McKenzie, Cooper - Thanksgiving in Sanctuary (Welcome to Sanctuary 5) (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (11 page)

Once Anna pulled on her skirt, she picked up her boots and socks. Walking down the stairs, she sat down and pulled Autumn down next to her as she finished dressing.

“Don’t worry, baby girl, we’ll figure something out,” she said as she tied her boots. “You will wear a pretty dress on your special day even if we have to drive to Raleigh and rob a store.”

“Mom! You wouldn’t!” Autumn exclaimed, looking at her mother as if she had just suggested robbing the National Treasury.

“A mother will do almost anything to make sure her daughter is happy on her wedding day,” Anna said as she pushed to her feet. “Gentlemen, if you can clean up here, I’d appreciate it.”

“Not a problem, Anna. You two go on,” Robert said, his voice sounding a little tight.

At the edge of the clearing, Anna turned back to smile at the men who remained right where she had left them. “Oh and Robert?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I’d be honored.”

Chapter 11

Wednesday morning, Summer, Autumn, and Anna drove to Hickory and found Autumn the perfect dress. Martin and Robert went with Winter and his mates to the county seat and filed the custody paperwork.

While they were looking at dresses, Anna found a beautiful pale peach dress that fit her like a dream and decided to splurge and buy it. They had not told anyone except Thomas, but they were also going to be married in the traditional Sanctuary triad ceremony. Though her marriage to Robert would not be legal, she still wanted the ritual and ceremony of the wedding to bind them all together.

The women gathered in the kitchen before dawn to begin the final preparations for the Thanksgiving feast they had been working on for a week. Once the huge turkey, ham, and roast beef were cooking, the women left the Wash House and went to Spring’s Victorian house to prepare for the weddings, which were to be held at noon.

As Summer finished her makeup, Anna looked at her girls with a wry expression. “Why am I so nervous? I’ve been married for thirty-two years.”

Bridget laughed as she carried her dress into the room. “Because you’re starting a new life with two men. It will be different than the last years. Relax and enjoy every minute of it. Just remember what we’ve talked about the last couple of days.”

Anna nodded. “I just hope I don’t faint or throw up during the ceremony.”

Autumn looked over from where Spring and Summer were helping her into her ivory dress. “If I can’t, then you can’t either, Mom. Do you think the men are as nervous as we are?”

“Of course they are, sweetie. But they’ll never admit it,” Anna said as she slipped into the dress then turned so Bridget could do up the back. “Men have to maintain that aura of strength in all situations. Even though they may be scared silly, they won’t admit it. So if they become overly protective or grumpy at a moment when you’re frightened, just remember that is their way of dealing with the stress of fear.”

Just before noon, a knock sounded at the front door. They had decided that Winter would escort both his mother and his sister to the chapel in the Wash House. The other women went ahead in a flurry of laughter and well-wishes.

Anna opened the door, surprised to find not only Winter, but also Martin and Robert standing on the wide front porch. Martin wore one of his black “going to court” suits with a white shirt and burgundy tie. Robert wore his dress whites, which showed off his hair to perfection. Together, the men took her breath away.

Winter kissed his mother’s cheek, and then, ignoring the other men, he took her hands in his. “Are you sure about this? Having two husbands out in the world won’t be the same as living here.”

Anna smiled at her youngest baby and patted his cheek. “Yes, darling, I’m sure. I’ve loved Robert since the night I met him and your father oh so many years ago. Though we went our own ways, I’ve never forgotten that. To have both men in my life and my bed for the rest of my life is a dream come true. A dream I never thought I should have.”

She heard her men gasp at her admission, but kept her eyes focused on her son.

Winter studied her serene expression and nodded. “All right then. May you find the same happiness we all have.”

Anna blinked several times, trying to keep her tears at bay as he moved and offered his right arm to Autumn. Once they moved off the porch, her men stepped up, Robert on her right and Martin on her left. She took their arms and then followed Winter and Autumn up the path to the Wash House.

As they did, Anna realized the panic that had brought her to Sanctuary in the first place was gone. The knowledge that she was doing the right thing by opening her marriage to add one more filled her with a peace unlike any she’d ever felt before.

THE END

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