Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (31 page)

“Your
mess.
You
know
it
,
too.”

From
the
dining
room,
Luke
peppered
her
with
questions
that
were
at
nearly
a
conversational
pace.
“D
o
you
know
where
you
want
to
do
this?
At
the
church?
Brunswick?
Rockland?
”

“I
know,”
she
admitted,
“but
you
might
not
like
it.”

“Tell
me
anyway.”

“On
one
condition.”
Aggie
waited
for
him
to
see
how
serious
she
was
before
she
continued.
“You’ll
be
honest
with
me
if
you
don’t
like
it?”

“Of
course.”

“I’m
serious,
Luke.
I
want
to
tell
you
my
idea
without
worrying
that
you’ll
just
feel
obligated
to
do
it
out
of
some…
some…
obligatory
sense
of…
of…
obligation.”

“Ok then
,
no
feeling
obliged
to
agree.
Got
it.”

She
groaned
as
she
sipped
her
chocolate
and
wondered
if
the
idea
was
such
a
good
one
after
all.
A
new
thought
gave
her
the
perfect
way
for
him
to
present
an
objection.
“I
also
need
to
know
if
it’ll
cause
any
problems
with
your
family.
I
don’t
want
to
start
off
our
marriage
by
alienating
people.”

“Just
tell
me,
Mibs.”
Luke
wiped
down
the
last
of
the
chocolate
that
dripped
from
the
bench
to
the
floor
and
then
strolled
back
into
the
living
room,
sipping
his
drink
.

“I
want
to
have
the
wedding
here.”

“It
won’t
work.
Not
in
March.
It’ll
be
too
cold,
windy,
rainy…
we
can’t.”

“I
mean
right
here.
You
and
me
on
those
steps,
Mr.
Vaughn
at
the
bottom
with
his
back
to
the
guests,
and
guests
everywhere
else.
All
the
furniture
out
of
here,
the
dining
room,
and
maybe
the
library—well
not
the
books,
but
the
tables
and
stuff.”

“We
couldn’t
have
very
many
people
here…”

Aggie
willed
her
features
not
to
give
away
her
disappointment.
“I
was
afraid
it
wouldn’t
work.
That’s
ok.
We—”

“Wait.
I
didn’t
say
it
wouldn’t
work.
I
just
said
we
couldn’t
have
many
guests.
Are
you
sure
you’re
ok
with
that?”

“I
pictured
your
family,
mine,
Tina,
William,
Mrs.
Dyke,
the
Vaughns,
Iris…
oh,
probably
Murphy,
but
that’s
it
for
here.
Then
we
do
pictures
and
go
somewhere
else
for
the
reception.
Invite
everyone
we
know
to
that.
The
church,
my
church
from
home,
your’s
and
your
mother’s
church
and
friends,
the
Rockland
church…
pack
the
place
for
all
I
care.”

“That
would
work…”
He
hesitated
and
then
asked,
“Do
you
mind
telling
me
why
so
few
people?
Is
it
because
you
want
the
house
especially
or
the
small
number?”

“Both.
I
want
the
house,
of
course.
It’s
where
it
all
started.
You
helped
make
the
house
become
whole
again—and
now
you’re
helping
our
family
become
a
whole
thing
too.”
A
new
tear
rolled
down
her
cheek
and
onto
her
blouse.
“I’m
sorry.”