Page 3 of The Vineyard Bride

“I hate to say I missed you today,” Lola breathed, just loud enough for only Tommy to hear.

Tommy, who was one-half Italian with olive skin and dark hair, brought his large hands to the small of her back and held her close against him.For a moment, the world stopped moving as Lola closed her eyes, listening only to the laughter of her family members on the back porch and the beating of Tommy’s heart.

If Susan hadn’t had the courage to come back to the Vineyard two years ago, none of this would have ever happened.

I never would have fallen in love.I never would have become friends with my sisters.I never would have found inner peace.

“Mom.The chicken burgers were ready almost five minutes ago!Are you coming?”Audrey called from the porch.Max, whom she held in her arms, let out a screech of approval.

Lola spun around, linked her fingers with Tommy’s, and headed out into the splendor of the springtime evening.Her father sat at the head of the table, gently teasing his sister as he placed baked beans on his plate.Susan and Scott were heavy in conversation about the changes she’d made to their garden.Kellan pointed out that Amanda had a bit of salad dressing on her cheek, which made Sam howl with laughter.

“What happened in there, Amanda?You dunk your head in the salad dressing?”Sam asked, passing her a napkin.

Lola’s heart swelled.She and Tommy sat beside one another with their hands still linked beneath the table.Noah poured Lola and Tommy both a glass of wine and chatted to them amicably before turning back toward Max, who jumped around his dinner chair in excitement.Already, Noah was a very dear person in Max’s heart.

Will Noah one day adopt Max?

Will Noah become his father?

“I’d like to make a toast,” Lola announced suddenly, surprising herself.

The rest of the people at the table calmed down, turning their eyes toward the youngest Sheridan daughter.Lola lifted her glass of wine with a quivering hand, catching Susan’s eye across the table.

“Susan brought it to our attention that it’s been nearly two years since we all came back,” Lola began.“Two years since our lives changed forever.To the current versions of ourselves, this night of chicken burgers and baked beans and funny conversation is just another night.We’ll probably do the same thing all over again in a few days, if not tomorrow.But I think it’s good to call attention to the fact that we all used to be very, very separate.Back then, Audrey had no idea how to cook anything.And me?”Lola puffed out her cheeks.“I just assumed that people who had families they liked were delusional.”

“So, you’re saying we’re all delusional, now?”Christine tried, her smile crooked.

“That’s exactly right, Chris,” Lola said, lifting her glass of wine higher.“To our delusional family.May we always be just this crazy.”

The Sheridan and Montgomery members in attendance lifted their glasses joyously, crying out, “Hear, hear,” before sipping and falling into another chaotic and beautiful conversation, speaking over one another excitedly.

Beneath the table, Tommy placed a hand over Lola’s thigh as he whispered, “You’ll be my wife in just a few weeks.Nothing could make me happier.”

The daydream of springtime had only just begun.

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