Dr. Donaldson clapped his hands to bring everyone to attention. “The committee has made a decision regarding the Emergency Medicine job. We’ve decided to hire two candidates, Dr. Rushford and Dr. Jenkins. We feel you’re both excellent physicians.”
Stacy let out a whoop and gave a little wave to Jax.
Ben looked at Meg, wanting to be sure she was okay with it. “What are you waiting for?” she asked. “Say yes!”
“Thanks, Dr. Donaldson,” Ben spoke loud enough across the gathering so everyone could hear. “It’ll be my pleasure to serve the wonderful citizens of Mirror Lake.”
Everyone cheered and clapped, but the applause was cut off when a tall, balding man in a dark suit stood up a few rows behind Dr. Donaldson. Mayor Kline. “While we’re delivering good news, I just wanted to say the bank has approved the loan for Bridal Aisle. The town of Mirror Lake is proud to count such a unique business among its many attractions. And Priscilla and my wife send their apologies. Especially since my daughter’s wedding has been cancelled.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mayor Kline,” Meg said. “But thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” Now it was Meg’s turn to whoop. Ben saw her scan the crowd, no doubt looking for Alex. Sure enough, Alex fist pumped and blew kisses from her wheelchair. Ben was just about to turn back around and tell the reverend—or rabbi or priest or judge—to get started when Alex’s smile suddenly faded to a look of pain. He’d seen that look many times on women in the ER and it was nothing to mess around with.
“Oh my God,” Alex said, clutching her belly. “My water broke and I think I’m having a contraction.”
“Harris has called my phone fifty times and Spike left without saying good-bye,” Sam said to Meg a few hours later in the Labor and Delivery waiting room where family and friends had gathered. “How could he?” Sam wore a sweatshirt and jeans, her curly hair tied back in a ponytail, her makeup washed away by the tears she’d been crying. Meg felt an enormous relief at her lack of preppy clothing and accessories.
“What was in the envelope?” Meg asked. Several hours ago, after they’d rushed Alex and Tom to the hospital and learned the births were imminent, Meg had abandoned her wedding gown for ankle jeans and a tailored blue button-down shirt. She and Ben had decided to hold off on the wedding until they could have the peace of mind of knowing the twins were safe and sound. Besides, Meg could never get married without one of her two best friends present, and Ben felt the same way about his brother.
Sam opened her palm. In it sat a set of car keys, attached to a key ring that was a pair of wings crafted from hammered silver.
Meg picked up the wings. “He’s a talented artist.”
“He left me this, too.” Sam pulled out a folded piece of paper. Meg read the artsy cursive writing: My wish for you is that you spread your wings and learn to truly fly. Lukas.
“What do you think?” Sam asked, her big blue eyes full of hope.
“Before I answer that, what kind of car do the keys belong to?”
“This 1993 Camaro he was working on. It’s a diamond in the rough.”
Rough was right. Meg was at a loss for words, but just then Sam started to cry, so she hugged her.
“What does it mean?” Sam asked. “Do you think he’ll come back?”
“I don’t know. But giving someone a car is quite a gift.” Provided it ran, she thought silently.
Sam broke into a sob. “I don’t want his gift. I want him. There’s so much I want to say.”
“Maybe he wasn’t quite ready to talk, you know? I think we’re all diamonds in the rough. We come into our own in our own time.”
Just then the double doors to the Labor and Delivery area opened, and Ben walked out, wearing a surgical hat, scrubs, and booties on his feet. “It’s a girl . . . and a boy. And everybody’s doing great.” He pulled off his surgical hat and met Meg’s gaze across the room. “So, who’s still up for a wedding?”
EPILOGUE
“I know getting married in a hospital room at midnight wasn’t the most romantic setting for a wedding,” Brad said. He raised a glass of champagne to all the family gathered before him in the fenced-in yard on Forest Glen on the quiet mid-October evening. He held his glass in one hand, while holding his rambunctious eighteen-month-old daughter Annabelle in the other, “So it’s nice to finally be able to formally celebrate your wedding at your new home.”
Meg looked around at the entire Rushford family, her mom and grandmother, Sheri and her husband Pete and their two little girls, and Dr. Manning, and her heart swelled with a happiness that mere weeks ago she doubted she’d ever experience. “I thought the fluorescent above-the-bed lighting was especially romantic,” she said. “And the maid-of-honor’s gown covered in pregnant teddy bears—stunning.”
“Hey, what about the co-maid-of-honor?” Olivia asked. “My yoga pants were expensive—Lululemon.”
“You always look stunning, no matter what you’re wearing, sweetheart,” Brad said, flashing her a grin that proved they were even more in love after a year and a half of marriage.
“Instead of bouquets, you held the babies,” Gran said. “So adorable,” she added, turning to the twin that Tom held in his arms and chucking the baby under one of his chins.
“Well, you had all the necessary elements,” Alex said, “your Something Old and Something Blue was your jeans, and your Something Borrowed—Gloria’s string of pearls.”
“And Mom’s pearl earrings,” Sheri added. They’d given her their jewelry so Meg could look a little classy in the pics. Which she thought she did, with a smile so wide she could drop half of Connecticut into it. And she hadn’t stopped smiling since.
Then there was her Something New—a tiny kaleidoscope from the hospital gift shop from Ben. For looking forward to their bright new future. Where every day would always be different. Which so far it was. Ben was different, too—lighter, happier, at peace. As was she. They’d both seemed to bring out the best in each other.
“It was nice of the nurses to bring us flowers someone left behind for your bouquet,” Meg’s mom said.
“Good thing the hospital chaplain was a friend of mine,” Ben said, “and didn’t mind performing the ceremony just before midnight.”
“Or playing Pachelbel’s Canon on his iPhone,” Brad said.
“For someone who owns a bridal shop, you certainly didn’t have a dream wedding with all your favorite brands and designers,” Meg’s mom said.
Meg patted Ben lightly on his fine muscular thigh. “It was a tradeoff for a life with the man of my dreams.” Who was now the man of her reality. And real life was so much better than any fantasy she’d ever had.
“When do you get to move into the house?” Tom asked.
“Within a month,” Ben said. “I’m happy not to be sharing space with the Royal Family at Meg’s apartment for much longer.”
“Those kitties are going to love this yard,” Gran said.
“And sometime in the next year, we may actually be able to go inside the house,” Tom said, looking around at the giant dumpster parked in the backyard that was filled with construction debris, including a green toilet seat crowning the top.
“Oh, c’mon Tom,” Ben said. “You can always go pee in the woods if you’ve got to go.”
“I want to know how the house went from commercially zoned and on the demo list to this.” Brad waved his hand around the yard.
“Mayor Kline felt so bad about all the commotion his wife and daughter caused at Meg’s shop that he went to bat for us,” Ben said.
“Sip, Daddy, sip!” Annabelle said, reaching with chubby hands for Brad’s glass.
Olivia quietly smoothed her daughter’s curly dark hair and snuck a sippy cup into her hands while Brad continued his toast. “To my baby brother, who has become a duly employed doctor, a homeowner, and a husband all in a month’s time.”
“You might want to add father to that list,” Meg said softly.
“Oops,” Alex said, covering her mou
th with her hand and smiling.
Gasps went up from everyone. “Mary Queen of Scots!” Gloria exclaimed.
Brad shook his head in disbelief. “No way.”
“Um, yes?” Meg said.
“Did you skip the family planning lecture in med school?” Tom asked.
Ben ignored his brother and beamed. Every time that man showed his dimples Meg swore her toes curled. “When we make changes in our lives, we go full force ahead,” Ben said, sliding an arm around his wife’s shoulder and giving her a big kiss.
“Besides, we’re making up for lost time,” Meg said, kissing him again, this time a little longer. He’d definitely appeared to have gotten over his dislike of kissing in public, because he couldn’t seem to stop doing it wherever they went. And she loved every minute of it. As long as he didn’t grab her ass in front of her mother.
“No champagne for you,” Alex, who was holding a twin in one arm said, then promptly removed the glass from Meg’s hand.
“Oh, come on, Alex, just a taste!” Meg said.
“Here you go.” Alex traded Meg’s glass for a can of sparkling water. “But don’t worry, I’ll drink this for you so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“Such a good friend,” Meg said.
Effie, Gloria, Sheri, and Meg’s mom were crying and exclaiming.
“I wish Sam could be here for the news,” Effie said, “but she won’t be back from college until Thanksgiving.”
“Let’s give her a call,” Ben said, pulling out his phone and getting ready to dial.
“We’re going to have a little prince or princess,” Gloria said, clapping her hands together. “Isn’t that wonderful, Maurice?”
Maurice laughed and clinked his glass with Ben’s. Then kissed Gloria on the cheek. Which made her blush like a teenager.
One of Alex and Tom’s twins let out a cry. “Speaking of princes and princesses, I think we should be getting all of ours home soon,” Alex called to Rosie and Noah, who were running around the trees in the little park with Sheri’s little girls.
“We’ll round them up,” Pete said, and he and Sheri went to chase after the kids.
Gloria helped corner Alex and Tom’s toddler, Jacob. “I’m so glad you managed to name little Grace after royalty, Alex. But I do wish you would have taken my suggestion for Daniel.”
“Well,” Alex said, “Ranier isn’t exactly a popular boy’s name, Gloria.”
“Maybe next time,” Tom said, smiling at Alex.
“For us, more babies are going to happen exactly never,” Alex said.
“Say that again like you mean it, honey,” Tom said with a big grin.
“Children are wonderful,” Maurice said, joining in the hugs. “And Megan, I will feel privileged to take on the role of grandfather, if you’d allow it.”
“Maurice, we’d love it,” Meg said. Any man who can win Gran’s heart deserves the honorary title.”
“How did you finally get Gloria to go out with you?” Ben asked Maurice.
“He took me to a tea,” she said.
Ben’s brows rose. “That’s all?”
“It was a very special tea,” Maurice said with a wink.
“The Palace—Theater, that is—had an English tea open to the public and set in the period of the 1920s to celebrate the new season of Downton Abbey. We ate scones and had clotted cream with our tea. And we dressed in period attire. It was Megan’s idea.”
Meg gave Maurice a wink. The key to winning her grandmother’s heart hadn’t been that complicated after all.
“Gloria, the only thing you two are missing is British accents,” Tom said.
“I’ve changed my mind about that a little, dear,” Gloria said, patting Maurice’s knee. “I’m rather starting to prefer an Irish brogue.”
“Grandma and Grandpa Rushford would be proud that you two saved this old place,” Brad said, looking around at the ugly fenced-in backyard, the big dumpster, and the stomped-down grass.
“The house has great bones,” Meg said, “if we ever get down to them.” They’d torn out enough laminate paneling, fake partitions, and office cubbies to supply the town. She couldn’t wait to see Ben’s face at Christmas when they’d put their tree in the window just like Grandma Rushford did.
Olivia looked over at the funeral home on the other side of the park. “At least you’ll have quiet neighbors.”
“And we can take a ride or a jog on the bike trails whenever we want,” Meg said. It was a trade-off for not having a bigger yard, but they’d been biking almost every evening on the well-maintained trail that snaked through dense woods along tributaries from the lake.
Effie raised her glass. “To a long, happy, and prosperous life.”
“Filled with many children,” Gloria added.
“You’ve done it, Benjamin,” Brad said. “You’ve landed the job of your dreams in your hometown with the girl of your dreams.”
“I’m going to have to disagree with that a little,” Ben whispered to Meg as he pulled her close.
“What do you mean?” Meg asked, gazing into her husband’s dark brown eyes, eyes filled with mischief and love that she prayed she’d be lucky enough to look into for a long, long time.
“Because,” Ben said, “being your husband is the best job I could ever have.”
GRANDMA GLORIA’S BETTER THAN SEX CAKE
1 heaping cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, softened
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 large container Cool Whip, thawed
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crust: Mix butter, flour, and most of the nuts together (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish) and press into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes and cool completely.
First Layer: Beat confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, and 1 cup of Cool Whip with an electric mixer until well blended, and spread carefully over crust.
Second Layer: Beat pudding and milk for 2 minutes with an electric mixer and spread over first layer.
Third Layer: Spread Cool Whip generously over the pudding layer and garnish with remaining nuts. Refrigerate several hours before serving, and then enjoy! (Alternatively, let the pudding set for a few hours before adding Cool Whip Layer (makes Cool Whip easier to spread).
Warning: Aphrodisiac properties well documented. Consume at your own risk!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks so much to my wonderful agent, Jill Marsal, for guiding my career and for being a consummate professional. Thanks also to my editor Maria Gomez, who among the many other things she does, gave me the opportunity to bring Mirror Lake to life, and to the entire team at Montlake (Jessica, Susan, Marlene, and many others) for your enthusiasm and tireless support. And to my developmental editor Charlotte Herscher, who amazes me with her ability to understand imaginary people and bring out their (and my) best.
For your critiques, feedback, and support, thanks to the women of the Sunshine Critique Group (Chris Anna, Mary, Sheri, Vicki, and Wendy), my NEORWA sisters, and my Lucky 13 Sisters, especially Sandra Owens who read an early draft of this book.
I’d like to thank the wonderful women of Something White Bridal Boutique in Cleveland, Ohio, Karin VanCure and Rebecca Somnitz, who welcomed me into their beautiful and unique shop, told me what it was like to be best friends and business owners, and patiently answered my many questions. Any mistakes I’ve made in portraying the bridal industry are entirely my own.
Thanks to Edward J. Esber, MD, for answering my medical questions.
Special thanks to H.R.H. Cindy Randazzo Witherup, whose love of all things royal was the inspiration for Grandma Gloria. (Of course it had nothing to do with the fact that she is also kind, hilarious, and welcoming.)
And thanks to Charlotte Scott, who introduced me to the joys of pudding dessert (aka Grandma Gloria’s Better Than Sex Cake) long b
efore I knew what that was. Since then, I’ve made it with every type of pudding there is and it’s amazing every time (though nothing beats chocolate). But why believe me, you can try it yourself!
Thanks to my husband for his boundless love and support and his smart, snappy sense of humor. And his ability to eat anything for dinner and like it. And my kids, who are growing up to be wonderful people. Keep doing that, I love you!
The character of Ben’s grandfather is a tribute to the memory of Dr. Omer C. Hurlburt II, who was everything Ben’s grandfather was as a doctor and person and more.
Lastly, thanks to my readers. It’s been an honor and a privilege to take you back to Mirror Lake for another visit.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2013 Scott Meivogel
While growing up, Miranda Liasson was a willing courier for the romance novels her mother traded with their next-door neighbor, as it gave her a chance to sneak a peek at the contents. Today, Liasson writes award-winning romances herself. She has received the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award for Best Contemporary Series Romance for the story that became the first book in the Mirror Lake series: This Thing Called Love. She enjoys writing about courageous but flawed characters who find love despite themselves. She resides in northeast Ohio, where she shares her home with her husband and three children, and her office with Maggie, a yellow Lab, and Posey, a rescued cat with attitude. Visit her online at www.mirandaliasson.com and follow her on Twitter @mirandaliasson.
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