Page 65 of Hearts Aweigh

“D EARLY BELOVED, WE ARE GATHERED here in the sight of God—”

Emily’s smile stretched across her face like someone had fastened it to her ears with clothespins. The corners of her lips ached from holding the unfamiliar visage in place. This wasn’t her normal smile. This was the painted mask of a clown who had no idea what was going on.

Abby and Spencer stood at the chapel’s altar. Late-afternoon sunshine gleamed through the stained-glass windows on either side of the new honorary chaplain conducting the ceremony. He was from Dubuque, enjoying a free cruise in exchange for performing a few temporary duties on the MS Buckingham .

Madeleine stood between the couple, wearing one of her lacy pink dresses and holding a beribboned basket. Rose petals spilled as she sashayed back and forth. Her grandmother had styled her hair.

The bride was clad in a cream silky sheath, purchased from the ship’s boutique. Her fiery curls were piled atop her head in a sophisticated bun. Spencer sported one of his many suits and a happy grin that outdid any Emily had ever seen him use.

She fidgeted as the minister finished his lengthy opening remarks. Mr. Dubuque was a wordy one. Emily drummed her fingers against her aching knee. She should be ecstatic. Never in their entire Shipper record had they matched and married a couple in three weeks. It was unprecedented.

But something was wrong.

She looked to her left. Her three comrades sat in a row with equally counterfeit expressions on their faces.

Emily squirmed on the pew. It wasn’t that she doubted the couple’s sincerity.

A whirlwind romance was entirely possible.

Her own dear husband had asked her to marry him two weeks after they met.

“Will you please join hands?” the minister asked the bride and groom.

Spencer took one of Abby’s hands, and they both took hold of Maddie, forming a small, adorable circle.

Tears tickled the corners of Emily’s eyes. It was so sweet. So right. Maybe she was mistaken to believe something was amiss.

Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.

The prickle in her bones amplified. Drat it all!

The Lord gave her an internal warning system for a reason.

No use ignoring it. From the moment Spencer and Abby had announced their intentions to marry before the ship reached Galveston, Emily’s insides had swirled like a typhoon.

Even though this ceremony was only symbolic, they planned to board a plane and fly to Vegas once they docked and make it legal.

If she hesitated much longer, it would be too late to say anything.

The minister tipped his chin to the groom. “Spencer, we’ll begin with you. Do you take—”

“I’m sorry.” Emily snatched her cane and pushed herself up. “I tried to wait until the ‘does anyone object’ part, but it’s taking too long.”

Madeleine stopped twisting. The wedding party pivoted Emily’s direction, mouths agape.

The minister cleared his throat. “This ceremony doesn’t include that line.”

“Then it’s a good thing I spoke up, because I object.”

“Oh, thank heavens.” Daisy sighed. “I was too afraid to say it myself for fear Spencer would think I was cruel.”

Maddie tugged the hem of Spencer’s suit coat. “Is it over, Daddy? Can we eat cake now?”

“Not yet.” He ran a gentle hand over her head before directing an exasperated scowl at the Shippers. “Meddling again? Weren’t you the ones who went to great lengths to encourage our relationship? I thought you wanted us to get married.”

“We do, baby.” Althea grabbed the pew in front of her and hauled herself to a standing position. “But you got to go about it the right way. You and me both know from experience. Divorce is like having open-heart surgery without the anesthetic. It’s better to be sure before tying the knot.”

“Yes.” Gerry stood as well. “Falling head over heels is great in the novels. But real life lasts a lot longer than three hundred pages.”

Abby gawked.

Spencer flourished their interlocked fingers at the Shippers. “Three hundred pages or three hundred years, I want to spend them all with this woman.”

“Awwwww.” Joint murmurs of approval poured from Gerry and Althea.

Emily swatted at her friends. “Don’t let the pretty dialogue distract you, girls.

We’ve lived on this planet long enough to recognize when something ain’t right.

” She slipped from between the pews, marched down the aisle to Spencer and Abby, and took each of them by the hand.

“Please don’t misconstrue my actions. It’s a blessing from above that you two found each other.

” She gestured to Maddie standing between them.

“You three. And I want you to have every possible advantage on your side when you marry.”

Abby squeezed Emily’s fingers. “I love him, Mrs. Windsor. Truly.”

She and Spencer looked at each other in that intimate way couples had that automatically excluded everyone else in the room.

Emily’s heart hurt to be the one interrupting them. “I’ll make you a deal. Give us ten minutes. I’ll talk with Abby. And Daisy will talk with her son. If you two still want to continue with the ceremony afterward, we won’t make a peep.”

Spencer withdrew his fingers. “Do we have your word? Ten minutes and then no more objections?”

Emily crossed her heart and held up her right hand. “On my honor as a matchmaker.”

Abby stood by the railing on the lido deck. Her formal dress hardly fit with the bikinis and tank tops of the sunbathers. Amari was monitoring the splash pad alone. He eyed her outfit with curiosity.

Why had Emily insisted on talking here?

Abby turned to the woman who’d sidetracked her wedding. “You have less than ten minutes left. Lay it on me.”

Instead of speaking, Emily motioned to a nearby table. The two settled in the empty chairs, but the older woman still didn’t speak. She bowed her head. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. After a few seconds, she faced Abby. “You shouldn’t marry Spencer.”

“What?” Abby’s jaw slacked.

“Oh, I don’t mean never. But not right now. It’s too soon for both of you. He’s recovering from his divorce, and you need to rediscover your own passion in life.”

Abby’s stomach churned like she’d eaten a dozen cupcakes. “But … but I love him.”

“You can love someone and still take your time marrying them. Trust me. I speak from experience. My poor husband, Bill, had to wait a year after proposing before I shopped for a wedding dress.”

Emily’s words clattered inside Abby’s head. They resurrected her buried doubts. She gnawed her lower lip, realized what she was doing, then licked her upper teeth to remove any lipstick marks. Mustn’t ruin her makeup. She had a wedding to get back to.

Or did she?

“Aaaaaahhhhh!” A dark-haired boy hollered inside a jungle gym to their left. The child’s upper half hung from a circular opening near the top.

Abby raced over. With careful hands, she rescued him from his uncomfortable position and set him on the ground. A little girl barreled through the spurting jets. Her heavy steps splashed water onto the wedding gown.

Abby checked the stains and moaned. Oh well. It was a job hazard. She returned to the table, and Emily nodded.

“See there? You’re in your element around the children. No matter how busy you are, you keep an eye and ear tuned to what’s going on around you. It’s time you rejoined the real world and put your God-given abilities to better use. You were born to be a teacher.”

Abby plucked at the wet hem of her dress. “Spencer didn’t ask me to give up teaching.”

“I’m sure he didn’t. He’s not an idiot. But the best marriages take place when each partner knows who they are and what they can bring to the relationship. Spend time getting to know each other. Then you’ll be all the stronger when the two of you come together.”

Abby covered her face. She managed a shuddery breath, and her voice wobbled. “You’re right. But”—she swallowed hard—“what if Spencer isn’t willing to wait?”

“Pish-tosh.” Emily patted her shoulder. “Don’t underestimate the man.

I imagine he’d fetch you a piece of the moon if you asked him.

Postponing the wedding isn’t too hard a request, as long as you help him understand you’re not abandoning him.

” Emily thumped the table. “Besides, I’m not telling you to join a convent.

I’ll bet New Orleans is dying for good teachers.

If you took a job there, you could see each other seven days a week. ”

Abby raised her head. “You think so?”

“I know so. It’s obvious Spencer didn’t get much care or affection in his previous marriage. Take some time enjoying your courtship.”

“I was looking forward to being Maddie’s mother.” Abby brushed impatient fingers over her watery eyes. “She deserves to be showered with affection.”

“Maddie’s another good reason to wait. Her father needs to be the one to shower that affection first. Allow them the opportunity to get close. It will make it even sweeter when you join the family.”

Abby sat on her hands and rocked in her seat. “How do I break this to him?”

“With lots of love.” Emily grabbed her purse and stood. “And it won’t hurt to throw in a few hot-blooded kisses. Give him a preview of how much fun it will be to date you.”

Fun? Abby suspected her conversation with Spencer would be anything but fun. What if he decided she wasn’t worth waiting for?