“Well,” Molly said with a grin, “that sounds like a fine thing to be doing. Did you finish your unicorn story today?”
Mary nodded and pulled herself onto a kitchen stool. “My teacher said it was great.” Her eyes lit up as she pointed to what was sitting beside the oven. “You baked some cupcakes!”
“I did. Jacob asked if we could make lemon frosting for them.”
“That’s my favorite! Can we put pink candy on them, too?”
Molly nodded and showed her the other decorations in her cupboard. Coming here was always good for Mary. It gave her a sense of family, a chance to enjoy her honorary aunt and uncle’s company, and make memories that added to what she’d known in Ireland.
While Mary chose the candy she liked the best, Molly handed Becky a glass of water. “How was work?”
“Busy. I had an interesting meeting with someone called Sean Gray. Do you know him?”
“If you’re talking about Sally’s brother, I do. He’s in the Gallatin Search and Rescue Team with Jacob.” Molly added some parsley to a bowl of potato salad. “What did you think of him?”
Becky didn’t know what to say. If she told Molly about the butterflies dancing around her stomach while she was talking to him, her sister would jump to all sorts of conclusions that weren’t true.
So, instead of telling her what she really thought, she shrugged her shoulders. “He seems nice enough.”
Molly sent her a suspicious stare. “If you were Pinocchio, your nose would be growing. Sean is more than nice. He’s one of the sweetest men I’ve met. Why was he in Happy Petals?”
Becky sighed. “He’s doing something amazing for his family. For now, it’s a secret, but it’s more than most brothers would do.”
Mary nibbled on the piece of apple Molly had given her. “You said it’s not good to have secrets.”
Sometimes, Becky forgot that Mary was like a sponge. Her six-year-old brain absorbed everything, even if you didn’t think she was listening. “This is a good secret. If everything works out, it will make someone very happy.”
“Like when Tommy is nice to me?”
“Almost.”
Molly looked through the large window overlooking the driveway. “Jacob’s home. It looks as though he’s brought someone with him.”
Becky turned to follow her sister’s gaze. Jacob was driving his truck through the last gate. Behind him, a blue pickup truck was moving more slowly toward them. It wasn’t until both drivers climbed out of the trucks that she realized who was here.
Her eyebrows rose as she turned to Molly. “Did you know Sean was coming to your house?”
“No, but it doesn’t surprise me. Jacob often invites him here after they’ve had a callout.”
“Don’t mention anything about the secret,” Becky told her sister. “I told Sean I wouldn’t say anything.”
Molly placed a bowl of frosting in front of Mary. “We’ll be too busy decorating the cupcakes to say anything, won’t we Mary?”
With a happy smile, Mary nodded.
Becky sighed. It would be a lot easier if she could tell her sister what was happening. Molly was a great photographer and, from what Sean had said, he hadn’t booked anyone to take the wedding photos.
Sooner or later, more people would need to know about Matthew and Ashley’s surprise wedding. Hopefully, none of them had inquisitive six-year-olds listening to what they said.
Chapter3
Sean followed Jacob into the kitchen and was surprised to find Becky standing at the counter. After spending half the day talking to people about wedding venues, the accident they’d been to had pulled him back to reality. It was never easy helping people with serious injuries, but seeing Becky’s gentle smile undid some of the tension in his shoulders.
“Hi. It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too. Molly just told me you’re in the search and rescue team with Jacob.”
“I’ve been a member for about fifteen years.”
