Far and Away

by Fern Michaels

  She went downstairs and made a pot of her special coffee. While she waited for it to brew, she stepped outside to smoke her first cigarette of the day. She no longer enjoyed them as much as she once had. Now that she had those two precious grandchildren to consider, she desperately wanted to be around for a long, long time. She wanted very much to watch them grow into fine adults, just like their parents had.

  Abby was a terrific mother, and Chris was an excellent father. Garland would be so proud of him. He would’ve adored the twins had he lived. But today was a day for new beginnings, so she didn’t want to dwell on anything that wasn’t in the here and now.

  It had been three weeks since Phil proposed to her. Three weeks of pure, happy, goofy bliss. At first, she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone. Adamant that she would never marry again, she feared being judged by those who claimed to love her.

  She had been so very wrong. Not only had they not judged her, they were thrilled and happy and excited and fun-loving. Abby and Chris adored Phil, and he adored them. Phil had been there when Abby had been kidnapped and recovered. They’d instantly formed a bond that day.

  All the special people in her life were gathering here today to celebrate her and Phil’s promise to share their lives. Toots smiled. But she and Phil weren’t walking down the aisle alone. No sirree.

  When Bernice and Robert heard her news, they decided a double wedding was in order. Robert reminded them just how much money they could save by splitting the cost between them. Toots assured him money was no object, but they’d agreed to share some of the expenses. When Daniel and Ida found out that Toots and Phil were tying the knot, they shared some good news of their own. Ida held out a hand, revealing a three-carat diamond. Daniel had proposed to Ida the night after he returned from his conference. And if that weren’t enough, Mavis and Wade had been secretly engaged for the past three months. They explained that they had been waiting for the right time to share their news.

  So, here Toots was, over seventy but happier than she’d ever been. John Simpson was the love of her young life. Garland Clay had been the love of her middle years. Phil Becker was the love of her mature life. She had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Life was good. And it would get even better this afternoon when she and Phil, along with Bernice and Robert, and Mavis and Wade, Ida and Daniel, all walked down the aisle together. Four couples, four best friends finding love once again.

  Tears of happiness sprang from her eyes. Joyful, beyond her wildest dreams. She didn’t remember being this happy. Ever.

  Toots filled a mug with coffee and took it outside. She sat down on the top step and listened to the early morning sounds. Birds chirped brightly, frogs croaked a tune that only they understood. A slight breeze scented the warm air with gardenia and night-blooming jasmine. Toots breathed in the aromatic steam from her mug of coffee. If only she could, she would bottle this moment in time so she could capture these feelings again. But since that wasn’t possible, she closed her eyes and imprinted the scene on her mind, the smells, the complete serenity. A perfect beginning of her brand-new life.

  She could not wait any longer. She had to talk to someone. She went inside and dialed Sophie’s cell phone.

  “Happy wedding day,” Sophie said when she picked up the phone. “Are you shaking in your shoes yet?”

  “Not at all. I’m so happy, my insides are tingling. And not the kind of tingling you’re thinking either.”

  “You have such a dirty mind, you know that?”

  “I learned it from you.”

  They laughed and agreed that it was true.

  “Sophie, do you think I’ve lost my mind? I swore I would never marry again after burying that cheapskate Leland. And here I am doing it all over again.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Toots. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Remember, your husbands all died. It’s not like you divorced them.”

  “So that makes it a little better, you think?” Toots asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay. I guess I needed to hear that again,” she said.

  “You’re not having doubts, are you?”

  Toots chuckled. “No, I haven’t had the first doubt, not even an inkling of one.”

  “Then you have your answer. Phil is a good man, and he adores you. Plus, he’s about to be a little bit famous. Now think of the fun you two will have.”

  “Thanks, Sophie, that’s just what I wanted to hear. Did I ever tell you how special you are to me?” Toots’s eyes pooled.

  “Oh shit, don’t start that ball-bagging crap! Yes, you’ve told me a million times how much you love me, and I’ve dittoed it every time. Now go upstairs, wash your face, and take a little nap. The hoopla begins at noon on the dot.”

  Epilogue

  Later the same day...

  The early afternoon sun sparkled like a giant ball of yellow fire. The sky was a clear, robin’s-egg blue. The temperatures hovered just below seventy. A perfect day for an outdoor wedding.

  They had all agreed to have the weddings take place in Toots’s garden. She had hired a team of gardeners to trim, shape, and sculpt the shrubbery. The giant angel oak, dripping Spanish moss, reminded her of an old wedding veil that still remembered its very own special day. The sweet scent of the bubble-gum trees added an extra dose of sugary sweetness to the gardens. Camellias, gardenias, and magnolias added just the right amount of floral scent. Not too heavy, but just enough.

  Chairs with big white ribbons tied to the backs were lined up in neat rows. At the end of each aisle, a garnish of fresh flowers from Toots’s garden was tied to the backs of the chairs. A white silk runner spread out on the grass led to the pulpit, where the Reverend William Wainwright would perform his first quadruple marriage.

  Upstairs, in Toots’s master bedroom, Abby and her godmothers took turns in front of the mirror. When they all decided to get married together, Ida came up with the idea of matching dresses, in material but not design. No, they each knew what complimented their figures and at their age, they were sticking with what they knew. Creamy silk, lots of tiny white pearls, and smatterings of delicate lace. Four creations made in less than two weeks, courtesy of Mavis and her team of seamstresses. The dresses were totally unique, one of a kind.

  After they each had a turn admiring themselves, Abby insisted that she should touch up their makeup, even though Ida’s team of professional makeup artists had just left them. They were downstairs in the formal dining room getting a head start on the festivities. Goebel acted as bartender since he was the only man of a certain age not making a trip down the aisle today.

  They had invited a few of their close friends but wanted to keep the ceremony as low-key as possible. Toots had hired members of the Charleston Symphony to play the harp, the flute, and the guitar. She didn’t want loud rock; she wanted calm and slow.

  Jamie had made four separate wedding cakes, each a different flavor. Toots had chosen red velvet, as this was her and Phil’s favorite dessert. Ida and Daniel picked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting because they thought having a vegetable in their cake would promote good health. Bernice and Robert opted for good old-fashioned red devil’s food, and Mavis and Wade wanted an angel food cake. Jamie had delivered four masterpieces this morning.

  And, lastly, they all agreed that Jonathan and Amy should take part in the wedding, but Abby feared if she let them loose, they would just plop down and play in the dirt. Toots had a bright red wagon FedExed for them. They would ride in the wagon, with Coco and Frankie, and Chester would pull them down the aisle.

  Soft notes from a flute wafted up to her room, her two-minute warning. Toots took a deep breath, and said, “It’s time.”

  Sophie, dressed in a pale green knee-length dress, ushered the four brides down the stairs. They had all agreed that they didn’t want the men to see them until they met at the altar, so Abby devised a plan to reroute them to the side of the house so the men could walk down the white silk aisle to meet them at the alta
r.

  With Sophie in the lead, Toots, Ida, Bernice, and Mavis slow-stepped to the altar to the Platters’ “Only You.” Their eyes shone bright with unshed tears of happiness as, one by one, they walked to the pulpit to stand by their husbands-to-be.

  Chester held the wagon’s handle firmly in his mouth as he carefully pulled the precious cargo down the white silk aisle. There were many oohs and ahhs from their guests when they saw Jonathan and Amy and the two pooches inside the wagon. Amy said “Hi, hi, hi,” and moved her little fingers up and down in a wave. Jonathan smiled and kissed Frankie right on the muzzle. More laughter, then Abby and Chris stood next to the wagon, just in case.

  The music stopped, and the ceremony began.

  “Dearly beloveds,” the reverend began, “this is my first time marrying four couples at once.” The guests laughed again, and so did the reverend. “Now, dearly beloveds, we are gathered here on this beautiful summer day to join Teresa Loudenberry and Philip Becker, Ida McGullicutty and Daniel Townsend, Mavis Hanover and Wade Martin, and Bernice Townsend and Robert Martin in holy matrimony.”

  The reverend went through the traditional vows, stopping to address each of them as he asked them to repeat after him. “Let’s do this together, shall we?”

  “Do you, Teresa Loudenberry, take Philip Becker, and do you, Ida McGullicutty, take Daniel Townsend, and do you, Mavis Hanover, take Wade Martin, and do you, Bernice Townsend, take Robert Martin to be your lawfully wedded husbands?”

  “I do,” Toots said as she gazed into Phil’s eyes.

  “So do I,” Ida said, with a huge smile on her face.

  “And I do as well,” Mavis said, her voice pure bliss.

  “I’ll say yes, I do,” Bernice added.

  The reverend turned to the men, and they went through the process again. More subdued laughter from the guests.

  “By the power invested in me by the State of South Carolina, I now pronounce all four couples husband and wife. Now kiss your brides!”

  A cheer from the guests as the couples kissed, but there was still one more small ceremony to perform.

  Toots, Ida, Mavis, and Sophie, who had remained at the altar throughout the ceremony, each held a hand out and took turns placing their hands on top of each other’s. When they were done, the four women threw their hands high in the air, and shouted, “When you’re good, you’re good!”

  Dabney House Peach Jam

  Ingredients

  8 to 10 pounds fresh peaches

  8 pounds sugar

  Directions

  Bring water to a boil. Put peaches in the boiling water for one minute or less, just long enough to loosen the skins. Take them out with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water. Peel and slice peaches, discarding the pits. Put peaches into a large, wide, open, heavy-bottomed pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil mixture, stirring frequently. Mixture will thicken in approximately 45 minutes to an hour. As mixture thickens, stir more frequently to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. To test whether the jam is ready, place a cold metal spoon in the mixture and tilt. The jam should form a single stream.

  Let cool. Pour jam in glass jars with lids. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.

  Dabney House Chicken Salad

  Ingredients

  4 cups diced or shredded chicken, cooked (about 2 pounds)*

  juice and zest of one lemon

  1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

  2 to 3 celery ribs, cut into small pieces

  1 small Granny Smith apple, finely chopped

  3 cups halved seedless red grapes

  ½ to ¾ cup light or regular mayonnaise

  1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

  coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

  *To cook the chicken, broil, bake, or barbecue until the center of the chicken is no longer pink and reaches a temperature of 165 F. on your meat thermometer. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is excellent for this recipe.

  Preparation

  Place the diced chicken in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and toss to combine. Add the pecans, celery, chopped green apple, grapes, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper; toss all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

  To allow the flavors to blend properly, cover and place prepared chicken salad in the refrigerator for about two hours before serving.

  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

  White Chicken Stew

  1 pound chicken breasts, baked and cut in chunks

  2–3 potatoes, peeled and sliced

  1 pkg. frozen peas and carrots

  1 can cream of chicken soup

  1 can cream of celery soup

  ½ cup milk (more if you want it thinner)

  ¼ cup ranch dressing

  ½ cup sour cream

  2 tablespoons dried minced onion

  ½ tablespoon Parisienne Herbs or 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

  fresh ground pepper to taste

  Put chicken, veggies, and potatoes in slow cooker.

  Mix soups, dressing, milk, sour cream, and all seasonings together.

  Pour over chicken mixture in slow cooker and mix together.

  Cook on low until heated through and veggies are done.

  Because this recipe is so comforting and filling, rarely is there room for dessert, but I have a sweet tooth so I serve lime Jell-O mixed with mandarin oranges. I hate to admit this, but I top it off with a mountain of Reddi-Wip. My bad. But . . . it is soooo good. Perfect ending to a great meal.

  Be sure not to miss the new novel in the Men of the Sisterhood series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels

  HOT SHOT

  Loyalty is a way of life for the Sisterhood and their significant others. When lawyer Lizzie Fox’s husband, Cosmo Cricket, is left critically injured after being shot by an unknown assailant, the men of BOLO Consultants head straight for Las Vegas to comfort Lizzie—and to uncover a dangerous enemy in the City of Sin.

  As head of Nevada’s Gaming Commission, Cosmo has powerful enemies. Yet the shooting seems to be related to one of his private projects. Built in the desert outside Las Vegas, Happy Village is a flourishing community for seniors who have lost a spouse. Cosmo’s widowed father found new purpose in running the venture. But the neighborhood that’s now home to Happy Village was once run by rival gangs, a complicated past that has come to haunt the place. Jack, Harry, and the rest of the crew need to remove the threat, risking everything to take on a vicious and mysterious gang leader known only as Hot Shot. And while the men of the Sisterhood fight for justice for their friend, Cosmo is fighting for his life—and the stakes have never been higher . . .

  A Zebra mass-market paperback and e-book

  on sale September 2019.

  Keep reading for a special sneak peek!

  Chapter 1

  Ten years later

  It was a room.

  But it wasn’t just any room. This room had no windows. Aside from a closet built into the wall and a small lavatory off to the side, it was just a square box of a room.

  What made this particular room different was the single hospital bed and the machines that beeped and pinged constantly along with the sound of a wheezing ventilator.

  And, of course, the second difference was the VIP patient hooked up to the ventilator and the machines that beeped and pinged every second of the day.

  The third difference, if you were counting, was the woman dressed in a blue paper gown who sat at the side of the hospital bed holding the patient’s hand. She’d barely moved, eaten, or slept in the ninety-six hours she’d been in the box of a room.

  Her eyelids drooped in weariness, but she forced herself to stay awake as she mumbled words she couldn’t even understand. Somewhere, a long time ago, she’d read that if you held the hand of a patient who was in a coma and spoke to him, he could hear you in the dark hole he was in. Because she wanted to believe that was tru
e, it was exactly what she’d been doing since she arrived. She was hoarse from talking about the very first picnic they’d gone on, but she forced herself to keep speaking, leaning in closer to the patient so he could hear when her voice threatened to give out, believing the patient could still hear her whispered words. How many times had she recounted the picnic—a hundred, a thousand, more? She didn’t know. They were familiar words, and they came easily to her parched throat because it had been such a happy time in their lives. But when the words wouldn’t come anymore, she switched to their son, whose goal it was to become an Olympic swimmer.

  The room was quiet as a tomb except for the beeping of the ventilator. For some reason, she was able to block those sounds from her mind and concentrate on her own voice and the otherwise absolute quiet that surrounded her and the patient in the bed.

  Suddenly, her head jerked upright. What was that noise? Something different. Something . . . some noise . . . was invading the tomblike quiet. She stood up on wobbly legs, the paper gown making its own strange noise, and walked to the door. She looked around, panic and terror on her beautiful face. What was that sound? She reached out for something to hold her upright. Somehow she managed to get to the door and open it. She squinted in the bright overhead lighting, wondering if she was seeing a hallucination.

  She thought she shouted “Jack!” but it came out in a bare whisper as her weary gaze took in Jack and the rest of the guys all standing outside her husband’s door. She said his name again, and this time her voice was full of pain as she saw Harry Wong move to be closer to Jack Emery so they could both catch her when she toppled into their arms.