The Wedding Party And Holiday Escapes Ultimate Collection. Кейт Хьюит

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       Chapter One

      “How’s the bride?” Penny Montgomery stepped into the church dressing room, where her best friend since childhood, Maggie Brown, was getting ready to walk down the aisle. This church, one of five in the small town of Tawnee Valley, was the one Maggie’s mother had dragged Maggie and Penny to when they were growing up.

      “Nervous. Excited. Trying to remember to breathe.” Maggie hadn’t stopped smiling. Her gown was lovely and simple. Classically A-lined styled with no train. Her light hair was pulled up in a loose knot with tendrils left to play around her neck. She looked stunning and had the truest heart of anyone Penny had ever known.

      “You look beautiful,” Penny said. “Your mother would have loved to see you like this.”

      Maggie nodded. Tears sparkled in her eyes but they didn’t fall. For years, Penny and Maggie had been each other’s rock. Now Maggie had found her dream man and was forming a family. Penny had Maggie and that was enough family for her.

      “Mom would be happy.”

      A lump formed in Penny’s throat and she coughed to clear it. “Brady wanted me to give you this.”

      She held out the little gift-wrapped box.

      “Thank you, Penny.” Maggie held on to Penny’s hand. “I mean it. For everything. For being with me when everything was so hard and for nudging me in the right direction when I needed a shove.”

      “What are best friends for?” Careful of her long slip dress, Penny stepped back and sat on the antique couch. The pale gold silk gown slid against her skin.

      She ran a finger over the worn velvet of the couch. If it were refinished it might fetch a nice price in What Goes Around Comes Around, her antiques store, but it suited the old chapel the way it was. Years of wear from weddings to funerals to christenings had made this couch unique. The story behind antiques always made them more valuable in Penny’s eyes.

      “Well,” Penny prompted, needing to lighten the mood. “Open the gift. I bet it’s a ring. Probably the kind that vibrates. You know, the kind that goes on his—”

      “Penny!” Maggie was too serious for her own good sometimes. Penny just smiled and shrugged. She hoped that she helped to corrupt her friend just a little.

      “Just because that would be something you’d like for a gift...” Maggie took off the ribbon and opened the box. She drew out two diamond drop earrings. “Oh, my.”

      “Looks like someone is making up for lost time.” Penny smiled, kicked off her heels and drew her already-aching feet under her. The devil himself had made those heels, but she wouldn’t tell Maggie that.

      “Brady being here now is all that matters.” The light caught in the facets of the diamonds and burst into tiny dancing lights around the room. “They are so lovely.”

      “I’m so happy for you.” And Penny meant it. If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Maggie.

      Penny wasn’t made for marriage. Whenever she wanted a man, all she had to do was go out and find one. The clubs were only an hour away in Springfield. And if she just wanted to stay warm at night, Flicker, her new shaggy puppy, could help her out.

      Maggie put the earrings on and turned to face Penny. “How do I look?”

      “Like you are in love. Glowing. When Brady sees you, he’s going to be the happiest man in the world.” Maggie’s bliss was contagious. It radiated from her like the brightest star. Maggie had made it through all the suffering and losing her mom.

      After a moment, Maggie gave Penny a worried-momma look. “Luke made it in last night.”

      “Great.” Penny gave Maggie a grin, even though her heart beat a little heavier. “It would look a little weird if I didn’t have a best man to walk me down the aisle. Plus he’s going to be part of your family soon.”

      “Are you sure you are okay with this?”

      Penny took a deep breath and gave Maggie a reassuring look. “It was nine years ago, Maggie. Teenage puppy love. I’m sure he’s over it by now. I am.”

      “So no drama?” Maggie raised her eyebrow.

      “If there’s drama, I won’t be the cause of it.” Penny uncurled from the couch and stood, shaking any wrinkles out of the floor-length gown. The energy levels in her body had suddenly surged and she couldn’t sit anymore. Suppressing a whimper, she shoved her feet back in her shoes. She nervously checked the mirror. Her makeup hadn’t smeared. Her red hair had been pulled into a tight bun, and at least one can of hair spray had plastered it into place. With the extra few inches the heels provided, she’d at least be able to look Luke Ward in the chin after all these years.

      The noise level in the hallway picked up. Someone knocked on the door.

      “Five minutes, ladies.” The door muffled an older woman’s voice beyond recognition.

      “He’s not seeing anyone,” Maggie continued. She picked up her veil and worked the comb into her hair.

      “Too bad for him, I guess.” Penny held the end of the veil and straightened it to keep busy. “Seriously, Maggie, I’ll be okay. Luke is here for one СКАЧАТЬ