Maybe that's why her mother seemed so different now, too. More grounded, more secure.
Shay glanced at Matt. Of course, the rose-colored glasses she'd worn for the past year could just as likely be the reason for her sudden optimism. Somehow, though, she didn't think it was.
"Do you think our wedding would be like this?" Matt asked, almost absentmindedly.
"Our wedding?" Shay cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah. When I make an honest woman of you." He grinned.
"I didn't know that was in the cards." A secret thrill shot through her just at the idea.
"Only if you answer my question," he shot back.
"Fine. No, I don't think it'll be like this."
"You want one like Andy's?" he asked.
"No, I want one that's like you and me."
"Dysfunctional and fun?"
She nodded. "In a way. I don't know, I always sort of had this idea that we'd get married on a baseball field."
"Oh, you always had that idea?"
"Well, I—"
"Oh no, tell me. How long have you been scrawling Mrs. Shay Archer in your notebooks? Since the second you met me or did you wait a couple of minutes?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant."
"You meant that you've been thinking about marrying me."
"Maybe I have. So what?" she said.
"So... I can probably arrange a wedding on the field, if that's what you really want. Hell, for you I can do it during the seventh inning stretch."
Shay grinned. It was always so nice to see the sparkle in Matt's eye when he talked about baseball. At the end of the previous season, there'd been a bidding war for his contract, but he'd opted to stay in San Diego with her.
Not that he said it was for her. He didn't have to. She knew.
The bridal march began, and Shay watched as her mother joined with husband number eight, grinning from ear to ear the whole time. Then when they were at last pronounced and introduced, she walked back down the aisle
with Matt's hand in hers.
"We might have to get married sooner than we planned." She swallowed hard. This was the moment—every part of her mind screamed it at her—but she was still beside herself with nerves. And with excitement.
"Why? You just can't wait any longer?" Matt grinned.
"Something like that." She smiled. "I just think my dress size is going to change too much to do it nine months from now."
"Nine..." His voice trailed off, and then he glanced from Shay's face to her stomach and back again. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, and then he grinned so broadly that she was forced to beam back.
Not caring about all the parishioners behind them, he enveloped her in a hug so tight that for a moment she struggled to breathe. When the little old ladies behind them started to grumble, Matt set her back on her feet and asked. "How long have you known?"
"Only a week. I wanted to make it special, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore."