Maddie’s smile slipped. “I know. I haven’t seen her. She’s been expending a lot of energy trying to learn how to hug me for real. I’m worried.”
“She’ll be here.” Christy met her gaze in the mirror. “I know she wouldn’t miss this day for the world. She always hoped for it as much as you did.”
“Do you think?”
“I know. She told me when she was in the salon once. I asked about you – this was about five years ago mind you – and she said you were doing well. I made some offhand comment about how you would probably never come back to Blackstone Bay and she said that wasn’t the case, that you belonged here with Nick. She said his name so I know she was talking about him.”
“Yeah. She always thought we would end up together. She would make jokes whenever he had a girlfriend in high school, say things to make the girl uncomfortable. Once, she told that blonde he was dating from Kalkaska that she shouldn’t get too attached to Nick because it wasn’t going to last.”
Christy barked out a laugh. “That sounds just like her. I’m sure she’ll be here. She’s probably saving her strength.”
“Probably,” Maddie agreed, smiling when Christy finally managed to wrestle the chunk of hair into the right spot. “You did it.”
“Of course I did it. I’m a miracle worker. Now, don’t move. I just have to spray it.”
At that exact moment, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
“It’s probably my dad,” Maddie said. “He’s supposed to come up here when it’s time to walk me down the aisle.”
“I’ll get it.” Christy extended a warning finger. “Don’t you even think of moving.”
Maddie mimed crossing her heart. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Christy disappeared from the master bathroom and Maddie could hear her talking to someone in the bedroom. Then, out of nowhere, her friend started raising her voice. “You can’t go in there. It’s bad luck.”
Maddie turned, confused, and almost fell out of her chair when Nick strolled into the bathroom. “What are you doing,” she screeched, trying to cover the bodice of her dress. “You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding.”
“It’s fine.” Nick was calm and collected, his smile easy and ready. “I have something to give you before the wedding. It’s a gift.”
“You can’t see me in my dress!” Maddie was adamant. “I’m serious.”
“I’ve already seen you in your dress.” Nick refused to back down. “I don’t believe in bad luck. We’ve already overcome all the bad luck in the world and lived to tell the tale. It’s smooth sailing from here.”
Maddie narrowed her eyes. “There’s no such thing as all the bad luck.”
He nodded. “You know what I mean. Here.” He extended a jewelry box in her direction, catching her off guard. “It’s nothing big but when I saw it, I knew you had to have it.”
Maddie abandoned her efforts to hide her dress and opened the container, her eyes going misty when she saw the necklace inside. “Oh, Nicky.”
“It’s a turtle,” he said hurriedly, moving closer. “It’s moonstone, which is supposed to be magical, and white gold because I know you hate yellow gold. It’s engraved.”
Maddie carefully extricated the pendant and flipped it over, choking back a sob when she read the two words on the back. My love.
“Oh, I can’t believe you’re going to make her cry and ruin all the work I put into her makeup,” Christy groused, nudging Nick to the side so she could move closer to Maddie. “Don’t you dare ruin that mascara!”
“Leave her alone,” Nick instructed, his eyes never leaving Maddie’s face. “This is her day. She can do whatever she wants.”
By sheer force of will, Maddie managed to tamp down the tears. “This is beautiful. I’m going to wear it on our honeymoon.”
“Good.” He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. “In an hour, you’re going to be my wife,” he whispered. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”
Maddie gripped his hand and struggled to find her voice. When she did, she was surprised that it sounded strong and clear. “I have a gift for you, too,” she said. “It’s here.” Maddie pointed to another jewelry box resting on the bathroom counter and Christy obediently grabbed it so she could hand it to Nick. “I was going to give it to you after the ceremony, but now works.”
“It does,” Nick agreed, carefully opening the container and smiling when he saw what was inside. “A watch?”
“Yeah. I thought it would be a good way to say that there would be no more waiting for us. I got it engraved, too.”
Nick flipped it over and grinned. “It’s about time,” he read out loud as he laughed. “I like the heart you put with our initials on it, too.”
“Is that Petoskey stone?” Christy asked, staring at the watch face. “That’s different.”
Nick flipped the watch over again and studied it closer. The face was definitely made out of Petoskey stone. “You designed this yourself, didn’t you?”
Maddie nodded. “You showed me that box where you kept of all the Petoskey stones I’d given you over the years and I picked the best ones.”
This time, Nick was the one fighting off tears. “Thank you, Maddie.”
“Oh, geez.” Christy rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Am I going to have to fix your mascara, too?”
Nick ignored her. “This is going to be the best day, Mad. For both of us, I mean. It’s only the start.” He lowered himself so he was at eye level as he stared into her eyes. “I’m going to be waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Don’t let your nerves get the better of you. I’ll be there … always … and no one will ever love you more than me. It’s not possible.”
“I feel the same way.” Maddie cupped his cheek and smiled as he leaned over to hug her.
“You guys are the absolute schmaltziest,” Christy groused, shaking her head. “Don’t get that dress dirty, Nick. I … .” She broke off when she realized the air behind Maddie was shimmering. Fear grabbed her by the throat for a split second before she recognized Olivia’s familiar countenance.
Somehow the ghost had managed to find appropriate wedding attire, and when she wrapped her arms around both Maddie and Nick from behind, Christy was the one who started crying.
“Oh, I can’t believe this.”
Maddie chuckled as she moved her damp eyes to Christy. “Who is going to fix your makeup?”
“Screw the makeup. You’ve got a ghost giving you away along with your father. How am I supposed to keep from crying for that?”
“I have no idea.” Maddie giggled, lightening the mood. “This is going to be the best day, isn’t it?”
Nick kissed her, not caring that he was supposed to wait until the end of the ceremony or that Christy was about to go nuclear. “This is going to be the best life, love. Strap in, because you’re stuck with me forever.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
“Good. There we happen to agree.”
Want more? Sign up for my mailing list. It’s for new releases only, no spam.
http://eepurl.com/bLFbgz
Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
If you’re interested in upcoming releases, follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I do not spam. I don’t believe it and, as a reader, I find it annoying. Only new release information and special sales promotions will be posted.
This book is available for lending. Please do so.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual event
s is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Books by Lily Harper Hart
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
Grave Seasons
Grave Holiday
Grave Haunting
Grave Paths
Grave Danger
Grave Missteps
Grave Demands
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
Wicked Fog
Wicked Season
Wicked Winter
Wicked Hearts
Wicked Wishes
Wicked Whimsy
Wicked Haunts
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Ghostly Images
Ghostly Wrecks
Ghostly Asylum
Ghostly Tricks
Ghostly Distress
Ghostly Despair
Ghostly Holiday
A Rowan Gray Mystery
Welcoming Seas
Murky Seas
Stormy Seas
Sunken Seas
Choppy Seas
Churning Seas
Dangerous Seas
Crossovers
Wicked Ghosts
Wicked Seas
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
Deadly Waves
Deadly Forever
Grave Destiny Page 59