waste."
"Are you serious, Mom?" Colleen asked, apparently stunned by the cool practicality of her mother's question.
Abby wasn't surprised. Mrs. Mick had always been a sensible woman who'd pragmatically handled all the challenges life had thrown at her. She'd survived losing her husband. She'd raised her children to be smart, responsible adults. Like Abby, she actually knew that Molly had a good reason for skipping out before her vows.
Abby wondered which, of the several ones she'd given Molly the night before, was the reason that had compelled her to run. Molly hadn't said in the letter. Although she'd only mentioned two things in her note, she wanted too much. Time alone to sort things out was no problem, but Molly had also asked Abby to stay in Cloverville and wait for her to come back. For how long?
Mrs. McClintock glanced at the slim wristwatch she wore beneath her carnation-and-lily corsage. "The food is already at the reception hall, along with the drinks. It's all already paid for, and we can't cancel."
"We have to cancel the reception," Clayton said. "We have to cancel the wedding." Damn. As acting father of the bride, that was his responsibility. His earlier stall in the church had been just that—a stall, in the hope that he'd come back to this room and find Molly in her gown and veil, waiting impatiently to walk down the aisle. "I'll go make the announcement to our guests."
"That's not your responsibility," Josh told him.
"You're new," Rory snorted. "You don't know yet that Clayton thinks everything and everyone is his responsibility."
Clayton clenched his jaw. Rory thought he chose to take responsibility for everything? His father's death had left Clayton with no choice.
"We can't let all that food go to waste " Mrs. McClintock insisted.
"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Buzz shouted. His brother's boutonniere had no petals left to distract him.
"When are we having cake?" T.J. asked. "I want cake!" His lower lip began to quiver.
"Aren't we going to have a party?" Lara asked. Her lip didn't quiver, and her eyes remained dry, but the disappointment in her voice touched something deep inside Clayton.
"I did already pay for the food," he acknowledged. He'd insisted on paying Mrs. George and the Kellys up front. Mrs. George supported her family by catering and he hadn't wanted them to put out any of their own money. "Mom's right. We shouldn't let it go to waste. Josh, would it be okay with you if we..."
"If you have my wedding without the bride?" Josh asked. Instead of bitterness, humor laced his voice. Perhaps he hadn't been any readier to get married than Molly. "Only if you let me pay."
"No, that's out of the question," Clayton said. His sister had been the one to back out, and he would be the one to clean up the mess. But he didn't blame Molly. He blamed Abby. Like the groom, however, he wasn't nearly as angry as he should have been. Maybe Abby had done them all a favor. "I'll go and explain the situation to our guests."
"Situation?" Nick repeated. "How are you going to explain this?"
"He's a salesman." Rory once again sang his brother's "praises." "Don't worry, he'll sell it."
And he sold it. Abby couldn't keep the twinkle from her eyes as she remembered his words. "My sister wasn't quite ready for today, but the reception hall will be. We'd like for you to join us for dinner, cake, drinks and dancing. And, of course, to laugh over this latest scandal." Nervous chuckles replaced the earlier hushed murmurs. He'd relaxed their guests and tempered the embarrassment.
Now, if only Abby could relax. But pressed tight against Clayton's side, she could barely draw a breath. Lara nudged her, pushing Abby even closer to Clayton as she tried to escape the wrestling ring bearers on the other side of her on the bench seat of the limousine.
Across from Clayton, Rory, Colleen, Nick and Brenna shared the other seat. Alone in the back sat the jilted groom. "So no one's going to uncork the champagne?" Rory asked, gesturing
"Are you serious, Mom?" Colleen asked, apparently stunned by the cool practicality of her mother's question.
Abby wasn't surprised. Mrs. Mick had always been a sensible woman who'd pragmatically handled all the challenges life had thrown at her. She'd survived losing her husband. She'd raised her children to be smart, responsible adults. Like Abby, she actually knew that Molly had a good reason for skipping out before her vows.
Abby wondered which, of the several ones she'd given Molly the night before, was the reason that had compelled her to run. Molly hadn't said in the letter. Although she'd only mentioned two things in her note, she wanted too much. Time alone to sort things out was no problem, but Molly had also asked Abby to stay in Cloverville and wait for her to come back. For how long?
Mrs. McClintock glanced at the slim wristwatch she wore beneath her carnation-and-lily corsage. "The food is already at the reception hall, along with the drinks. It's all already paid for, and we can't cancel."
"We have to cancel the reception," Clayton said. "We have to cancel the wedding." Damn. As acting father of the bride, that was his responsibility. His earlier stall in the church had been just that—a stall, in the hope that he'd come back to this room and find Molly in her gown and veil, waiting impatiently to walk down the aisle. "I'll go make the announcement to our guests."
"That's not your responsibility," Josh told him.
"You're new," Rory snorted. "You don't know yet that Clayton thinks everything and everyone is his responsibility."
Clayton clenched his jaw. Rory thought he chose to take responsibility for everything? His father's death had left Clayton with no choice.
"We can't let all that food go to waste " Mrs. McClintock insisted.
"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Buzz shouted. His brother's boutonniere had no petals left to distract him.
"When are we having cake?" T.J. asked. "I want cake!" His lower lip began to quiver.
"Aren't we going to have a party?" Lara asked. Her lip didn't quiver, and her eyes remained dry, but the disappointment in her voice touched something deep inside Clayton.
"I did already pay for the food," he acknowledged. He'd insisted on paying Mrs. George and the Kellys up front. Mrs. George supported her family by catering and he hadn't wanted them to put out any of their own money. "Mom's right. We shouldn't let it go to waste. Josh, would it be okay with you if we..."
"If you have my wedding without the bride?" Josh asked. Instead of bitterness, humor laced his voice. Perhaps he hadn't been any readier to get married than Molly. "Only if you let me pay."
"No, that's out of the question," Clayton said. His sister had been the one to back out, and he would be the one to clean up the mess. But he didn't blame Molly. He blamed Abby. Like the groom, however, he wasn't nearly as angry as he should have been. Maybe Abby had done them all a favor. "I'll go and explain the situation to our guests."
"Situation?" Nick repeated. "How are you going to explain this?"
"He's a salesman." Rory once again sang his brother's "praises." "Don't worry, he'll sell it."
And he sold it. Abby couldn't keep the twinkle from her eyes as she remembered his words. "My sister wasn't quite ready for today, but the reception hall will be. We'd like for you to join us for dinner, cake, drinks and dancing. And, of course, to laugh over this latest scandal." Nervous chuckles replaced the earlier hushed murmurs. He'd relaxed their guests and tempered the embarrassment.
Now, if only Abby could relax. But pressed tight against Clayton's side, she could barely draw a breath. Lara nudged her, pushing Abby even closer to Clayton as she tried to escape the wrestling ring bearers on the other side of her on the bench seat of the limousine.
Across from Clayton, Rory, Colleen, Nick and Brenna shared the other seat. Alone in the back sat the jilted groom. "So no one's going to uncork the champagne?" Rory asked, gesturing
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