The disappearance of Anna Romo was part of the fabric of the community, of their lives, and in a place like Destiny, you cared about your neighbor, so getting Anna back was like . . . bringing home a family member for everyone .
“I can’t even envision Mike’s reaction,” Jenny said to Rachel then, who broke out into a huge smile.
“Oh, he’s just beside himself. He barely slept last night, too keyed up, too happy. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Have you met her yet?” Sue Ann asked, bright-eyed.
Rachel, the only one of them in regular clothes since her bridal gown was coming from Cincinnati, nodded. “Mike brought her home for dinner last night, and she’s staying with us for now. His parents are flying up from Florida today, and tonight we’ll have a bigger family dinner so she can see them and Lucky.”
“Can you imagine?” Jenny said. “Being Mr. and Mrs. Romo? Getting that phone call yesterday?”
Rachel continued beaming. “At first they had trouble believing it, of course, but then it was . . . total joy. It was just like when Lucky came home—except maybe even better because this means they have all their children back. It’s just mind-blowing! And wonderful!”
That was when Tessa apparently noticed that Amy’s smile still wasn’t quite making it to her eyes. Which made her feel like a horrible, hideous person even as Tessa stepped quietly down from the platform and made her way over to Amy while the rest of the group continued chatting about Anna’s homecoming.
“What’s wrong?” her friend asked quietly. “You look a little less than thrilled about this.”
Amy could only sigh. She’d never felt anything that seemed so . . . uncharitable. Downright shameful, in fact. She tried to explain by saying under her breath, “I am thrilled. For her. And them.” Then she blinked and told Tessa the rest. “Just . . . not so much for me. Because when Logan saw her . . . it was like his dream girl had just walked into Destiny. He even pretty much told me that—that he’d been thinking maybe he needed someone new in his life and that she was obviously it. He seemed to think it was divine intervention or something. And so . . . I’m an awful person. Because I’m actually jealous of her. Which seems insane. Not to mention insensitive and monstrous.”
In response, Tessa’s face twisted into a troubled grimace. “Damn, she’s that gorgeous?” And Amy was relieved to understand, without Tessa having to say it, that she saw the dilemma and didn’t think Amy was the scum of the earth.
Amy simply nodded. “And I just can’t compete with that. I mean, I’m really so glad for everyone involved that she’s home, but does she have to look like a movie star?” Of course, maybe it only stood to reason. After all, the two Romo brothers were unaccountably hot, so it made sense that the third Romo child would be amazingly attractive, too.
However, rather than answer, Tessa instead stood back and gave Amy a long once-over.
And she still had no idea why when Rachel stepped up and said, “The cobalt blue so works on you, Ames. Really highlights your pretty hair color. It brings out both the auburn and the gold, don’t you guys think?”
All eyes turned her way, and everyone agreed—as Amy blushed. She’d always thought of her strawberry blond curls as generally untamable and the color a little left of center. She’d envied Rachel being a straight blond. And sure, her mom had always complimented her hair color, but that was her mom.
“What do you keep staring at?” she finally asked Tessa.
And in response, Tessa moved behind her and pulled the fabric around her waist snugger. “This,” Tessa said, peeking around to where they could both see her in one side of the three-way mirror. “Your dress could definitely be taken in more and look a lot better.”
“Wow, check you out,” Rachel said, her eyes widening as she studied the results of Tessa’s handiwork.
“I can’t even envision Mike’s reaction,” Jenny said to Rachel then, who broke out into a huge smile.
“Oh, he’s just beside himself. He barely slept last night, too keyed up, too happy. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Have you met her yet?” Sue Ann asked, bright-eyed.
Rachel, the only one of them in regular clothes since her bridal gown was coming from Cincinnati, nodded. “Mike brought her home for dinner last night, and she’s staying with us for now. His parents are flying up from Florida today, and tonight we’ll have a bigger family dinner so she can see them and Lucky.”
“Can you imagine?” Jenny said. “Being Mr. and Mrs. Romo? Getting that phone call yesterday?”
Rachel continued beaming. “At first they had trouble believing it, of course, but then it was . . . total joy. It was just like when Lucky came home—except maybe even better because this means they have all their children back. It’s just mind-blowing! And wonderful!”
That was when Tessa apparently noticed that Amy’s smile still wasn’t quite making it to her eyes. Which made her feel like a horrible, hideous person even as Tessa stepped quietly down from the platform and made her way over to Amy while the rest of the group continued chatting about Anna’s homecoming.
“What’s wrong?” her friend asked quietly. “You look a little less than thrilled about this.”
Amy could only sigh. She’d never felt anything that seemed so . . . uncharitable. Downright shameful, in fact. She tried to explain by saying under her breath, “I am thrilled. For her. And them.” Then she blinked and told Tessa the rest. “Just . . . not so much for me. Because when Logan saw her . . . it was like his dream girl had just walked into Destiny. He even pretty much told me that—that he’d been thinking maybe he needed someone new in his life and that she was obviously it. He seemed to think it was divine intervention or something. And so . . . I’m an awful person. Because I’m actually jealous of her. Which seems insane. Not to mention insensitive and monstrous.”
In response, Tessa’s face twisted into a troubled grimace. “Damn, she’s that gorgeous?” And Amy was relieved to understand, without Tessa having to say it, that she saw the dilemma and didn’t think Amy was the scum of the earth.
Amy simply nodded. “And I just can’t compete with that. I mean, I’m really so glad for everyone involved that she’s home, but does she have to look like a movie star?” Of course, maybe it only stood to reason. After all, the two Romo brothers were unaccountably hot, so it made sense that the third Romo child would be amazingly attractive, too.
However, rather than answer, Tessa instead stood back and gave Amy a long once-over.
And she still had no idea why when Rachel stepped up and said, “The cobalt blue so works on you, Ames. Really highlights your pretty hair color. It brings out both the auburn and the gold, don’t you guys think?”
All eyes turned her way, and everyone agreed—as Amy blushed. She’d always thought of her strawberry blond curls as generally untamable and the color a little left of center. She’d envied Rachel being a straight blond. And sure, her mom had always complimented her hair color, but that was her mom.
“What do you keep staring at?” she finally asked Tessa.
And in response, Tessa moved behind her and pulled the fabric around her waist snugger. “This,” Tessa said, peeking around to where they could both see her in one side of the three-way mirror. “Your dress could definitely be taken in more and look a lot better.”
“Wow, check you out,” Rachel said, her eyes widening as she studied the results of Tessa’s handiwork.
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