Page 72 of Secrets at Seaside
“Amy.” He searched her eyes for any signs of distress, but they were still radiating with happiness. “It went okay?”
“It went better than okay.” She hugged him tight, then pushed back with a wide smile. “Clean slate.”
“Clean slate. You’re amazing. Truly amazing.” Tony kissed her again, and this time when they sank beneath the surface, he breathed air into her lungs, just as she’d breathed new life into him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Three weeks later…
IT MIGHT HAVE been a mistake to choose the bedroom of Jenna and Pete’s bay-front property for the girls to get ready for their wedding. Amy had been staring out the window overlooking the beach for twenty minutes. Theresa had taken them all by surprise when she’d announced that she was an ordained minister and had offered to preside over the wedding. They’d been thrilled to take her up on her offer, but she hadn’t arrived yet, and now Amy worried that perhaps she wasn’t going to show up. Maybe this was Theresa’s payback for all of Bella’s pranks over the years.
Of course, Amy had another reason to be plastered to the window for the last twenty minutes—to ogle her man, who was waiting down on the beach in his dark suit with the other grooms and Jamie, Evan, Blue, and Duke. The grooms all had their suit pants rolled up, but there was something about Tony barefoot and in a suit that had Amy practically drooling. She watched as Sky’s friend Lizzie, a petite brunette with more energy than the Energizer Bunny, ran around the canopy she’d erected and laced with flowers, making sure the ribbons and flowers were secure. Duke and Blue were eyeing her like she was made of wedding cake. Amy wondered if they’d get to see some brotherly competition, and she hoped Sky wouldn’t be too upset.
Bella leaned against the window frame. “Loving the view?”
“Uh-huh.” Amy leaned down and petted Joey, who was lying beside her feet with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She rolled onto her back, and Amy scratched her belly.
“Maybe you could finish getting ready so we can actually go out there and marry our men.”
Amy glanced up and smiled at the tease in Bella’s eyes. She looked beautiful. They all did, in their matching off-white tank dresses that stopped just above their knees. Sky and Jessica wore matching pale-pink sundresses. Jessica’s skin was bronze from her honeymoon. She and Jamie hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d returned.
“If you didn’t force me to sleep without him last night, maybe I wouldn’t be drooling today.” Amy reluctantly turned away from the window.
“In my day the bride and groom never saw each other the day of the wedding.” Vera sat in an armchair wearing a pretty blue dress and comfortable, stable shoes that resembled sneakers. Jenna laced them with blue ribbons for her. Vera was in her mideighties, and her hair was silver and white and cut in a pixie style. Her skin looked velvety soft despite the wrinkles mapping her cheeks, and when she smiled, her gray-blue eyes warmed.
“So…” Jenna set a challenging gaze on Bella but spoke to Vera. “So you definitely didn’t sneak out to see your man the night before your wedding.”
“What?” Bella turned away with a grin.
Amy bit her lower lip and looked away, too. The girls had all spent the night at Pete and Jenna’s beach house, and the guys had spent the night at Kurt’s, which was just a few miles down the road. Amy had snuck out last night and spent an hour in Tony’s arms out in the dunes. She’d stayed in one of Jenna’s guest rooms, and she didn’t think anyone had known. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“You snuck out,” Jenna said.
Bella and Amy both spun around and said in unison, “No, I didn’t.”
“I might have.” Leanna waved her hand. “You probably heard me. I couldn’t help it. I really wanted to see Kurt, and I knew you guys wouldn’t approve, so I just saw him for a few minutes.” Leanna’s cheeks pinked up.
“Yousnuck out?” Jenna asked.
“Uh-huh.” Leanna smiled. “I’m sorry. We just shared a few minutes…in Pete’s boat barn.”
“In his boat barn?” Jenna’s eyes widened, but it was the mischievous grin on her lips that made Amy curious.
“Where were you last night, Jenna? When I got up to go to the bathroom, I didn’t see you.” It was a boldface lie, but she could tell Jenna was hiding something. No need for Leanna to suffer alone.
“I was sleeping.” Jenna turned away.
Vera shielded her mouth as if she were sharing a secret and said, “I smell a fib.”
“Vera!” Jenna laughed. “Okay, fine. I met Pete for an hour in my art studio.”
“Oh my gosh.” Bella plunked down on the bed. “I met Caden at the edge of the driveway. We’re all cursed.”
“Yup, because that man out there met me in the dunes.” Amy sat next to Bella. “And it was worth being cursed for.” She burst out laughing, and the other girls did, too. Even Vera couldn’t refrain from chuckling.
“Well, if we’re telling secrets…” Vera looked up at the ceiling and covered her heart with her hand. “We snuck out the night before our wedding, too.”
Jessica gasped. “Vera.” She hugged her. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Jamie. No need to ruin his image of his pristine grandmother.”
