Read Online The Double Wedding Ring by Clare O' Donohue - Free Book Online

anyone’s filed a missing kitten report.” Jesse smiled.
    Eleanor turned to him and winked. “When it comes to getting the word out, I’ll match the gossip line that runs through my shop against your police force any day.”
    â€œCan I meet her?” Allie didn’t wait for an answer. She ran from the table and up the stairs. Barney, never to be left out of anything, chased after her.
    Jesse took my hand. “Thank you for today.”
    â€œI didn’t do anything.”
    â€œYou were there.”
    I looked over at Oliver, who was drinking his coffee and trying not to interfere with my moment with Jesse. “I guess you’ll be my grandpa after the wedding,” I said.
    â€œWhy do you think I’m marrying Eleanor? I want to be related to you.”
    I rolled my eyes but laughed. “You guys are supposed to be planning your bachelor party.”
    â€œUnder the circumstances . . .” Oliver said, “I think Jesse’s energies would be better spent elsewhere.”
    â€œRoger was my best man,” Jesse told us. “The night before my wedding, he took me out for a drink. Lizzie was mad. She thought we’d go out and get drunk at a strip club and I’d show up late to the church or, worse, not at all.” Jesse laughed at the memory. “But Roger and I just sat at an Irish place down the block and talked.”
    Jesse let go of my hand, so I sat next to him, and watched as he lost himself in the past. “He said I was crazy lucky to have conned Lizzie into marrying me. He said she was way out of my league. And she was. And he said that if I ever needed him for anything, he’d be there for me. A best man isn’t just for the wedding. A best man is for life, he said. Vigiles keep vigil.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?” I asked.
    â€œIt was just something he said to me a lot. ‘Vigiles keep vigil.’ He said it was our code. It means police keep watch, or something,” he said. “And Roger did. He always had my back. Always. And I didn’t have his when it mattered most.”
    I opened my mouth to speak without any idea what to say. “We’ll find out what happened—” I started before a commotion broke out above our heads.
    â€œDaddy!” Allie yelled from upstairs.
    Oliver and I followed Jesse up the stairs and into my room, where Eleanor and Allie stood in the doorway and pointed toward the area rug at the foot of my bed.
    Barney had his nose pressed against the floor, his paws flat on either side, and had made his whole body as little as possible. No small feat for a golden retriever. It was clear he was trying to convey that he was not a threat to Patch, who was inches away from him. When we peeked in the room, the kitten hissed in our direction and arched her tiny back.
    â€œMaybe we should get Barney out of there,” I suggested.
    â€œWait,” Allie said. “It’s cute.”
    So we waited. Within a minute, Patch forgot about us and turned her attention back to the dog. She reached a hesitant paw out and touched Barney’s snout. Barney didn’t move. Then the kitten moved even closer. She sniffed at the poor dog, who was doing his best imitation of a statue. Then she moved toward his eye. She stared at him, and he blinked back. I could see his tail moving a little, wagging with the excitement of a new friend.
    Then, for no reason at all, she moved away, ran under the bed, and hissed.
    Eleanor came into the room and petted her old friend. “That was a lovely first date,” she told him. “Give her time and she’ll be madly in love.”
    Barney was almost totally deaf so he may not have heard her, but he certainly understood. He leapt up and licked Eleanor’s cheek, and we all went in to congratulate the old dog on his patience.
    Allie looked under the bed and saw Patch. “She’s scared.”
    â€œWe should rehearse for the