Page 87 of Saltwater Promises
Epilogue
Before the rehearsal dinner, Jade quietly asked Claire to keep an eye on Margie.
“You know, just make sure that she’s handling things okay.”
“You got it,” Claire said with a wink.
She felt tickled to be invited to the wedding at all, and didn’t mind the task of keeping Margie calm.
Hank was there, too – but he had other duties as a “chaperone” – namely, wrangling the groomsmen and keeping them out of trouble.
Sidney’s family wasn’t too bad. His younger brother Kyle and his cousin Eric were afraid of Hank and did as they were told. But Connor and Luke were constantly causing trouble, much to everyone’s (except Margie’s) amusement.
Truthfully, though, Margie made Claire’s job quite easy. They had so much fun at the rehearsal dinner that they stayed up late, talking and laughing, and Margie ended up oversleeping her alarm the next day.
It was perfect, actually, because it gave Claire a chance to go into town and get breakfast sandwiches for everyone. Though Margie was a bit thrown off by not being able to do her customary nervous cooking, she appreciated the help.
“Hm, these biscuits are pretty good,” she commented after taking her first bite.
“See? And now there’s nothing to clean up, so you can just relax.”
Margie shot her a look but said nothing, finishing her sandwich in peace. She spent a bit of the morning running around, though it wasn’t really necessary, and she wasn’t as riled up as Claire had expected.
Tiffany and Jade got ready at the house, both in great spirits and enjoying the obnoxious text messages that their soon-to-be husbands were sending them.
“You can’t answer those!” Margie said. “They shouldn’t even be trying to contact you! Do I need to call Hank? He’s supposed to have a hold on them!”
Morgan laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s all Luke’s influence. Don’t worry, when I see him at the church, I’ll kill him for you.”
“No!” Margie yelled. “No killing in the church! That has to wait untilafter.”
Tiffany nodded. “That’s right. You can kill him on the ride to get pictures.”
“Or push him off a cliff when we get there,” Amanda offered.
“I like these. Keep them coming,” Morgan said. “I’m going to send him a list of threats.”
Margie went to finish her makeup while Claire hung back to admire the scene before her. She couldn’t help but smile. From what Margie had told her, it wasn’t always like this. She used to feel like her family was broken beyond repair.
A feeling that Claire knew well.
Now, however, they were the picture of happiness. Amanda and Morgan, honorary Clifton sisters, were two of the bridesmaids; Teresa, Connor’s girlfriend (and as Margie hoped, a future Clifton herself) was the third. Sidney’s little sister Rachel was the final bridesmaid, smiling from ear to ear and admiring the wedding dresses hanging near the window.
Jade had gone for a simple, ivory ballgown with a sweetheart neckline and delicate beads detailing the top. Tiffany’s dress couldn’t be any more different. It was straight with thin straps, all silk and elegant lace.
The girls looked so lovely, and they were having such fun together. It warmed Claire’s heart.
Once Margie was ready, they went over to Matthew’s house, where the grooms and groomsmen were far less prepared.
“Luke!” Margie yelled as she opened the door. “Why are the tuxedos still in their bags?”
“Ah, funny you should mention that,” he said, tapping his chin. “I was having a hard time locating them.”
Margie shook her head. “That’s because you forgot them at my house.”
“That would explain it,” he said.
Claire stifled a laugh. As luck would have it, they were able to bring the tuxedos along with them.
