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She nodded, then let out a deep sigh. “First off, and don’t have a donkey, but the wedding guest list has shot up some.”
He rubbed his hand against her back, encouraging her to keep talking.
“Instead of seventy-five guests, we’re now up to three hundred and sixty-two. And I have a sneaking feeling it might even creep up to more than that before we’re done.”
“So much for Allie keeping it simple. And that’s it?”
“What do you mean, that’s it? Zeke! It’s practically half the town.”
“It’s not half the town,” he said. “That’s what you’re upset about? All the extra guests?”
“Not… No. Allie said she and Tom want to pay for all the extra we didn’t count on. And they’ve already arranged to move the reception from The Harbor House to the church hall.”
“Okay. Sounds good to me.”
Her head shot off his chest. “Who are you? Because that seemed too easy.”
“It’s their wedding. If they want to have a circus, then let ‘em. We’ll talk about the money later.”
She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “It won’t be a circus. It will be lovely and exactly what Allie wants.”
He tightened his grip around her waist. He knew his wife well enough to know Allie’s wedding wasn’t what brought her out here tonight. “What’s going on, baby? Tell me fast because I’m starting to get worried.”
She let out a deep breath. “I found a letter from FSU in Claire’s dresser drawer today. It was hidden beneath some sweatshirts. It was an acceptance letter, Zeke. She got in, just like I knew she would. Why did she lie to us and tell us she hadn’t?”
He hesitated. Just long enough for her pull away so she could look him the eye. “She didn’t tell you because she’s still dating that kid from last year.”
“Adam?”
“Yep.”
“But I saw him at The Harbor House just a few weeks ago and… You’re kidding. She doesn’t want to go away to school because of a boyfriend? How do you know all this?” Her face, which previously had been too pale, was now flushed pink.
“I don’t know for a fact that it’s her reason for not wanting to go away, but I do know she’s still dating him.”
“Why didn’t she tell us? And how do you know and not me?”
“You’re not going to like this.”
“Zeke, what have you done?” She got off his lap and began picking her clothes up off the floor.
“Rusty caught them a few months ago parked over by the bridge. You know the spot I’m talking about.”
“Me and everyone else in Whispering Bay, apparently.” She finished getting dressed, then sat down next to him.
“So I went and had a little talk with the kid.” At the look on Mimi’s face he said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t castrate him. Although the idea did occur to me.”
“Are they having…sex?” she asked like she could barely get the word out.
Zeke knew exactly how she felt. Claire might be seventeen, but in his eyes she would always be that five-year-old girl who begged him for piggyback rides that he tucked into bed at night.
“You’ll be happy to know I restrained myself from asking that particular question. I just told the kid that if he hurt my daughter, I’d hunt him down and kill him. He took it pretty well, considering I got a little graphic on the details.”
“I don’t understand why she’s keeping him a secret.”
“Probably for the same reason she lied about not getting into FSU.”
“Which is?”
