Rory chuckled. “I know,” said with feeling, staring appreciatively at the woman. She knew that Shianne would do anything for her, but it wouldn’t have been fair to have her leave her job in Japan to help her fight this battle.
“I’m just really glad you’re here now,” she said, her eyes filling with reassurance as she smiled at her. She turned to Carly. “Both of you.”
“We’re happy to be here, too,” Carly smiled back.
The three women turned and walked down the wooden deck toward where Rory had parked.
“All right, I wanna hear all that you’ve been up to these past couple of months. Full detail,” Shianne instructed, calling shotgun.
Rory started the ignition before looking over at her best friend. “I almost called off the wedding.”
Shianne’s eyes widened as she, in surprise, “What?”
Rory chuckled. “It’s a long story.”
“I bet it is,” Shianne returned, earning a snicker from Carly in the back seat.
“And we only have a thirty-minute drive back of Oak Harbor,” Rory revealed.
“Well then, you better get a move on with this story then,” her friend replied, staring at her expectantly.
Rory shook her head, a grin pasted on her lips. She pulled out of the parking lot before relaying all that she hadn’t told her friend on their usual weekly call check-ins.
“You have kept far too much from me, Rory. I could just wring that woman’s neck for hurting you the way she did,” Shianne shook her head in anger. “James is lucky you love him because I’m tempted to do the same thing to him,” she seethed.
Rory reached over the console to hold her friend’s tensed hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
In true form, they made it to the property within thirty minutes, and her friends marveled and complimented on the inn’s beauty, now decorated for the Christmas season.
“This is where we’re staying?” Shianne asked, twirling around the large lobby while Carly stood still staring at the grand double staircase decorated with garland running up the railings, with gold balls and red ribbons breaking up the green uniformity while small lights blinked at intervals. Rory could tell she was in awe too. She wondered how they’d react to the sitting area in the back that had an almost floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree, beautifully decorated by her and Marg.
“I would spend a month here if I didn’t have to go back to Japan to those little rug rats,” Shianne said before a sour expression crossed her face. “Make that two months.”
Rory grinned knowingly. Just then, she spotted Marg coming from the kitchenette.
“Hi, Marg, these are my friends Shianne and Carly,” she informed her.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you both,” Marg responded with a smile. “You’re the maid of honor and one of the bridesmaids, correct?”
“Yes.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Rory assured Marg she would show her friends to their rooms. The inn had been booked for the rest of the holiday period up to the day after New Year to house her friends and family who would be staying there.
“So, you’re going back to teaching after the honeymoon?” Shianne asked as they strolled across the lawn toward the gazebo at the back of the inn.
“I don’t know,” Rory confessed. “My grandma is very sick, and she only has a couple more months left. I was thinking about staying here a bit longer.”
“Have you talked to James about staying?” Carly asked.
Rory released a burdened sigh as she crossed the floor of the gazebo to sit down on the sectional in the corner. Her friends came to join her.
“With everything that’s happened. I don’t know. Everything still feels…fragile.”
Her friends nodded in understanding.
“So…this is where the wedding will be held, huh? Shianne asked, looking around the gazebo, her eyes unreadable.
“Yeah,” Rory confirmed. “Jenny’s team is coming to transform this place into a magical winter wonderland the day after tomorrow.”
