She smiled. “Better. Keep going.”
Suddenly he was laughing. “Because I love you, Caitlyn Cassidy.”
“By golly, I think he’s got it,” she said.
Suddenly Katie heard Mr. O’Reilly’s whoop of glee from the next booth, then Mrs. Jeffers’ hushed admonishment about eavesdropping.
“What did they say?” Ginger demanded from clear across the diner.
“He said he loves her,” Mr. O’Reilly reported.
“Then they’re going to stay married?” Ginger asked.
“Sounds that way to me,” he confirmed.
Katie and Luke exchanged a look. “I had no idea they even knew what was going on,” she said, just as Henrietta Myers started singing a rousing rendition of “Oh Promise Me” at the top of her lungs.
“I guess she’s auditioning in case we decide to try another wedding,” Luke said. He caressed Katie’s cheek. “What do you say? Will you marry me again? A big, splashy wedding with all the trimmings, maybe even five or six bridesmaids?”
Katie could certainly think of five she would want right by her side in front of the altar at St. John’s Church—Abby, Hannah, Emma, Sophie and, of course, Lucy. Joy spread through Katie as she looked him straight in the eye.
“I will,” she said, throwing her arms around him. “I will.”
* * *
As it turned out, no bridesmaids were planned for the ceremony in which Caitlyn and Luke Cassidy were to repeat their wedding vows. Instead, a few days later when Abby, Hannah, Emma, Sophie and Lucy heard about Katie’s plans for an all-stops-out, traditional wedding, they promptly agreed with her that it was the perfect opportunity for each of them to renew their own wedding vows. All six couples sat around in the boarding house living room making wedding plans at an impromptu gathering that Lucy had pulled together.
“And we’ll throw a shower,” Sophie Maguire declared. “Katie never had one.”
“A lingerie shower,” Emma Flint agreed, shooting a heated look at her husband.
“Only if I can come,” Luke interjected.
“All right!” Max Ryder chimed in. “Me, too.”
“In your dreams,” Lucy said to her husband, effectively dashing his hopeful expression.
“You can forget it, too,” Katie told Luke, then leaned down to whisper in his ear.
“I’ll bet she’s promising a private showing just for him later,” Hannah guessed.
“Or maybe she’s just offering to take the edge off his disappointment tonight,” Ford Maguire suggested, drawing a teasing smack from Sophie, who declared that for a sheriff he had a worrisome one-track mind.
“Ever since I met you,” he agreed.
Sophie grinned. “Too bad the baby’s not big enough yet. She could be the flower girl.” She looked at Luke. “Will Robby be ring bearer?”
“If we can keep him away from the cake long enough,” Luke said. “He’s become obsessed with food now that he’s discovered the difference between homemade and store-bought.”
“I just want to know who’s going to sing?” Lucy asked. “Are we going to be stuck with Henrietta or can you get Tommy back here from Nashville?”
Katie froze as she waited for Luke’s reply. He’d said very little about his brother since the night Tommy came by to tell them he’d dropped the custody suit. The next afternoon they’d heard that Tommy had left for Nashville. She started to step in to cover the awkward silence that had fallen, but Luke gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
“I’m not sure if Tommy will be able to make it,” he said. “He’s just trying to get a new career launched. That takes a lot of time.”
“But it’s going well,” Lucy persisted. “You’ve talked to him?”
“Yes, we’ve talked,” he said, surprising Katie.
The impromptu party went on for another hour, but when it was over, Katie brought up the subject of Tommy again. “You hadn’t mentioned talking to him.”
“There was nothing to say,” Luke said tightly.
“Oh, Luke...”
“Drop it, Katie.” He brushed a kiss across her lips. “We have more important things to think about.”
“The wedding.”
He grinned. “That’s too far in the future. I was thinking about right now. Upstairs. You and me.”
Katie sighed with pleasure. “Now that is definitely an intriguing notion, Luke Cassidy.”
“The best one I’ve had all day?”
“Certainly the best one you’ve had since the same time last night,” she agreed as she led the way up the stairs.
EPILOGUE
Katie’s wedding gown, which seemed to be endless yards of delicate French lace, was the envy of all the other brides as they waited at the back of St. John’s Church for the ceremony to begin.
“If you keep weeping on it, you’re going to wilt it,” Katie chided her aunt.
“It’s just that you look so beautiful,” Peg said with a sniff.
“I thought I looked beautiful last time,” Katie retorted.
“But this time you really look like a bride.” Peg squeezed her hand. “You’re happy, aren’t you?”
“Happier than I’ve ever been,” Katie said as the first faint sounds of music drifted outside.
Lucy walked over. “Show time, sweetie.”
Katie reached out and hugged her. “What would I do without you to feed me my cue at my weddings?”
“Hopefully this will be the very last time I ever have to do it.”
“It will be,” Katie said with certainty.
The six women lined up in order of their weddings—Abby, Hannah, Emma, Sophie, Lucy and finally Katie. As if she’d never gone through a wedding ceremony before, butterflies swam in Katie’s stomach as she watched each of them enter the church and begin the slow walk down the aisle to join their husbands.
At last it was her turn. Robby waited until Katie was at the door before stepping into the aisle, proudly holding the pillow bearing Katie’s and Luke’s rings.
“Now, Mommy?” he whispered loudly enough to be heard all the way to the front of the church.
Mommy! Katie’s heart flipped over. She swooped down and hugged him. “You bet. Let’s do it.”
Luke’s gaze locked on her and never wavered as she made the slow walk down the aisle. Katie thought she would burst with sheer joy as she looked into those dear, familiar blue eyes. She was about to marry the man she loved all over again. She had a son. Her aunt’s doubts about her marriage to Luke had finally been put to rest. If only Tommy could be there to share this with them, she thought, then banished the sad thought from her head as she placed her hand in Luke’s and waited to repeat her vows with the other couples.
Katie was certain that her voice and Luke’s could be heard above all the others, stronger and more certain. Whether it was true or not hardly mattered, because she cared only about the possessive light shining in her husband’s eyes as he declared, “I will love you and honor you, cherish and keep you all the days of our lives.”
Forever, Katie thought with a sense of wonder. It was a dream come true. She gazed at the five other equally solemn couples and saw that each pair had eyes only for each other. They had been blessed, all of them.
When the vows had been said and the organ music began to swell, they turned and headed down the aisle. Not until they reached the back of the church did Katie spot Tommy in the shadows, Ginger standing at his side, a challenging glint in her eyes as if she anticipated Luke’s disapproval.
Luke spotted his brother at precisely the same moment and for the space of a heartbeat, Katie saw a muscle working in his jaw. Then a sigh shuddered through him and he closed the distance between them.
Katie watched the reunion with her heart in her throat. Then she joined them, just as Robby came racing down the aisle. He skidded to a stop at the sight of Tommy.
“You look like Daddy. Who are you?”
Tommy hunkered down in front of him and held out his hand. “I’m you
r daddy’s brother,” he said, looking up at Luke. “That makes me your uncle.”
Katie released the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “Thank you,” she mouthed silently to Tommy.
He winked at her. “Some things were just meant to be.”
Yes, Katie thought, gazing up at her husband. Some things were just meant to be.
* * * * *
“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
Love can be found in the most unexpected of places...
And sometimes, it takes a family’s help to find it.
Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods and the Carlton family in the Perfect Destinies saga, where true love, a little matchmaking, second chances and a sassy tale of revenge (with an unexpected twist) await:
Isn’t It Rich? (March 2016)
Priceless (April 2016)
Treasured (May 2016)
Destiny Unleashed (June 2016)
Looking for more great reads from Sherryl Woods?
Catch up with the O’Brien family in Chesapeake Shores, where stories of friendship, family and love are only just around the corner—you may never want to leave. Collect the complete series!
The Inn at Eagle Point
Flowers on Main
Harbor Lights
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
Driftwood Cottage
Moonlight Cove
Beach Lane
An O’Brien Family Christmas
The Summer Garden
A Seaside Christmas
The Christmas Bouquet
Dogwood Hill
Willow Brook Road
“Woods’s amazing grasp of human nature and the emotions that lie deep within us make this story universal.”
—RT Book Reviews on Driftwood Cottage
Take a trip to Serenity, South Carolina, where the Sweet Magnolias are always in season and sweet romance is only ever a stone’s throw away:
Stealing Home
A Slice of Heaven
Feels Like Family
Welcome to Serenity
Home in Carolina
Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Honeysuckle Summer
Midnight Promises
Catching Fireflies
Where Azaleas Bloom
Swan Point
“Woods employs her signature elements—the Southern small-town atmosphere, the supportive network of friends and family, and the heartwarming romance—to great effect.”
—Booklist
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Read on for a special first look at Sherry’s latest Chesapeake Shores novel, Willow Brook Road, now available from MIRA Books.
CHAPTER ONE
The original Mick O’Brien–designed cottage on Willow Brook Road had been built with weathered gray shingles, white trim and a tiny back porch barely big enough for two rockers side by side. They faced Willow Brook, which fed into the Chesapeake Bay. The backyard sloped gently to the brook, with the graceful branches of a trademark weeping willow touching the lawn at the water’s edge. The peaceful setting was just right for quiet conversation or relaxing with a good book.
In front the cottage featured a small yard with an actual white picket fence and a climbing yellow rosebush that tumbled over it with a profusion of fragrant blooms. Bright red and hot pink geraniums filled pots on the stoop in a vibrant display of clashing colors. The property oozed picturesque charm.
With three cozy bedrooms and a fireplace in the living room and a surprisingly large eat-in kitchen, it was the perfect Chesapeake Shores vacation getaway or a starter home for a small family, but Carrie Winters had been living there alone and at loose ends for almost six months now. The only personal touch she’d added beyond the mismatched furniture she’d acquired from various family attics was the portrait of the whole O’Brien family taken at the Christmas wedding of her twin, Caitlyn.
These days, sitting in one of those rockers for more than a minute or two made her antsy. After two years in a pressure-cooker public relations job at which she’d excelled, being idle was a new experience, and one she didn’t particularly like. She was too distracted for reading anything deeper than the local weekly newspaper. And though she loved to cook, making fancy meals for one person just left her feeling lonely.
Worst of all, she seemed incapable of motivating herself to get out of this funk she’d been in ever since coming home. Chesapeake Shores might be where she wanted—or even needed—to be as she tried to piece her life back together and reevaluate her priorities, but it had created its own sort of pressure.
While the rest of the O’Brien clan was unmistakably worried about her, her grandfather Mick was bordering on frantic. O’Briens did not waste time or wallow in self-pity, which was exactly what Carrie had been doing ever since the breakup of her last relationship. Timed to coincide with the crash and burn demolition of her career in the fashion industry, the combination had sent her fleeing from Paris and straight back to her loving family.
Carrie sighed and took a first sip of the one glass of wine she allowed herself at the end of the day. Wallowing was one thing. Getting tipsy all alone was something else entirely. Even she was wise enough to see that.
An image of Marc Reynolds, the fashion world icon she’d thought she loved, crept into her head, as it did about a hundred times a day. That was down from about a million when she’d first flown home from Europe after the breakup. If it could even be called that, she thought wryly. Truthfully, she’d finally realized that Marc thought of her more as a convenient bed partner and workhorse whose public relations efforts for his fashion empire had helped to put it on the fast track to international acclaim. Unbeknownst to her, his heart apparently belonged to a she-devil, self-absorbed model who treated him like dirt. Carrie could relate, since Marc had pretty much done the same to her. She was still struggling to understand how her judgment could possibly have been so clouded that she hadn’t seen that sooner. Surely the signs had been there. Had she been so besotted she’d missed them? If so, how could she possibly trust her instincts about a man again?
Not that she was going to let that be an issue anytime soon. She was swearing off the male of the species until she figured out who she was and what she truly wanted. At the rate she was progressing on that front, it could take years.
Enough! she told herself firmly, carrying her almost-full glass inside and stepping over a scattering of toys as she went. She smiled as she picked up a floppy-eared bunny and set it gently in a chair. A stack of children’s picture books sat on a nearby table.
Taking care of her twin sister’s little boy Jackson McIlroy was about the only thing that gave her a sense of fulfillment these days. With Caitlyn serving a medical internship at Johns Hopkins, and Caitlyn’s husband, Noah, running an increasingly busy family medicine practice here in town, Carrie had volunteered for daycare duty whenever they needed her. More and more often they’d come to rely on her, which suited her just fine, but seemed to be making everyone else in her driven family a little crazy. Babysitting wasn’t considered a suitable career goal for the granddaughter of the town’s founder.
She picked up a few more toys, put them in the brightly colored toy box she’d painted herself one particularly dreary winter day, then grabbed her purse and walked into town. Ten minutes later she was at O’Brien’s, the Irish pub her second cousin Luke had opened a few years back. She knew she’d find a good meal there, even if it came with a serving of family meddling from whichever O’Brien happened to be around.
>
When she walked in the door, she was startled to find it mostly empty.
“Hey, Carrie,” Luke said, automatically pouring a glass of white wine for her.
“Where is everybody?” she asked, as she settled on a stool in front of the magnificent old bar that Luke had found in Ireland and shipped home to be the centerpiece of his pub.
“It’s barely five o’clock,” he pointed out. “We’ll be filling up soon.”
Carrie glanced at her watch and groaned. Today—a day without the baby to watch—had been endless. Apparently it wasn’t close to being over, either.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said, as Luke polished glassware and readied the bar for this evening’s business.
He studied her face for a moment, then came around the bar and sat down beside her, giving her his full attention. “What’s on your mind?”
“You were the youngest in my mom’s generation, right?”
“Oh yeah,” he confirmed.
“Did you feel pressured to accomplish something?”
He laughed. “Are you kidding me?”
“Not even a little bit,” she said seriously.
“You know all this, but let me remind you. By the time I finished college, your mom was a financial success story on Wall Street. Kevin had served in the military, then jumped onto the bandwagon to preserve the bay with Uncle Thomas. Connor was a hotshot divorce lawyer in Baltimore. Bree had opened a successful flower shop, then a local theater, where she’s now writing and directing to critical acclaim. And Jess was barely into her twenties and already turning the Inn at Eagle Point into a successful regional destination.”
He allowed that to sink in, then added, “That’s what I was up against. On top of that, my brother started working with Uncle Mick as an architect straight out of college, and my sister is all but running the real estate business here in town with my dad. O’Briens seemed to know what they wanted in the womb, all of them except me.”
“And me,” Carrie lamented. “Funny how you were the youngest and felt lost. Cait and I are the oldest in our generation. She recognized her destiny even before she got out of high school. She’s determined to be a doctor and save the world. Not even marriage and a baby have derailed her plans.”
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