Trudy reached them first. She threw her arms around Marla’s neck and squeezed tight. “Are you surprised?”
“Totally.” She smiled at the excitement on the younger woman’s face as Trudy hustled her toward Betty and Mary who were already waiting near the shelter. “Hi Mom. Hi Mary.”
Betty gave her a gentle nudge. “Finally. We were beginning to worry that the sun would set before you arrived.”
Marla ducked her head and stepped inside. Someone had made improvements, and that someone was probably her husband-to-be.
Reed, it seemed, had thought of everything.
Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Believe it,” Betty said as her and Mary tried to squeeze through the opening at they same time. They stopped, exchanged affectionate glances, and laughing, finally made it in.
Trudy led her toward the chair in front of the mirror. “We better hurry. The captain looked impatient.”
The shelter had been enlarged to fit in a couple of chairs and a small table and mirror, and all of the paraphernalia she needed to get ready for her wedding day—including the lipstick that she’d recently ‘lost’.
Marla let the three women fuss with her makeup and hair while she tried to relax and hold the anticipation at bay. In the mirror, she could see them also prepare—primping and fluffing and spritzing, sounding like a bunch of longtime girlfriends.
It was hard to believe they’d all been stuck on this island driving each other crazy just one short year ago.
Since then, her mother and Mary had moved in together because Mary claimed she was sick and tired of her husband’s grumpiness. At first, Paul had been peeved at them both, but there had recently been talk about a threesome, which had actually turned Paul’s permanent glower into a naughty smile.
Trudy and Bill were a constant couple now, and ever since their reconciliation and engagement, were officially living together. While Trudy had started working longer hours at the office, Bill was busy planning their wedding and picking out china patterns. He was even discussing the possibility of children in their future, and had promised Trudy that when they got to that point—which Trudy said was many many years away because she was only twenty-two—Bill planned to be a stay-at-home dad so that Trudy could continue to pursue her career goals.
He even, much to Marla’s surprise, happily supported Trudy’s breast reduction, and vowed that whatever made her happy made him happy.
And besides, he’d sincerely proclaimed, what more did any man need but a handful?
Trudy gently touched her on the shoulder, bringing her back to the present. “It’s time to put on your dress.”
Marla stood up, and after they’d helped her put on the gown, there was a collective sigh around the room.
Trudy gave her a thumbs up. “I hope I look half as beautiful when I finally walk down the aisle with Bill.”
Mary dashed away the tears on her cheeks. “My son is one lucky man.”
And Betty walked around her with an eye on every detail, then stopped in front of her to say, “On the day you were born, God blessed me.”
At last they were all ready, and just in time too, because Bill appeared in the doorway, his loving gaze on Trudy first as he handed her a bouquet of flowers, then one to each for the moms, before he turned to Marla.
“Congrats on your wedding day. I know you’ll be happy.” He kissed her on the cheek, transferred the huge bouquet of flowers into her arms, and winked. “I guess love really is blind. My cousin snuck these on board. I’m surprised you didn’t notice them.”
Reed had kept her so busy in their cabin that she hadn’t noticed anything except pure pleasure. But she wasn’t sharing that detail with her ex—or anyone else.
As Bill turned and left, Betty held out her arm. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to walk you down the aisle.”
Marla closed the distance between them, kissed her mother on the cheek, and took her arm. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, baby.”
Then with Mary and Trudy leading the way, she stepped out of the shelter, and into the sunshine and her new life. It was more delicious than she could ever imagine, and the man of her dreams stood in front of the archway waiting for her.
As she walked toward him, Reed never took his eyes off her for a second. He looked handsome in his black tux, the white shirt enhancing the golden hues of his skin, the cummerbund around his narrow waist. When she reached him, he took her hand from Betty and kissed it.
Marla wanted to melt right there in the sunshine and the glow of his love.
Paul cleared his throat, but she didn’t take her gaze from Reed’s cherished face. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”
Deep in her soul, she knew Reed would stick.
And in her heart, she knew that the best was yet to come.
She touched her belly and gave Reed a secret smile.
THE END
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CAUGHT BETWEEN SERIES
Caught Between a Lie and True Love
Caught Between an Oops and a Hard Body
Caught Between a Rock and a Hunka Man
Caught Between the Mob and a Hot Cop (Coming 2017)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES
Always Remember
Terms of Surrender
A Time to be Tender (Coming Late 2016)
Once a Heartbreaker (Coming 2017)
This Time Forever (Sara’s Story! Coming 2017)
STANDALONE NOVELLAS
Wedding Fever
The Valentine Grinch
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sheila Seabrook writes love stories with heart and humor from her home on the beautiful Canadian prairies. Her romantic books are filled with smart, sassy women, hot men who love them, and a wild assortment of family members guaranteed to try to steal the show.
When Sheila's not writing, she can usually be found in her favorite chair doing research (code for reading romance books) or devising multiple excuses to avoid cooking, laundry, housework, and shoveling the snow. She does, however, love to shop for flowers in the spring, and spends copious hours digging in the dirt to plant them…although her marriage contract clearly stipulates that the man of the house must pull the weeds.
Her mission in life is to give readers emotional romantic stories and unforgettable characters, a relaxing treat for the end of the day. And if she can help them escape the laundry pile, she's totally on board.
Find out more about Sheila at sheilaseabrook.com and make sure to join her monthly newsletter to receive exclusive updates and more!
Chat with Sheila on twitter @sheilaseabrook and on Facebook. Or drop her an email at [email protected].
COPYRIGHT
Caught Between a Rock and a Hunka Man
Copyright © February 2016 by Sheila Seabrook
ISBN #978-0-9877069-8-0
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.
This eBook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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