Come Rain or Shine (37 page)

Emmie had looked around in the pitch-black night and decided that it was time to let those ghosts go. She was moving on to do the thing she’d always dreamed of, carving out a real life for herself. She didn’t know if she would keep the land and rebuild or sell it, but that wasn’t something she had to decide under the glow of the moonlight.

Trick drove them away from her house; she sat in the front seat and watched her past get smaller in the window behind her. Silas massaged her shoulders from the backseat using both hands. His grip on his affected side wasn’t as strong but he was improving. She put her hand on his weaker arm and patted, turning to face forward. They drove the rest of the way back to town in silence. She had assumed they would be staying at Ava’s parents’ house but she was wrong. Trick pulled the car into Marco’s rarely used home. Emmie was surprised to find the front of the house lit up. Someone was expecting their arrival this late at night?

Emmie turned to Silas confused. “I thought he’d gone to Chicago.”

“He did,” Silas said mysteriously.

Silas carried her bag in his strong arm and rested his other hand on the small of her back, leading her into the house. Emmie walked up the stone steps slowly trying to sneak a peek through the large windows. Silas’s boots thumped loudly on the wooden deck, as if to announce their arrival. Trick laughed and Emmie frowned, her eyebrow arched in question.

“Not a good idea to sneak up on newlyweds,” Trick explained.

The door popped open as he reached for the handle. Spotty bounded out the front door, nearly knocking Emmie down. He generally wasn’t a big kisser, but her dog licked her from her hand to her elbow. Emmie smiled and scratched his belly causing him to kick his back leg excitedly.

“You are in big trouble, girl,” Ava said from the other side of the screen door, taking her attention from Spotty.

Emmie bit her lip to suppress her smile. Ava stood in front of her in her warm winter robe and sock feet with her hand pressed firmly to her hip. Gabe reached around her and pushed open the creaking screen door that had snapped closed after Spotty’s escape earlier.

“Ignore my wife and come on in. None of you are in trouble.” He gently moved Ava to the side.

“Oh no. This one,” Ava pointed to Emmie, “she’s in a mess of trouble.”

Trick mumbled under his breath, “She wouldn’t be Emmie if she wasn’t in some kind of trouble.”

The boys laughed and moved to the fireplace to warm their hands. It was a bitter cold night and their little escapade, wandering around Emmie’s land, had left them chilled to the bone.

“I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. But you were still asleep. And it was your wedding night.”

Ava frowned. “You think I’m mad you left Chicago? Oh, do you not know me at all?”

Emmie’s eyebrows knitted together. “Well, then what are you mad about?”

She grabbed Emmie’s hand and pointed at her ring. Spotty sniffed her hand for good measure but found nothing of interest and backed away.

“Oh,” Emmie said. She had completely forgotten Ava didn’t know Silas had given her the ring. “It happened after you left the ice rink and then it was your wedding day and it didn’t seem right to tell you then that Silas had given me a ring. Plus it was kind of complicated, Ava.”

“You get a ring and are getting married and you know who tells me?” Ava asked, throwing her arm out to the side. “Gabe. I had to find out my best friend is getting married from my husband who found out from his father. And you know what makes it even worse? When I went to tell my parents they already knew. I was quite literally the last to know you were getting married. Do you have any idea how many unspoken rules of sisterhood you have broken, Emmie?” By the time Ava finished her voice was a high squeal.

Emmie stood there in silence for a moment. None of this had ever crossed her mind. “I’m sorry, Ava. It all happened so fast.”

Her friend crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, accepting her words. “I suppose you have been through a lot with Silas being shot and all.”

Emmie couldn’t help but laugh at the way Ava said that phrase with such casual indifference.

“I’ve been worried about you even though I was angry. I saw what they did to your house. Millie and I met out there and sifted through the ashes and were able to collect a few things. Some pictures and such that weren’t too badly damaged.” Ava grabbed her hand and pulled her through the house to the kitchen.

Two wooden crates sat in the corner. Her life had come down to two crates of half-burned photographs and chipped china. She’d be lying if she said her heart didn’t sink at the thought. She sighed and knelt down, sifting through the boxes, her eyes wet with tears. She felt Ava’s arms around her. There was always a choice of emotions and attitudes, right? Emmie would do her best to see the positive here. This was all just stuff. Her family was safe and her memories rested in her heart, not the walls of some broken-down house.

Something Ava had said dawned on her. She looked at her friend with wide eyes. “Ava, you sorted through the ashes of my house?”

Ava nodded. “Why wouldn’t I? You were busy taking care of your
fiancé,
and it needed to be done.”

Emmie had never in her whole life seen Ava get dirty, even as a child, yet she had spent a day in the cold winter wind sorting through dust and ashes. “I cannot thank you enough for doing this for me. You are a good friend.”

“Millie helped too. I think Bo sent her when he heard what I was doing. She hardly said two words to me the whole day,” Ava said.

“I think Millie is having a hard time with things,” Emmie said, but felt like that was probably an understatement.

“Enough of the sadness and dust,” Ava said, switching gears. She bounced over to the fireplace and pulled a large box out of the corner.

Something else caught Emmie’s eye as she watched her friend. Gabe handed Silas a small teal pouch. It looked like a tiny change purse. He shoved it in his pocket. Emmie frowned but Ava bounced in front of her, holding the box.

“We got you a Christmas gift,” she said.

“Ava, Christmas is weeks away.”

“An engagement present then. Open it.” She pushed the box to her friend.

“I am sorry, Emmie and Silas. Sometimes it’s better to just let her go with these ideas.” Gabe shook his head.

Why had he apologized to Silas also? What on earth was in this box? Emmie pulled the red ribbon off the box and lifted the lid.

“Stop,” Ava screamed. “Get him out of here.” Ava pointed at Silas, who actually jumped, startled at her words.

“Sorry, but she’s right, come on.” Gabe pulled Silas out of the room. Trick followed. Emmie’s mouth dropped open as she pulled the heavy white garment out of the box.

“Jemma and I picked it out last week and we had it fitted to her since you two are about the same size.

“You bought me a wedding dress?” Emmie asked, baffled.

“I was afraid if I didn’t you wouldn’t have gotten one for yourself. It’s Irish lace, quite perfect, don’t you think?” Ava asked, holding the dress up to her friend. “Ah, I could die for how beautiful you will be. So, winter wedding? Spring? Summer? What’s the plan?”

“Well, we were actually thinking of a small ceremony. You know, just find a preacher and take the vows? I was never after a fancy wedding,” she answered honestly.

“If you’re marrying Silas, it will be a priest,” Ava corrected and then continued. “That’s fine but if you don’t have me there with you I will never speak to you again.”

“I won’t do it without you,” Emmie promised.

“Now let’s go try this on,” Ava said, pulling her friend to a bedroom on the main floor.

“If this is Marco’s bedroom, it sure has a lot of flowers,” Emmie said and Ava smiled.

“Marco gave us the house as a wedding gift,” Ava said sheepishly.

“Oh my goodness. Wow, that’s amazing. It’s a beautiful home, Ava,” Emmie said honestly.

She looked at the dress in Ava’s hands. “Are you sure I need to try this on in the middle of the night?”

“Are you tired?”

“No,” Emmie answered.

“Then we need to be sure this thing fits.” Ava laughed nervously.

It did and it was perfect.

Chapter Fifty-four

N
o one woke in the Del Grandé house until nearly noon the next day. Emmie felt more at ease than she had in months as she drank her coffee, watching the winter sun rise higher in the sky. Silas and Trick had left to check on things at the office and she enjoyed the peace and quiet of Ava’s new home. Well, she enjoyed it until Ava woke up. Her friend awoke in a dead panic, rushing to get ready. She put on a dress that was entirely too fancy to wander around a house in all day, painted her face up like a doll, and rolled her hair into neat waves.

“Emmie you look like death. Drop that coffee cup and get in here,” she shouted from the bedroom.

Emmie frowned, staring over her coffee cup at her friend. “Why thank you, Ava. You look lovely this morning.”

“We don’t have time for this, get in here,” Ava said, staring at her friend.

“I think I liked it better when you woke up upchucking,” Emmie mumbled under her breath.

“I heard that, Emmie,” she mouthed.

“I meant for you to,” Emmie said. “At least you didn’t tell me I looked like death.”

Ava all but pushed her into a chair and started painting her face.

Emmie pulled the brush from her friend’s hand. “What on earth are you doing?”

Ava crossed her arms over her chest. “Silas said I couldn’t say, but he said if you asked too many questions to give you this.”

Emmie took the folded note from Ava’s hands. Her hands shook as she read the short note.

Emmie,

I know you said notes are for cowards so forgive me for this one. You are eager to get married and so I am. You said you didn’t want to plan a wedding. I’ve taken care of it. See you at two.

Love,

S.M.

She looked up at Ava with wide eyes then back at her reflection in the mirror. She did look like death. “You better get to work on me, Ava. We haven’t much time.”

*

She arrived at St. Joseph just before two. Her heart warmed as she saw Walter waiting outside for her. He was in black dress pants and a button-down shirt. He’d trimmed his beard a good three or four inches.

“You cleaned up right nice,” she said, wrapping him in a hug.

“So did you, Emmie. You look more like your mama every day,” he added as an afterthought.

Ava squeezed her arm. “I’m going on in. I’ll see you in a few, okay?” She kissed her cheek.

She and Walter stood in silence outside for a moment while the organ music picked up inside. Ava had told her that would be her cue to walk in. Emmie turned and looped her arm through Walter’s.

“Thanks for always being here for me,” she said with a smile, stepping toward the door. “I wondered why you were coming back to Bowling Green when you could have stayed a few more weeks before coming home for Christmas. You came home for this wedding, didn’t you?”

Walter nodded. “I wouldn’t let you marry somebody without us being there. I’m the one that’s been barking to him about putting that ring on your finger. I had to be sure he followed through.”

Emmie laughed.

He bit his lip. “You know it ain’t too late if you decided not to do this, right? I got my truck parked out there on the street, we could just walk the other way.” His voice was teasing, but something in his eyes let her know if she wanted to leave he’d take her.

She snorted a laugh and pulled Walter to the door. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be today.”

He gave his grunt of approval and smiled as she turned to face forward. He pushed open the door. Emmie scanned the pews. It was full of her family. Mae and Max sat near the front with Silas’s family. Marco, Gabe, his mother, and all of Ava’s family sat just behind them. She was surprised to see he had even invited the butcher brothers, who nodded as she passed by. The two that surprised her most were Bo and his sister. They sat in the very back of the church. She felt her throat tighten at the sight of them.
Thank you,
she mouthed. He only nodded; Millie smiled. As she neared the end of the aisle, she focused on Silas. He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. He wore a black suit tailored to fit his body, but it was his smile that made him look so appealing. He hugged Walter with a slap on the back as the old man passed her off. His hands were warm as they encircled hers. They made promises in front of God and all those they loved. When it came time for him to slip the ring on her finger, he pulled the teal pouch out of his pocket. It was the same tiny bag Gabe had handed to him yesterday. He gently pulled open the strings and out fell a small platinum ring. He grabbed the black onyx and pearl ring on her left hand and moved it to her right hand.

“I said this ring was about my promises to you and those you’ve made to yourself. I meant that. I also will honor the things you asked of me in the hospital,” he whispered quietly and nodded out to the audience behind them. She couldn’t help but notice his head inclined to Walter and maybe Bo? He was promising to take care of her family.