And with her in his life, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t imagine them conquering. Together.
Epilogue
Abby stepped back to take a critical look in the antique mirror. Temporarily the veil looked drunk—it was a real pistol to make it hang straight. Yet she paused, the veil forgotten, when she caught the full-length reflection of the dress.
The cream gown had been her grandmother’s wedding dress, then her mother’s, and both her sisters had worn it for their weddings. The style was old-fashioned, with a sweetheart bodice and puffed sleeves, the satin fabric softened with lace and seed pearls—and the look of it brought tears to her eyes. She’d never felt comfortable near anything old-fashioned before. For so long, she’d feared she’d never find her “place” between traditional woman’s roles and all the complex, emerging new roles for women of today.
But that had been before she met Gar. Before she understood that the role of love in her life had opened up an endless box of choices—and the challenge to be any kind of woman she wanted to be.
Outside the open window, lilacs were bursting, hyacinths perfuming the spring air. Paige had insisted the wedding be here—home, the Vermont homestead that had been in the Stanford family since the 1800s. More tradition, and Gar had taken to the idea as warmly as Abby had. She’d just leaned forward to start fussing and fixing the veil when she heard a sudden knock at the door.
Paige burst in, then Gwen. “Mom sent us to tell you the minister just got here…and your groom hasn’t had the good sense to take a powder yet.”
“He’d better not,” Abby chuckled. And then her smile softened. “Oh, you two. You look so beautiful!”
Paige, under duress, was spiffed up in an elegant coral dress—decorated with a diaper on one shoulder, as she patted the baby. Gwen looked just as breathtaking in coral, although her dress had required some fancy sewing to accommodate the watermelon-size bulge in her tummy.
Abby felt more moisture welling up in her eyes. Not helping her at all, their eyes filled, too. “You two can’t even imagine what you mean to me,” she said softly.
“Yikes, don’t you start,” Paige scolded gruffly. “I only wear mascara once in a year, and if you make it run, I swear I’m going down the aisle with black eyes.” Her gruff tone softened. “I love you, sis.”
“Me, too.” Gwen reached her first. Then Paige. The tangled arms and loving hugs reminded Abby of all the secrets the sisters had shared. So much of what she valued about family came from them. Her sisters had indelibly taught her what women could bring to each other, what support really was. They had never failed to be a source of unconditional love.
“I have something to tell you two,” Abby said.
“Oh, God. You’re not backing out of the wedding. If you do, I swear I’m adopting Gar—with Stefan’s permission, of course.”
“Hey, I’ve got first dibs on adopting him—assuming it’s okay with Spense,” Gwen shot back.
“No, he’s mine, all mine.” Abby laughed. But even thinking about Gar made her feel a giant swell of radiance from deep inside her. For a moment she recalled the ivory-and-onyx cameo Paige had made for her. The cameo had always seemed to glow from a light on the inside. There was a time she’d thought she’d never find the truth that mattered in her life, never know that glow of inner serenity that came from confidence. That time was gone. She’d never felt so alive—or so full of love. She smiled at her sisters. “This is a good secret, something that even Gar doesn’t know yet—”
Gwen rolled her eyes at Paige. “As if we didn’t guess you were pregnant.”
“You knew?”
“We’ve been there. And you’ve got the look—especially when you look at that man of yours. And we couldn’t be happier for you in a thousand million years.” Gwen threw her arms around her again. Paige and the baby crushed closer to share in yet another hug—and another round of tears.
Gwen mopped them all up with handkerchiefs, straightened her veil, and then bossily herded Paige and the baby toward the door. “If we don’t get moving, we’re going to be late for the last wedding in the family, for Pete’s sake. We’re leaving. This instant But I just have to tell you…you’re the most beautiful bride that ever existed in the universe, sis. And trust me, I have no bias in this.”
“My opinion’s completely objective on this, too,” Paige affirmed. “You’re spectacularly beautiful, Abby. You couldn’t possibly be more perfect.”
When her sisters hustled out and left her alone for a moment, Abby thought, No, not perfect. Not even close to perfect. She’d always gone after everything she valued 200%, making her successes nice, but her mistakes inevitably giant ones. Once, that had made her fear failure—but not anymore.
Gar seemed to love her exactly as she was. And there was this strange thing that came from the confidence of feeling well and truly loved. She could hardly wait for all the challenges ahead—both the good and the bad.
She took a second to compose herself—and then couldn’t wait any longer. Downstairs was a man she wanted nothing more than to vent 500% of her love on. She swooped up her train and walked out the door to Gar.
eISBN 978-14592-7359-7
THE 200% WIFE
Copyright © 1997 by Jennifer Greene
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office. Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
Dear Reader1
Title Page
Books by Jennifer Greene
Jennifer Greene
Dear Reader2
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Copyright
The 200% Wife Page 11
