Epilogue

Six months after that on the far side of the dance floor . . .

I’M telling you, Lois, it can work.”

“Eh?” Lois Gayle put a hand to her ear to listen to what Cate Manley was trying to tell her. These dang parties were always so noisy that it made it tough to hear.

Though that’s not what her granddaughter would say. Jennifer was a sweet girl, smart as a whip that one, but her fancy vet degree didn’t teach her a thing about humans getting older. Hearing aids were for deaf people, not those who didn’t want to listen to the noise. Lois liked her peace and quiet, thank you very much.

“You just need to come up with a plan. Mildred and I married off all of our grandkids. Two of them to each other.”

“To each other? Isn’t that illegal? I’d watch out for the babies on that one, I would.” Lois’s third-cousin-once-removed had married her first cousin, and Lois would swear that’s why their son Bill ended up in prison. Just wasn’t right mixing the genes that way.

“No, not to each other. My granddaughter, Mary-Alice Catherine, married Mildred’s grandson, Jared. That’s who got married today.”

Lois looked at the two of them, smiling so happily. Mildred and Cate had been talking about their plan for so long it was a wonder their grandkids hadn’t heard anything about it. Why, Lois had heard and she’d been trying not to listen.

Still, the plan had obviously worked, since Cate was spouting off about three more weddings.

Hmmm. Maybe she should have a chat with these two. After all, Jennifer wasn’t getting any younger and Lois would like to have some great-grandchildren of her own.

She patted the chairs beside her. “Have a seat, ladies, and tell me what I should do.”