Loving Wilder

by Leigh Tudor

  After everyone settled, Trevor looked at Mercy, and she gave him the head nod to continue. “We have more news.”

  Mercy saw Loren smile to herself, waiting to hear that the adoption papers went through, and they were now one big happy family.

  She’d give her this one.

  “They called us while we were in line to get hitched,” Mercy said, “To let us know the adoption paperwork was ready for final processing and signing.”

  Mercy laughed to herself as Loren was shoving her fist in the air, shouting, “I knew it!” While Gus had a perplexed look on his face, turned to Becky, asking, “So do I owe the little shyster money, or not?”

  Mercy shared an evil grin with her husband.

  This was a setup.

  A rather impromptu setup but, nonetheless, no one here suspected the real surprise.

  “And,” Mercy said, about to burst, “there’s more.”

  Mercy caught Loren glance at Cara, who returned her baffled expression.

  “Good Lord, I don’t think I can take any more today,” Loren huffed.

  Mercy continued, “Nate and the girls are outside with … their new brother and sister. It’s a long story, which I’ll tell you all one day, but their adoption papers came through as well, and it’s official.” She looked at Trevor with a huge grin and watery eyes. “They’re all ours.”

  Everyone gasped in pure shock, equal to when Jimbo had his verbal showdown with Elise in the backyard.

  Loren was the first to speak. “Wait, did Nate, Marleigh, and Haley know about this?”

  Mercy nodded. “It was a family decision. We had to make sure we were all in. We swore them to secrecy as it wasn’t a sure thing. We really thought it would take much longer for all of the paperwork to work through the system, but we were told that most of the time-consuming stuff had already been completed when we were trying to adopt Nate and the girls. Someone also pulled some pretty hefty strings and got the last bit of red tape fast-tracked.”

  Everyone turned to Madame Grand, who appeared oblivious to their assumptions.

  “And they’re outside?” Madame asked, “The children? Aren’t they going to be somewhat overwhelmed meeting us all at one time?”

  Loren added, “Unless you adopted babies?” She clapped her hands excitedly at Amelie having cousins her age.

  Cara gasped, “Omigosh, don’t you know you’re not supposed to leave babies in a vehicle?”

  Mercy and Trevor smiled at one another. “No, they’re not babies. They’re twins who don’t have a single shy bone in either of their five-year-old bodies. As a matter of fact, they insisted on coming today and meeting everyone.”

  As everyone began to crowd the front door, Trevor lowered his voice as he turned the doorknob. “You all might want to take a moment and secure your wallets.”

  Mercy gave him an admonishing look. “Seriously, Trevor?”

  Trevor replied with his hands up in the air, “Did we or did we not have a bit of a situation at the diner on the way here?”

  Mercy turned to the others and waved him off. “He’s exaggerating. It was an honest misunderstanding. They’re veritable angels. Just need a little dusting off. Come outside and meet the newest members of our family.” She threw open the front door and yelled, “Beauford and Agnes Forrest.”

  Mercy overheard Trevor whisper to Alec, “The boy is nimble and smart as a whip. I’m telling you, once we channel his—singular skill set—there’s no telling what this kid can accomplish.”

  They all made their way to the front porch once again, but this time at a less manic pace so as not to scare the children by sheer numbers.

  The kids were all playing something that resembled tag, but with Agnes and Beauford dressed in what looked like church clothes, a stark comparison to Marleigh and Haley who were wearing jeans, T-shirts and tennis shoes.

  Mercy turned toward them and said with a low voice, “We stopped at a nearby Walmart and let them choose their own clothes. He insisted on a suit with a bowtie, and she fell in love with a dress covered in ruffles. We’ll be making a shopping run later.”

  Trevor called out, waving the kids in their direction. “Beauford, Agnes, come meet the rest of the family.”

  Nate managed to corral an overly excited Marleigh and Haley, who had spent the entire day overstimulated and perpetually roughhousing but were now running on their last dregs of energy.

  Beauford latched onto Agnes’s hand, and together, they marched to the porch steps.

  Madame intervened, by saying, “Shall we all step down so we’re not towering over them, giving them quite a scare?”

  Everyone moved at one time, barreling down the steps and doing the opposite of what they intended. Regardless, the two children, one with bow tie askew and the other with a ripped ruffle wafting in the wind, didn’t even waiver.

  “I’m Beauford Forrest, and this is my twin sister, Agnes,” he said making introductions. “I’m older.”

  Agnes twisted her lip and said, “By four minutes.”

  Mercy introduced everyone else to the children.

  Beauford and Agnes gave their polite hellos, and Mercy couldn’t have been more proud.

  Then Beauford walked up to Trevor with a slip of paper in his hand and said, “You’re gonna want this.”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  The boy turned, giving the overly attentive group his shoulder. “A list of all the makes and models of cars and each of their license plate numbers. Can’t be too safe.”

  “Oh,” Trevor said. “Thank you?”

  “It’s nothing. I usually charge for that kind of thing, but I’ll let you slide since we’re family now.”

  “Oh wow,” Trevor said, looking at Mercy as if unsure how to respond. “The family discount, eh? That’s … that’s generous.”

  Beauford sniffed with a fair amount of self-confidence. “Get used to it.”

  Epilogue

  “The earth has music for those who listen.” — William Shakespeare

  One Year Later,

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  The day was quite lovely for springtime in Wilder. The children were running about the front yard of Madame’s new home, screaming like banshees and sporting attire they more than likely complained about having to wear as opposed to their preferred play clothes.

  Madame smiled, taking in the wonderment of the day.

  Finally, a wedding. It was certainly about time and her and Levi’s new home proved to be the perfect setting.

  She had architected the home as a crossover between a Victorian and Craftsman design. The outside was rather regal but approachable, and the inside was full of clean lines but with soft colors blurring any hard edges. Complete with a double staircase, hardwood floors, indoor and outdoor gourmet kitchens, the home was nothing short of a showcase where one could exhale.

  The perfect venue for the type of weddings she had dreamed of planning for each of her granddaughters.

  Oh, well. There was still hope for the youngest.

  She strolled through the side gardens where she spotted Cara and Landon, dressed in their finery. Cara wore a gorgeous bridesmaid gown in a neutral creamy hue. The entire ensemble in shades of silver and pink, lavishly embellished with crystals and pearly beadwork and a deep V-neckline, with plunging back and flowy skirt.

  Landon wore a simple black suit that only seemed a backdrop to his dark wavy hair and stark blue eyes that were only for Cara.

  Her youngest granddaughter was nearly completely healed from her surgery. When they finally sat down to have the delicate conversation, Cara was rather stunned to hear of yet another involuntary surgical procedure she had endured at the hands of Dr. Vielle. But somehow, learning that Mercy had the same procedure brought the two sisters closer together. Sharing a circumstance that they would overcome together.

  Entering the side door into the gourmet kitchen, Madame found Mercy and Trevor attempting to wrangle their feral brood. Mercy, wearing a bridesmaids dress as well, kissed Madame on th
e cheek as Agnes curtsied with admirable aplomb as Nate attempted to detangle and braid her hair. Haley twirled in her signature red dress, with Trevor holding one hand high, as if she were a ballerina, while Marleigh stuck her finger into a bowl of ranch dressing sitting on a nearby counter.

  Once Haley began talking, she failed to see any reason to stop. As was evidenced now, as she asked Trevor why they couldn’t have a shrimp farm, what made flowers different colors, and why couldn’t Sugar Plum come to the wedding. All while twirling, no less.

  And dear Trevor answered each question with remarkable patience.

  Above the fireplace hung a Mercy Ingalls original. She had surprised her granddaughter when she’d purchased it at her first showing in Dallas. Quite the coup, as the gallery had sold out her pieces within the first hour. It appeared Mercy was taking the art world by storm with her original works of art. Although, no one who knew her was surprised, with the exception of Mercy.

  Silly woman.

  Madame continued monitoring the progress of the preparations as she sailed past Loren and Alec in the living room, attempting to fasten the long row of silk-covered buttons cascading down the back of one screaming Amelie Wilder.

  Heavens above, that child was always bellowing.

  Loren took a moment to tell Madame how much she loved her dress, as Alec, looking quite the hulking manly vision in his beige suit, gave her a kiss to the cheek. Madame was pleased to see that the bridesmaid dress looked equally lovely on Loren as her taller sisters.

  Stepping back outside to the outdoor kitchen area, she saw that the flowers had arrived and was quite thrilled to see the explosion of hydrangeas dotting the patio. She gave last-minute instructions as to where the larger arrangements were to be placed. And determined that all was well under way as the woman managing the flowers was organized and fully capable of handling the process.

  Satisfied, she made her way toward the backyard overlooking the expansive lake and breathed in the earthy odors of the waves hitting against the dock and shoreline.

  Careful not to muss her dress, she sat on a tufted sofa beneath a large pavilion overlooking the water.

  Her eyes watered as she thought of who was missing this fine day.

  “Hello, my darling Amelie,” she said, watching the waves brush up against the shore with a heart full of so many emotions it was difficult to reconcile them at once. Deep abiding love, heart-wrenching regret, and inexplicable joy, just to name a few.

  “I must say, you would be eternally proud of your young ladies. They are bright, kind, opinionated… oh my, are they opinionated.” She chuckled dotting her handkerchief beneath her eyes. “And so very much like their mother. All three of them exemplifying you in different ways. Did you know that you and I have met?” She smiled at the memory. “I was working on a case that was within a few miles of where you worked. I drove to the coffee shop that I happened to know you frequented in the morning. I had very little time but was eternally blessed by opening the door just as you were walking out.

  “You were balancing your purse with your cup of coffee, and it dropped from your shoulder, whereby, I had the great honor of lifting it and setting you to rights. It sounds silly, I know, but to me, it was the singular most perfect moment of my entire existence.” Madame looked up at the blue sky, attempting to stem the flow of tears. “I followed your life from afar and watched you grow into a fine woman yourself. If nothing else, I was grateful you had lovely parents who saw the sun and the stars in your eyes. And what assuages the anguish of losing you, has been finding you through knowing my beautiful granddaughters. Certainly not ideal, for that would have involved the joy of having raised you, but a salve nonetheless for a heart that holds so much regret. Please know that my vow to you, has been and always will be, to continue looking out for their safety and overall happiness.” She stood, looking out into the water, and took a deep breath. “But today, I selfishly will be lobbing onto a bit of happiness for myself. Please don’t think too ill of me for doing so, for your regard is of the utmost importance to me. I love you, Amelie. As always, I wish you were here.”

  Turning and holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, she could see that people were making their way into the tent. She glanced down at her watch, realizing more time had transpired than she was aware.

  She approached the backside of the wide tent, large enough to hold five hundred guests. She could see Jimbo and Elise sitting in the antique pews brought over from the basement of the church.

  Emmy Lou and Pastor Roberts were surprised she’d care for the scuffed and ancient seating, some places showing bare wood beneath the onetime glossy veneer, but Madame found them somewhat of a metaphor for how she had gotten to this place and time. A bit worse for wear but up to the task of providing respite. A place for loved ones to find solace.

  For some reason, Madame didn’t feel the need to stand on ceremony this fine day. Rather, she preferred to spend it meandering through her thoughts as well as friends and family. In her mind, that was the gift of living a long life, coming to the realization as to how one is to properly appreciate a moment in time. And the wisdom in knowing that moments of grace are not to be taken for granted, especially amidst the upheavals and changes of a full and tumultuous life.

  Her eyes scanned the guests, and she spied Nate, who was becoming quite the young man, sitting next to Beauford and espousing what had to have been prodigious advice, given the younger boy’s rolling eyes. Neither one of them was aware of Agnes, stealthily pulling pieces of shrimp from her reticule and generously sharing them with Marleigh and Haley, the three girls having a veritable luncheon while awaiting the ceremony. With Trevor nearest the aisle and oblivious to it all, his eyes were only for his beautiful wife, who touched his hand lovingly as she walked by.

  Becky, Madame’s maid of honor, because honestly how was she to choose between her granddaughters, handed her the wedding bouquet. Madame returned the favor with a full-body hug. She was working on those, trying not to be so staid and stiff and becoming more comfortable with them. She knew that people thought she held back on such gestures of affection because she was a little cold and indifferent. That wasn’t it at all. It was because she didn’t feel she deserved them.

  Lately, with the help of Levi’s love, she was beginning to believe that perhaps she did. Or at the very least, she was earning her right to having them.

  Her eyes caught Levi’s as her granddaughters made their way down the aisle. Even with Amelie screaming in the back of the tent with a shushing Alec and her granddaughters looking like veritable angels skimming ahead of her, her eyes were on her lovely man.

  Her heart was beyond full as there appeared on his lips the sign of a smile, which spread slowly and became crooked and rueful and almost reluctant. His gaze held hers captive as his head gave an ever so slow, disbelieving shake. It might have been the most genuine compliment she’d ever received. And similar to the other vows she’d made that day, she committed to never take his affection for granted.

  And maybe to allow herself the inkling of the belief that she, indeed, deserved this.

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  Again, a big shout-out to my girlfriends who have supported me every step of the way during this crazy journey.

  Sharon Conway is my rock, reading every chapter and scene (several times) and letting me know when I’ve pushed the envelope a little too far.

  I owe a debt of gratitude to Kelli Ardd, who finds all the pesky mistakes created by invisible trolls who hack into my laptop at night inserting errors. Assholes. Sharon is AMAZING.

  Thanks to my daughter Brittny Downing for giving me her opinion based on a different age group and demographic. Except for the time she ran down the stairs acting as if she were about to hurl after reading one of the more intimate scenes. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. You know, after a few therapy sessions.

  Kudos to the PoolBoy who claims there’s a fairy who does my laundry when I’m knee-deep in edi
ts. I don’t know about yours, but my fairy does all kinds of other stuff too, like washing the dishes, taking out the trash and last minute food pick-up. I might have even slept with him a time or two… but I don’t kiss and tell.

  And to all of my other girlfriends who just make life a better place in which to live; Crystal, Ellen, Angie and Janet.

  A huge thank you to Damonza for a kick-ass cover design! They have done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of each of the books.

  Thanks to Jenny, Natalie and Karen for their diligent editing efforts. (If you find any mistakes, blame me as I can’t refrain from making tweaks after edits and proofs are turned in).

  And thanks to all the reviewers, bloggers and readers who allow me to write outside of the lines and bend a few genres and tropes here and there. Without your support, I would still be working a corporate job. But instead, I get to write about woman who are funny, fierce and a little bit flawed.

  About the Author

  Lēigh Tudor lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband, whom she cheekily refers to as The PoolBoy.

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  She walked away from a career in the tech industry and hasn’t looked back yet. When not holed up in her office crafting stories about badass women and the men who try to tame them, she can be found walking the beach in Florida with the PoolBoy or chilling with her friends.

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  Lēigh’s motto is “Find your tribe and love them hard.” If she sounds like someone ya’ll want to hang out with, come join her tribe!

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  Website: www.leightudor.com

  Email: leigh@leightudor.com

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