Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“Uh…” Hallie began.

“Is anybody here?” came a male voice from downstairs. “We have food.”

“And beer,” came another voice.

Hallie sat up on the bed. “Take your time getting dressed. I’ll deal with the men.”

“Your face just lit up,” Jilly said. “Who are you hoping to see downstairs?”

Hallie started to answer truthfully, but then said, “Max,” and ran from the room. She went to her own bathroom and put on makeup that she hoped would look like she wasn’t wearing any. She reached for her curling iron but didn’t pick it up. Instead, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Pulled back flat,” as Jamie called it.

Raine was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and smiling up at her. What a sight to wake up to! Men’s muscles and women’s knees, she thought. “Good morning,” she said.

He put his hands about her waist and swung her down the last two steps. “Good morning. Aunt Cale talked to your cousin, Leland, and he’s going to come to Aunt Jilly’s wedding.”

“That’s wonderful,” Hallie said. “Please thank her for me.”

Adam stepped around Raine. “These were baked last night. Tell me what you think.” He held out a cookie to her, but when she tried to take it, he moved it away. She bit while he was holding it.

Ian came from behind her. “Try this.” He held up a glass for her to drink out of. It was a fruity white wine.

“Delicious!”

“Hallie!” screamed Max and Cory as they ran at her at full speed.

Raine grabbed a collar of each child and only released them when they stopped running.

When Hallie knelt, they both hugged her. “Mom said we could stay only if you said it was okay,” Cory said.

“More than okay. But you have to tell me who everyone in the wedding is. I don’t know anyone.”

Adam and Ian had left, but Raine was still standing there smiling at her.

“Some of the people we don’t know,” Cory said seriously. “Uncle Graydon is a Montgomery, but he doesn’t live in Maine.” She said this as though it were a very strange thing.

Max leaned toward Hallie’s ear. “Jamie isn’t here,” he whispered.

“Does that make you sad?” Hallie whispered back.

“Yes. Our brother almost died. We saw him in the hospital and Mom and Dad cried a lot.”

Cory stepped away and Hallie drew the little boy into her arms. “Jamie’s better now, isn’t he?”

Max pulled away to look at Hallie, his little face close to hers. “My mom says you make Jamie laugh and she loves you for that.”

“Does she?”

“Max!” Cory yelled. “Dad sent cupcakes and he said not to tell Mom.” The two children went running.

Hallie stood up and looked at Raine. “I lost out to chocolate sprinkles.”

Raine leaned over and kissed her cheek. “All of us thank you,” he said softly, then stepped back. “Come on and let’s eat, then we’ll watch a Montgomery get married.”

He sounded as if he couldn’t believe such a thing could happen. “Sometimes when you kiss a frog you actually do get a prince,” she said.

Raine laughed. “I don’t know about the prince part, but you have the frogs right.”

For the next hour everything was so busy that Hallie didn’t have time to think. Another Montgomery, named Tynan, and a Taggert named Roan showed up, both of them young and beautiful. Part of Hallie was annoyed that none of the women came.