right in front of him, because he was so blinded by what he thought he wanted. Katie was doing her own thing and wouldn’t care if Rose retired and moved into a little apartment over Main Street.
She was tired. And it didn’t seem that she was going to get to hear the thunder of little feet overhead again, so maybe it was time to start letting go of the Northern Star.
After the wedding.
* * *
By Thursday night Lauren had to admit, although only to herself, that she was disappointed she hadn’t seen Ryan since they’d had lunch on Saturday.
It had been a bit of a letdown when she’d pulled into the driveway on Monday to pick up Nick and Ryan’s truck hadn’t been there. Nick had told her that Ryan had to go back to Mass for work stuff until probably Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday, he must have been busy doing something, because she didn’t see him then, either. It didn’t look like she’d see him again until Paige’s wedding.
“Is there something wrong with that wine?” Katie asked, jerking her out of her thoughts.
“No, why?”
“Because you’re scowling at it.”
“Oh. Just lost in thought, I guess.” And because she knew the question was coming, she went ahead and made up a fake answer. “Nick’s going on a camping trip with his dad this weekend and I’m trying to remember if I packed his wool socks.”
Katie waved her hand. “Wool socks are for tomorrow. Tonight is for fun.”
On such short notice, and with Mitch taking Paige off to New Hampshire to meet his family on the only free weekend, they weren’t able to throw a proper bachelorette party for her. But they’d all gathered at Hailey’s for an impromptu Thursday-night potluck dinner, with wine.
It would have been nice to wait until Mitch’s female relatives could be there, but their Friday arrival and the Saturday wedding didn’t leave enough time. They’d just have to party all over again at the reception.
Paige was currently sitting in Hailey’s rocking chair, which had been thoroughly toilet-papered in lieu of white streamers. Whitford didn’t have a party store and Hailey had forgotten to stop at one when she’d gone into the city to buy gifts.
“Oh, my God, Fran,” Paige said, while Hailey almost doubled over laughing beside her.
Lauren could see why when Paige held up the present. Fran had knit her a short, spaghetti-strapped nightie...out of a nice, sturdy wool. It was the most bizarre thing she’d ever seen.
“Hey, you didn’t leave me enough time to knit the matching peignoir,” Fran said. “But that’ll keep the important bits warm while still looking sexy. Maine-style.”
Lauren had lived in Maine her entire life and she’d never seen a wool negligee, but the gift was definitely the hit of the party, even if Paige did decline modeling it for everybody.
“I’ll save it to wear for Mitch,” she said, folding it carefully and adding it to the pile of more traditional sexy underwear and nighties she’d received.
When the gifts had been opened, the desserts were broken out and more wine was poured. Lauren opted out, since she was driving, but she doubled up on the chocolate cream pie to make up for it.
“Okay,” Hailey said to Paige when they were standing at the counter, eating. “Spill. Where are you going for your honeymoon?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Lauren had to agree with Hailey. “How can you not know where you’re going on your wedding night?”
Paige shrugged. “He doesn’t want me to know. He’s afraid I’ll tell somebody and his brothers and cousins will be able to find us. We’re only going for a few nights because of the diner and the fact he has a lot of travel coming up, so it’ll be someplace close.”
“I can’t believe he won’t tell anybody where he’s going to be,” Katie said. She’d skipped the Red Sox ball cap for the occasion, though the ponytail was in place.
“If he told anybody, it would probably be
She was tired. And it didn’t seem that she was going to get to hear the thunder of little feet overhead again, so maybe it was time to start letting go of the Northern Star.
After the wedding.
* * *
By Thursday night Lauren had to admit, although only to herself, that she was disappointed she hadn’t seen Ryan since they’d had lunch on Saturday.
It had been a bit of a letdown when she’d pulled into the driveway on Monday to pick up Nick and Ryan’s truck hadn’t been there. Nick had told her that Ryan had to go back to Mass for work stuff until probably Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday, he must have been busy doing something, because she didn’t see him then, either. It didn’t look like she’d see him again until Paige’s wedding.
“Is there something wrong with that wine?” Katie asked, jerking her out of her thoughts.
“No, why?”
“Because you’re scowling at it.”
“Oh. Just lost in thought, I guess.” And because she knew the question was coming, she went ahead and made up a fake answer. “Nick’s going on a camping trip with his dad this weekend and I’m trying to remember if I packed his wool socks.”
Katie waved her hand. “Wool socks are for tomorrow. Tonight is for fun.”
On such short notice, and with Mitch taking Paige off to New Hampshire to meet his family on the only free weekend, they weren’t able to throw a proper bachelorette party for her. But they’d all gathered at Hailey’s for an impromptu Thursday-night potluck dinner, with wine.
It would have been nice to wait until Mitch’s female relatives could be there, but their Friday arrival and the Saturday wedding didn’t leave enough time. They’d just have to party all over again at the reception.
Paige was currently sitting in Hailey’s rocking chair, which had been thoroughly toilet-papered in lieu of white streamers. Whitford didn’t have a party store and Hailey had forgotten to stop at one when she’d gone into the city to buy gifts.
“Oh, my God, Fran,” Paige said, while Hailey almost doubled over laughing beside her.
Lauren could see why when Paige held up the present. Fran had knit her a short, spaghetti-strapped nightie...out of a nice, sturdy wool. It was the most bizarre thing she’d ever seen.
“Hey, you didn’t leave me enough time to knit the matching peignoir,” Fran said. “But that’ll keep the important bits warm while still looking sexy. Maine-style.”
Lauren had lived in Maine her entire life and she’d never seen a wool negligee, but the gift was definitely the hit of the party, even if Paige did decline modeling it for everybody.
“I’ll save it to wear for Mitch,” she said, folding it carefully and adding it to the pile of more traditional sexy underwear and nighties she’d received.
When the gifts had been opened, the desserts were broken out and more wine was poured. Lauren opted out, since she was driving, but she doubled up on the chocolate cream pie to make up for it.
“Okay,” Hailey said to Paige when they were standing at the counter, eating. “Spill. Where are you going for your honeymoon?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Lauren had to agree with Hailey. “How can you not know where you’re going on your wedding night?”
Paige shrugged. “He doesn’t want me to know. He’s afraid I’ll tell somebody and his brothers and cousins will be able to find us. We’re only going for a few nights because of the diner and the fact he has a lot of travel coming up, so it’ll be someplace close.”
“I can’t believe he won’t tell anybody where he’s going to be,” Katie said. She’d skipped the Red Sox ball cap for the occasion, though the ponytail was in place.
“If he told anybody, it would probably be
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