One year later
“OH, THAT’S ADORABLE!”
“Let me take a picture!”
Holly turned to see what the fuss was about and then grabbed her phone, too. Taffy, all bathed and groomed and wearing a flower collar, sat up on her back legs beside Rita, who was leaning toward the mirror to adjust her headpiece.
“Hey, I’m the official photographer.” Miss Martha from the library pretended she was going to shove them aside, then leaned in and snapped a bunch of photos.
Rita turned, reached down and rubbed the little dog’s ears, and everyone took more photos.
The bride’s room at the church was crowded, but Holly didn’t mind in the least; this was her family. The O’Dwyer wives—Anna, Yasmin and Holly—were serving as bridesmaids for this Christmas wedding of Rita and Jimmy.
They’d all gotten close, calling each other most days, helping out with each other’s kids, sharing big family dinners. In some ways, they had the sisterly relationship she wished she and Tiff could have had.
Finally, she had a big supportive family and she loved it. For Penny, of course, but also for herself. No more solitary holidays; no more solving all her problems herself; no more ache of loneliness deep inside.
Rita turned to show them all the full effect of her floral crown. She was stunning in a simple white gown, her hair flowing down her back. “What do you ladies think? Ridiculous?”
“No! You’re gorgeous!” Holly reached out to straighten Rita’s sleeve.
“I’m not exactly in my twenties. We should probably have gone to a justice of the peace, but I never had a real wedding before.”
Anna and Yasmin joined Holly at Rita’s side. “This means a lot to your sons,” Anna said. “They really like Jimmy, and they want to offer you their support.”
Rita’s face crinkled into a smile. “They’re the reason I can do this at all,” she said. “They’ve helped me work through the past. And all these grandkids have helped me think about the future.”
Holly pressed her hand to her still-flat stomach and tried to restrain a smile. She didn’t want to steal any of the spotlight from Rita. There’d be plenty of time to tell the family about the baby boy on the way.
“Hey! You about ready?” Norma stuck her head in the door, then came the rest of the way in. “Girl, for an old broad, you look good.” She enfolded Rita in her arms, and when they pulled apart, both friends’ eyes were shiny.
Rita cleared her throat. “You know, you can still change your mind and be in the wedding. I wish you would.”
Norma shook her head. “I have to help Stephen. In fact...” She looked back out the door. “’Bye.” She rushed out and helped Stephen into the church, lovingly scolding him.
“His Parkinson’s is getting worse, it seems,” Yasmin said.
“Yes, but they’re hopeful about a new drug he’s taking for it.” Rita watched Norma ushering him into the sanctuary. “For someone who never wanted a man, she certainly seems to like having one.”
Anna peeked over Rita’s shoulder at the people now streaming into the church. “Pudge looks good, too. He’s lost some weight.”
“Ma’s making him eat healthy food,” Yasmin explained. “He’ll always be a big man, but they’re walking every day and his doctors are amazed at how well he’s doing.”
As the others went on talking, Holly tucked herself into a chair in the corner and watched them, smiling. She was so very happy for Rita, who’d become a dear friend and had truly stepped up as Penny’s grandmother. She’d gone to counseling after recovering her memory and was doing great, especially now that Orin was expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Holly and Cash had married in September, in a beautiful beach ceremony followed by a big bonfire by the cabins Sean and Anna managed. She and Cash had meant to spend their honeymoon there, too, not wanting to leave their family behind, but at the last minute Cash had surprised her with a weeklong trip to Tuscany. They’d driven from vineyard to vineyard, explored quaint hill towns and stuffed themselves on fabulous Italian food.
And she’d gotten pregnant.
At first, she’d been terrified. Sure, Cash had accepted and embraced Penny, but she was a two-year-old; their hands were full with her. Besides, Cash had only just worked through his issues with his father, realizing that Orin’s problems didn’t have to be his own problems, that the sins of the fathers weren’t necessarily visited on the sons.
She’d worried that he wouldn’t want to add to their family so soon, even though he’d been the one to suggest that they let nature take its course.
Which it certainly had and still did. Her cheeks warmed. To her, Cash was completely, devilishly irresistible. They’d made good use of all their doting relatives as babysitters so they could have newlywed time alone, and it was everything Holly hadn’t known to hope for.
“Come on, it’s time!” Miss Vi, who’d insisted on serving as an usher, beckoned them to the back of the church, and they all hurried out, giggling, fixing each other’s hair, wiping makeup smudges.
“The groomsmen just came in,” someone said in the church, and all three wives peeked at the front to see Sean, Liam and Cash lined up.
“Those are some gorgeous men,” Yasmin said. “Mmm-mmm.”
“Yes, they are. Sean’s the most handsome, but your husbands are all right, too.” Anna looked at Sean with adoration undimmed by their nearly three years of marriage.
Privately, Holly thought that neither Sean nor Liam could hold a candle to Cash. Oh, they were great guys, and she was crazy about them, but Cash had such charisma and spark. She fell more in love with him every day.
“Mama!” It was Penny, running toward Holly, hand in hand with HoHo. “We ready!”
“It’ll be your turn in a minute.” Holly knelt and hugged Penny, treasuring the fact that she was walking and talking beautifully, all caught up. “Do you want to walk in with Mommy like we practiced last night?”
“Wanna walk with HoHo,” she said, pushing out her lower lip and frowning, then checking to see Holly’s reaction. She was just starting to realize that she could disagree with Holly, and she loved practicing the power of “no.”
Holly restrained a smile and looked over at Anna, who was straightening HoHo’s little bow tie. “Do you think they’re up for it?”
“They’ll do great,” Rita said. “This wedding is for us, not some magazine. It doesn’t have to be perfect.” She leaned forward to look down the aisle, then gripped Holly’s hand. “My boys. All so handsome.”
“They’re gorgeous. Jimmy, too.”
Anna’s twins came in then, important in their big-girl flower-girl dresses. Yasmin and Liam’s son, now a permanent part of the family but still a little shy, was going to walk down the aisle with them, carrying the rings.
Rita was still squeezing Holly’s hand. “When I lost them, when I lost the boys, I never thought I’d get them back, and this... All of this.” Rita gestured at the children and then at the wives, her eyes glimmering with tears. “I feel so blessed.”
“Stop. You’ll ruin your makeup.” Yasmin gave the thumbs-up signal to the organist and the wedding march started to play.
Later, at the reception, Holly leaned back against Cash in one of the diner’s booths, tired, a little queasy, but so happy. “I’m glad they decided to have the reception here.”
“It fits. Are you sure you feel okay to stay?”
She nodded. “To stay, but maybe not to dance.” The kids were running around in the aisles, and both Sean and Liam were dancing with their wives on the little dance floor they’d made of the front foyer. Even Pudge and Ma Dixie were slow-dancing, holding each other close.
“I’m happy just to sit here and hold you,” Cash said, resting his cheek on her head. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m learning to love weddings. They remind me of how happy I am to be married to you.”
“I love that you share your feelings with me,” she whispered back to him. “And I love how caring you are with me, and with Penny.”
“And with Cash Junior,” he teased, putting a hand on her stomach. “Kidding. I’d never saddle a kid with a name like that.”
“I like it.”
“You’re biased.” He ran a finger slowly up her arm and she felt it like a jolt of electricity, bringing her alive. “Guess we can’t leave Mom’s wedding early, huh?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that would be right,” she said. “But, Cash, we have the rest of our lives.”
The last place police officer Trey Harrison wants to be is the Healing Heroes beach house on the Maryland coast. But an injury has left him and his K9 sidelined with no choice. And while working with Erica Rowe might be enjoyable under different circumstances, he can’t muster enthusiasm for her at-risk teen program. Can this time at the beach help them both find a way to heal and take a risk on love?
Read on for a peek at the first heartwarming book in USA TODAY bestselling author Lee Tobin McClain’s The Off Season series, Cottage at the Beach!