“Wonderful news,” Molly said, her eyes getting misty and far off as her mind drifted. “We’ll have the wedding here at the farm,” she declared. “It will be beautiful. Everyone in town will want to come. Please don’t tell me you want a small affair or destination wedding in Antigua.”
Julianne smiled and patted Molly’s shoulder. “We’ll have it here, I promise. And it can be as big and fabulous as you can imagine it.”
“This time,” Heath added, “I think we need to have a grand wedding with the big cake and a swing band.”
“This time?” Molly said, her brow furrowed.
Julianne turned to look at him, her green eyes wide with silent condemnation. It wasn’t until then that Heath fully realized what he’d said. Damn it. With a shake of her head, Julianne held out her hand, gesturing for him to spill the last of their secrets. They might as well.
“Uh, Mom...” he began. “Julianne and I, uh, eloped when we were eighteen.”
Both he and Julianne took a large step backward out of the blast zone. Molly’s eyes grew wide, but before she could open her mouth, Ken stood up and clasped her shoulders tightly. It made Heath wonder if it was Ken’s subtle restraining of his tiny wife hidden beneath the guise of supportiveness.
Molly’s mouth opened, then closed as she took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. “When did this happen?”
“While we were on our European vacation after graduation.”
“You two immediately went off to separate schools when you got home,” she said with a frown.
“Yeah, we didn’t plan that well,” Heath admitted. Even if they’d had the perfect honeymoon and had come home blissfully in love they still would have faced the huge obstacles of where they went from there. They were heading to different schools a thousand miles apart. Not exactly the best way to start a marriage, but an ideal way to start a trial separation.
“And how long were you two married? I’m assuming you’re divorced now, considering you’re engaged again.”
This time Heath looked at Julianne. It was her turn to fess up since they were married that long due to her own procrastination.
“Eleven years. Our divorce was final a couple days ago.”
Molly closed her eyes. “I’m not going to ask. I really don’t think I want to know. You think you know what’s going on in your kids’ lives, but you have no clue. You two were married this whole time. Xander and Rose had a baby I never knew about. And to think I believed all of you were too busy with careers and I might never see everyone settled down!”
“We would’ve told you, Mama, but we pretty much broke up right after we married. We’ve been separated all this time.”
“I think I’ve had about all the news I can take for one day, good or bad. This calls for a pot of tea, I think. You can let go of me now, Ken.” Molly headed for the kitchen, then stopped in the entryway. “I might as well ask...you’re not pregnant, are you?”
Julianne shook her head adamantly. “No, Mama. I promise we are not pregnant.”
“All right,” she said. “You two wash up. It’s almost time for supper.”
Molly disappeared. Ken clapped Heath on the shoulder as he passed by. In a moment, they were alone with all their secrets out on the table.
“I think it was better this way, don’t you?” Heath asked.
“You only think that because you’re the one that spilled the beans.”
Heath turned to her and pulled Julianne into his arms. “Maybe. But I am happy to start our new life together with no more secrets. Everything is out in the open at last. Right? You’ve told me all of it?”
Julianne nodded, climbing to her toes to place a kiss on his lips. “Of course, dear.”
Heath laughed. “Spoken like a wife filled with secrets she keeps from her husband.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, a naughty grin curling her lips as she looked up at him. “This is my second marriage, you’ll remember. I’m an old pro at this now.”
“Don’t think I don’t know all your tricks, woman. It’s my second marriage, too,” Heath noted. “And last.”
Julianne smiled. “It better be.”
Epilogue
It was a glorious spring day in northwestern Connecticut. The sun was shining on the farm. The delicate centerpieces of roses, hydrangeas, lilies and orchids were warming in the afternoon light, emitting a soft fragrance on the breeze. It was the perfect day for a wedding on the farm; the second in the last six months, with two more on the horizon.