Time for Love , The McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 9

by Marie Force

  “How in the world did it get to be one thirty already?” Tiffany asked her sister.

  “Time flies when you plan a wedding in two days,” Maddie replied. She was drop-dead gorgeous in an orange chiffon dress that flattered her extravagant curves.

  An outpouring of excitement and offers of help had come from the island community when word began to spread about their impromptu wedding. Chloe Dennis, owner of the Curl Up and Dye salon in town, was currently standing behind Tiffany, putting the finishing touches on the same elaborate updo she’d done for the frantically excited Ashleigh.

  The local florist had come through with gorgeous bouquets of Gerbera daisies and summer flowers for Tiffany, Ashleigh and Maddie, as well as boutonnieres for Blaine, Mac, Thomas and Ned. They’d even done a wrist corsage for Francine. Evan McCarthy had offered to provide music, Frank McCarthy was lined up to marry them, and Jenny had suggested the lighthouse property as the ideal location for a seaside wedding. All the pieces had fallen together remarkably well.

  “What’re you thinking about?” Maddie asked.

  “I can’t say, or I’ll bawl my head off and ruin my makeup.”

  “No bawling,” Chloe said sternly, making the sisters laugh. Today, Chloe’s ever-changing hair was white-blonde and made longer by extensions.

  “I just can’t believe the way everything worked out for today,” Tiffany said.

  “When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

  “I wonder if Jim has heard any wedding rumors in town.”

  “So what if he has?”

  “I worry about him showing up and making a scene.”

  “Your fiancé thought of that possibility and has officers coming to the lighthouse and our house to make sure there’re no unwelcome visitors.”

  Stunned, Tiffany looked up at Maddie. “How do you know that?”

  “Because he checked with us to see if we were okay with having cops at our house. Of course we’re happy to do anything necessary to ensure you have a wonderful wedding day.”

  Tiffany grasped her sister’s hand. “You’re the best big sister anyone could ever hope to have, and I love you. Every day, but never more so than today.”

  “Aw jeez,” Chloe said. “Now I’m going to bawl.”

  “No bawling!” Maddie and Tiffany said together.

  “Time to go,” Maddie said. “We can’t keep your groom waiting.”

  “No, we can’t,” Tiffany said, shivering as she thought of his special brand of “punishment” and how he loved to dole it out. “I love him so much, Maddie.” Her voice was reduced to a whisper when she thought of him and the journey they’d taken together. “I never expected anything like this to happen to me.”

  Maddie hugged her carefully. “I’m so glad it did. No one deserves it more than you do.”

  “What’s this I hear about a weddin’?” Ned’s voice echoed through the downstairs of Tiffany’s house.

  “We’re coming!” Maddie called. To Tiffany she said, “Ready?”

  “So ready. Let’s go!”

  “See you at the party,” Chloe said. “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you so much for doing this on such short notice.”

  “I love being part of a happily ever after for such a deserving couple. Thanks for asking me.”

  With Ashleigh in tow, Maddie and Tiffany stepped outside, where Ned and Francine waited for them next to a vintage silver Rolls Royce with a tan interior. Ned wore a seersucker suit, and every one of his white hairs had been tamed into submission. Next to him, Francine positively glowed in a floral dress that made her look much younger than her years. Of course, love had a lot to do with their mother’s youthful appearance these days.

  “Where in the name of God did you get that car?” Tiffany asked him.

  “Ya know that garage in the backa my house that no one’s allowed to go in?”

  As the sisters nodded in muted shock, Ned said, “This is why ya ain’t allowed in there,” he said, waggling a finger playfully at Ashleigh, who let out a belly laugh. “I don’t wantcha sticky fingers on my fancy car.”

  Tiffany had no idea what to say to that. “But… I…”

  “Close your mouth, honey,” Francine said with a laugh. “I’ve learned it’s better not to take him at face value.”

  “I guess so!” Maddie ushered Tiffany and Ashleigh into the car where a booster seat awaited the little girl. Ned thought of everything where the kids were concerned.

  “Where did you get it?” Maddie asked.

  “I bought it from Mrs. Chesterfield’s estate after she died last year. I thought it might be nice to have someday, for an occasion just like this one.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” Tiffany said.

  “Glad ya think so.”

  The drive to the lighthouse was all about laughter and excitement. Filled with anticipation for the celebration ahead, Tiffany watched the island’s landscape go past on the way to the lighthouse, where Blaine would meet her. The closer they got to the light, the faster her heart seemed to beat.

  “Take a deep breath or two,” Maddie said, reaching across Ashleigh’s seat for Tiffany’s hand.

  Tiffany held on to her sister, the way she had her entire life. Even when they weren’t getting along, Maddie had always been there for her, and Tiffany had tried to do the same for her, especially since they’d become mothers. She never would’ve survived the early years with Ashleigh without Maddie to commiserate with, and she knew Maddie felt the same way. And now they were about to add Blaine to their family, and Tiffany couldn’t wait.

  On the long road to the lighthouse, they passed a police cruiser, where Patrolman Wyatt waited with his girlfriend, Patty, who was also Tiffany’s assistant at the shop. They tossed rose petals at the car as it went by, and Ned tooted the horn in acknowledgement of their sweet gesture. It was good to know that no uninvited guests would get past Officer Wyatt, and Tiffany was again thankful that Blaine had seen to that detail.

  The afternoon sun was high in the sky when they arrived at the lighthouse. Ned drove straight over the lawn that hadn’t been mowed and around the lighthouse to the spot where Blaine, Mac, Thomas, Blaine’s family and Judge McCarthy awaited them. Off to the side of the gathering, Evan sat on a stool with his guitar.

  “Here goes,” Maddie said. “Are you ready?”

  Tiffany nodded and Ned got out to open the door for them. Maddie went first and then helped Ashleigh.

  Ned and Francine came around the car and opened Tiffany’s door. Ned extended his hand to help her out of the car.

  Tiffany looked up at him as she grasped his hand and smiled when she saw tears in his eyes. She squeezed his hand and held out her arm to her mother.

  Evan played “Make You Feel My Love” as the three of them followed Maddie and Ashleigh to where the men awaited them.

  Fearing for her composure, Tiffany avoided Blaine’s intense gaze until she was nearly to where he stood with Mac at his side and Thomas in front of Mac, watching the proceedings with big blue eyes. After much debate, Maddie had decided to leave baby Hailey at home with Linda.

  As Evan continued to sing, Tiffany finally allowed herself to look at Blaine. He was tall and gorgeous in a tan summer suit with a white dress shirt open at the throat. Per her request, he’d refrained from shaving, even at the risk of his mother’s wrath. She’d never seen anything she loved more than the way he looked at her as she came toward him on the arms of her parents.

  He reached out to her, asking her without words to take the rest of her journey with him.

  Tiffany kissed her mother and Ned and took Blaine’s hand, smiling as his fingers curled around hers. And then he sealed the deal when he reached for Ashleigh with his other hand. The tears Tiffany had kept at bay all day long filled her eyes as that simple gesture told her everything she’d ever need to know about the man she was marrying.

  Sensing her emotional battle, Blaine brought her hand to his lips and brushed them over her knuckles.

&nbs
p; As Evan played the final notes, Maddie stepped forward to take Tiffany’s bouquet.

  “Blaine and Tiffany,” Judge McCarthy said, “we’re honored to be here today to witness the start of your lives together. Each of you has traveled a long and winding road to reach this destination. Henceforth, you’ll take to the road together, through good times and bad, through richer and poorer, in sickness and in health. Have you both come here willingly to exchange these vows and to merge your two roads into one common path that you’ll travel together?”

  “We have.”

  “Tiffany, do you take Blaine to be your husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish all the days of your life?”

  “I do.”

  “And do you, Blaine, take Tiffany to be your wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish all the days of your life?”

  “I most definitely do.”

  His reply set off laughter among the guests and diffused the last of Tiffany’s nerves. He most definitely did. How wonderful was that? She smiled up at him, happier in that moment than she’d ever been before, except for maybe the day Ashleigh was born. But this was even better, because now she had Ashleigh and she had Blaine, too. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this marriage was forever.

  Mac produced rings from his suit coat pocket and handed them to Blaine.

  Judge McCarthy nodded for Blaine to go ahead.

  “First things first,” Blaine said, sliding a diamond ring on her finger. “Our two-day engagement didn’t leave much time for ring shopping. I hope this meets with your approval.”

  Meet with her approval? It was incredible! The diamond was big and round and glittered in the sun. Before she had time to absorb its full beauty, he was sliding another ring on her finger, this one a band of diamonds.

  “With this ring,” he said, “I thee wed.” He kissed the back of her hand and then turned it to drop something into her palm. A ring for him. He’d truly thought of everything.

  Her hands trembled as she pushed the platinum band onto his finger. “With this ring,” she said, looking up at him, “I thee wed.” She repeated his gesture, kissing the back of his hand.

  “And,” Blaine said, reaching back to Mac for another ring. “This one’s for you, Ashleigh.”

  “I get one, too?” she asked, looking up at him and her mother, her big eyes full of wonder and delight.

  “You sure do,” Blaine said. “I love you, and I promise to be the very best step-dad in the whole wide world.” He slid a tiny gold ring on her finger and bent to hug her as Tiffany dabbed at her eyes.

  Ashleigh kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.”

  Blaine picked her up and held her in one arm, while reaching out to Tiffany with his other hand.

  “With the power vested in me by the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” Frank said, “it is my honor to declare you husband and wife. Blaine, you may kiss your bride.”

  He transferred Ashleigh to Maddie before he placed both hands on Tiffany’s face and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. “Love you so much, baby.”

  “Love you more.”

  Smiling, he shook his head. “No way.”

  “Ladies and gentleman,” Judge McCarthy said, “I give you Chief and Mrs. Blaine Taylor.”

  The small gathering clapped and cheered as they turned to face them. They received hugs and kisses and congratulations from everyone, including Blaine’s mom, who wore a wide smile when she greeted her new daughter-in-law.

  After they’d had a chance to say hello to everyone, Blaine extended his arm to her.

  Tiffany curled her fingers around the crook of his elbow. She glanced at Maddie to make sure she had Ashleigh. Maddie held hands with Ashleigh and Mac had Thomas.

  “Go,” Maddie said, waving her hand. “I’ve got her.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Blaine led her back toward the car, Ned hurried on ahead of them to get the door.

  “Oh my God,” Tiffany said. “Guess what we forgot?”

  “What?” Blaine asked.

  “A photographer! We won’t have any pictures.”

  He pointed. “Look, honey.”

  How had she missed Grace, Stephanie and Jenny, armed with cameras? “Where did you guys come from?”

  “We’ve been here the whole time,” Stephanie said. “You only had eyes for him.”

  “Can you blame me?” Tiffany asked. “Look at him.”

  Her friends laughed and took more pictures as they got into Ned’s fancy car. Once he had them settled in the backseat, Ned went around to hold the passenger door for Francine.

  Through the open window, they heard Mac say, “Let’s party!”

  As Ned pulled away from the group, he turned the radio up, and the sound of Big Band music filled the car and gave the newlyweds some privacy.

  Blaine put his arm around her and leaned in for another kiss. “Hey there, Mrs. T, you’re looking exceptionally gorgeous today. That dress… Wow. A-maz-ing.”

  “Same to you.” She flattened her hand on his chest. “It was amazing and wonderful and very us. Thank you for all you did to make it happen so quickly. And the rings! How did you pull that off?”

  “I put my sisters on the job. How’d they do?”

  “Incredible.”

  “I told them exactly what I wanted, and they came back with something even better than I’d pictured. And they had a blast spending my money.”

  “It’s too much.”

  “It’s nowhere near enough.”

  “I feel so lucky and so blessed to have your rings on my finger.”

  “I feel so lucky and so blessed to have the rest of my life to love you and Ashleigh.”

  “Thank you for what you did for her and for making sure we weren’t interrupted by any unwelcome guests.”

  “After his performance this morning, I was leaving nothing to chance on that front.” With his finger on her chin, he said, “Nothing but happy thoughts today.”

  “And every day.”

  Blaine smiled, nodded in agreement and kissed her all the way to Maddie’s house.

  Ned took the long way around the island.

  *

  David and Daisy arrived to chaos at Maddie’s house. People were running around with food and chairs, and out on the lawn a band was setting up under the direction of Evan McCarthy. Apparently, the bride and groom were on their way.

  “What can we do to help?” Daisy asked Grant McCarthy as he went by carrying two huge bags of ice.

  “Ask Maddie,” he said with a good-natured grin. “She’s the drill sergeant out on the deck, barking orders at everyone.”

  They followed him to the deck, where Maddie was, in fact, shouting orders to everyone within earshot.

  “Give me something to do,” Daisy said when Maddie took a break to breathe.

  She thrust Hailey into Daisy’s arms, said, “Baby duty, please,” and took off down the stairs to where tables and chairs had been arranged on the lawn.

  “Well, all righty, then,” Daisy said to Hailey, who offered a gummy, spitty, two-tooth smile in response.

  “Day, Day,” Hailey said.

  “Did she just say Daisy?” David asked, letting the baby grasp his finger in her tight grip.

  “It’s probably just gas.”

  “Sounded like Daisy to me.”

  Daisy snuggled the baby into the crook of her neck and patted her back, hoping she might doze off for her afternoon nap despite the flurry of activity around her.

  “You’re a natural,” David said.

  “You think so?”

  He nodded. “Is it difficult to hold someone else’s baby after what happened to you?”

  “It used to be, but Thomas and Hailey have gotten me over it. I’ve known them all their lives and being around them as often as I am helped to get me past my own loss. But it’s always there. I wonder what he’d be like now, what his interests would be. He’d be almost ten, which is hard to believe.”

  “So you k
new he was a boy?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t ask her anything else, and for that she was grateful. Even all these years later, it was difficult to think about the baby she’d lost, even if he’d been conceived under less than ideal circumstances. He’d still been hers, the only other person who’d ever been entirely hers.

  People continued to arrive. Luke and Sydney Harris, Patrolman Wyatt and his girlfriend Patty, Sarah and Charlie Grandchamp, along with Owen and Laura, who looked much better than she had the last time Daisy saw her leaving the Surf on a stretcher, and Laura’s brother Shane. Laura seemed pale and drawn but happy to see her friends.

  Adam McCarthy came in with his girlfriend, Abby Callahan, followed by Mason Johns, Dan Torrington and Kara Ballard.

  As everyone came onto the deck, they greeted Daisy and David warmly, and she could feel him relax next to her as it became clear that no one was unhappy to see him there.

  Victoria came out to the deck, hand in hand with a sinfully handsome man who Daisy didn’t recognize. He had shaggy, dark reddish-brown hair, green eyes that were full of the devil and a smile that could stop female traffic. Victoria let out a squeal of pleasure when she saw David, and gave him a hug.

  “This is Shannon O’Grady,” Victoria said. “Shannon, this is my sort-of boss, David Lawrence. Doctor David Lawrence.”

  “Sorta boss,” David said, scoffing, as he shook hands with Shannon. “Good to meet you.”

  “’Tis a pleasure to meet you, too, Doc. Vic speaks highly of you.”

  “Does she now?” David said with an inquisitive glance at Victoria. “Vic?”

  Her sheepish grin was infectious. “I say nice things about you when you’re not listening.”

  “Now that I believe,” David said, laughing.

  As Daisy continued to rock Hailey, she enjoyed the banter between David and Victoria, who clearly adored him. It was nice to know he had real, genuine friends who cared for him—not as much as she did, but enough to give him additional ties to the island she loved.

  “Come on,” Victoria said, tugging on Shannon’s hand. “Let’s get a drink. I’m in the mood to party.”

  “Excellent,” Shannon said, following Victoria down the stairs to where Grant and Adam were minding the bar on the lawn.