Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“I’d love to, but I need to see Jilly.”

“When I left she was going for a nap, and she doesn’t know it, but Ken is on his way here. He’ll be able to relax her even better than you can.”

“I’m sure he can,” Hallie said, smiling. “But if you have her number, I’d like to call her.”

“Certainly,” Cale said, and mentally added “conscientious” to the list of traits for this young woman.

Jilly’s daughter answered the phone and said her mother was sleeping but that Jilly would be fine with the massage being postponed. Hallie paid her check and she and Cale left together.

“I like her very much,” Cale said to her husband over the phone. Hallie was in a dressing room trying on an outfit to wear to the wedding. “She talks about Jamie all the time.”

“That’s understandable since they’ve been more or less living together for some time now,” Kane said.

“Jamie lived with Alicia for two years, but I never heard her say that Jamie liked anise seed cookies, or that he wanted a house with a porch. And the sight of a chicken that wasn’t butchered and on a plate would have sent her running.”

Kane rolled his eyes. “Okay, I got it. Everyone in the family knows you hated Alicia. She’s gone, so there’s no more worry about her marrying Jamie. Cale, my dearest wife, can’t we leave it up to our son to choose who he wants to live with?”

“Men are idiots about women. Remember how you—?”

“Not again!” Kane said. “That was nearly thirty years ago.”

Cale took a breath. “Yeah, I know and I’ve forgiven you, but I still worry. Todd’s being even quieter than usual and that worries me too.”

“I think you should step back and let the kids figure out their own lives.”

“I guess you’re right. Do me a favor, will you? Ask Kris if she brought that lace Dolce dress she wore last Christmas. If she doesn’t have it with her, get someone to overnight it. I think it would look great on Hallie and she can wear it to Jilly’s wedding.”

“You aren’t buying Hallie a lot of things, are you?”

“No, I’m not. I didn’t even pay for her lunch, but then I think if I’d offered to, Hallie would have refused. She has a very independent spirit.”

“Interesting,” Kane said. “She has an independent spirit and a lying, cheating, thieving sister. Sound like anybody else we know?”

Cale grimaced. “Be glad I’m already married to you because if the offer came up again, I’d probably say no.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

“Sex yes, conversation no.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kane said.

“Yeah, well—I have to go. Hallie’s coming. And keep the yes to sex in your mind.”

“Always do,” Kane said as he hung up.

Hallie truly enjoyed shopping with Jamie’s mother, and it was a brand-new experience for her. Before her grandparents left, Hallie had been too young to care a lot about clothes. Anything that was pink and sparkly suited her.

After they left, clothes shopping had been left up to Ruby. That had consisted of Ruby saying “Maybe we can find something in the husky department that will fit you.” Back then, Hallie had been normal-sized, but compared to the very thin Shelly, she was almost big.

Being with Cale and hearing her opinions about what looked good on Hallie and what didn’t was wonderful. They were in their third shop when two beautiful young women walked past the store.

“It’s Paige and Lainey,” Cale said. “Mind if we ask them to join us?”

“I, uh…” Hallie hesitated. The girls were tall and thin and almost as beautiful as Shelly. She didn’t want to try on clothes around them!

Cale seemed to understand Hallie’s hesitancy. “They’re nice girls. Trust me,” she said over her shoulder as she went out the front door and returned with the two young women.

When they were inside and she got a closer look at them, Hallie couldn’t help gaping at them. “You’re Adam and Ian.”