The Ghostly Hideaway (23 page)

“Andy, Honey, when two people get married, it means
they will start their own home and their own family. If we stayed
here, we’d still be part of this family and that’s not the way it’s
supposed to be. Do you understand?”

“I guess, but I’ll miss you, Chrissy." His eyes were
bright with tears and one or two slid down his cheeks as hard as he
tried not to let them.

Chrissy hugged him as she had Candy and told him the
same that she’d told Candy.

“I’m not going to love you any less just because
I’ll be living over in the trailer. And I’ll definitely want you to
come over and see us real often. Okay?”

“Okay, I guess. May I bring Dandy over to see you,
too?”

“Oh, I’d be disappointed if you didn’t?”

Chrissy spent the rest of the day getting things
ready for their expected visitors. They hurried through supper,
cleaned up the kitchen, and did some last minute straightening up
and cleaning. Then the excitement started.

“Ed, there’s a car in the driveway. I can’t tell who
it is yet, but it’s got North Carolina license plates, I
think.”

“It looks like Genny and Jack, I think. Yes, it is
them." They were out at the gate by now. “Do come in. Hello!”

“My goodness, Mattie, is that you? And Emily, you’ve
grown up so much in just a year. Come on in. It’s almost too chilly
to stand out here.”

“Penny, are you sure you have room for all of us?
Webster and Faye are right behind us with Jenny.”

“If they’re right behind you, we may as well wait
out here for them—oh, and there they are! Oh, it’s wonderful to see
all of you, again.”

“And there’s our little girl, Chrissy! And I’ll bet
this is the lucky groom. Welcome to the family, young man.”

“Thank you Uncle Jack and how are you Aunt Genny?
And, yes, this is Johnny." And there were hugs, hugs and more
hugs.

They finally finished all the introductions and they
did manage to get in the house before they all froze. Andy and
Candy took Jenny into the living room to play games and all the
grown-ups gathered around the fireplace in the family room to talk
and get warm. About the time everyone got thawed out, the group
from California arrived and had to be greeted Grandpa Fred seemed
rather tired but he insisted he wouldn’t have missed his eldest
granddaughter’s wedding for all the tea in China.

“Not for all the tea in China and then some,” he
reiterated. “I just wish your Grandma Marcie could have lived to
see this happy day. Mister O’Reilly, you do plan on making her
happy, do you not?”

“Yes sir. I wouldn’t make her unhappy for all the
tea in China and India put together.”

“Right answer! Right answer, young man." Everyone
laughed.

“Don’t pay any attention to Gramps, people. He’s
getting a little senile in his old age,” Uncle Bob declared, which
prompted another round of merry laughter.

Chrissy asked the young people if they wanted to
carry their luggage upstairs and she and Johnny went with them to
show them where they would bunk for the next few days and where the
bathrooms were and where all the supplies were kept. They had all
talked for a while and the two families had got acquainted. Soon,
Ed and Penny noticed everyone was beginning to yawn and they
suggested they all get a good night’s sleep and continue to get
acquainted and re-acquainted in the morning.

“Penny and I are planning breakfast about nine in
the morning if that suits everyone.”

“That sounds wonderful." “Fine." Okay." “Sure." The
assents were unanimous. They spent the next hour getting everybody
settled and in bed.

Chrissy explained to Mattie, Emily, Candy, and Megan
that she would be up to bed just a little later. She told them she
and Johnny needed to make a few more plans regarding their wedding.
Then Chrissy and Johnny took off in a fast jog for the trailer that
would soon be their home. When they got there Chrissy reached for
the doorknob to open the door.

“Just a minute, Christina. The bride gets carried
over the threshold. Remember?" Johnny picked her up and carried her
through the door, kicking it shut behind them, and on into the
master bedroom. He put her gently on the bed and slowly began to
undress her. His fingers shook slightly as he nervously unbuttoned
her blouse. She in turn helped him out of his shirt and then nerves
were forgotten as they reveled in the textures, tastes, and touches
that brought the height of pleasure to each other. They spent only
a couple of hours there but they had made it their home. The home
belonged to them and they belonged to each other.

Johnny walked her back to the Wroe house and saw her
inside. When she got to the room on the third floor, everyone was
sound asleep, so she quietly slipped into bed and lay there in the
dark entirely too excited and happy to sleep. Johnny went back to
the room he shared with Sean on Thorne Hill and also lay awake
thinking of the life he and Chrissy would have together. Each of
them somehow knew the other was awake, as well, and their thoughts
were as one.

The next morning, despite the loss of sleep, they
were both awake early. The folks from Ireland were supposed to be
there around noon. All twenty-two of them had managed to book the
same flight, which was amazing in itself. They had also arranged to
rent a van through Enterprise that would seat fifteen passengers.
They also rented a larger sport utility vehicle that would seat
seven comfortably and would also make local travel easier.

As expected, the two vehicles pulled up in front of
the house on Thorne Hill a few minutes after twelve o’clock. Of
course, Lydia had never met any of them before, but she tried hard
to make them all welcome and comfortable. If she was a little
overwhelmed, nobody realized it except for Johnny and Chrissy.
Chrissy had excused herself from the visitors at her house after
breakfast and the chores had been finished. As she had started for
Thorne Hill, she went by the trailer and made sure everything was
in order from when they left the night before. They hadn’t turned
on any lights because they might be seen from the Wroe house if
anyone had been looking that direction. And the bathroom windows at
the rear of the house all looked that direction. She found nothing
out of place but she smoothed out the coverlet on their bed and
daydreamed a little more, then hurried on up the hill and visited
with Grandmother Lydia until the rest of Johnny’s family came.
Introductions and getting everybody settled took the better part of
an hour.

“Our plane got in a little early and we went on down
to O’Charley’s and ate lunch. When we told them we were from
Ireland, they gave us a nice discount on our meals,” Grandma Keara
explained.

“They should have given you a big group rate
discount, too." Johnny made everybody laugh. “Don’t you all think I
did good finding a girl as pretty as any Irish lassie could
be?”

Grandpa Patrick was quick to agree. “She is indeed a
bonnie lassie, Johnny, my lad. I don’t quite understand how you
managed it with you as ugly as homemade sin, but it’s apparent you
did." He winked broadly at Chrissy and had her blushing.

“I do have a favor to ask,” Chrissy spoke up,
nervously, “I knew you all wouldn’t get here in time to be wedding
party members with fittings and all that to be done. But I would
like to ask Rose and Charlene to help with the serving at the
reception." She looked all around the room and smiled encouragingly
at the two girls whom she was almost sure were Rose and
Charlene.

Johnny spoke up. “We would also like to invite Jimmy
and Frank to help with the ushering in of the guests and seating
them, if you would be so kind.”

The chorus of assents assured them of their
willingness to serve.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I thought maybe Colleen would
want to make sure that everyone signs my wedding registry. Would
you do that, Colleen?" She had made sure she knew which one was
Colleen when she was first introduced so she could ask her
personally. Johnny had told her that Colleen would be genuinely
proud to be chosen to do that.

Colleen blushed shyly but smiled and agreed to
participate.

“I guess the next thing is getting the luggage in
and in the right rooms.”

“Listen, Johnny, I don’t feel right imposing on Mrs.
Thorne. Why don’t several of us see if we can get reservations at a
hotel in Owensboro? You can’t possibly have room for all of us,
anyway." Uncle Jim was concerned about that despite Johnny’s
assurances that they had it all worked out.

“You can’t see it from here but Chrissy and I have a
mobile home to come back to after our honeymoon. It’s parked just
over the hill and there’s a gravel road back to it. It has three
bedrooms and there’s room on the floor in the living room, too, if
we want or need it. There’re eight bedrooms in this house so
there’s no need at all at all for anyone to go to a hotel. Besides
we want you here so we can visit.”

“Indeed we do." Lydia insisted. “I’m anxious for all
of us to get acquainted and become good friends. Please, Johnny,
you and Bruce and Sean help them get the luggage in and into their
rooms, while I check the ham I have baking. I think we’re going to
have ham sandwiches and potato chips for the evening meal if that’s
alright for you all. I do have some sliced turkey if anyone would
prefer that and there are greens for a salad or dressings for the
sandwiches, too.”

It took nearly an hour and a half to get everything
where it belonged but everyone assured Lydia they would be quite
comfortable.

“Sure and you can’t know how much we appreciate your
hospitality, Mrs. Thorne." Johnny’s Aunt Callie was sincere.

“Please, call me Lydia or Grandmother. ‘ Mrs.
Thorne’ sounds so formal and I want us to be friends.”

“’Grandmother’ sounds fine to me, Grandmother. Okay,
everyone?”

Everyone chorused, “Grandmother” and after that, she
was called only by that name.

The next two days were spent getting acquainted. The
weather turned unseasonably warm and an impromptu picnic was put
together and the two families converged at Chrissy’s house for more
‘getting acquainted.’ The puppies, Dandy and Brandi, had to be
penned up to keep them from spoiling the picnic but they were still
happy with all the leftovers they were given by the overfed
picnickers.

Ed even got out the horseshoes and taught the
visitors how to play the game. There was enough wind to make
kite-flying fun for the younger ones, too. They had a game of
croquet going in the front yard. Everyone had a wonderful time.
And, of course, the food was terrific.

Chrissy and even Johnny were becoming more and more
nervous, though. Johnny reminded everyone about the wedding
rehearsal the following afternoon at three o’clock and the dinner
at Red Lobster just after that at five o’clock. Since almost
everybody was scheduled to be a part of the wedding, Chrissy had
suggested to Johnny that they include the entire group. The way
they counted, there should be about forty-five altogether.
Therefore, everyone was invited to both the wedding rehearsal and
the rehearsal dinner.

When they gathered at the church, the two ushers,
Frank and Jimmy practiced seating the guests and asking each
individual if they were a part of the bride’s family or the groom’s
family. If they were just friends, the ushers were instructed to
seat them on the bride’s side since there would be more of the
groom’s family there. After all the aunts and uncles were seated,
it was time for the grandparents to be seated and last of all the
parents.

The groomsmen and the groom fanned out to the left
of the minister. Then the pianist began to play and the bridesmaids
filed in one at a time with the maid of honor coming in last and
arranged on the minister’s right. The best man was on the immediate
left and the maid of honor on his immediate right. The flower girl,
Candy, came up the aisle strewing imaginary flowers with Andy
following close behind her carrying an imaginary pillow with the
rings attached.

“If it’s okay, I want to stand next to Johnny,
‘cause he’s gonna be my new brother." Andy was quite vocal about
it.

“You have to stand where you’re told, Andy. He’s
gonna be my new brother, too, but
I
can’t stand next to him.
I’ve got to be on the girls’ side.”

When that was all straightened out to the amusement
of the congregation, and Andy’s chagrin—he did indeed have to stand
at the end of the line of men—it was time for the bride to come in
with her father. Andy did feel some better, though, when the
minister said he must stand in a line with the
other
men.

Chrissy’s knees were shaking so badly she didn’t
know if they would hold her up—and this was only the rehearsal. She
didn’t know what would happen tomorrow when it was the real thing.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow it would all be over and she and Johnny
would begin their lives together.

The rest of the afternoon and the meal at Red
Lobster was mostly a blur. Chrissy was looking forward to going
home and trying to relax. Then she and Johnny got the surprise of
their lives. They had barely noticed when most of the men got up
from the table and left. When they returned, they had their arms
full of boxes, packages, bags, and parcels in colorful wrappings
and tied with big, beautiful bows. She remembered wondering foggily
whose birthday it was.

Everyone shouted “surprise” as they began to pile
the gifts on a nearby table. Chrissy and Johnny suddenly realized
the families had planned a surprise wedding shower.

“How wonderful!" Chrissy and Johnny murmured
together. “All this, for us?”

“You all shouldn’t have done this. Your being here
was all the present we expected.”

“Open them." “Open the gifts." Everyone was shouting
at once. Aunt Doris had a paper and pen and informed them she would
keep track of who each gift was from. Chrissy appreciated that very
much because she would want to thank each family for their gift and
she would have had no way in the world of remembering who gave her
what.