“They’re awesome!”
Lissie looked a little crestfallen. “I wish I could have been there for you.” Quietly, she asked, “And how’s your grandmother?”
“She’s great. Her broken hip is all healed. You’d never know she broke it. And guess what? She’s actually dating a wonderful man. She loves Puerto Rico.”
“I was surprised to hear she wasn’t coming back. I never thought you’d get her to leave her house.”
Dawn laughed. “I know. It was the Fierro family who convinced her. And I refused to go without her. That would’ve kept Luca away from his family, because he wouldn’t go without me. I think Gran knew how close he was to his family. She didn’t want to be the cause of any rift there, and they’ve been so good to her. When she broke her hip and we had to take her out of the hospital, they took her in, and Gabriella fussed over her while she healed.”
Someone interrupted by clearing her throat. Dawn and Lissie looked up, and Dawn recognized her karma officer, Lynda. She jumped up and ran into her open arms. “Lynda! I didn’t know you were coming.”
“You know my probation officer?” Lissie asked.
Dawn grinned. “Yeah. In a way, she was mine too.” She pulled Lynda aside. “Does my mother know about your other job?”
“Yes. She’s a client.”
Dawn squealed and pulled Lynda into the living room. They sat on the couches near each other, but Dawn took a seat next to her mom.
Lynda beamed. “You look wonderful, Dawn. I just knew Luca would take good care of you.”
“We take good care of each other.” Dawn took her mother’s hand and squeezed it. “I wish I could introduce him to you. You would love him.”
“Actually,” Lynda said, “that might be possible. I pulled a few strings and got special permission for your mom to attend your wedding.”
“You did?” Dawn jumped up and hugged Lynda, then returned to her spot on the couch and hugged a stunned Lissie.
“How did you manage that?” Lissie asked.
Lynda winked. “Karma and I have our ways. Plus, your hard work and great attitude helped!”
“I haven’t always had the best attitude.”
“We’re not talking about the past. We’re watching you demonstrate a genuine psychic change now. That’s what second chances are for.”
* * *
Luca Fierro and Dawn Forrest had picked their wedding venue carefully. It was on a beach at the foot of an old fort. The mood was casual. Their guests were able to sit on a concrete wall overlooking the small beach. The couple stood on the sand, wearing their new wedding clothes. Dawn was stunning.
Both wore white. “Virgins don’t have a monopoly on bright white,” Gabriella had said, and Annette agreed. Leave it to those two to be appropriately inappropriate.
Dawn’s short, strapless dress boasted loads of lace and tulle, adding some volume to her slim body. She had complained that women envied her fast metabolism and hated that she could eat as much as a man without gaining an ounce. She was a little self-conscious of her small breasts and would have liked to put on a few pounds, but Luca thought she looked perfect.
They had no maid of honor or best man because there were too many brothers and sisters-in-law to choose from. They were each other’s best friends, so they’d decided to do away with one more tradition. It was just the two of them and the officiant standing on the sandy beach.
The preacher wore a long, black robe over his clothes and stood nearest to the shore—about four feet away from the gentle waves lapping at the sand. Luca hoped he didn’t stumble backward.
Luca gazed at his beautiful bride, who took his breath away. Dawn’s brown hair had grown out from the initial spiky hairdo she had sported when they met to a short Audrey Hepburn kind of look, with her bangs scrolling to one side, by the time they had their first official date. Now, she had enough length to actually make an updo. A few strands had escaped and blew in the wind, but that was Dawn. Her energy could not be contained, and he loved that about her.
“Is everyone here?” the reverend asked. Dawn and Luca glanced at the guests sitting on the wall, making a semicircle around their spot, and agreed that yes, everyone they were expecting had arrived.
So many people were not only family but friends to both of them. They had decided early on that no matter where they had their ceremony, they didn’t want aisles with a bride’s side and a groom’s side. Dawn’s side would have been nearly empty and Luca’s overflowing.
Dawn’s mother sat with her grandmother right in the center. They were already weeping tears of joy. Diego handed Annette his handkerchief.
Luca’s mother and father were sitting next to Lissie. His brothers and their wives filled in the rest of the spots on either side. Dante and Mallory, Jayce and Kristine, Miguel and Sandra. Gabe and a very pregnant Misty chose to stand on the walkway immediately behind the wall, their son, Tony, sitting atop Gabe’s shoulders. Most were sitting on the edge of the wall, feet dangling.
At one far end sat Luca’s eldest brother, Ryan, and sister-in-law Chloe, all the way from Ireland.
