Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Michaela realized there was an empty chair beside her mother.
Walter gave Michaela a joyful smile. “I’m so glad you could come.” A moment later, his gaze fell on her mother, and suddenly it was as though no one else in the world existed. Sidling along in front of them, he lowered himself into the seat next to Flo and took her hand in his, lavishing her skin with a very sweet kiss.
Her mother’s smile was like a flower opening in the sun. Michaela’s heart seemed to stop, and her mind could register only one thing. Her mother was in love with Walter Braedon. And even more, he was in love with her.
There wasn’t another moment to think as, incredibly, Fernsby escorted Susan Spencer down the aisle. “That’s Lyssa and Cal’s little boy Owen in her arms,” Troy murmured.
Susan wore a beautiful beaded cover-up made of something white and gauzy, her flowered one-piece bathing suit visible beneath it, and sparkling sequins decorated her sandals. Owen had on tiny board shorts with a terrycloth jacket and hat to keep the sun off his delicate skin.
But Fernsby was, well, Fernsby, in a black suit identical to the one he’d worn at the gallery and the book signing. Though Michaela couldn’t say she knew him well, she couldn’t imagine him wearing swim trunks or a Hawaiian shirt. Then she saw a flash of color. Fernsby had made a small concession to beachwear in the form of a tie with beach umbrellas on it.
With great dignity, he seated Susan Spencer in the first row, the empty space beside her for her husband Bob after he’d walked his daughter down the aisle. As Fernsby returned, Michaela couldn’t stop a small gasp.
Grabbing Troy’s arm, she hissed, “Oh my God, he’s wearing socks with beach umbrellas that match his tie.”
Troy stared aghast at Fernsby as the man headed to a seat somewhere behind them, making some weird eye movement.
Still holding Troy’s arm, Michaela whispered, “Did he just wink?”
Troy gave her a look. “Of course not. Fernsby doesn’t know how to wink. That was a twitch.”
“That was definitely a wink.”
Instead of answering, Troy craned his neck to look back at Fernsby. Then, almost to himself, he muttered, “He couldn’t possibly have winked.” Turning to her again with a stunned gaze, he muttered, “But then, he’s never worn umbrellas on his tie or, God forbid, his socks. I’m afraid he’s lost his mind.”
Before he could say more, Cal Danniger breezed through, glad-handing his way down the aisle, then along the red carpet, climbing the steps to the yacht, and heading to the bow.
And the music began. Instead of the “Wedding March,” or even something like “Pachelbel’s Canon,” the Beach Boys sang “Good Vibrations.” And again, Troy leaned close—God, he smelled so good—naming everyone in the procession for her. Some she’d met at the gallery. Others were new to her. Daniel Spencer was first, guiding his lovely lady Tasha Summerfield, along the red carpet, the sailboats on Daniel’s shirt matching those on Tasha’s cover-up. She carried a beautiful bouquet of flowers the same blue as their beach attire. And they were close to dancing to the music as they made their way down the aisle.
It was the most unbelievable—and perhaps the craziest—wedding Michaela had ever seen. And she loved it.
Daniel and Tasha were followed by Ari and Matt Tremont, Charlie Ballard and Sebastian Montgomery, Paige and Evan Collins, Harper and Will Franconi, Kelsey and Tony Collins, Evan’s twin brother and sister, and finally, Rosie and Gideon Jones, all of them bopping down the red carpet in time with the music. All dressed in matching beach attire, the men in Hawaiian shirts. The procession took so long that Michaela was sure the Beach Boys song had looped.
Next to her, Troy murmured, “I’m going to need a bigger boat.”
She couldn’t stifle her laughter at the Jaws reference, and breathing in his delicious male scent, she whispered, “That is a very large wedding party.”
“I’m sure all the Mavericks wanted to be in on it. Lyssa is their little sister. Even though she’s related by blood only to Daniel, the boys, as Susan calls them, helped raise her since she was little more than a baby.”
As the group assembled in the bow of the yacht, Rosie switched places with Tasha, taking the matron of honor position opposite Daniel as the best man.
Troy said, “I bet that was a tough decision.” She tilted her head in question. “Rosie, Ari, and Lyssa are very close, since they’re all around the same age, and they had their babies very close together. Kelsey, Evan’s little sister, is part of their clique too.”
With a smile, she asked, “Is that how you and your brothers will be when Gabby gets married? Jostling for who’ll give her away?”
He laughed softly, taking her hand. “We won’t have to worry about that for a long time. Because she’s not going to lose this bet.” Just when she thought he’d say he had already lost the bet, he smirked at her. “Since you haven’t done your job by setting her up with the perfect date.”