Waiting On You (Blue Heron #3)(126)
The Hollands had offered her the beautiful stone barn for her wedding, but Colleen wanted it held on the land she and Lucas had just bought—a couple of acres of hilltop meadow, Keuka glinting dark and blue in the distance, the vine-covered hills of Blue Heron to the east. Next week, construction would start on their home; they hoped to be in before the baby came. But for today, there was a white tent on the property, and Rufus galloped around the field, chasing Faith’s dog and Paulie’s fat little pug and dirty-mop dog.
It was a sparkling October afternoon, the sky a heart-wrenching blue, the red and gold leaves glowing on the hills. It would be a simple wedding—a tent, a justice of the peace, lots of good food (nachos, of course) and drinks and music.
Savannah was her maid of honor, and Bryce was best man, Faith and Paulie were bridesmaids. Mom had a date—Ronnie (he’d given them a lifetime pass for free chicken at any Chicken King franchise, and Colleen seemed to have a craving for it, now that she was six weeks knocked up). Dad and Gail were there in the second row, right behind Mom, not quite back together, not quite separated.
All the people Colleen loved, except one.
Gramp had finally slipped away, about two weeks after Lucas proposed. Colleen and Connor had been there, and Dad, too, Colleen with her head on Gramp’s chest, crying quietly because even though it was more than his time, and she firmly believed he’d be in a better place, she’d miss him terribly.
It occurred to her, late that sad night as Lucas held her close and stroked her hair, that maybe on some level, Gramp had waited for her to be taken care of. That maybe he knew she and Lucas had finally found their way back to each other, and felt he could leave her now. That all this time when she’d been taking care of him, he’d been taking care of her, too.
But while pregnancy was making her weepier than normal, today was a happy, happy day.
“You look pretty, yadda yadda,” Connor said. But his eyes were a little teary, too. “You ready?” Because yes, he was giving her away. No one else could do the job.
“I was born ready,” she said, and he grinned and rolled his eyes. “Con?”
“Yes, Irritating Sister?”
“I’ll be your best woman when you finally listen to me and marry Jess.”
“You’re such a pain.”
“I love you,” she said, eyes filling.
“I love you, too, idiot. Come on. Your song is playing.”
And there he was, Lucas Damien Campbell, smiling at her. The boy she’d loved from the second she saw him, the man she’d waited for her whole life, the only one for her, and the sun was shining, and she was laughing, and all was right with the world.