Seaside Secrets (30 page)

“Yeah. I lost my mind a little back then. That’s for sure.” Tony finished his beer and set the bottle beside him again.

“Bella told me, too. I can tell you that raising a kid at a young age wasn’t easy. I don’t mean to minimize what you went through. I’m just saying…You know what I mean. I’m really sorry.” Caden had taken on full responsibility of Evan when he was still in college. He’d dropped out to take care of Evan and had become a police officer because the schedule allowed him to work nights and spend more time with Evan during the day when he was a baby.

“I know. Thanks, man,” Tony said. “She’s worried about having another miscarriage. I think that might be one reason she wants to stay here at the Cape, to be with the girls. She needed them back then, but she’d closed herself off.”

“Well, she’ll have their support, that’s for sure. But you’ll have ours, too, Tony.” Pete blew out a loud breath. “I think it’s a good thing that they’ll all be together. It feels like it was meant to be this way.”

Tony glanced up at the sound of fast footfalls on the dock. Amy was running down the dock in her summer dress and bare feet, arms flailing, hair flying behind her like a mane. She was running too fast. Tony rose to his feet to slow her down and she plowed into him, sending both of them over the edge of the dock and into the water. Amy flapped her arms and legs. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks puffed out as she held her breath. Her hair flowed in slow motion around her face as Tony grabbed her beneath her arms and pushed her up through the surface. Both of them gasped for air.

“Are you okay?” He held her against him, kicking to keep them both afloat as she caught her breath.

“Yes.” Her head kicked back with an uninhibited laugh, which made Tony laugh.

“You guys all right?” Pete threw a life jacket into the water.

“I’ve got her. We’re fine.” Tony tucked the life jacket under one of Amy’s arms.

“I’ve got you, but hold on to that. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Fine. Fine.” She pressed her lips to his. “Duke and I worked it out.”

Tony grabbed the edge of the dock with one arm, keeping a firm grip around Amy. “That’s great. I think. Is it what you want?”
Are we moving to Australia?

“Yes!” She kissed him again, a wet, sloppy kiss as she panted to catch her breath. She let go of the life jacket and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We can live here.”

“Here? Here!” He gave her another wet kiss, completely forgetting that he was keeping them up. They sank below the surface, mouths sealed together. Both of their eyes opened wide under the water, and as they rose to the top, they were both smiling.

They broke through the surface again, and they laughed and kissed each other again. Pete and Caden shook their heads.

She swiped at the water in her wide eyes. “And I talked to my dad. I told him we were getting married and to back off of my work stuff.”

“Amy.” He searched her eyes for any signs of distress, but they were still radiating with happiness. “It went okay?”

“It went better than okay.” She hugged him tight, then pushed back with a wide smile. “Clean slate.”

“Clean slate. You’re amazing. Truly amazing.” Tony kissed her again, and this time when they sank beneath the surface, he breathed air into her lungs, just as she’d breathed new life into him.

Three weeks later…

IT MIGHT HAVE been a mistake to choose the bedroom of Jenna and Pete’s bay-front property for the girls to get ready for their wedding. Amy had been staring out the window overlooking the beach for twenty minutes. Theresa had taken them all by surprise when she’d announced that she was an ordained minister and had offered to preside over the wedding. They’d been thrilled to take her up on her offer, but she hadn’t arrived yet, and now Amy worried that perhaps she wasn’t going to show up. Maybe this was Theresa’s payback for all of Bella’s pranks over the years.

Of course, Amy had another reason to be plastered to the window for the last twenty minutes—to ogle her man, who was waiting down on the beach in his dark suit with the other grooms and Jamie, Evan, Blue, and Duke. The grooms all had their suit pants rolled up, but there was something about Tony barefoot and in a suit that had Amy practically drooling. She watched as Sky’s friend Lizzie, a petite brunette with more energy than the Energizer Bunny, ran around the canopy she’d erected and laced with flowers, making sure the ribbons and flowers were secure. Duke and Blue were eyeing her like she was made of wedding cake. Amy wondered if they’d get to see some brotherly competition, and she hoped Sky wouldn’t be too upset.

Bella leaned against the window frame. “Loving the view?”

“Uh-huh.” Amy leaned down and petted Joey, who was lying beside her feet with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She rolled onto her back, and Amy scratched her belly.

“Maybe you could finish getting ready so we can actually go out there and marry our men.”

Amy glanced up and smiled at the tease in Bella’s eyes. She looked beautiful. They all did, in their matching off-white tank dresses that stopped just above their knees. Sky and Jessica wore matching pale-pink sundresses. Jessica’s skin was bronze from her honeymoon. She and Jamie hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d returned.

“If you didn’t force me to sleep without him last night, maybe I wouldn’t be drooling today.” Amy reluctantly turned away from the window.

“In my day the bride and groom never saw each other the day of the wedding.” Vera sat in an armchair wearing a pretty blue dress and comfortable, stable shoes that resembled sneakers. Jenna laced them with blue ribbons for her. Vera was in her mideighties, and her hair was silver and white and cut in a pixie style. Her skin looked velvety soft despite the wrinkles mapping her cheeks, and when she smiled, her gray-blue eyes warmed.

“So…” Jenna set a challenging gaze on Bella but spoke to Vera. “So you definitely didn’t sneak out to see your man the night before your wedding.”

“What?” Bella turned away with a grin.

Amy bit her lower lip and looked away, too. The girls had all spent the night at Pete and Jenna’s beach house, and the guys had spent the night at Kurt’s, which was just a few miles down the road. Amy had snuck out last night and spent an hour in Tony’s arms out in the dunes. She’d stayed in one of Jenna’s guest rooms, and she didn’t think anyone had known. Now she wasn’t so sure.

 “You snuck out,” Jenna said.

Bella and Amy both spun around and said in unison, “No, I didn’t.”

“I might have.” Leanna waved her hand. “You probably heard me. I couldn’t help it. I really wanted to see Kurt, and I knew you guys wouldn’t approve, so I just saw him for a few minutes.” Leanna’s cheeks pinked up.

“
You
snuck out?” Jenna asked. 

“Uh-huh.” Leanna smiled. “I’m sorry. We just shared a few minutes…in Pete’s boat barn.”

“In his boat barn?” Jenna’s eyes widened, but it was the mischievous grin on her lips that made Amy curious.

“Where were you last night, Jenna? When I got up to go to the bathroom, I didn’t see you.” It was a boldface lie, but she could tell Jenna was hiding something. No need for Leanna to suffer alone.

“I was sleeping.” Jenna turned away.

Vera shielded her mouth as if she were sharing a secret and said, “I smell a fib.”

“Vera!” Jenna laughed. “Okay, fine. I met Pete for an hour in my art studio.”

“Oh my God.” Bella plunked down on the bed. “I met Caden at the edge of the driveway. We’re all going to hell.”

“Yup, because that man out there met me in the dunes.” Amy sat next to Bella. “And it was worth going to hell for.” She burst out laughing, and the other girls did, too. Even Vera couldn’t refrain from chuckling.

“Well, if we’re telling secrets...” Vera looked up at the ceiling and covered her heart with her hand. “We snuck out the night before our wedding, too.”

Jessica gasped. “Vera.” She hugged her. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Jamie. No need to ruin his image of his pristine grandmother.”

“Oh, the tales I could tell,” Vera said with a playful shrug.

“Well, now that we have
that
out of the way. When I get married I will just skip the whole not-seeing-the-groom routine and take the path to hell.” Sky laughed as she grabbed a patchwork backpack from the floor.

“I made you guys something.” The girls gathered around Sky as she dug through the bag and pulled out light blue garter belts with tiny silver starfish hanging from the lace edge. She handed one to each of the brides.

“These are so cute. You
made
them? Thank you.” Amy threw her arms around Sky’s neck and kissed her cheek.

“You’re welcome! The starfish are from my mom’s sewing stuff,” Sky explained. “So I think that counts as something blue and something old.”

Jenna and Bella slipped theirs on while Leanna embraced Sky. “That was so thoughtful. Thank you.”

“Vera brought you guys something, too. Something
old
and
new
.” Jessica handed them each a little velvet bag from her purse.

“Vera, you didn’t have to give us anything,” Bella said.

“I know I didn’t. I had one made for Jessica before she married Jamie, and, Sky, I have one with your name on it, too.” Vera reached for Sky’s hand. “No rush, dear.”

Leanna, Jenna, Bella, and Amy opened the bags and shared a look of disbelief.

“Vera, I don’t know what to say.” Amy pulled the silver necklace with a pearl charm from the velvet bag. “This is stunning.”

“My uncle lived in Wellfleet. He was a fisherman, and he dove for pearls. I have a handful of them that he’d given me over the years.” Vera reached for Jessica’s hand and pulled her in close. “I knew when Jessica joined our family that they were meant to be shared, not stashed away in a safe.”

Jessica touched her pearl necklace. “Thank you, Vera. I will always cherish mine.”

“I know you will, dear.” Vera looked at the others. “I’ve known you girls practically since you were born. You’re as much family to me as Jamie is. I want you to have them. I feel so blessed to have been invited to share in your special day.”

The girls moved in for a group hug, and Joey rubbed against their legs.

“You’re as much our family as we are yours,” Amy said. “Thank you.” She and the others helped each other put on their necklaces; then Amy peeked out the window. “I still don’t see Theresa out there. Do you think she’s standing us up?”

“No way. She’d never do that. She texted a little while ago and said that she’s going to be here in time for the ceremony, but she’s running a little late.”

“Okay, good. If she doesn’t show up, we can’t get married.” Amy’s stomach felt queasy.

“She’ll be here, Ames. Don’t worry,” Jenna said.

“Oh crap,” Bella yelled.

“What?” Amy gave her a scolding look for saying
crap
.

“We have nothing borrowed. Does anyone have anything borrowed?” Bella spun around, waving her hands frantically. “We need something borrowed.”

“I know!” Leanna grabbed her purse and fished around in it. She pulled out three long ribbons—red, white, and blue—and smiled. “Jenna! Scissors!”

Jenna ran from the room and came back with a pair of scissors.

“We’ll cut this up and tie our hair back,” Leanna said.

“But I just did my hair,” Jenna complained.

“Oh, come on.” Leanna cut the ribbon. “Don’t be a spoilsport. Turn around.”

Jenna made a face, then snatched the red ribbon Leanna was holding in her hand and swapped it for the blue one.

“Give the red and white to someone who doesn’t have OCD. This way it will match my garter.” Jenna turned for Leanna to tie her hair back.

Sky tied Amy’s and Bella’s, and Jessica tied back Leanna’s hair.

Vera rose from her chair. “You girls are lovely. Just lovely.”

They all held hands and smiled like goofs.

“We’re really doing this,” Amy whispered. “We’re brides!”

“We’re beautiful brides,” Leanna added.

“And we’re marrying our Prince Charmings.” Jenna squealed and wiggled her shoulders.

“I just want you girls to know that I can’t imagine a better wedding, or people I’d rather be with on this day.” Amy’s eyes teared up. “You’re my sisters, and I’m so happy that Duke is letting me work three weeks on-site and then four months remotely. I can’t wait to start my life with Tony, and I can’t wait to move here and build our lives together with you guys. I love you guys so much.”

“Aw, Ames.” Leanna hugged her. “I love you, too.”

“Me too,” Jenna said.

“Okay, okay.” Bella rolled her eyes. “We love each other. Let’s go get married!”

TONY’S MOUTH WENT dry when he saw Amy walking over the dune in her off-white dress. She looked elegant with the simple dress and her hair pulled away from her face. Her smile reached her eyes, and when her eyes met his, his body shuddered with the memory of making love on the dunes last night. She’d been so beautiful, naked and bathed in moonlight. He’d wanted to stay with her beneath the stars until morning, but they’d both known they were breaking tradition by seeing each other. Nothing about their romance had been traditional, and he’d tried to coerce Amy into staying with him using that logic. She’d smiled that adorable smile of hers and shut him up with a sensual kiss. He was putty in her hands, and knew he always would be.

He watched Evan recording the girls as they came over the dunes with Joey bounding beside them. Lizzie handed each of the girls a bouquet of white roses and fastened a white ribbon to Joey’s collar. She was a feisty little thing flitting about as graceful and unobtrusive as a bird. Tony stole a glance at his best friends, who looked as mesmerized by their brides as he felt. Duke caught his eye and nodded, as if to say,
You’re a lucky guy
. Tony was so grateful that he and Amy had worked things out. Duke had called him last week to tell him—in case he had any doubts—that he hadn’t been doing Amy a favor by agreeing to the new work schedule. Amy had done him a favor. Tony had never felt as proud as he was at that moment. He knew how wonderful Amy was, but it sure felt good hearing it from someone else.

The pride he felt now was ten times the pride he’d felt then, as Amy walked across the sand in her bare feet and came to his side.