Shaved

by Gina LaManna

  Meg clapped her hands to her cheeks, her eyes shiny. “I’m part of the family?”

  “That’s what Jimmy has never understood,” Carlos said with a head-nod toward the man on the floor. “Family is there for one another. No matter what. Even if I don’t like you most days,” he said, then carefully reconsidered. “I mean, even if we’re very different, we’re still family.”

  “You hotwired a plane to save me?” Meg gasped. “Oh, Carlos, you’re so wonderful! This is the best wedding day of all time, and my groom isn’t even here yet. Come here, granddad. Bring it in. This bride wants a hug.”

  Carlos looked incredibly uncomfortable, but he let himself be squeezed by Meg without threatening to poke her in the eyes, so we had made some major progress. Once Meg had gotten her fill of Carlos’s hug, she stepped back, tears in her eyes. “Will you walk me down the aisle?”

  “It would be an honor.” Carlos watched her carefully. “And it’s the least I can do.”

  Meg clapped. “Will you tell me you love me?”

  Carlos heaved a huge sigh. “Don’t push it.”

  EPILOGUE

  The next morning, a knock on the door dragged me out of bed. I was surprised to find it was eight a.m. and Bella hadn’t so much as cooed a good morning. I supposed that was what happened when grandma kept her up all hours of the day and night.

  “Hello?” I said, pulling the door open to reveal Meg in a bathrobe and a tiara. “To what do I owe this honor?”

  “We’re getting married,” she squealed. “Right now. Come on downstairs.”

  “But your dress,” I said. “It’s full of seaweed.”

  “I’m just wearing this,” Meg said. “It’s white, isn’t it?”

  I cocked my head sideways at the sight of Meg in the fluffy white hotel-issued bathrobe. She looked cute and all, but it wasn’t exactly bridal wear.

  “Chickadee, I’m wearing a crown,” Meg said, and tipped her tiara as a demonstration. “How much more of a queen do I need to be?”

  “But the ceremony—”

  “Kai set everything up after all,” Meg said. “He heard what happened—I mean, I don’t think there’s a soul on this island who didn’t. Anyway, one thing led to another, and now there’s a hundred—maybe two hundred people waiting downstairs!”

  “Two hundred people?!” I blinked. “I’m not understanding. I think I need coffee.”

  “Well, last night, after we got Coco, Lucy, and Todd to the police—the non-corrupt cops—the officers started to take a stand. They went and arrested Sam—he’ll probably have to serve some time, but he’s also willing to cut a deal and help expose Coco’s other big-time guys,” she said. “Two crooked cops have been arrested. I guess we spurred a huge, necessary cleanout of this town, and now everyone wants to celebrate! They think we’re heroes!”

  “You are a hero, Meg,” I said yawning. “But—”

  “Kai arranged everything,” Meg said. “We have a four-tiered cake. A helicopter ride afterward. A party tonight. Get dressed, grab your daughter, your very cute husband, your very stylish grandmother, and your very loving grandfather, and get them downstairs at once. I just want to get married already.”

  “Don’t you want the ceremony you’d planned?” I asked. “I’m worried you’ll regret not having the splashy wedding of your dreams. We can have another trip, or get you a dress and schedule tomorrow, or...”

  “This is the wedding of my dreams,” Meg said. “Two hundred people are here to celebrate us. We helped them, Lacey! Clay wants to be married. I want to be married. As long as you’re there too, that’s all I need to be happy. Now, come on—if you blow my wedding one more time, I will be mad.”

  “Um,” I said, glancing down at her getup. “That’s fabulous! What should we wear?”

  “Your bridesmaid dress,” Meg said, and reached behind her to where she’d hung it on the door handle. “It’s not ruined. Put it on and come join me. We’re getting started in twenty minutes.”

  I carefully unpackaged the bridesmaid dress after Meg flounced away. I blinked, shielding my eyes from the shimmery pink fabric that glittered under the sunny glow of the window.

  “What’s that?” Anthony asked from bed. “Put it away. It’s blinding.”

  “It’s my bridesmaid dress,” I told him. “You’ll have to get up, sweetie, and Bella too. Meg’s getting married.”

  TO MY GREAT SURPRISE, Meg hadn’t been exaggerating. If anything, she’d underestimated the number of people on the beachfront who’d arrived to watch her wagon get hitched to Clay’s. The crowd sprawled for what felt like miles, and the air of an Independence Day carnival drifted through the hotel.

  Anthony and I made our way downstairs, our heads swiveling as we studied the festivities in awe. I had slipped into my sparkle suit while Bella wore an adorable white dress that puffed out around her knees and made her look like a teensy tiny cherub.

  “Can I ask you for one favor?” Anthony asked as he reached over and pulled Bella from my arms. “I’d like to try this again.”

  “Try what?”

  “Please. No sleepovers, no boat chases, no parachutes tonight. I just want a normal night. Alone. With my girls.”

  “I promise,” I said, leaning toward him for a kiss. “I’m off work. Until we get back home.”

  “We’ll talk about you returning to work later.”

  “Sure,” I said, and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “We’ll talk. After the ceremony.”

  I left Anthony and Bella to find their seats while I scoured the crowd for Meg. Someone had been up early decorating the beach: A huge white arch was covered in blue ribbons and pink flowers and green foliage, and a display of gorgeous calla lilies sat out on a small podium where Meg and Clay would say their vows.

  The crowd didn’t fit in the chairs the hotel had set out, so people had begun to filter into standing room only zones. The place was so packed the hotel had sent out a special concierge who was currently funneling people away from the aisle. Everyone had come to see the woman who’d been kidnapped on her wedding day, the woman who had eventually led the way to the demise of Coco’s long-time hold over the town.

  I found Meg gabbing with a pocket of strangers and stood back, watching, listening. I couldn’t help the brush of a smile that seemed glued on my lips.

  “—come by the bakery for bread,” an older woman was saying. “We’ve had to pay Coco for over ten years, and we’ve barely been hanging on.”

  “If you need your dress dry-cleaned,” a man said, “it’s complimentary. I thought we’d have to close our doors, but without Coco’s cut, we should be okay now.”

  “—the best Mexican food on the island! Come, try it!” yet another supporter of Meg had said. “You will love the margaritas. On the house.”

  “Thanks all,” Meg said, “I’m gonna take y’all up on those offers, but if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a wedding to be at.”

  Meg caught my eye and grinned as she made her way toward me.

  “Isn’t this something?” she murmured. “All these people. Here for us.”

  “For you,” I corrected. “You look...perfect.”

  Meg’s eyes sparkled, and someone had added a delightful touch of makeup to her features that made her eyelashes extend for miles and her lips glisten with a pretty pink. Her cheeks were naturally flushed, and the tiara glittered under the sunlight. Despite her insistence on wearing the bathrobe, she truly did look perfect.

  “Your dress looks great,” she said. “I thought it might overpower me if we stood next to each other up there, but nope. You really look almost as good as me.”

  “Thanks, Meg,” I said, and pulled her in for a hug. “I love you. Happy wedding day.”

  “I love you too, Lacey Luzzi,” she said. “Thank you for making this the wedding of my dreams.”

  “I didn’t do a thing!”

  “No, but I’m hoping you will,” she said, and wrung her hands before me. “How do you feel about having Anthony be my flower
girl?”

  “Um, what?”

  “I mean, Bella’s sort of useless at walking, and she can’t really follow instructions,” Meg said. “No offense to her.”

  “Okay...”

  “So, what if Anthony carried her down and helped her throw the petals?” Meg suggested. “I would really love that.”

  “I think I can make that happen,” I said, already mentally planning a major bribe. It would take a dose of magic to calm down Anthony when he heard the news that his services would be required as flower girl.

  “Oh, look, here’s the wedding coordinator! And Clay! I’ve got to hide—he can’t see me yet. I’ll meet you back here once they’re all settled. Get Anthony, please?”

  I raced through the crowd and found Anthony. “I’m gonna need you to not ask any questions at what I have to say next.”

  “Okay,” Anthony said. “This is me, trying not to ask you questions.”

  “Right. I need you to sort of be an assistant flower man.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said no questions, mister!”

  “But—”

  “Just carry Bella down the aisle and sort of throw some flower petals.”

  “You want me to be the flower girl.”

  “Flower man,” I said. “Flower dad. Come on, do it for Meg. For Bella.”

  “What’s in it for me?”

  “I thought I told you no questions,” I said, but I was prepared. Leaning down, I whispered a few things in his ear. Then I straightened. “And that’s just the start.”

  Anthony stood. “I can manage a few flower petals.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I said smugly. “Now get in line because the music is about to start!”

  I hurried back to the beginning of the white-carpeted aisle that led toward the beautifully adorned canopy. Meg hid around the corner in a small hallway with only her tiara and the tip top of her forehead peeking out for a glimpse at all the hubbub as folks settled into seats and the music grew louder. Whispered shushings began and heads turned toward the back, looking for the bride.

  “There you are,” Meg said, hurrying me into place ahead of her. “Here’s your bouquet.”

  She handed me a tiny bouquet with bright, tropical flowers. I held it close as I surveyed Meg, her hair done in a quaint updo with soft curls falling around her face and a layer of contentedness I’d never seen on her before.

  “How do you feel?” I asked. “Nervous?”

  “What do I have to be nervous about?” she said. “I’m marrying my best friend. What else matters?”

  I swallowed, blinked. “Not a whole lot. I’m so happy for you, Meg.”

  “I’m happy for me, too,” she said, and her voice cracked. “Thanks, Lacey.”

  Another voice cleared behind us. I turned my attention to where Carlos stood looking smart in an expensive suit and tie. He wore a softer expression than usual as he offered his arm to Meg. “It would be an honor if you’ll allow me to walk you down the aisle.”

  The tears that had built in Meg’s eyes slid down her cheeks. “Oh, Carlos.”

  I watched as Meg hugged her long-time-pretend-BFF, and saw a true fondness in Carlos’s eyes. Somehow, over the years, she’d wiggled her way into his heart. Into the family.

  Tough-guy Anthony led the way down the aisle as flower man with Bella, the pair of them tossing rose petals in every direction. Bella tried to eat most of them, but Anthony gently teased them from her hands and released them to flutter to the ground.

  I followed next, surprised to find Nora smiling and giving me the thumbs up from the front row in her hula skirt and coconuts. She’d dressed up for the occasion by adding a set of very shiny earrings and sparkling flip flops.

  Ahead, stood Clay. I stifled a giggle to see him wearing a black bathrobe, fluffy and tied tightly around his waist. When I approached him for a hug, he gave a gruff laugh.

  “If it’s good enough for her,” he said, “it’s good enough for me.”

  “Congratulations, Clay,” I whispered in my cousin’s ear. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “I’m, ah, happy you introduced us,” Clay said. “I owe you everything.”

  I took my place off to one side and watched as Meg and Carlos strode regally down the aisle. Happy chatterings flitted through the audience as everyone admired the uniqueness to Meg’s special day.

  Finally, she reached the end of the aisle and turned to Carlos as he took her hand and passed it gently to Clay. “Take care of her,” Carlos said seriously to Clay. “She’s one of us now.”

  Clay gave a somber nod, and Meg blinked back the shimmers in her eyes.

  “Meg,” Carlos said, turning to face her. He paused to brush a kiss against her cheek. “Welcome to the family.”

  THE END

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading more of Lacey, Meg, Anthony, and the gang! I hope you enjoyed spending a little more time with the family! Sprinkled was my very first book (and holds a special place in my heart), and I’m so honored that people are still asking for more Lacey stories after twelve books. I love to write them, and I’ll continue to do so for as long as there are people who want to read them! To be notified of new releases, please sign up for my newsletter at www.ginalamanna.com.

  Thank you for reading!

  Gina

  Now for a thank you...

  To all my readers, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning.

  By now, I’m sure you all know how important reviews are for Indie authors, so if you have a moment and enjoyed the story, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. I know you are all very busy people and writing a review takes time out of your day—but just know that I appreciate every single one I receive. Reviews help make promotions possible, help with visibility on large retailers and most importantly, help other potential readers decide if they would like to try the book.

  I wouldn’t be here without all of you, so once again—thank you.

  List of Gina's Books!

  Gina LaManna is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Magic & Mixology series, the Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mysteries, The Little Things romantic suspense series, and the Misty Newman books.

  List of Gina LaManna’s other books:

  The Hex Files:

  Wicked Never Sleeps

  Wicked Long Nights

  Wicked State of Mind

  Wicked Moon Rising

  Lola Pink Mystery Series:

  Shades of Pink

  Shades of Stars

  Shades of Sunshine

  Magic & Mixology Mysteries:

  Hex on the Beach

  Witchy Sour

  Jinx & Tonic

  Long Isle Iced Tea

  Amuletto Kiss

  MAGIC, Inc. Mysteries:

  The Undercover Witch

  Spellbooks & Spies (short story)

  Reading Order for Lacey Luzzi:

  Lacey Luzzi: Scooped

  Lacey Luzzi: Sprinkled

  Lacey Luzzi: Sparkled

  Lacey Luzzi: Salted

  Lacey Luzzi: Sauced

  Lacey Luzzi: S'mored

  Lacey Luzzi: Spooked

  Lacey Luzzi: Seasoned

  Lacey Luzzi: Spiced

  Lacey Luzzi: Suckered

  Lacey Luzzi: Sprouted

  Lacey Luzzi: Shaved

  The Little Things Mystery Series:

  One Little Wish

  Two Little Lies

  Misty Newman:

  Teased to Death

  Short Story in Killer Beach Reads

  Chick Lit:

  Girl Tripping

  Gina also writes books for kids under the Pen Name Libby LaManna:

  Mini Pie the Spy!

 

 

 
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