Chapter 30

Marley

If anyone had told Marley, just one year ago, that she would be where she was today, she would’ve told them they were nuts. Marley remembered exactly how she’d felt on the previous Valentine’s Day. Nearly suicidal. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But she’d felt depressed and lonely and completely hopeless regarding her future. Giving up hadn’t sounded half bad.

But here she was, just one year later, up in the master suite of Abby’s inn, wearing a vintage lace wedding dress in a sophisticated shade of ecru along with her favorite red cowgirl boots. The retro boots has started out as a joke. Marley happened to have been wearing them when she modeled her delightful gown for the Lindas. She and Caroline had found the dress on a quick shopping trip to Portland. The boots and the gown made for an interesting ensemble, which her friends insisted looked quite stylish. “And you wanted Bohemian,” Caroline had reminded her. Then Marley remembered how much Jack loved her red cowgirl boots and decided, Why not? Even now, she thought they looked perfect—in a quirky Clifden sort of way.

Caroline, already wearing a coral-red silk dress, had arrived early to help Marley with her hair today. Not that there was much to do with hair as short as Marley’s, but as usual, Caroline was working her magic. Right now, she was using some kind of goo to make Marley’s bangs do things Marley thought her hair was incapable of doing.

“You are a magician,” Marley told her as she watched Caroline working.

Caroline laughed. “It’s the hair product that’s magic, Marley.”

“Well, I do appreciate your expertise.”

“I used to consider going to some sort of beauty school.” Caroline was starting to work on Marley’s makeup. “I thought I could learn to do hair or maybe cosmetology,” she continued absently. “Even now, I sometimes wonder if I could do something like that or if I’m too old.”

“Never too old,” Marley declared. Of course, she selfishly hoped that Caroline wasn’t really considering such a thing. She had been such a lifesaver at the art gallery, stepping in to work after Sylvia quit. Caroline turned out to be such a natural with the customers, warm and friendly, making everyone feel comfortable whether they knew a thing about art or not. Sylvia had given Jack no notice and simply didn’t show up for work one day. Later, she claimed to have found another job, although her timing was right on the heels of the announcement of Jack and Marley’s engagement.

“I feel guilty,” Marley had confessed to Jack.

“Don’t,” Jack told her. Then he told her a bit more. It seemed obvious that Sylvia really had set her sights on him. He’d felt blindsided by this, thinking her helpfulness had been just that—helpfulness. But after that phone conversation with Marley, when she’d confessed her concerns, he had managed to put two and two together. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, Leah seemed to have been part of the mother-daughter package deal. Consequently, Marley had returned to grandmother mode (and more) and helped with caring for Hunter.

“Jasmine isn’t coming to the wedding,” Jack had informed Marley last week.

“You heard from her?” Marley was surprised.

“I emailed her shortly after we got engaged,” he told her. “For some reason I thought she might be interested.” He let out a sad laugh. “Right now the only thing that interests Jasmine is Jasmine.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Marley assured him. “For Hunter. And us.”

He had smiled then, kissing her. “See, this is why you are so perfect.”

“Okay,” Caroline announced, bringing Marley back to the moment. “How about that?”

“Oh Caroline.” Marley smiled at her image in the mirror. “I feel pretty.”

“You are pretty!”

“That’s for sure,” Janie said as she came in carrying a garment bag. She leaned over and gently kissed Marley’s cheek. “A beautiful bride!”

Marley laughed. “Who’d’ve thunk? At my age?”

“And your usher is downstairs,” Janie informed her, “looking quite handsome in his retro tux.”

“Ashton is here?” Marley stood.

“Do you want him to come up?”

Marley looked at Janie, who had partially disrobed as she prepared to put on her dress. “No, I can wait. I’m just happy he’s here.”

“He looks well, Marley.” Janie smiled. “He and Jack are visiting, and I can tell Ashton is happy for you.”

Marley sighed, then looked around. “So where are Abby and Hunter?”

“Abby is taking care of some last-minute things in the kitchen. And Hunter is already all dressed and adorable. She’s working on a surprise for you. She told me not to tell you anything more.”

Marley just nodded.

Janie slipped her dress, a rusty shade of red, over her head. “The reason I’m running late is because Lisa called right before I left.”

“How is she?” Caroline asked eagerly.

“Oh, she sounds so good,” Janie told them. “I know you can’t tell much from a phone call. But her voice, the tone of it, it’s just so alive. It reminds me of when she was a girl. She used to have so much energy and enthusiasm.” She turned around to have Caroline help with the zipper. “Am I a fool to believe that she could become that girl again?”

“No, of course not,” Marley told her. “We have to believe in our children no matter what, Janie. That’s just part of being a mom, right?”

Janie nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

Abby burst into the room. “Sorry to be late, Marley. I’ll hurry and dress.”

Marley sat on the bed, just watching as Caroline and Janie helped Abby to get ready. Abby’s dress was a faded rose red. She was surprised to see that those three shades of red together, in three different dress styles, looked so perfect together. Now she wouldn’t say this to them, because she knew they’d just laugh, but she really did think they could wear those dresses again.

Abby was talking about the food she’d been working on in the kitchen—the seafood feast that Jack had requested. “I’ve got clam chowder and crab cakes and shrimp skewers and baked salmon. The works.” She also told them about how things were starting to pick up for the B and B. “Those great reviews I got from my mystery guests might’ve helped.” She chuckled.

“Hey, I wrote nothing but the truth,” Caroline told her.

“Me, too,” Marley chimed in.

“I frequent the inn quite a bit too,” Janie admitted.

“Well, anyway, summer is getting fairly booked up.” Abby sighed. “I told Paul that he and I might need to consider living somewhere else in order to rent out this room.”

“Where would you live?” Caroline asked.

“Paul thinks he might be able to turn the garage into a guesthouse that we could use as our private space.”

“That’s a great idea.” Marley had to marvel at how much Paul seemed to have evolved in the past couple of weeks. Not only was he helping Abby with the inn, he seemed to be enjoying socializing with her friends more. He seemed happier. More relaxed.

Marley continued watching her friends as they did their final primping, joking and chatting and just being themselves. She knew they were all in their fifties—which in all reality was beyond middle age—and yet it felt as if they were still girls or young women. The lilting sounds of their voices, their enthusiasm, their love and loyalty to one another—it all seemed timeless and wonderful.

Finally they were done, and Marley knew that the wedding would be starting any minute. “I have something for each of you.” Marley went over to her purse, which was on the bed, and removed four small boxes. She’d gone to the same jeweler that Jack had commissioned to make her ring and asked him to make silver necklaces for the Four Lindas. She’d drawn the pendant design—a curly L set in a heart with their four birthstones set into it. “Something to remind us that we are, and will always be, the Four Lindas,” she explained as they opened the boxes. One by one, they expressed their delight and exchanged hugs. Then Caroline popped open a bottle of chilled champagne and handed out glasses.

“Here’s to you, Marley,” she said. “May your marriage be as blessed and beautiful as you are!”

The others made similar toasts. And finally Marley lifted her glass. “And here’s to us,” she told them. “Here’s to friends!”

“To the bright future of our friendship,” Janie said.

“To the Four Lindas!” Caroline shouted.

“Friends forever,” Abby declared.

Marley grinned at them. As much as she was looking forward to this big event—her wedding and her honeymoon and her marriage—she was also looking forward to the continued friendship of these women … her dear friends!