Toss the Bouquet (13 page)

“Without fighting?” Tara asked, laughing.

“Well, they used separate kitchens, but they're fine now, buzzin' like a couple of happy bees. I think . . .” She took a step back, swept her gaze over Tara, and smiled. “We're ready.”

Pachelbel's Canon in D.

Greg turned. His buddy Tim gave him a nudge, then nodded in appreciation as Tara stepped into view on her brother's arm.

Stunning.

She looked beautiful in a ballroom-style dress he wouldn't have foreseen in a million years. Sweet, funny, practical, frugal Tara had chosen a fairy-tale gown.

And it fit.

She should have looked left and right, acknowledging the sweet neighbors and friends who'd come to celebrate on this bright, early spring day.

She didn't. Looking forward, she smiled at him, only him, and his heart did the Grinch-trick, expanding exponentially.

She passed the pew filled with Elena's employees. With quiet deliberation she nudged Ethan to pause for just a moment and grasped Kathy's hand.

Tears streamed down Kathy's cheeks. For him? For his mother? For the moment?

Probably all three, and when Tara bent and kissed Kathy's
cheek, Greg felt like his mother was there, with them, completing the circle.

She smiled at the rest of the crew, turned, and caught his gaze.

Her smile grew.

She and Ethan took those last few steps, and when Ethan reached out to shake his hand, Greg sensed the kinship of family, forever linked.

His mother was gone. Her father was gone. But in the beauty of the moment and the sanctity of the ceremony, he felt the full circle of family surrounding him.

And when the final blessing was given, Greg Elizondo turned, lifted Tara's veil, and kissed his bride, taking his sweet time with the happily-ever-after he hadn't expected.

Church bells pealed to announce their exit. Flower petals dusted the sidewalk, and as the bells rang above them, Greg stopped Tara on the steps for one more kiss, a pledge of life, love, and honor, no matter what came their way.

With God's help, living in the quaint surroundings of Old City, Pennsylvania, it was a promise they both could keep.

“She'll be too cold. It's not even fifty degrees yet,” Greg
fussed. He reached for another blanket and handed it to Tara. “Just in case.”

“No one's going to notice her pretty little Easter dress if we have her bundled in seventeen blankets. She's got the cute pink coat Kathy made her and a hat from my mother. She's fine, honey.”

“You think?”

Tara resisted the urge to laugh at him, because one look at his face said he was sincerely concerned. “Yes. But if you want to carry her over to church for the Easter service, she can snuggle in with her daddy.”

That thought brightened his eyes and relaxed his jaw. “Come on, Laynie. Daddy will cuddle you all the way to the church.”

He bent and lifted the six-month-old little girl. She smiled up at him, patted his cheek, then nuzzled into his neck.

“She's got your number.” Tara laughed as she tugged her coat on. “Daddy's little girl.”

“Daddy's two best girls,” he corrected her with a lingering kiss. “Who'd have thought two years ago that my life would be like this now?”

“Knee-deep in diapers and representing women's shelters and soup kitchens instead of entertaining international clients on Wall Street?” Tara teased. “We are so blessed, Greg. Who'd have thought that saving the Old City Mission would lead to being the contract attorney for an international Christian outreach?”

“Amazing and good.” He settled Laynie along his hip as he pulled open the door. The baby grabbed his ear, babbling something adorable. “Elena Michelle Elizondo, Daddy can't close the door if you're doing that.”

“Let me.” Tara pulled the door shut, then stepped into the cool, midspring morning as neighbors along the way came out of their homes. “Laynie, look. It's your first Easter parade.”

“It is.” Greg kissed the baby's soft brow. “What do you think, Laynie? Everybody's all dressed up and going to church together.”

Folks waved from across the street. Mission clients called greetings to neighbors as they positioned donated flowers along the mission's steps.

Another young couple came out of a high-rise at the corner pushing a little boy in a stroller. As the church bells tolled, people filled the streets, walking toward the old brick house of prayer.

Another church rang in, and then another, a chorus
of resurrection and joy, a new day. As Greg's hand clasped Tara's, she raised her gaze to his.

They'd both lost loved ones over the years, but God had given them a brand-new beginning. New jobs, a cozy home, a baby girl, and a strong neighborhood community. Old buildings, vintage stores, rustic stoops, and new love.

An older woman passed them and smiled. “He is risen!”

Greg answered the way his mother had no doubt taught him long years ago: “He is risen, indeed!”

And Tara walked beside him up the broad steps of the historic church, knowing she could never ask for anything more.

This fun novella wouldn't exist without the grace of the
Hall family, owners of a renowned independent bridal store in Rochester, New York. “Bridal Hall” was a long-standing and wonderful part of the Western New York bridal industry for decades. As employers, they were marvelous, kind, and caring. As friends, they're more so! They offered jobs to two of my children in “Tuxedo Hall” as Beth and Luke worked their way through college, and on slow winter nights Ed Hall would say, “Bring your books and study if it's quiet. Make good use of your time!” Also, big thanks to Matt and Zach Blodgett, my two boys who attended the University of Pennsylvania. Their years in Philly gave me a chance to know and love the city, from the streets of Old City to the hills of Valley Forge, a wonderful place to visit and live! And a huge shout-out to the missions and soup kitchens reaching out to the needy in our communities. Bless you for your living example of Christ's words among us!

1. Deciding what to do with your life at age 18 . . . or 21 . . . can be a daunting task. The law school statistics bear that out. Fifteen percent of graduates never practice law. Do you know people who bore the brunt of education and then changed their lives or careers abruptly? Is that crazy or wonderful?

2. Greg Elizondo thinks he's like his father. Of course he is, in some ways, but as an adult his future lies strictly in his own hands. How often do we blame our pasts or our parents for choices we made on our own?

3. Tara's eager-to-please personality is almost her undoing. She wants to help others, but the reality of what her small town lawyer career would be like doesn't exactly jive with her mental image! Have you ever had a true wake-up call from the Holy Spirit? One of those “what were you thinking?” moments? How did it change or affect your life?

4. No one said the right person would come along at the most opportune time. Oops. Greg is faced with two dreams . . .
the woman God planted before him and his long-awaited goal of a seat in the big house of corporate law in Lower Manhattan. His trip there seemed ill-timed, but it was actually perfect timing. Has that happened to you, where the worst timing ever turns out to be ideal? Oh . . . that God! ☺

5. Greg has lived in Old City and walked the streets for decades. He grew up here and pursued his education and dreams in Philadelphia, but he never paid much attention to the Old City Mission or the nearby churches until the mission closed down. How did God's timing play a pivotal role in Greg's life, his choices, and his perspective?

6. Greg, Tara, and the bridal crew at Elena's Bridal had to reinvent a new normal to keep the store running. With the advent of internet shopping and free delivery, have you seen changes in your local shops now that they have worldwide competition? My research trips highlight the difficulty of keeping a shop running in a tight and competitive economy. How important is it to a community to keep those local shops open?

Award-winning author Ruth Logan
Herne is the author of over a dozen novels for Love Inspired and Summerside Press. The mother of seven children, she loves kids and pets. She is married to a very patient man who is seemingly unthreatened by the casts of characters living in her head. Visit her website at
ruthloganherne.com
, e-mail her at [email protected], and visit her on Goodreads or at
www.seekerville.blogspot.com