For Better or Worse (9 page)

Kelly blew out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Zo-bow.” The nickname she’d called her oldest as a baby slipped from her lips. She grabbed her daughter in a quick hug.

“Mom, I need to talk to you.”

Zoey’s voice sounded urgent, but Kelly could only focus on pushing the plastic away from her dress. “Where’s Brittany?”

“She’s in the bathroom. I need to talk to you alone.”

“Okay. Go ahead.” With the dress now plastic-free, she allowed her fingers to trace the exquisite beading. She could hardly wait to get into this dress, for Harold to see her in it.

Kelly’s mom walked through the door. “Let’s get that dress on you. You’re getting married in only half an hour.”

Excited trepidation raced through her. Even though Kelly felt moments of guilt at allowing Harold to take on her crew of crazy women—well, lately, it had been her trying oldest daughter—still, she could hardly wait to meet Harold in front of that pulpit and say “I do.”

“I guess I’ll talk to you later.” Zoey’s voice sounded small and for the first time in a long time, a bit unsure.

Concern inched into Kelly’s gut, but she pushed it away. “We’ll talk during the reception. I promise.”

Harold tried to inconspicuously hush his groaning stomach as he stood beside the pulpit, waiting for his bride. He had no second thoughts about marrying Kelly, but standing in front of a mass of people, half of whom he didn’t know, in a monkey suit, made his knees quake.

He never realized their church was so big and could hold so many people.

The pastor leaned toward him. “You look like a man about to get married.”

“That bad, huh?” Harold pulled the fancy napkin from his coat pocket and wiped the beading sweat from his forehead.

The pastor chuckled quietly. “Second thoughts?”

Harold grimaced. “No. I just don’t feel comfortable in front of all these people.”

Cam must have overheard, because he nudged Harold’s elbow. “You’re doing fine.”

The music started, and the church doors opened wide. Harold calmed as the attention of the guests diverted to the back of the church.

Candy walked ever-so-slowly down the aisle. Her face beamed and she held her shoulders almost too far back. He didn’t know for sure what paternal feelings felt like, but he believed he experienced them for Kelly’s girls. Everything in him wanted to wrap that eleven-year-old in a bear hug and tell her what a pretty young lady she was becoming. He could see she wore the delicate necklace he and Kelly had picked out for each of the girls. Kelly wanted their gift to be special, and he agreed the small necklaces were perfect.

Brittany walked down the aisle next. So tall and slender, the teen was a combination of model and basketball player. With her hair all knotted up with shiny stuff and flowers and that dark green dress fitting her shape a little too snuggly, if someone asked him, Harold knew he was feeling some paternal feelings because his gaze instantly scanned the room to detect any young guy who might be checking her out.

Brittany reached Candy at the front of the church, and Harold winked at both of them. Their cheeks were flushed, and he knew they were happy that he and their mom were getting married. He looked forward, and Zoey stood at the doors. If only she could be happy for her mom and me, as well.

With everything in him, Harold believed one day he and Zoey would be friends. He didn’t know if she’d ever allow him to be a true father figure, but if she did, he’d take the role seriously and do the best he could by her. He couldn’t believe how lovely she looked walking down the aisle toward her sisters. Her dress was every bit as pretty as her sisters and her hair was just as fixed up, but sadness filled her eyes. Harold hated that.

But she didn’t appear angry. Maybe that was a step up. Harold prayed she hadn’t been hard on Kelly while they were getting ready. Taking in the sweet expressions on the younger girls’ faces and the fact that all three of them were wearing the small diamond necklace, Harold believed their afternoon had gone well.

Only one more girl to walk down the aisle, and he would see his bride.

“Here comes my little munchkin,” Cam whispered beside Harold.

His daughter, Ellie, wore a shiny white dress and held a small basket that was decorated with dark green ribbons and small red flowers. She dropped white and red rose petals on the white carpet. The girl looked like a smaller version of her mother, Cam’s wife.

Ellie finally took her place beside Zoey, and the church doors were shut again. The music changed, and the congregation stood. Harold had to swallow the knot in his throat. He could hardly wait to see Kelly.

The doors opened again, and his bride stood in the doorway. Her father stood beside her with her arm tucked into his. Unbidden tears welled in Harold’s eyes.
God, what have I ever done to be given such a beautiful woman
?

Her dress was stunning. The church’s dimmed lights semmed to make it glitter. He couldn’t see her face, as a veil covered it. How he longed to see her face!

What did a man want in a wife? A woman who encouraged him. A woman who respected him. A woman who made him feel like more of a man. And if she was as beautiful as Kelly on top of all that, well …

Emotion threatened to overcome him. He wasn’t a crying man. He was simple. A forty-year-old bachelor. A heating guy, the plumber. He was happy working with his hands and living alone, until he met Kelly Coyle. Then everything changed.

Finally, she and her father reached the end of the aisle. It was time for her dad to pull back the veil and give Harold her hand. Her father kissed her cheek; then she looked at Harold. Her eyes glistened with love, and Harold wanted to scoop her up and head out of the church with her. He wiped his palm against his pants before he took her hand in his.

The pastor began to speak of love and commitment. He read scripture from 1 Corinthians about the meaning of love. “Love is patient, love is kind.” The words had been etched in Harold’s heart years before through Bible study and listening to his pastor. In the last year, Harold had lived those words, not just heard them, not just read them. Now he knew them. And nothing would change his love for Kelly. Nothing.

“Do you take this woman in sickness and in health, for better or for worse …” the pastor’s voice continued on.

Harold squeezed Kelly’s palms. This woman worried too much about the “for better or for worse” part. She worried over what the stress of having three girls would do to him. He’d have to spend the rest of his life proving to her how much he loved her and the girls … for better and for worse.

When the pastor had stopped talking and it was Harold’s turn to speak, he squeezed her palms again. “I do,” he answered with his mouth. His gaze urged her to believe he meant those two words to the core of his being. They were true, and they always would be.

Kelly took in the reception hall decorated in dark green and deep red. She’d had the most beautiful Christmas wedding she’d ever seen. It wasn’t overly expensive, nowhere near as ostentatious as a few weddings she’d been to over the years, but it was still the best she’d ever experienced.

Her girls seemed to be having a good time talking with one relative or church member or another. Many of her colleagues from work had come to support her day, and Kelly was exhausted and overwhelmed by the many people who’d attended. More than she’d expected.

“It’s time to cut the cake,” Sadie announced over a microphone.

What would Kelly have done without her amazing sister-in-law? The woman had taken care of every loose end in addition to being in charge of the reception food.

“I want cake, Aunt Kelly.” Her niece Ellie pulled at the bottom of Kelly’s dress.

“Okay. Let Uncle Harold and me cut it first, then we’ll get you some.”

She smiled and skirted away toward her dad. “Uncle Harold?” Harold lifted his eyebrows. “That’s who you are now.”

He grinned and leaned forward and kissed her lips softly.

“I like it.”

“No more kissing. We want some cake!” Cam hollered, and Kelly watched as Harold’s neck turned a bright red.

She picked up the knife and had Harold wrap his hand around hers. They cut two small slices together. She squinted at him. “Are you going to be nice?”

“Yes. I want you happy later,” he whispered.

This time Kelly felt her cheeks warm as he eased a bite of cake into her mouth and she smashed the piece in his. Howls of laughter filled the room.

He wiped the smeared icing from his jaw with his fingertips. “What was that for?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’m not worried about you being happy later.”

Harold grinned and dotted her nose with some of the icing on his finger. “No, you don’t.”

He moved closer to her. She tried to give him a mean look, but she knew laughter lit her eyes. “Harold.”

“Okay.” Sadie’s voice halted his lunge at her. “Since the bride and groom have to be going, we’re going to toss the bouquet and garter now, then eat cake afterward.”

Kelly glanced at the clock at the back of the reception hall. It was getting late, and she didn’t want to be tired for their trip, wherever they were going, tomorrow. All she knew was they had a long plane ride ahead of them. She looked at her sister-in-law and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Sadie grinned and winked as she arranged the single girls in a spot on the floor. Each of Kelly’s girls stood in the mix, though it was obvious Zoey was less than thrilled. She threw the bouquet and one of her fellow teachers caught it. Within moments, Harold had tossed the garter.

Harold grabbed her elbow. “Are you ready?”

Warm tingles shot through her at the look of longing in her new husband’s eyes. “You bet.”

“Mom, I need to talk to you.”

Kelly broke eye contact with Harold and looked at the owner of the voice. “Zoey, I forgot. Harold, make sure everything is in the car.”

“You know they’ve trashed it.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen it. Tell Rudy and Walt and that brother of mine that I said thanks.”

Kelly turned back to Zoey. Her daughter’s eyes were so sullen, so frightened. It was as if Kelly were looking at her more then a decade ago when her new puppy had died. Something was wrong with Zoey, and Kelly had been so wrapped up in the day she hadn’t taken time to really listen.

In only moments, she’d be leaving, but she would listen now.

“What is it, Zoey?”

Tears fell from Zoey’s eyes. It was sudden, as if a dam had burst and now the waters couldn’t stop. Fear wrapped Kelly’s heart. Sobs wrenched her daughter, and Kelly guided her to the back of the building, away from anyone who could hear them.

“What is it, Zoey? Tell me.” “Oh, Momma.”

Momma? Zoey hadn’t called her Momma since long before Tim died. A vision of her wearing her favorite orange and pink pajamas and swinging on her swing set in the backyard slipped through Kelly’s mind. “What is it, Zoey?”

“I can’t tell you.” Her words jumbled together and her nose started to run. “You’ll be mad at me. I don’t know what to do.”

Kelly pulled up a chair and sat Zoey down in it. The girl didn’t fight her, and Kelly grabbed another and sat across from her daughter. “I might be mad at you, but you have to tell me.”

Fear and confusion welled in Kelly’s heart. What could it be? Had she stolen something? Was she taking drugs? Was she failing school? Was she—

“Mom, I don’t know how this happened.” Zoey looked into Kelly’s eyes. Her daughter’s eyes were bloodshot and swollen from crying. “I was being so careful.”

Kelly closed her eyes.
Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no
. “Zoey, what do you mean you were being so careful? Are you—”

“Mom, I’m pregnant.”

Kelly’s world crashed around her. Her heart thudded inside her chest as she tried to process what her daughter had just said. Memories of past students who’d gotten pregnant in high school flooded her mind. Most didn’t graduate. Their lives were difficult. They weren’t ready.

Sleepless nights, soiled diapers, hours of colic raced through Kelly’s mind. The constant worry the first few months that the baby would die while sleeping. The moments of indescribable frustration because the baby wouldn’t stop crying. Kelly peered at her daughter.
Zoey is not ready for this
.