"You want another baby?" she echoed in wonder. Would he never stop surprising her?
"Yes." He paused, running his finger down the side of her cheek. "A funny thing happened when my first love came back to town-I discovered I was in love with my wife. And I intend to make her very happy-for better or worse, in sickness or in health."
"Until death do us part," Alli murmured. And she sealed their promise with a kiss.
Epilogue.
"I can"t believe you"re eight months pregnant," Tessa said to Alli.
Alli stared down at her round stomach and felt a huge sense of pride as well as love. "I"ve never looked better, have I?"
"Unfortunately, no, since I"m the bride, and I"m supposed to be the most beautiful one in the room. But I fear you"ll eclipse me today."
"As if that would ever be possible. But thanks for saying it." Alli took her sister"s hand. "I am so happy for you. Jimmy is a great guy."
"You"re just saying that so you can stop feeling guilty about winning Sam," Tessa said lightly.
It was partially true. Alli had felt guilty about her incredible happiness with Sam, but during the nine months since their grandmother"s death, she and Tessa had shared many a conversation on the subject of Sam, and it was clear to Alli that both Sam and Tessa had come to the same conclusion, that the love they shared belonged to the past and only to the past.
"Jimmy is a great guy," Alli repeated. "He"s gorgeous, in case you hadn"t noticed, but more importantly he"s kind and generous and he gets you."
Tessa smiled. "He does understand me. I think sometimes he knows me better than I know myself. It"s scary."
A knock came at the dressing room door, and Sam stuck his head into the room. "Can I wish the bride good luck?"
"As long as Jimmy isn"t with you. He cannot see me in my wedding dress before the ceremony," Tessa said. "It would be bad luck."
Sam entered the room, his smile growing more appreciative as he took in Tessa in all her beauty. Alli thought her sister had never looked more glorious than she did right now. For a brief second, that age-old jealousy came back, but then Sam looked at her and she didn"t just see appreciation, she saw love.
"Will you kill me if I tell Tessa she looks beautiful?" he asked.
"I"ll kill you if you don"t, because it"s the truth."
"I wish you the best," Sam said instead. "You deserve it."
"Thank you," Tessa replied with a slight catch in her voice. "Don"t you dare make me cry, either of you."
"Maybe I shouldn"t give you this, then," Alli said, pulling out a beautifully wrapped box. "But I"m going to anyway."
Tessa sent her a sharp look. "Should I open it now?"
"You better."
Tessa undid the wrapping paper and lifted the lid. Her gasp lit up the room. "Oh, Alli, the pearls? You can"t give me the pearls." Tessa looked at Alli in disbelief.
"Grams told Sam to give them to the one he loved, and I thank G.o.d every day he gave them to me. But we both love you, Tessa, and it"s your turn. We want you to have the pearls. You can pa.s.s them down to Megan or one of your own daughters as a reminder that MacGuire women pick only the best men and their marriages last forever."
"I love you," Tessa said, hugging Alli. "And I love you, too, Sam," she muttered, giving him a hug as well. "And now I"m going to cry."
Another knock came at the door. "Come in," Tessa said helplessly, patting her eyes dry with a handkerchief.
Jimmy opened the door a crack. "I promise not to look, Tessa, but is everything okay in here? No second thoughts about the old boyfriend?"
"Everything is perfect," Tessa said. She walked over to the door and threw it open.
"Hey, you said it was bad luck," Jimmy protested, just before Tessa threw herself into his arms and kissed him on the lips. "But this doesn"t feel so bad."
Tessa laughed and fingered the pearls she now wore around her neck. "We"re never going to have bad luck, Jimmy. Not for at least another fifty years."
Alli placed a hand over her stomach, feeling the baby kick, reminding her that she now had everything-a husband who loved her, a wonderful daughter, an incredible sister, and a charming brother-in-law. To think it had all come with that last pearl.
end.