“Are you sure you don’t mind being hurried with the wedding, Kimber?” Drew gave the posh setting of Kate & Company a quick glance the second week of November. As predicted, Rick had emerged triumphant in the elections, but Drew was now a world away. “This is your specialty. I’d understand if you want to take a little more time to plan things.”
“You trying to back out of the deal, Slade?” She pushed the desk drawer shut, stood and crossed the few feet between them. “Because I have every intention of walking down the aisle of that abbey on Saturday, having Uncle Steve perform a beautiful ceremony and walking out as Mrs. Drew Slade. With a kid and a dog, so if you’ve got other ideas—”
“Not a one.” He laughed, but he didn’t laugh long because he was too busy kissing her. “I love the idea. And the idea of living together in the apartment until we close the deal on our house—”
“And the idea of having someone else help tackle the whys and wherefores of an adolescent girl.”
“I won’t deny how much that weighed into the decision,” he joked, and when she smacked his arm, he feigned injury. “Your parents seem happy that we’re doing this before they leave on their trip.”
“They do, don’t they?” She turned off the upstairs office lights and pulled the door shut as they walked toward the stairs down to the reception area, arm-in-arm. “It’s so good to see Dad looking well, amazing, really. And no matter what happens, I’m thrilled that Emily and I can give them this time to just relax and do whatever they might want to do.”
The lower door burst open. Amy and Tee raced through, saw them coming down the steps and came to a quick stop. “It’s snowing!” Amy called out, clearly delighted.
“Oh, man.” Drew stared at the obvious snowflakes dusting her head, then raised his gaze outside. “Snow’s a fairly common occurrence up here, Amy. It gets old quick.”
“Oh, it won’t!” She grabbed his arm when he reached the ground floor and hugged it while she propelled him toward the door. “Look at it, Dad. So pretty, so clean and white! Isn’t it beautiful?”
He looked outside.
The town lights twinkled in the freshly falling snow. Tree branches wore their dusting of white, and The Square looked as if it had been painted with the gentlest of pale brushes. “You won’t mind shoveling?”
She started to answer, but Kimberly held up a hand. “We have a plowing service, so shoveling is limited to the sidewalks. Policemen and wedding planners must be able to get to work on time.”
“Crucial personnel.” He grinned at her, then swung open the door. A flurry of white flakes danced in the rush of air, swirling around Amy and Tee as they dashed back outside.
“Dad, I’m catching snowflakes! Try this—it’s awesome!”
He didn’t hesitate a moment, despite his police chief uniform and the doubtful stare Rocky shot his way.
He took his beautiful fiancée by the hand, led her into the softly falling snow and tasted snowflakes with his daughter, like he’d done as a boy more than thirty years before in the same town square.
And as the Center Street churches began their beautiful nightly chime, the blend of notes and music offered a benediction of old and new, yesterday and today, with hope for tomorrow.
And it was good.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from AMISH HOMECOMING by Jo Ann Brown.