Page 93 of Save a Wish

Sadie nodded. “They are my only friends back home.” Sadness overtook her for a moment, but when my sister and the other women, except for my mother, came outside, we knew this shindig was ready to start. They also wore dresses in various shades of deep orange and carried single sunflowers.

“Your mother isn’t having a maid of honor,” Sadie said, “but she asked all of us girls to stand along one side of the aisle while you guys stand on the other side. Except for Darius who she asked to walk her down the aisle to Jimmy.” She looked down to the ground for a moment. “Is it okay that she asked me to join?”

“I’m thrilled she asked you to join.” I squeezed her hand and she smiled. I then extended my elbow to her. “It looks as if we’re almost ready for showtime. Shall we?”

She looped her arm around mine and we joined my brothers and their gals along the aisle. A few moments later, Jimmy took up a position in front of the archway and Marco from Maplehaven joined him as the officiator. Jimmy had on the suit he’d worn to tell us kids he wanted to marry Mom, but now his tie was a solid harvest orange to match the décor and autumn vibe.

A lovely, string-quartet version of “Here Comes the Bride” came through my Bluetooth speakers.

Then . . . my mother appeared.

She was a vision in an orange dress that was several shades paler than what the other women wore. Her dark hair was up in a twist with a few orange and cranberry mum blossoms tucked into her tresses. She clutched the bouquet Logan and Ashley had assembled in one hand, her other one hooked on Darius’s elbow.

We were all so accustomed to seeing our mom look like . . . well, a mom. One that often had cargo pants on with pockets full of snacks for the animals we serviced at Hartley’s Nest. Flannel shirts, T-shirts, and Hartley’s Nest fleeces usually covered her torso. Her feet were mostly clad in work boots or muck boots. She wore hats to keep from getting a sunburn after hours spent working outside.

This version of our mother, however, was classy and stylish, and if the smile on her face was any indication, eager to marry Jimmy Slater.

Darius guided Mom down the aisle, handed her off to her groom, then he sat with Flora as the rest of us paired up and found a seat on the log benches as well.

We witnessed Mom and Jimmy say I do to each other, and the moment they kissed to seal the deal, upbeat, swing music erupted from the Bluetooth speakers.

Upbeat, swing music that Logan and Ashley had not put on the playlist.

But I knew who had selected that tune of celebration. Someone who loved electronics as much as I did. I glanced up to the blue autumn sky.

We’re happy for them too, Dad.

With his blessing on the union, Marco declared Mom and Jimmy husband and wife, and Greenridge partied well into the night at Hartley’s Nest.

“I loved everything about today,” Sadie said as we arrived back at my house. “Equal parts unexpected, fun, and romantic.” She sighed as she spun in a circle, her fancy dress billowing a bit around her. “I knew those romance novels I borrowed from Orla weren’t just stories. Real love like what’s on those pages exists. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” She came to stand in front of me. “I’ve felt it with my own heart.”

I drew her in close. “Me too.”

We kissed for long, glorious moments then Sadie craned her head back a bit to look at me.

“When you came to Verdalach, you said you wished for me,” she said. “I wished for you too, Beckett Hartley, and I’m so glad that wish was granted.”

I brushed another kiss to her lips, knowing that we had many more wishes to make together.

Epilogue

Sadie

March

Mud season in Vermont was an . . . experience. Even Beckett’s fancy SUV with all its latest innovations struggled in the deep grooves of gloppy mud covering the dirt road.

“What if you slide off the road?” Orla asked from the back seat.

“What if you get stuck?” Fionn asked.

Beckett let the SUV slide down the other side of a slick bump in the road then accelerated to power us back to a fairly level and drier patch. “In either case, you call one of my brothers to help. Logan’s truck has towing capacity and is the best equipped for hauling anyone out of trouble, but any of my brothers would figure out a way to save the day.”

He wasn’t exaggerating either. I’d personally witnessed Beckett and his brothers problem solve in the most unique ways over the past few months.

Like the time Joshua rigged up a pulley system to hoist Sylvie up into a tree to check on an owl’s nest.

Or the time Isaac had to get creative in sedating a coyote who was a master at eluding him.