The MGM’s chapel was open, and there was a woman at the reception desk. The place was all marbly and fancy, but I marched my high-tops right in anyway.
“What time is the wedding for Hudson Graham and Rita Keyes?” I asked.
Mom was behind me and started making little cooing noises to the woman about excusing the intrusion.
Darren was smart enough to stay outside.
“Seven-thirty,” the woman said, and, ka-thunk, my mom’s jaw hit the ground.
“Told you,” I snarled at my mom as I dragged her back outside.
“She was right,” my mom gasps to Darren. Then she looks at me and says, “How could she do this without telling us?”
I laugh. “I’m sure she’s planning to tell us. Someday.” Then I switch gears. “But forget about that—we’ve got work to do!”
“Work to do? What do you mean?”
I spread my arms out. “I need a dress! And shoes! And we need to get cans! And a JUST MARRIED sign for Jester!”
“Who’s Jester?” Darren asks.
“Hudson’s car! It’s a 1960 sienna rose Cadillac with whitewall tires and tons of chrome.”
“That’s what he drove to get here? A vintage Cadillac?”
“Yup.” And then I get a great idea. I put my hand out to my mother. “Hand me your phone.”
So she does and I dial and pretty soon I’m hearing, “You’ve reached the King!”
“Pete! It’s Sammy! How would you like to cruise the Strip tonight in a 1960 pink Cadillac? It’s pristine.”
He hesitates. “What’s the hitch?”
“It’s more who’s getting hitched. I’m happy to pay you.”
“You found her? I thought you didn’t want her to get married!”
“I found her, but it’s actually my grandmother who’s getting hitched.”
“Whoa, little mama, you’ve had one complicated weekend.”
“No kidding! But you’ll do it?”
“Sure!”
“Okay! The ceremony’s at seven-thirty at the MGM wedding chapel.”
“Small service, I take it?”
“Oh yeah.”
“So it’ll take about half an hour tops. I’ll be there before eight.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t bring the Army. I think one Elvis is all my grandmother can handle.”
He laughs. “Right. See you soon, little mama!”
I hand the phone back to my mother, who asks me, “You’re hiring an Elvis, and you flew here. Where are you getting all this money?”
“Uh … it’s reward money.”
“Reward money.”
“Yeah.”
“For what?”
“Well … it’s a long story involving a guy named Justice Jack, a pink trailer, some junkyard dogs, and a dairy farm, but basically, someone stole the softball statue out of the foyer of City Hall, and I helped get it returned. So I got a cut of the reward money.” And since she and Darren are just staring at me, I go, “Are we getting ready for a wedding, or what?”
Darren says, “I’ll help with the cans,” but my mom cuts in with “Nobody does that anymore.”
We both look at her. “On a vintage pink Cadillac?” Darren says. “It’s perfect!”
I laugh. “Exactly!” And I can’t help it; I give him a big ol’ smile.
Lady Lana shakes her head. “What have I done?”
So for the next hour we race around buying stuff and decorating Hudson’s car—which was pretty easy to find, even in the massive parking structure. And by the time seven-thirty rolled around, I was wearing a dress and, as Grams would say, a pair of “real” shoes. The dress wasn’t fancy—just a simple blue thing with little flowers on the collar—but I knew Grams would love it. I also found her a bracelet with blue stones. They were fake, but they looked good, and come on! You don’t get that much for returning an ugly bronze statue!
Darren bought chocolates and flowers, and Lady Lana managed to get a set of hankies embroidered on the spot: HUDSON + RITA in a heart.
They were awesome.
Then we raced downstairs and waited outside the chapel.
And waited.
And waited.
And finally I ask, “What time is it?”
“Seven-forty,” Darren tells me.
I put out my hand to Lady Lana. “Phone.”
So she hands it over, and pretty soon Hudson is answering his room phone.
I don’t even bother to say hello. “Did she get cold feet?”
“Sammy?”
“Yes. Is she there all dressed and ready to go?”
“How did you—” He chuckles. “Of course you figured it out.”
“Well, we’re down at the chapel waiting.”
“You are? That’s wonderful! Because after she heard your messages, she decided she didn’t want to go through with it without you, but she thought it was too late to ask you.”
“Well, me and Mom and Darren are all here, so get down here! We have flowers and presents and I’m in a dress, for crying out loud! So tell her there’s no backing out. Oh! And make sure you bring your car keys!”
“We’ll be right down.”
So I hand back the phone and march into the chapel and tell the staff that they’re dealing with old people and they’ll just have to be a little patient. And after a short wait, poof, there’s Hudson in a top hat and tails and Grams looking stunning in a cream-colored dress.
All of a sudden I’m a silly, gooshy-faced girl, sniffling and crying and telling Grams she looks gorgeous and putting the “something blue” on her wrist and telling her that I love her more than she could ever know.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she says softly, then gives me the sweetest smile.
Hudson puts out an elbow for Grams and says, “You ready, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart!
He called her sweetheart!
I start streaming at the eyes all over again.
And then in they go to get married.
I cried through most of the wedding. I knew Grams was starting a new life without me, and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but seeing two of the people I love most in the world get married was awesome. I was so happy for Grams. And Hudson. They had had kind of a rocky romance, but she had been sweet on him from early on, and the more time they had spent together, the easier it was to see that they really were right for each other.
Perfect, in fact.
And I guess what made me so emotional was that Hudson already felt like family.
He was the guy I went to for advice.
He was the guy I could trust with my secrets and troubles and worries.
He was my friend.
And now he was my gramps!
Although, actually, we were going to have to talk about that. Maybe he’d still want me to call him Hudson.
Maybe I’d still want to call him Hudson.
But then again, maybe not!
Anyway, after they’d said their “I dos” and were signing the paperwork, I got Hudson’s keys from him and had Darren take Pete around to where the car was so he could pull it up to the lobby entrance.
Grams was absolutely glowing as we led her away from the chapel to the car, and random people cheered and whistled and yelled congratulations as we made our way through the casino and the lobby.
I was a little worried about Hudson’s reaction to Elvis behind the wheel of his car, but when he saw what we’d done, he said, “Brilliant!” and laughed like a little boy.
Grams turned to Mom and me and said, “This was all so thoughtful. Thank you.”
“Samantha was behind most of it.”
“Isn’t she always?” Grams says, smiling at me.
“I’m happy for you, Mom,” my mother tells her, and after they’ve hugged, Grams hugs me, too, and says, “Thank you, Samantha.”
I start crying again. “I love you, Grams. I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble.”
She holds my cheeks and says, “What’s a little trouble with a heart as big as yours?”
By now Hudson’s car is causing kind of a traffic jam, so Pete stretches out and calls, “Come on, baby, let’s play house!”
Hudson laughs and gives Elvis a thumbs-up, then helps Grams into the backseat and passes her the box of chocolates and the flowers before hurrying around to get in the other side.
“Have fun!” we call, then wave as Elvis eases the car forward and the cans start clanking behind them.
And there they go.
And then they stop.
“What’s wrong?” I call, because Hudson’s getting out of the car.
“Seems we’re missing something,” he says back.
“What?”
He grins. “Our family.” Then he makes a grand sweeping motion, which can only mean one thing.
Get in!
The three of us all look at each other, and when Darren says, “Me, too?” I tell him, “I can’t be the only troublemaker in the family—come on!”
So Darren and my mom sit up with Elvis, and I pile in back next to Grams.
Then we roll out of the driveway and into the bright lights of Las Vegas, Grams holding Hudson’s hand on the left.
And mine on the right.