Iris rolled her eyes. “Wow. What an idiot. You’re lucky she didn’t fire up that Taser.”
“I think I’m figuring that part out. I bet you know exactly what I should have said instead. Why don’t you tell me and I’ll tell you if you’re right.”
“No, I don’t think so, Troy,” Iris said. “I think you should puzzle this out for yourself. I don’t want to mix you up with my words. You’ve been whispering in Grace’s ear for months now. You know what makes her happy and what doesn’t. Get your head out of your butt and think like a hero instead of an escaped convict who’s trying to dodge the law. You’re not going to be put in prison, you know. If you’re smart and lucky, you’ll get to share lives.”
“Right,” he said. “Good advice. I’ll let you know how it turns out.”
“You do that, Troy.”
He left and she looked back at her paperwork. She smiled. Peyton had confessed she was a little pregnant when Iris confessed she was a little pregnant. And now Grace was, too. “I guess we know what everyone was doing the first week in April,” she said softly.
* * *
Grace was looking forward to seeing Peyton and Scott’s wedding reception in the orchard but on Friday night, after putting out her table arrangements at the restaurant where the groom’s dinner was held, Grace was so happy for a quiet evening with Mamie and Ross. Although she talked to them almost every week, she had held the news of her mother’s health until she could tell them in person. Mamie and Ross had spent twenty years in Winnie’s employ. They felt much closer to Grace than to Winnie, but they immediately promised they would be visiting Winnie when she was relocated in Thunder Point.
“I’m so happy you two have reconciled,” Mamie said. “For both your sakes.”
“We are, too, Mamie. The sad truth is, if Winnie weren’t ill I don’t know if we’d have this relationship. But I’ll do my best to be sure she’s comfortable and well cared for. Winnie is making it surprisingly easy and I think Mikhail has a lot to do with it. He came immediately and is in no hurry to leave her.”
“Like your mother, he has very few people he’s tied to. For many years they kept each other close. Your mother always listened to Mikhail.”
On Saturday, Ginger borrowed her mother’s car and drove to Mamie’s shop and all of them worked together on the flowers for the wedding. They had the altar arrangements and bouquets at the church by noon and the rest were delivered to the Lacoumette farm. Then Grace went back to Mamie’s house to clean up for the four-o’clock wedding. She wore a peach dress and nude sandals she loved and wore her hair down because Troy loved it that way.
But she had not heard from Troy.
Their plan had been that he would meet her at the wedding. They would spend the night in one of the coastal inns and let Ginger take the van back to Thunder Point on Sunday while they rode together in the Jeep, but she had a sense of foreboding. Maybe in the course of all his processing he had decided that getting involved with someone like Grace had been a mistake. Grace came from a different world, a world he wasn’t comfortable even thinking about.
It could be worse, she thought. He could try to marry her for her money.
It just felt so hopeless. What could she do? Nothing. It was on him now.
When she got to the church, she was distracted for a while, chuckling to herself when she saw the parking lot. It was full of trucks, RVs, SUVs—all big vehicles, some that family members would be staying in while attending the Lacoumette wedding and reception. If they didn’t look like a band of Gypsies, she didn’t know what did. There was Peyton’s car, parked in front. She knew that Peyton had ridden to the farm with her sister and Scott was driving up here in that fancy Lexus. There were only a couple of late-model cars. These farmers and fishermen and vintners were hardworking country folks and although Grace had heard it was a very successful family, you’d never know it by looking at them. They just weren’t showy.
There was no Jeep anywhere and her heart sank.
She turned her phone to Silent, but, ever the optimist, she sat near the back of the packed church and on the aisle. If he came, he would find her.
The church was so beautiful. She hoped someone would mention the flowers, the aisle drapes, the bridal bouquets—she was so proud of them. Peyton had such good taste and when she finally walked down the aisle and all heads turned to her, she was stunning in her strapless gown. But Grace watched Scott. Even from a great distance she could see the glow in his eyes. He adored Peyton. He worshipped her. This was what every woman should have on her wedding day.
The ceremony was not long. It was an ecumenical service performed by both a Catholic priest and a protestant minister. Grace silently chuckled as she noticed some of the Basque family members whispering and she remembered that Peyton had said some would be disgruntled by her not having a mass but they wouldn’t boycott. The family disagreed often and heartily, but at the end of the day they were one for all.
A large family, Grace thought. Maybe that’s the answer to all these issues. A huge family, like the Lacoumette family, so many of them they were like countries tied together by treaties and pacts. Oh, hell, she thought. She had a hard enough time functioning in a family of two.
Peyton and Scott spoke vows they had created themselves. They were blessed by both the priest and the minister and then, after less than a half hour, they embraced passionately and cheers erupted inside the church. Down the aisle they fled, followed by their wedding party, then family and friends, out the door, where a receiving line formed and someone from the family released white doves. By Peyton’s surprised expression, she had not expected it.
No Jeep. No Troy. She would not cry.
While there were a few pictures taken in the church, most of the caravan headed back to the farm, and it was not a short drive. It was nearly an hour away from this ornate, historical church. Grace was happy to see that Ginger had decided to come to the reception.
By five they were serving wine and tapas in the reception tent and the flowers looked beautiful, as did the plentiful fruit blossoms everywhere. The band was playing and Grace noticed that some of the Basque men had changed into their native dress—trading their suits and tuxes for white pants and shirts, red vests and caps. They were getting ready to party.
By six the bride and groom had arrived, and another cheer erupted. The music picked up its pace, the champagne flowed, all glasses were filled and the noise was wonderfully happy. Caterers brought plates to the wedding party. The rest of the guests, mostly the Basque population of the Pacific Northwest, fell on the buffet like locusts. But the food was never ending, as was the wine, it seemed. And the dancing, even during dinner while others ate, was extraordinary. Paco Lacoumette took the floor and was joined one at a time by his brothers, his sons, nephews, even his klutzy son-in-law, and showed them all what this clan could do. It was like a flash mob, so much fun. The cheers were enough to almost bring the tent down.
Grace sat with a few of the people from Thunder Point: Spencer and Devon and their kids, Cooper and Sarah and little Summer. They asked if Troy was coming and she said she had hoped so, but he wasn’t sure. “He had something going on today.”
“Well, it wasn’t work. Rawley’s holding down the fort. I could do that,” Cooper said of the men dancing.
“A couple more glasses of wine and I’m sure you will,” Sarah agreed.
“Why didn’t I come from a clan like this?” Spencer asked. “These people know how to have fun.”
“From the looks of this place, they know how to work, too,” Cooper added.
Grace took her plate as if she’d be going back for more, but she put it in the bussing cart and wandered out of the tent. The sun was setting, the party was going strong and she walked toward the orchard. She wanted a good look at it before it was dark. The house and garden stood between the big party tent and row after r
ow of blossoming pear trees. She looked at Mrs. Lacoumette’s garden with envy and crouched down—vegetables, flowers, herbs. Everything was just coming in—the vegetables weren’t even showing their faces yet, but she longed for this. That’s what she would do next—get a house with room for a garden and teach her child how to grow things.
“Grace?” a voice called.
She looked up and saw Troy. He looked like he’d slept in his suit—his tie was crooked and there was a smear of dirt on his face. His duffel was sitting on the path behind him. “I thought that was you.”
She stood. “Troy. You came? Why weren’t you here for the wedding?”
He waved over his shoulder and a noisy tow truck pulling his Jeep edged away from the party, leaving Troy behind. “The car broke down. The tow driver dropped me here. In all the calls I had to make to get service, my phone went dead.”
“What happened? You have grease on your—”
“What didn’t happen?” he said, pulling out a handkerchief. “I was running late to start with, then the damn thing just crashed. Transmission. It wasn’t going anywhere. I bet a million dollars the jerk who sold me that Jeep put a rebuilt transmission in it. I have to go to the guy’s garage in the morning before we head home to see what’s up. I might have to tow it home, get Eric at the service station to look at it. Jesus, I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t think you were coming,” she said. “I didn’t hear from you. In fact, you’ve been pretty quiet.”
“Did you know that when men are in love there’s a kind of atrophy of the brain that causes them to do stupid things? Even when they know better?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I’m living proof,” he said, taking her hand and walking with her along the path to the orchard. “Gracie, can you forgive me?”
“For having doubts?” she asked.
“For not grabbing you and kissing you and begging you to marry me the second you told me there’s a baby.”
“Oh. That. Well, yes, I guess so. You want to get married? Because you don’t have to. I’m going to have it no matter what you say or do.”
“Grace, I want to marry you even if there is no baby! I love you. I can’t sleep unless you’re next to me. And I may not be rich but I have important things. There are a million things I can give you that nobody else can. It appears I can give you children, without hardly trying.”
That made her smile. “In fact, trying not to,” she said.
“Did I mention I’m good with kids?” he asked her. “I’m not a teacher for the time off. I love what I do. I get a kick out of the kids. I’d like a few of my own.”
“A few?” she asked.
“I get that I’m slightly less than fifty percent of the vote, but I think we’ll be good parents. As a matter of fact, I think we have a lot in common.”
“A couple of days ago you were worried that it wasn’t enough.”
“Yeah, I got hung up on things that had nothing to do with us. We have fun together. Really, I’ve never had this much fun with a girlfriend before, and we don’t even have to do anything to laugh a lot. Who would’ve guessed a picnic in the Jeep would get you excited? Good thing, too, since it looks like that’s about all that Jeep’s going to be good for. I spend half my time off in that little dorm room you live in and it’s not too crowded—that means something. Every day when I wake up if you’re not right next to me, I start thinking about when I’m going to see you.”
“You’ve had a lot of girlfriends, Troy. What makes this different?”
He stopped walking and turned her toward him. “You do, Gracie. I’ve dated a lot, but I’ve never been this serious about a woman. I’ve always known I’d settle down when the right woman came into my life and a couple of times I asked myself, Is this her? Is this the right one? I never asked with you. I knew. I knew right away. But we had to learn about each other. You had to learn to trust me.”
“Yes, and the minute I did...”
“Brain atrophy,” he explained. “At least it’s not permanent.”
“And if you get it again?”
“Try a club,” he suggested. And then he pulled her against him and kissed her stupid, a kiss that seemed to last forever. His hands roamed up and down her back. and her arms went around his neck. Their bodies were flush together so that only an earthquake could distract them. “And then there’s this,” he whispered against her lips. “The way we fit together. The way you can’t breathe for a minute after you come. The way I can’t stop after once and almost can’t after twice. We were made for each other, that’s the truth. Sometimes I can taste you in my dreams.”
“And what if I want six kids?” she asked very softly.
“Bring ’em on.”
“You’re the only man I’ve ever been with. Except for the knight, the Navy SEAL and the vampire.”
“You’re not going to need those boys anymore, Gracie. I’m going to keep you busy.” He kissed her again. “I bought you a ring. It’s not flashy. Or big.”
“You bought me a ring?”
“You can’t have it unless you promise to marry me and get old with me.”
“I don’t know...let me think...”
“I can promise you hand-holding and picnics and laughter. I can give you children and loyalty and love. I will stick by you through hard times and beside you through good. And I will never again doubt you, I swear. I’ll trust you and you can always trust me. I’ll be a good husband and a strong father for our kids. Do it, Grace. Forgive me, trust me, marry me. I can’t make it without you.”
“Okay. But only because I love you so much in spite of your flaws.”
He sighed in relief and pulled a ring box out of his pocket. Without letting an inch separate them, he slipped it on her ring finger. It was a lovely solitaire, certainly not too little on her small hand. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. But it could have been a cigar band and she would have been filled with love for him. “Be my life, be my love, be my wife.”
“Yes,” she said.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE HOMECOMING by Robyn Carr.
If you loved One Wish by #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr, be sure to also catch the rest of Robyn’s popular spin-off Thunder Point series:
The Wanderer
The Newcomer
The Hero
The Chance
The Promise
The Homecoming
A New Hope (July 2015)
Wildest Dreams (September 2015)
And don’t miss the compelling title, Never Too Late, which examines the lives of three sisters as they step beyond the roles of wife, mother, daughter and discover the importance of being a woman first.
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Looking for more Virgin River titles? Then be sure to order these today:
Virgin River
Shelter Mountain
Whispering Rock
A Virgin River Christmas
Second Chance Pass
Temptation Ridge
Paradise Valley
Under the Christmas Tree (novella)
Forbidden Falls
Angel’s Peak
Moonlight Road
Midnight Confessions (novella)
Promise Canyon
Wild Man Creek
Harvest Moon
Bring Me Home for Christmas
Hidden Summit
Redwood Bend
Sunrise Point
My Kind of Christmas
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One
When Seth Sileski was a kid, Thunder Point was his playground. Even as a freckle-faced, towheaded little kid he’d held this town in the palm of his hand. He could run the fastest, hit the hardest, throw the farthest and charm the most cantankerous teachers. His two older brothers, Nick and Norm Junior—affectionately known as Boomer—had also had great childhoods, but they never matched Seth’s notoriety. He went from beautiful kid to adored adolescent to most popular and accomplished teenager—great grades, superb athlete, handsome, a good and loyal friend. He’d had it all. And then, at the age of twenty, his life took a dramatic turn and all that great luck and good fortune seemed to blow away.
Or, if you listened to his father, Norm Sileski, Seth threw it away.
So now he was back in Thunder Point, a little scarred and damaged but whole. And definitely humbled. He’d traveled a long way since leaving town at the age of eighteen and if you’d told him five or ten years ago that he’d return home he’d have called you a lunatic. Yet here he was, and by choice. This time he was wearing a deputy’s uniform. He was thirty-four years old, and his battle to regain a sense of pride and accomplishment had been mighty and difficult. Seth was taking over the Sheriff’s Department Thunder Point substation from Mac McCain. He’d be the officer in charge while Mac moved to a lieutenant’s position at the headquarters in Coquille.
Seth had been back to town fairly often over the past sixteen years. He visited his mother and tried to check in with his father. Every time he drove into this small coastal town he was surprised by how little the place had changed. People changed, the economy changed, the world changed, and yet Thunder Point, Oregon, always seemed to remain the same. The linoleum in the diner had been old and cracked when he was a boy, all the same fast-food establishments were present, Waylan’s Bar was still the only real dive in town and it looked frozen in time. In fact, Waylan still propped the door open with a paint can, as if he intended to paint the place. It hadn’t happened yet.