“If you say so,” Phil teased. “So, Toots, what do you think? Can you wear that diamond ring on your left hand?”
She took such a deep breath she got light-headed. “You realize I’ve walked down that aisle more than a time or two, right?”
“And that’s supposed to matter because . . . ?”
“Eight times, Phil. E-I-G-H-T.” She spelled the number out for him.
“That was in your past. I’m interested in your future.”
Toots wanted a cigarette so badly she would have smoked a Camel unfiltered if she had one. “What about your book? What about the book-launch party, the second book, then the movie? You’ll have to relocate to New York or California.”
“You’re not making sense. I canceled the book-launch party. You want to know why?”
She nodded.
“They asked me what I wanted, and I told them I’d rather they donate the money to the Animal Specialty Hospital in Naples. They saved Frankie’s life, and you saved mine.”
“You’re truly serious?”
“More so than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Okay then, well, I’ll have to . . . Bernice and Robert. Shit. Forget that.” Toots was so tongue-tied she made absolutely no sense at all.
“Will you marry me, Teresa Amelia Loudenberry?”
Chapter Twelve
Toots had awakened at 5:00 A.M. every single day of the week for as long as she could remember, but today, on her wedding day, she woke up at three o’clock. She had so much to do, she was afraid that she wouldn’t manage to get everything finished in time for the wedding in less than ten hours.
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 altar.
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!”
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HIGH STAKES
Since investigative reporter Dennis West joined forces with the men of the Sisterhood, he’s helped fight corruption and greed on behalf of underdogs everywhere. He never expected to be recruiting his band of brothers for a personal mission, until an old friend grows certain that his life is in danger.
In college, Toby Mason was a whip-smart nerd—nothing like the buff, well-groomed new Toby reaching out to Dennis today. Toby is working as a dancer at the Supper Club, one of a string of venues that offer five-star cuisine followed by entertainment courtesy of Chippendale-style hunks. The owners, Pilar and Gabriel Sanders, have expanded their empire through tours, contests, and calendars. But Toby suspects the Supper Club offers a convenient front for a major drug trafficking operation—and those suspicions have become known to his employers. Result: Toby is being watched, and he fears it’s only a matter of time before he’s eliminated.
At the headquarters of BOLO Consultants, their top-secret organization, Dennis, Jack, Abner, Ted, Harry, and the rest of the crew gather to formulate a plan. It’ll mean going deep undercover, but the men of the Sisterhood are breaking out their most impressive moves to stop a criminal network that’s stayed two steps ahead of justice for too long . . .
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Chapter One
Twenty months later . . .
The elevator on the newsroom floor of the Post pinged; then the door slid open for the Fearless Four reporters, as they had been dubbed, to exit. They were greeted with banners, streamers, and shouts of “Welcome home!” Leading the boisterous crowd was the owner of the Post, Countess Anna de Silva, who hugged the weary reporters one after the other and whispered her own personal greeting in their ears.
A mini-buffet and a table full of assorted beverages beckoned. Ted, Espinosa, and Dennis headed in that direction; Maggie stayed behind, which could mean only one thing to Annie. When Maggie Spritzer, with her incredibly whacked-out metabolism, ignored food, it had to mean that she was truly tired to the bone. Or sick. Or even homicidal.
“I just want to go home, shower, cuddle with Hero, who probably thinks I abandoned him, and sleep for a week. Can I have a car service take me home, Annie? Otherwise, I am going to fall asleep standing up right here. I need to sleep for a week. A whole week.”
“Anything you want, dear. Anything,” Annie said, putting her arms around the red-eyed, frazzled reporter. “You all deserve the best the Post has to offer. You will all find a very nice bonus in your next paycheck by way of thanks.”
“Just doing our jobs, Annie. Guess that means you’re okay with the series on the shabby treatment of our veterans. I think we shamed the current administration to the point where they don’t know what to do.”
“When I read the last segment, I about went up in smoke. I had our lawyers go over it with a fine-tooth comb. They said we’re spot on.
“Maggie, you know everything there is to know about me and know that I am no snob. But that man and I inhabit social and financial circles that, except for the Las Vegas casinos, are worlds apart. I did see that he was in the Babylon, once, and instructed Bert to comp him, a friendly gesture to a visiting fireman. But I also instructed Bert that under no circumstances was I going to meet with the Donald.
“The man has too much bluster for my tastes. I do, to be sure, admire the extent to which he has demonstrated an ability to accomplish his goals, though I am not sure I approve of some of the things he has done to get where he is today. Now, he does have a most beautiful wife. Third time is the charm, I suppose. That’s about all I know of Mr. Donald Trump.”
Maggie waved the comment aside. “Not a problem. All I said was that you were going to be calling on him and Warren Buffett to right this wrong that’s being done to the men and women who give their lives for this country only to find themselves on the sidelines when they need
help. I said you, you, Annie, would lead the charge and put your money where your mouth is. That’s what people want to hear and see. They want to see action. What they don’t want is meetings of committees that have to report to other committees that require more meetings. They want something now, not two years from now. Donald Trump says the same thing, and so does Buffett. And with Trump’s presidential candidacy looming, there is no way he can back away from this once he gets started. It would look way too bad to his supporters. You will take their calls when they call, right?”
“My dear, I will run to meet them. I haven’t exactly been sitting here idle while we waited for you all to get back. I’ve had my people calling all over the country for vacant buildings and recruiting doctors and nurses to help us out. We’re going for a banner every single day in the paper. I won’t rest until the White House is front and center on this. I don’t give a fiddler’s fart whose toes I step on. This political correctness has run its course, as far as I’m concerned. I even called Lizzie to ask her to check around for the biggest and best-known lawyers to join our cause. This country’s warriors deserve the best of us all. Now, run along, dear. A car is waiting outside to take you home.”
Annie offered up a bone-crushing hug, then walked Maggie to the elevator. “Don’t come back till you’re ready! That means next week!” she called as the elevator doors closed.
Annie turned to see Ted, Espinosa, and Dennis walking toward her, plates of food in their hands.
“You did good, boys. Real good. I’m proud of you. A month on the road, crisscrossing the country, and those wonderful interviews entitle you to as much time off as you need. You all made a difference. In case you don’t know it, the paper and the media are calling you the Fearless Four. They tell me it’s all Pulitzer material. Go home, children, and don’t come back until you’re ready. As I just told Maggie, that means next week. That’s an order.”
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