
Chapter Twenty
“Rule 20: Get on with your life with a partner or without. But if you hold out for a good guy, don’t be surprised when one comes down the driveway.” — SMFA
Little Jenna was born nine months and one day later. Quinn could never decide if she had been conceived on the bean bag chair, in the bed, on the dining room table or even in the basement or attic, because they made love in every room in the house, not to mention by the koi pond when it got dark enough.
Bea was at the hospital but refused to come into the birthing room. Once was enough, according to her. Quinn was there to welcome Jenna into the world, so she knew both of them from the very beginning.
They invited everyone who had been at the wedding to a baby shower after the delivery, so Jenna could be enjoyed by everyone. She was a happy baby and Quinn intended to sit with her when he was not in class so Kelly could continue her business. Jenna would have a variety of babysitters according to the guests. After they had all gone home happy, Kelly and Quinn swung Jenna to sleep on the new swing Quinn had built with his own hands beside the fish pond.
“Itseems like forever since the day you blundered down my driveway.”
“I was so not sure about hiring you.”
“I was so close to turning you down.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“There was something about you that called to me and it wasn’t just your eyes or great body. Well maybe at first it was your body. But there was something else, an uncertainty I found appealing. I had felt like that for most of my life and I could identify with it.”
“Didn’t you ever regret teaming up with me after the string of disasters that befell us?”
“Never. I told you I’m a person of action. Once I commit to something, there’s no turning back.”
“That’s what hooked me on you. Always so positive even in the midst of chaos. I somehow knew that if I stuck with you, everything would come right.”
“So now we start on the greatest adventure of all. At least you have some experience with children. This is all new to me.”
“No, just be yourself. We’ll do fine.” He reached across the sleeping baby to kiss her and hold her ’til the sun set and the stars winked on.
Kelly snuggled against him. “Much better than any meadow. This is home.”
About Barbara Miller
Barbara Miller teaches in the Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University. She has published mysteries, young adult novels and historical romances, including one nominated for a Rita. She lives on a farm with her husband and a pack of unruly dogs.
Barbara welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Barbara Miller
A Cotillion Country Christmas anthology
Christmas Bequest
Christmas Fete
Dreams of Christmas
Eye Walker
Fortune’s Folly
Governess for a Week
If Wishes Were Kisses
Knights Errant
Music Master
Red Satin
Reluctant Heir
Twelve Days of Christmas
Two Hearts
Viscount for Hire
Print books by Barbara Miller
A Cotillion Country Christmas anthology
Christmas Kisses anthology
Cotillion Christmas Surprises anthology
Cotillion Christmas Traditions anthology
Eye Walker
Fortune’s Folly
Governess for a Week
Music Master
Reluctant Heir
Two Hearts
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Kelly’s Rules
ISBN 9781419946622
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Kelly’s Rules Copyright © 2015 Barbara Miller
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Cover photography by -Elenathewise, micromonkey/fotolia.com
Electronic book publication February 2015
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