Signed, Sealed, Delivered (23 page)

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The minister closed her Bible and smiled. A gust of wind ruffled her tropical-print shirt and long brown hair. She simply swiped the wavy tresses out of her eyes and said, “You may kiss the bride.”

Juliana smiled against Connor’s lips when he kissed her, trying hard not to laugh at the cheer that rose from their friends. Fast on the heels of her laughter came a wave of emotion, a happiness impossible to contain—something she’d learned to expect with the hormones churning through her system.

Tears in her eyes, she kissed her new husband again and turned to Mallory, Bethany, and Danielle. They were lined up, all in flowery, flowing sundresses, holding small bouquets of fresh orchids and wearing colorful leis. The ruffled canopy protected the bridal party from the tropical sun, although it wasn’t an absolute necessity since the heat of the day had abated with dusk approaching. A cool breeze blew in from the west, bringing the fresh smell of the ocean with it. The sound of murmured congratulations competed with the whoosh of the waves as they hit the shore.

Connor accepted hugs as Juliana did the same. To have the Ladies, Ben, Amber, and Tracy there made the day magical. Everyone she loved was there—even her parents, who’d never ventured to Hawaii before.

He’d arranged the wedding around the high school’s two-week winter break, with their wedding day being the day after Christmas. Sure, it was a little longer than the two weeks he’d wanted, but it was worth every minute of the wait.

Although Tracy would be leaving in a few hours to attend an international conference in Hong Kong on battling world hunger, she’d graciously postponed her trip to be at the wedding. After all, she was Connor’s best woman.

Juliana had to chuckle at how her growing abdomen would soon make hugging anyone next to impossible. She’d gone from a flat stomach to a “babies bump” practically overnight. The twins seemed to know how their movements would warm her heart and ease her worries, so they kept up their calisthenics nearly twenty-four/seven. The only complaint about their constant activity came from Connor. He claimed that when she snuggled up against his back at night, he was so enthralled by their twisting and turning that he couldn’t sleep.

Tracy gave her a hug that Juliana returned with all her heart.

“I’ll always owe you,” she whispered to Connor’s friend and sponsor. “You saved things for us.”

“Nah,” Tracy replied. “We’re friends, and friends never owe each other.”

After the cake was cut, Juliana walked to where the ocean met the shore. Since she was barefoot—as was the entire bridal party, including the minister—she wiggled her toes in the warm, wet sand. The breeze made her gauzy ivory dress cling to her body, making her wonder how she looked carrying twins. Mallory swore the weight was all up front and that if someone saw Juliana from behind, they wouldn’t even know she was pregnant.

Ah, so sweet to have a friend who loved her enough to lie.

Settling her palm against her belly, she smiled. The weight gain didn’t bother her a bit, not if it meant she was carrying two healthy, active babies. That, and the day was as close to perfect as she’d ever experienced.

For the first time in her life, she wanted nothing more than what she had.

“Your dad made an honest woman of me, kids,” she said, stroking her stomach.

“Damn right he did.” Connor’s arms wrapped around her as he pressed his chest to her back. He rested his hands over hers. “So was this the kind of wedding you dreamed of?”

“I’m standing on a gorgeous beach with my parents and my friends and marrying a guy too handsome for words. What do
you
think?”

“Depends,” he teased. “Do you love the guy who’s too handsome for words?”

“I love him stupid—more than I could ever explain with mere words.”

“He loves you, too, you know.” His lips touched her neck.

Juliana leaned back against him and breathed a sigh full of contentment. “I know.”

He kissed her cheek. “Ready to tell everyone about our sons? The Ladies, Tracy, and your mom have been hounding me ever since the ultrasound.”

“I know, but it’s kinda fun with only us knowing.” She gave a rather fake exaggerated sigh. “I guess we can go tell them the happy news.”

“Think you can handle two boys? The way they move around now, imagine them as two-year-olds.”

“Two boys? I’ll have three,” she reminded him.

“Three? I was at the ultrasound, Red. Don’t go telling me it’s triplets. Two babies are plenty.” He held up two fingers in front of her face.

“You forgot about
you
.”

“I’m not your kid, my darling Juliana. I’m your partner.”

“And now my husband.”

“And you’re my wife.” Connor grew pensive. “I’ll be good to you, you know. I promise.”

“I know, honey. I’ll be good to you, too. Didn’t I just vow to love, honor, and cherish you?”

“I could swear an ‘obey’ was thrown in there somewhere.”

Juliana turned in his arms, the babies putting enough distance between them to make her chuckle. “I can guaran-damn-tee you I never said ‘obey.’ ”

He arched an eyebrow. “Turning my words against me?”

“Never.” Rising on tiptoes, she kissed him—a long, lazy kiss. “I love you, Connor Wilson.”

“In that case… let’s discuss the firm’s name…”

Sandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband of thirty years and is a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses and enjoy spending time at the two Indiana racetracks. She has been an Amazon Best Seller and has won numerous writing awards, including two HOLT Medallions.

Please visit her website at sandyjames.com for more information or find her on Twitter or Facebook at sandyjamesbooks.

Turn the page for a preview of the next book in the Ladies Who Lunch series,

Sealing the Deal

One more person.

If one more person told Bethany Rogers how sorry he was that her sister was dead, she might just punch him right in the nose.

She swallowed her anger. It wasn’t her normal response to stress anyway. Of course, she’d never been through this kind of stress before. Perhaps this was normal for grief.

It wasn’t often a girl lost her only sister.

I never said good-bye.

That would haunt Beth for a good, long while—if not the rest of her life. Even though she kept reminding herself that not talking to Tiffany wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t push the guilt aside.

Her sister had been in a war zone. Communicating with someone overseas wasn’t easy. The time difference alone made it a chore. While the army allowed Skyping, Tiffany had only reached out to her big sister a few times. Their last video chat had been over a month ago when Tiffany had just arrived in Afghanistan.

And now Tiffany was dead.

Beth went to the chapel early, wanting a private moment alone with her sister. Now she’d be denied a private farewell. An army officer stood guard over the flag-draped coffin. While the family had been offered a chance to view the remains, the officer who’d escorted Tiffany to Princeville had cautioned them against doing so. The suicide bomber had done his job well, savagely destroying the three people at the guard post that fateful morning.

Sick at heart, she turned to head back up the aisle and nearly collided with Danielle Bradshaw. Her best friend was dressed in a perfect little black dress, had pulled her long blonde hair into a tight bun, and wore very little makeup.

Mourning chic.

“Hey.” Beth swallowed hard to keep the threatening tears, the ones she wanted to shed in private, at bay.

“Hey,” Dani replied, her tone wary. She studied Beth with her crystal blue eyes before understanding dawned. Then she opened her arms wide.

Without a moment of hesitation, Beth threw herself into Dani’s embrace. As short as Dani was tall, Beth found her cheek pressed against her friend’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

“Shit, Beth. Where else did you think I’d be?” came Dani’s characteristically acerbic reply.

Having narrowed her vision to focus on her best friend, Beth hadn’t realized the rest of the Ladies Who Lunch had arrived as well. Mallory Carpenter and Juliana Wilson came forward to sandwich Beth and Dani between them—a group embrace of four women who needed each other’s friendship in a way most people might never understand.

That bond had been formed years ago as the four of them shared their lunch period when they’d all been teaching at Stephen Douglas High School. As time passed, they’d learned to lean on one another through thick and thin. Mallory’s breast cancer. Juliana’s choice to leave teaching and start a new career.

And now Beth facing the loss of her little sister.

They simply held on to one another for a few precious moments, crying softly. Then one by one they eased back.

Mallory sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks with a tissue she’d wadded in her palm. Her light brown hair had recently been cut into a short, sassy style. After she’d lost her hair to chemotherapy, it had taken her a long time to allow anyone to put a pair of scissors to it. Now that her breast cancer was four years in the past, she’d finally decided to cut it the way she wanted instead of focusing on growing it out. Her dark brown dress matched her eyes. Although those eyes were red-rimmed, they still reflected Mallory’s boundless kindness.

Juliana was stoic. Dressed in a navy suit, her long red hair loose around her shoulders, she looked the part of the successful Realtor she’d become. But beneath that rough exterior beat a heart full of compassion.

“Thank you all for coming.” Beth gratefully accepted a new tissue from Danielle.

“Where else would we be when you need us?” Mallory asked with a sympathetic smile.

Beth shrugged. “It’s about the only thing I can say without getting choked up. I sound like a broken record.”

Mallory spared a quick glance over her shoulder. “The guys came, too.”

Hanging back a few feet were Ben Carpenter and Connor Wilson. Since Connor wasn’t holding two toddlers, Beth assumed the Wilsons had left their twin boys back in Cloverleaf with their nanny. She tossed each man a grateful smile. They nodded in return.

Dani took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “How are you holding up, Beth?”

“I’m okay. Still a little catatonic. I just can’t believe Tiffany’s gone.” Beth’s gaze drifted to the double doors, and she caught her parents walking in. Carol Rogers held Emma—Tiffany’s nine-month-old daughter—against her hip.

“They brought the baby?” Dani whispered.

“They’re in Florida now, remember?” Beth replied.

“Oh yeah. The retirement community.”

Crossing her arms around her middle, Beth tried to ward off the chill that seemed to have settled in her bones. “They don’t know anyone here. Neither do I, for that matter. We didn’t want a stranger to babysit.”

“Then why’s the service here and not Cloverleaf?” Juliana asked.

“Tiffany’s friends are all here. Princeville was home to her.”

Dani frowned as she stared at Beth’s parents. “Carol looks pissed.”

“Emma was really fussy last night. I finally took her from Mom and slept in the recliner with Emma lying on my chest.”

“You’re a good aunt.”

“Mom’s good with her, too. You know, they’ll have Emma down there until Tiffany’s tour of duty ends and—” Beth had to stop and close her eyes. Tiffany’s deployment had ended the day she died.

Will I ever stop thinking of her in present tense?

“Will they keep Emma now?” Dani asked.

That was the same question Beth had been asking herself, especially in the wee hours of the morning as she’d cradled her niece against her. Her parents’ Florida condo was smack-dab in the middle of a community of fifty-five-and-overs. It was one thing to keep their granddaughter for a tour of duty. Even then, Beth was going to have the baby for two months in the summer.

But forever?

Before Beth could ponder that again, her mother came over. “Can you take Emma for the service? My back’s killing me.”

Emma reached for Beth before she could even answer.

Settling Emma on her hip, Beth kissed her cheek.

With an enormous yawn, Emma put her thumb in her mouth and rested her head against Beth’s shoulder. As if none of the dozens of people were in the church, Emma fell asleep moments later.

There was no worry about the baby fussing through the service. Emma was her mother’s opposite. While Tiffany always craved being the center of attention, Emma was calm and oddly quiet for her age. Tiffany had been a reed-thin blonde with blue eyes, while Emma shared Bethany’s curly brown hair, brown eyes, and chubby cheeks.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized Emma favored her aunt rather than her mother. Of course, Tiffany and Beth looked—and acted—nothing like sisters. A short, plump brunette and a lithe blonde. Tiffany’s wildness came in direct contrast to the tight rein Beth kept on her life. Perhaps their different temperaments were from being older versus younger sibling.

Beth’s pondering was interrupted as the minister stepped into the chapel through the side door. She nodded at her friends as they took their seats in the second row. Then she moved to where her parents waited in the front pew. Before she could sit, her gaze was drawn to the back of the chapel.

A tall man with short-cropped dark hair came inside, his gaze darting around as though he felt completely out of place and sought a friendly face.

Her heart began to pound. Robert Ashford had arrived. She gave him a small wave, wanting,
needing
, him to come to her.

About the time she feared he’d given up finding her in the crowd, his brown eyes caught hers. With an insistent flip of her wrist, she begged him to join her. Even though the Ladies and their spouses were only a row behind, she wanted Robert at her side.

The overwhelming desire to lean on him took her by surprise. Robert was her friend, her former colleague—technically her boss as well. But none of those roles explained the keen yearning to have him near.

Beth was emotionally overwrought at losing her baby sister and couldn’t examine that feeling too closely. Not now.

He strode up the aisle, not even stopping to acknowledge their friends.

“Hi, B. I’m s-sorry about your sister.” The way he shifted on his feet spoke of his discomfort. That, and he kept tugging at his tie as though it was too tight.

Come to think of it, she’d never even seen him in a suit.

“Thanks for coming,” she said.

“I was, you know, worried about you.” His gaze drifted to the full second pew. “Should’ve known you wouldn’t need me.”

“But I do!” She didn’t realize she’d shouted until Emma stirred and several people gaped at her. Beth lowered her voice. “Can you sit by me? Please?” Why did she suddenly feel as awkward as a girl talking to her first crush?

“Um, sure. If that’s what you want.”

“I do.”

Since the minister was clearing his throat, she took a seat, settling Emma on her lap and letting her rest against her shoulder again. Thankfully, the baby went right back to sleep.

Robert took his place next to Beth, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he draped his arm behind her, resting it on the back of the pew. A few minutes later, after the minister started talking about how Tiffany had given her life in service to her country, Robert’s arm moved to rest on Beth’s shoulders.

It wasn’t until his touch stilled her movements that she realized she’d been trembling.

* * *

Bethany kept a wary eye on Emma throughout the dinner in the church social hall.

All of Tiffany’s friends were pretty much ignoring Emma, which wasn’t a shock. From the time she’d turned fifteen, Tiffany had been wild—living for the moment and spending her time with people who shunned responsibility. She’d used alcohol, taken drugs, and slept with pretty much anyone. The only reason she had a high school diploma was because Beth had tutored her through her toughest classes.

Although she’d spent time in the local juvenile prison and the county jail, Tiffany’s first felony arrest sobered her. Up until the judge told her she might be in prison for up to five years, she’d done no more than thirty days in custody. Prison scared the shit out of her. So her lawyer had worked out a deal. If she straightened herself out and joined the army, she’d only be charged with a misdemeanor.

She’d sobered up and enlisted, hoping to go to college one day. Emma was conceived on her mother’s first leave after basic training. Emma’s father—a man Tiffany refused to identify—wanted nothing to do with being a parent. Since she’d been quite content to be a single mother, Tiffany didn’t even ask for child support.

The problem was that although she’d wanted to be with Emma, she still owed the army time. And that time saw her deployed to Afghanistan.

Beth accepted a soda from Robert. “Thanks. I’m so grateful you’re here.”

He gave her a shrug. “The Ladies had your back. I just thought…” Another shrug.

“It meant a lot to me.” She saw her three friends drawing near.

“Ah, speak of the devils,” he quipped.

“Who are you calling a devil?” Dani asked, giving Robert a jostle with her shoulder.

“If the high heel fits.” His wink and the bantering helped Beth relax.

With a grin, Mallory said, “Actually, I think we’re more witches than devils.”

“Yeah,” Juliana agreed with a nod. “But I left my broom back in Cloverleaf.”

“Thank you all for coming.” Fighting strong emotions, she tried to give her friends a smile. Judging from the unsettling quiet, she didn’t succeed. “I mean it. Thank you all for—” A shuddering breath slipped out as tears spilled over her lashes.

“Robert,” Mallory said, “my husband wants to ask you something.”

He frowned, staring at Beth. “In other words, you womenfolk wanna be alone?”

“Bingo.”

His hand settled on Beth’s arm. “You okay, B?”

“I’m fine.”

He wiped a tear from her cheek with callused fingertips.

Funny, but his touch helped her regain some control over her emotions. “I’m fine. Really. Thanks.”

“Then if the beautiful Ladies Who Lunch will excuse me…” With a flourish of his hand and a half bow, he walked away.

“What a flirt,” Dani said.

Beth couldn’t let that misconception stand. “Far from it. He’s really very shy.”

“Robert?” Juliana furrowed her brow. “Shy?” She let out a snort. “I’ve never seen that side of him.”

“It’s all bravado,” Beth insisted. “He stuttered when he was little. Took him a long time to be able to talk to people.”

Dani’s quizzical stare made Beth uncomfortable. Her best friend knew her far too well—sometimes better than Beth knew herself.

A hot flush spread over Beth’s cheeks. “He told me about it when we were working on one of the houses.”

“Beth?” Dani asked. “After all these years, are you falling for our Robert?”

It
had
been years—nine, to be exact—since Beth had walked into Douglas High as a new teacher. At the time, all of the Ladies and Robert had also taught there. The women became fast friends while sharing their lives every day at lunch, often pulling strings and calling in favors to be sure they shared the same lunch period. Those precious moments had built a friendship strong enough to weather any changes, even Juliana leaving teaching to become a Realtor.

The name came from one of the women’s Chicago excursions to shop and see plays. After watching
Company
, they’d adopted one of the song titles. From that time on, everyone called them the Ladies Who Lunch.

Robert had taught industrial technology. Beth had gotten to know him through time spent on school committees, chaperoning dances, and chatting in the corridor almost every passing period. Then his side business of building custom homes had taken off and, like Juliana, he’d sought greener pastures.

Beth had missed seeing him, even stopping by one of his open houses just to talk to him. The place was nice but poorly staged. After she made a few friendly suggestions, he’d insisted she become his decorator. Since HGTV was her favorite network, she’d loved the new challenge. She’d also quickly discovered they made a good pair.