“What about her daughter?”
“She thinks you’re amazing, too.”
Theo pulled her close and she relaxed against his chest.
After a moments silence, he said, “Just to be absolutely certain, you know I was asking you how you felt about me and not your sisters, right?”
Barbara smiled.“Right.”
His whole body relaxed against hers.“That’s great.”
She thought so, too.
“HAS ANYONE SEEN MY SHOES?”
Penny’s panicked voice traveled down their mom and dad’s hallway, stopping Barbara from slipping into her own shoes.
“They’re in the box beside the kitchen counter,” Katie yelled from somewhere in the house.“I’ll get them.”
Barbara sat on the end of her parents’ bed and took a deep breath.It was just as well their mom had insisted they come to her house to get ready for the wedding.When they’d left The Lakeside Inn, Aunt Roberta and Uncle Fred were organizing everyone else in the house.It wasn’t so bad for their adult children because they were used to their parents, but their other cousins weren’t so patient.
Goodness knows what happened after they left, but Barbara had decided not to worry about it.Between Penny’s stress levels and her feelings for Theo, she felt like a buoy bobbing around on the ocean, waiting for the next wave to suck her under.
“You’d better go into the living room fast,” Diana whispered from the doorway.“Mom’s worried we’ll be late.”
Barbara checked her watch.“There’s still thirty minutes until Zac and his friend arrive with the cars.”
“They’re already here.”
Grabbing a bag of essential items like tissues, lip balm, and lipstick, Barbara hurried into the living room.Their mom was pacing back and forth while their dad sat nervously in his favorite chair.
“Did Penny find her shoes?”
Mabel nodded.“Katie gave them to her.Do you think we should leave a little earlier than two-fifteen?It might be busy on the road or we could have an emergency like a flat tire.You can never be too careful.”
Barbara rubbed her mom’s arm.“We’re only around the corner from the church and it’s Thanksgiving.Everyone’s at home having a snooze after a big lunch.”
“Are you sure?Roberta and Fred have already left and Hazel and Alec aren’t far behind.”
“I’m sure, Mom.We have plenty of time.”Barbara pulled back the curtains and peered over the railing above the general store.Sure enough, Zac and another man were standing beside two glamorous looking sports cars, enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
For a brief moment, Barbara envied them.It was the perfect day to be outside taking a stroll by the lake or fishing on the water.
Her dad stood beside her.“You look beautiful, Barbara.”
She turned and smiled.“Thank you.I haven’t seen you in a suit for a long time.You’re very handsome.”
Allan ran his hand along his silky blue tie.“I’m not sure about the color of the tie,” he whispered.“Your mom was convinced it would be perfect with what everyone’s wearing.But each of you are in different colored dresses.”
“We had to be flexible,” Barbara said quietly in case Penny heard her.“We love our dresses, but we didn’t have much choice.”
Her dad smiled.“You did well.”
Barbara looked over her dad’s shoulder and her eyes filled with tears.Penny had just walked into the room.
“Why are you cry—” Allan swallowed deeply when he saw Penny.
“I know I’m a little early, but Mom was getting stressed and I thought I might as well...”She looked around the silent room.“Why are you all crying?Has something happened to Ethan?”
