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Jon couldn’t help but laugh since he and Annie both wanted more children as soon as possible too. “I think you’ll be an awesome big sister. Do you promise to help change diapers?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Ew, I guess. That’s a lot to ask.”
“Big sisters have a lot of responsibility, but I think you can do it. We’ll see what we can do about that request.” Annie stood and held out her hand. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”
They walked around the end of the house to get Sarah, and Kylie ran to show her the necklace. Sarah showed hers off to Kylie, too, and the four of them walked down the hill toward town. At the bottom of the hillside, Jon turned to stare back at the house as a shaft of sunlight shone on the welcoming front door.
He couldn’t wait to carry Annie over that threshold. Just nine more days and she would be his. He slid his gaze to his daughter. He’d had no idea how loving his own child would change his life in wonderful ways. He’d even had an offer on his car, a good offer. Enough to pay for the lease on his new office for several months.
Life couldn’t get much better.
***
Annie stared at herself in the mirror. She’d resisted a white dress since she’d been married once before, but Bree and Kylie had talked her into one. The handkerchief hem just brushed her knees, and the bodice skimmed the tops of her arms with the lace sleeves trailing down.
Kylie twirled in her frilly blue dress. “You are so pretty, Mommy.”
“And look at my big girl! All grown up in your lace dress.” Annie touched the flowers in Kylie’s updo, but they seemed secure. “You and Aunt Sarah look like sisters now.”
Kylie gave a nod of approval to her aunt. “Don’t be so scared,Aunt Sarah. Everyone will be watching Mommy anyway. That’s what Anu told me when I told her I was scared.”
Sarah’s blonde locks gleamed in the new chin-length cut. She seemed older and more serious now, but then Annie thought she probably did, too, after all they’d gone through this summer.
The wedding music wafted in the open window of the living room at their new home. Jon awaited her out on the lawn of the Dalton house. But it was the Dunstan house now. They’d managed to sign the papers just yesterday, a whole week early. Her new dad had managed to move heaven and earth to get it done.
“You’re up, Kylie,” Annie said.
Her daughter straightened her shoulders and picked up her basket of rose petals gathered from the garden outside. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, Mommy.” She took Sarah’s hand and the two of them went to the front door.
Annie followed and hung back as Kylie sprinkled petals across the porch and down the steps to the tulle arbor where Jon waited with his dad and Martha. The newly married couple looked as happy as Annie felt. She drank in the sight of Jon while his gaze was fixed on their daughter as she performed her duties with grace.
Then a brown-and-black streak came tearing across the yard and jumped on Kylie. The puppy knocked her down and the rose petals spilled onto the grass. “Bad Milo!” Kylie began to cry.
Jon rushed to help Kylie to her feet, and he scooped up the petals and deposited them in her basket. “It’s okay, Bug. You’re nearly there.”
He picked up the squirming puppy and handed him to Bree. She dropped him beside Samson, who quelled the pup with a growl. Milo cowered by his sire’s feet and settled. Kylie wiped her face and finished the petal dropping, then went to sit by Bree and Kade’s daughter, Hannah. Annie smiled as she watched her daughter’sface turn expectantly toward the door to watch Sarah come down to stand on the other side of the minister. She seemed more nervous than Kylie had, but she got through it without stumbling.
Kade appeared by the doorway and held out his arm. Annie took it, and she smiled her thanks. There was a little hole in her heart that her dad wasn’t here to lead her down the aisle to her new life, but Kade had been quick to step in and offer. Good friends were the same as family. Sometimes even better.
Her gaze locked with Jon’s as she crushed the rose petals underfoot on the way to her new life. His green eyes were alight with love and strength. Nothing had driven him from her this time—not danger or fear or lies. He’d stayed by her side, and she knew nothing but death would ever separate them again. She barely registered when Kade stepped away to let her take Jon’s arm.
They repeated the same vows she’d heard all her life. Nothing new and modern for them—they wanted the same vows their parents had taken. Ones that lasted and bound them together. But those vows barely registered even though she meant them with all her heart. All she could hear was the sound of her blood pounding in her veins and the expression on Jon’s face.
“You may kiss your bride, Jon,” their minister said.
When Jon’s lips came down to meet hers, their friends and family whooped and cheered. Annie clung to Jon and tried to hold back the tears. A wedding wasn’t the place for them, but she couldn’t stop them from flowing. She was grateful, so grateful.
The break of day was here—and it promised an amazing new life for all of them.
