Astrid grumbled something which was lost as Melody burst into the room. “Gabe is following me everywhere,” she said, then she glared at Astrid. “That’s it, I’m firing him. As soon as this wedding is over, I’m firing him.”
“You are not,” Astrid said, hauling herself to her feet. “If you fire Donnie’s boss’s kid, who knows what she’ll do! And I am not having a baby whose father isn’t working.”
“What’s wrong with Gabe?” I asked. “He’s cute, in a surfer boy kind of way.”
“He lurrves Mel,” Britt said. “Claims it was love at first sight.”
Melody sniffed. “If it was, it was one-sided.” She looked at Astrid with pleading eyes. “Please, can’t you have Donnie talk to him, and tell him to leave me alone? I’m married, for God’s sake.”
“To a man you don’t love,” Astrid said.
“That you’ve been trying to divorce since you skipped out on your wedding night,” Britt added.
“It’s complicated.” Melody turned her pleading gaze toward me. “Aunt Cindy, tell them it’s complicated.”
“Yes, being trapped in an unconsummated marriage to a despicable excuse of a male is quite complicated. I’m confident that you can use your wits to resolve this situation.”
Melody made a face. “Thanks.”
Having dispensed all my wisdom, I stood and went to the window. Since it was late July, the rose arbors that surrounded the church were in full bloom. I saw Sean standing in front of the central arch, surrounded by his father and three brothers. I hoped those fools weren’t giving Sean advice, unsolicited or otherwise. “Is it time yet?” I asked.
“Excited much?” Britt asked.
“I’ve wanted to be Mrs. O’Rourke for as long as I can remember,” I replied. “I can’t believe the day is finally here.”
“What did I tell you, Mom?” Britt stood beside me and laid her head on my shoulder. “All you and Dad needed was a second chance.”
***
My second wedding was a tremendous improvement over the first.
Just as they had been for Britt and Sam, Penny and Ronnie were my flower girls, though this time they wore matching purple dresses. When the music started they ran across the grass toward their father, and nearly bowled over the Justice of the Peace in the process. Sean crouched down and hugged them, then after he doled out some candy to the girls—hush money, he’d called it—he stood and looked at me.
“Ready?” my father asked.
I looped my arm with his. “I’ve been ready for this for as long as I can remember.”
Dad walked me down the aisle and handed me over to Sean. As we stood before the arbor, the air heavy with the scent of roses and dew, I couldn’t believe I was finally getting my dream wedding. It was a decade or so later than I’d wanted it, but it was finally happening. I would finally be Sean’s wife.
The Justice of the Peace said her part, then it came time for the vows.
“I’ve waited for this day a long time,” Sean began. “No matter where our lives took us, I knew that someday, somehow, I’d end up here with you. I love you, Cin, always have, always will.”
He slid my new wedding ring onto my hand, a platinum band studded with amethysts that perfectly matched the ring he’d given me so long ago. We stood there smiling like fools for a moment, then the Justice of the Peace prompted me for my vows.
“I’m not like you, Sean,” I said. “You’ve always been the optimist, not me. I never dared hope we’d get here. But I can say that I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and that I’m so happy that I finally get to be your wife.”
Sean grinned. “God damn, I love you, baby.”
“Love you more.”
“You may kiss the bride.”
Sean kissed me hard, and our families and friends cheered around us. Yeah, I’d say life was good.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you for reading the third installment in Changes! It’s been a pretty wild ride, from Sam and Britt’s fateful meeting at that photo shoot, during Astrid and Donnie’s rocky start, and now with Cindy and Sean finally finding their way back to each other. They’re lobsters, you know?
These stories wouldn’t be possible without the great team at Limitless Publishing. I can’t thank them enough for their excellent editorial staff, killer marketing peeps, and, most of all, for believing in me. I appreciate each and every one of you.
As for everyone else I should be acknowledging, well, there’s just too many to list here! So many authors and publicists and librarians and generally awesome people have networked with me, shared my posts on social media (and in the real world), and helped me spread the word about my writing. There’s also my A Team—April, Ann, and Amy—who are always ready to beta read, talk me back from the edge, and remind me that I’m never alone. You three always have my back, and I love you for it.
Of course, there is one person without whom none of this would have happened, the one who is stuck with me from now until the end of forever. Thank you, Robb, for putting up with me, encouraging me, and helping me keep it together. Love you, baby.
About the Author
Jennifer Allis Provost is a native New Englander who lives in a sprawling colonial along with her beautiful and precocious twins, a dog that thinks she’s a kangaroo, a parrot, a junkyard cat, and a wonderful husband who never forgets to buy ice cream. As a child, she read anything and everything she could get her hands on, including a set of encyclopedias, but fantasy was always her favorite. She spends her days drinking vast amounts of coffee, arguing with her computer, and avoiding any and all domestic behavior.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jennallishttps://www.facebook.com/copperraven
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/parthalan
Website:
http://authorjenniferallisprovost.com/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2975887.Jennifer_Allis_Provost
Changing Fate (Changing Teams Series Book 3) Page 20
