Page 119 of Hearts Aweigh
Spencer took one of Abby’s hands, and they both took hold of Maddie, forming a small, adorable circle.
Tears tickled the corners of Emily’s eyes. It was so sweet. So right. Maybe she was mistaken to believe something was amiss.
Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.
The prickle in her bones amplified. Drat it all! The Lord gave her an internal warning system for a reason. No use ignoring it. From the moment Spencer and Abby had announced their intentions to marry before the ship reached Galveston, Emily’s insides had swirled like a typhoon. Even though this ceremony was only symbolic, they planned to board a plane and fly to Vegas once they docked and make it legal. If she hesitated much longer, it would be too late to say anything.
The minister tipped his chin to the groom. “Spencer, we’ll begin with you. Do you take—”
“I’m sorry.” Emily snatched her cane and pushed herself up. “I tried to wait until the ‘does anyone object’ part, but it’s taking too long.”
Madeleine stopped twisting. The wedding party pivoted Emily’s direction, mouths agape.
The minister cleared his throat. “This ceremony doesn’t include that line.”
“Then it’s a good thing I spoke up, because I object.”
“Oh, thank heavens.” Daisy sighed. “I was too afraid to say it myself for fear Spencer would think I was cruel.”
Maddie tugged the hem of Spencer’s suit coat. “Is it over, Daddy? Can we eat cake now?”
“Not yet.” He ran a gentle hand over her head before directing an exasperated scowl at the Shippers. “Meddling again? Weren’t you the ones who went to great lengths to encourage our relationship? I thought you wanted us to get married.”
“We do, baby.” Althea grabbed the pew in front of her and hauled herself to a standing position. “But you got to go about it the right way. You and me both know from experience. Divorce is like having open-heart surgery without the anesthetic. It’s better to be sure before tying the knot.”
“Yes.” Gerry stood as well. “Falling head over heels is great in the novels. But real life lasts a lot longer than three hundred pages.”
Abby gawked.
Spencer flourished their interlocked fingers at the Shippers. “Three hundred pages or three hundred years, I want to spend them all with this woman.”
“Awwwww.” Joint murmurs of approval poured from Gerry and Althea.
Emily swatted at her friends. “Don’t let the pretty dialogue distract you, girls. We’ve lived on this planet long enough to recognize when something ain’t right.” She slipped from between the pews, marched down the aisle to Spencer and Abby, and took each of them by the hand. “Please don’t misconstrue my actions. It’s a blessing from above that you two found eachother.” She gestured to Maddie standing between them. “You three. And I want you to have every possible advantage on your side when you marry.”
Abby squeezed Emily’s fingers. “I love him, Mrs. Windsor. Truly.”
She and Spencer looked at each other in that intimate way couples had that automatically excluded everyone else in the room.
Emily’s heart hurt to be the one interrupting them. “I’ll make you a deal. Give us ten minutes. I’ll talk with Abby. And Daisy will talk with her son. If you two still want to continue with the ceremony afterward, we won’t make a peep.”
Spencer withdrew his fingers. “Do we have your word? Ten minutes and then no more objections?”
Emily crossed her heart and held up her right hand. “On my honor as a matchmaker.”
Abby stood by the railing on the lido deck. Her formal dress hardly fit with the bikinis and tank tops of the sunbathers. Amari was monitoring the splash pad alone. He eyed her outfit with curiosity.
Why had Emily insisted on talking here?
Abby turned to the woman who’d sidetracked her wedding. “You have less than ten minutes left. Lay it on me.”
Instead of speaking, Emily motioned to a nearby table. The two settled in the empty chairs, but the older woman still didn’t speak. She bowed her head. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. After a few seconds, she faced Abby. “You shouldn’t marry Spencer.”
“What?” Abby’s jaw slacked.
“Oh, I don’t mean never. But not right now. It’s too soon for both of you. He’s recovering from his divorce, and you need to rediscover your own passion in life.”
Abby’s stomach churned like she’d eaten a dozen cupcakes. “But … but I love him.”
