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Copyright 2004

Chelsea was glowing when she returned from their honeymoon. Jenny couldn’t exactly pin down the difference in her, but it had something to do with a loss of the girlishness about her. She seemed to carry herself with more confidence. Jenny wondered if marriage would affect her in the same way.

They sat alone in the study, working on the website. It was their first chance to visit alone since Chelsea’s return.

“So,” Chelsea asked, “No one has said anything about Mother. Did she leave without any trouble?”

“Mitch said she didn’t make a peep,” Jenny shared, “I think Dutch made quite an impression on her.”

“I’m glad,” Chelsea sighed, “And I’m very glad she lives on the other side of the country.”

“Marriage seems to agree with you,” Jenny observed, “You seem even happier than you were before.”

“I am,” Chelsea smiled, “And you will be, too. I know how much Mitch loves you, Jen.”

“So, no second thoughts?” Jenny fished.

“None,” Chelsea assured, “I know I’m right where I belong.”

It seemed to Jenny that time was either flying or standing still. Some days she had so much to get done that she needed extra hours, others when nothing was scheduled seemed to drag out through all eternity. She was facing the final week before her wedding and still had to pick up her dress, meet with the minister, and help Chelsea with the flowers.

Most of the family was gathered at the Jackson farm for supper that Sunday when the phone rang. Rob got up to answer it.

“Hello?” He picked it up, “Well, hi! How are you, Hon? Sure, she’s right here…Jenny, it’s your mom.”

Jenny hurried to the phone, “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

“Hi, Sweetie,” Linda greeted, “Your grandmother said I’d find you there. Listen, Honey, Bob can’t get away until next Friday after work, so I’ve decided to come up early without him. Do you think someone could drive down tomorrow and get me?”

“Oh, Mom,” Jenny moaned, “If you’d have only called earlier, I could have driven down today…”

“Sorry, Honey,” Linda told her, “I just finally got him to agree to letting me leave without him. Is there anyone who can drive down?”

Jenny sighed, “Let me see what I can come up with and I’ll call you right back, OK?”

“OK,” Linda agreed.

“What’s wrong, Princess?” Mitch asked.

“Mom needs someone to drive down tomorrow and pick her up,” Jenny explained, “I could’ve done it today, but tomorrow is impossible.”

“Why, Squirt?” Rob asked, “We’ll cover the lessons so you can take off.”

“Jen and I are meeting with the preacher tomorrow afternoon,” Mitch reminded, “So that means neither of us can get away.”

“Oh,” Rob thought for a minute, “Well, I suppose I could drive down.”

“No, you can’t,” Paula corrected, “I’m taking Mom to the doctor tomorrow for her annual check up, so you’ve got the boys.”

“Well,” he shrugged, “I’ll take them with me.”

“Kevin and Keith are doing the Junior Zoo Keepers program this week,” she explained, “You have to drive them up there because it’s the same time as Mom’s appointment.”

“I’ll go,” Terry offered, “I can get up and do chores early and then drive down to get her. Dutch can take care of things tomorrow evening when he gets home from work.”

“Are you sure?” Jenny asked.

“You got a better idea?” Terry posed.

“Dad,” Rob suggested.

“Ten hours round trip,” Terry figured, “That’s too much for him, Rob. No, Jen, call your mom back and tell her I’ll come. In fact, let me grab a pen and paper and get directions from her.”

“I’ll draw you a map,” Mitch offered, “Mom, you got a pencil and paper?”

“Can I use the phone to call her back?” Jenny asked.

“Of course,” Paula answered, handing Mitch what he had requested.

“Mom?” Jenny greeted, “Is it OK if Terry comes to get you? He’s the only one who can get away tomorrow. Otherwise it’s going to be later in the week.”

“That’s fine,” Linda agreed, “Is he there? Can I talk to him for a minute?”

“Sure,” Jenny pulled the phone away, “She wants to talk to you.”

“Hey, Lin,” he took the phone, “Looks like you’re stuck with me…Yeah, right…Mitch is drawing me a map right now. Well, if I get around and get chores done early, I ought to be there around noon or one. Will that be OK? Oh, I see…Yes, I understand. Don’t worry. Not a problem…Absolutely. I’ll see you then…You want to explain to Jenny? OK.”

He handed the phone back to Jenny and went back to the map.

“Mom?” Jenny was puzzled, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Linda explained, “But as far as Bob is concerned, you are coming to get me, OK? He’ll be at work when Terry shows up, so he’ll never know the difference unless someone tells him.”

“Oh,” Jenny sighed, “Gotcha. I take it he can’t hear you right now.”

“No,” Linda informed, “He’s out in the garage. It’s fine with me to ride with Terry, but Bob would have a fit. Let’s just keep it simple, OK?”

“No problem,” Jenny assured, “I’ll spread the word.”

“Thanks, Hon,” Linda told her, “I’ll see you tomorrow night. I assume it’s OK for me to stay there again?”

“You bet,” Jenny answered, “There’s even an empty apartment now, remember?”

“How convenient,” Linda chuckled, “OK, bye.”

“Bye, Mom,” Jenny hung up, then turned to the group, “OK, listen up. It’s OK for Terry to pick her up, but Bob can’t know. He thinks I’m doing it. That’s the story, OK?”

They all nodded and Terry tucked the map into his pocket, “Don’t worry, Jen. I’ll get her here safe and sound.”

“I know you will, Terry,” Jenny smiled, “Thanks a million.”

~*~

Jenny was starting to worry when Terry’s truck finally pulled up and her mother jumped out. It was several hours later than she had expected and all sorts of scenarios had been playing out in her mind. Her worries disappeared at the flash of Linda’s bright smile.

“Hi, Sweetie,” Linda hugged her, “I sure am glad to see you. Hey, Mitch.”

“Hi, Linda,” he embraced her, “It’s later than we expected. Did you run into trouble?”

“Road construction,” Terry explained, “Both ways. Good thing we didn’t send Dad.”

“Mmm,” Mitch nodded, “I didn’t realize they were working down that way. It was clear when we went down. Come on in, the guestroom is ready and waiting for you. I’ll get your bags.”

“I’ve got them,” Terry pulled them from the truck, “I’m right behind you.”

“No other trouble?” Mitch asked his uncle as they walked in.

“Nope,” Terry reported, “Bob’s none the wiser. I’ve got everything under control.”

Mitch and Jenny exchanged a look at that statement, but let it go. It was late and they both just wanted to get home and get some sleep.

~*~

The week passed quickly and it was Thursday evening before Jenny had time to blink. She and Mitch were moving most of her things to his house, so when they returned from their honeymoon everything would already be there waiting for her. It was the first time they had been alone in his house since their trip to St. Louis.

Jenny sunk down onto his bed and sighed, “If I don’t get some rest, all I’m going to do on our honeymoon is sleep.”

“I know the feeling,” he sat down beside her, “I’m wearing out rapidly.”

“Tell you what,” she looked at the clock, “let’s quit for tonight. I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll come over here and finish it up then. I can bring Mom with me for help. Let’s just rest for a few minutes now, can we?”

He kicked off his boots, turned off the ceiling light, flipped on the bedside lamp and grabbed her. She squealed and giggled as he rolled her over onto the bed next to him. She snuggled up in his arms and sighed.

“Just two more nights, Jen,” he whispered, “and we can sleep like this for the rest of our lives.”

“Did your dad give you the part of the speech about sleeping?” She wondered, trailing her finger down his chest to where his buttons stopped her.

“Um-hmm,” he nuzzled her neck, “And he’s right. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since then, have you?”

“No,” she admitted, “I never thought of it that way before, though.”

“Jen,” he asked, looking deep into her eyes, “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do,” she whispered.

He covered her mouth with his and slid his hand beneath her tee shirt. He hadn’t touched her like this since their trip and her skin jumped at his touch. She felt him lift her body enough to unfasten her bra and his hands both went to their target. She was on her back and he was kneeling over her, kissing and caressing his way down her body. She reached down and unzipped her own jeans and he paused to look up at her.

“Please,” she asked softly.

He gently pulled her jeans down further and kissed her abdomen. She felt his hands cup her bottom and his lips teased their way across her panties.  She knew they were damp in anticipation. She put her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. He turned his attention to her inner thighs, tickling them with his goatee and making her giggle.

“That tickles,” she told him and he gently nipped at the tender flesh, “Oh, Mitch, please don’t stop.”

He made his way slowly back up to her mouth and she felt him pressing against her. His jeans were unzipped; something she hadn’t realized until now. He was rubbing against her and she wanted to get her hands on him. When she reached for him, he caught her hands and raised them over her head and held them there. She desperately wanted to be rid of her jeans so she could wrap her legs around him.

He raised up and looked into her eyes, “Jen…I love you, Baby…I really don’t want to stop right now.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” she was close to tears, “Make love to me, Mitch…Please.”

He let go of her hands and leaned back on his knees. She raised up and watched him in the low lamplight. He pushed his jeans and underwear down and she was able to really see him for the first time. Her eyes widened at his size and he grinned. He reached for her hand and wrapped it around him.

“Oh,” he groaned at her touch, “Please, Baby…just what you’re doing…keep it up.”

She cupped her other hand around him and he caught his breath. When she stopped for a second, his eyes opened and he reached for her. He pulled her into a kiss and laid her back down. Now bare, he pressed into her panties and she felt herself trembling with desire.

Suddenly, the phone by the bed began to ring. They both jumped as if the police had caught them at a bank robbery. Mitch shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” He answered, “Right now? What time is it? Yeah, OK…I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“What is it?” Jenny sat up, pulling her clothes back on, “What’s wrong?”

“That was Doc,” he explained, “He’s got an emergency he needs help on. Dog that was hit by a car and it’s got a diaphragmatic hernia. I’m sorry, Jen. I have to go help him.”

She smiled, a tear flowing down her cheek in realization of how close they had just come to breaking their promise. He reached over and brushed her cheek with his hand.

“Are you OK, Princess?” He asked, pulling his jeans back up and tucking his shirt in.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Everything happens for a reason, right?”

~*~

Since the ceremony was just going to be a simple one out on the lawn, there was no rehearsal. It was just a matter of a few instructions to the right people and setting up chairs.

Both Mary and Bob were expected to arrive Friday night, so Mitch and Jenny had dinner with his parents and spent the evening with them. It had been decided that since Linda was already settled in the guestroom, Mary would stay in the apartment. Paula preferred not to have her sleeping under their same roof anyway.

They were all visiting in the living room when Rob pulled Jenny aside, “Hey, Squirt, can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

“Sure,” she followed him into the study and he shut the door.

“Sit down, Sweetie,” he motioned toward the couch, then he took a seat next to her, “There are some things I want to talk to you about.”

“Sounds serious,” she observed, “Am I in trouble?”

“No,” he smiled, “But it is serious. Jenny, you know I think of you as my own daughter and I’m tickled to death you asked me to give you away tomorrow. There’s no one in the world I’d rather hand you over to than my son. And there’s no one in the world I’d rather see him marry.”

“But?”

“But,” he nodded, “I want to be sure you know some other things. Mitch has made it clear to me that he considers you and your welfare his responsibility, and I’m glad he feels that way, because he’s right. I have no doubt that he intends to take care of you for the rest of your life. I know he’ll be a good and faithful husband to you. But sometimes things happen, Jenny. Look at your mother. She never thought she would be in the situation she is in now.”

“Mitch would never treat me like Bob does Mom,” Jenny insisted.

“I know that,” Rob assured, “But he would go into a burning building to save you and your children. I want you to know that I will always be here for you, too. No matter what happens, you and your children will be taken care of. One of the reasons I am helping Mitch buy the clinic is so that if something happened to him, the bank wouldn’t come crying to you to pay off the practice. I think that between myself and Paula and you, we could hire someone to keep it going until Kevin is old enough to run it. And I don’t know if Mitch has told you that he owns half interest in the stable. If something happened to him, that would still be yours. We set everything up equal between he and I, so that if anything happened to either of us, it wouldn’t get locked up in court. By default, our wives automatically own that same half.”

“I know you’d take care of me,” she smiled, “I know this whole family would.”

“I want you to know something else,” he told her, “If somewhere down the road, things change between you and my son…”

“They won’t,” she argued.

“I hope not,” he told her, “but if they do, I will still love you and think of you as my daughter. Jenny, I have known you longer than I’ve known Mitch. I never had the chance to know him as a child, but I did have that chance with you. You have no idea how much joy it gives me to know that your children will truly be my grandchildren.”

She reached over and took his hand, “I know how glad I am that you will truly be their grandpa. I also know that if anything were to happen to both Mitch and I, you would see to it our children were taken care of and raised right.”

“Yes, Honey,” he hugged her, “I promise you that.”

There was a knock at the door and Paula’s voice, “Rob? Are you in there?”

“Yes,” he called, “Come in, Honey.”

“Mary just got here,” Paula stuck her head in, “I thought you’d want to know that.”

“Yes,” he stood up and gave Jenny a hand, “Shall we, Squirt?”

“You first,” she grinned and followed him out.

Mitch was introducing Mary to Linda when they returned to the living room. As soon as Rob and Jenny walked in, Mary came to give her a hug.

“Hello, Dear,” she embraced Jenny, “Let’s see the ring. Oh! It looks lovely! They did a wonderful job, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” Jenny agreed, “Thank you again for giving it to us.”

“It belongs on your finger,” Mary assured, then turned her attention to Rob, “Hello, Rob. You’re looking well.”

“Hello, Mary,” he smiled, “No trouble finding the place, I take it?”

“Not at all,” she waved, “Although the Jag may never be the same after your lane.”

“Did you say Jag?” Linda asked, “As in Jaguar?”

“Yes, why?” Mary wondered.

“My husband, Bob,” Linda giggled, “Just please be sure he finds out it’s yours, OK?”

“OK,” Mary said slowly, “Is this some sort of joke I should be privy to?”

“Oh,” Jenny told her, “When you meet Bob, it’ll be self-explanatory.”

“Mary,” Mitch told her, “We’re putting you in the apartment out at the stable. It’s vacant and furnished, so we thought you’d be more comfortable there. Let’s get you settled in, shall we?”

“Perfect,” she followed him out and so did Jenny.

“Why don’t you drive over,” Mitch pointed, “We’ll walk over and meet you.”

“Don’t be silly,” she motioned, “Hop in, we can all squeeze and go over together. I’m guessing Jenny doesn’t mind sitting on your lap for a few minutes.”

They both giggled and climbed into the red convertible. It was decked out to the hilt with every toy imaginable on a car. Yes, Bob would die of envy when he saw it.

Mitch carried her bags in for her and sat them down by the door, “The bedroom is in there. The bathroom, too. I put a few things in the fridge that I thought you might enjoy. Just make yourself at home and if there’s something you need and can’t find, call up to the main house. The phone’s by the bed and I wrote the number to the main house and my cell phone next to it.”

“This is nice,” Mary observed, “Whoever decorated it had great taste…Surely not your father? Paula maybe? Doesn’t look like her style either. Why is it vacant?”

“Chelsea was living here,” Jenny explained, “These are her things. She brought them when she moved from California. She just got married and she and Dutch bought all new furniture for their new home.”

“Oh, of course,” Mary walked around, looking at the apartment, “That lovely cousin of yours. So, tell me the story about Bob.”

“He’s just a jerk,” Jenny divulged, “And he thinks his car is the envy of the world, but it’s just an old hotrod no one wants. He has an auto parts store. He’ll die when he sees your Jag.”

“I see,” she opened the fridge and saw wine chilling there and smiled, “You did well, Son. Good year. You know your wine. Well, Jenny, you’ll find the world is full of jerks like Bob. Many more jerks than good guys. You may just have gotten the last one of those around.”

“You may be right,” Jenny squeezed Mitch’s arm, “And I don’t intend to let him go.”

“Good for you, Dear,” Mary smiled, “I think he feels the same way.”

They left Mary to get settled in and returned to the main house. They had agreed to wait for Bob to arrive before going home. It was starting to hit both of them that tomorrow was actually their wedding day.

“That must be him,” Rob pointed out the window, “The headlights are moving at a snail’s pace.”

“Jennifer,” Linda stood up, “I just want you to know that no matter what, I will not let him ruin your wedding.”

“Mom,” Jenny gave her a strange look, “Why would he try?”

“Well,” Linda shrugged, “You never know with Bob.”

“Well,” Rob assured, “I won’t let him ruin her wedding. If he acts up, I’ll toss him out myself.”

When Bob came to the door, Rob was there to open it, “Hello, Bob.”

“Hi,” Bob greeted, “Is that a Jaguar I saw parked out by the stable?”

“Yes,” Mitch answered, “It belongs to my mother.”

“Your mother?” Bob stammered, “Do you think she’d let me look it over tomorrow?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Mitch winked.

“It’s late, Mom,” Jenny got up, “I’m going home. Grandma and I will be over in the morning.”

“Me too,” Mitch told them, “So you all are going to have to figure out how to keep us from seeing each other.”

“We’ll manage,” Paula laughed, “It’s a big farm.”

~*~

Jenny tossed and turned most of the night and was up and around early. Bessie was up early every morning, so after a quick breakfast, they gathered their things and went to the farm. Rob had promised to keep a close eye on Bessie while Jenny was gone and intended to try to persuade her to move into the apartment before winter. He’d also assured Jenny that he would drive her home after the wedding.

Mitch’s truck wasn’t there yet, so they went inside to see if Linda was awake yet. Paula, Rob and the boys were all visiting quietly, cleaning up their breakfast dishes.

“You’re here early, Sunshine,” Rob got up and hugged her, “Not anxious are you?”

“I’d rather be here than there,” she admitted, “Couldn’t sleep last night at all.”

“Your mom and Bob don’t seem to have any problems with it,” Paula informed, “We’re trying not to wake them.”

“Any word from Mitch?” Jenny asked.

“Not yet,” Rob answered, “I’m sure he’ll be here before long. Boys, why don’t you help Jenny get her things brought in so she can have a haven before Mitch arrives. Jen, we’re putting you in our room, so you can use the good bathroom. Is that OK?”

“That’s fine,” she agreed, “Am I being sequestered?”

“No, Honey,” Rob gave her another hug, “We’re doing that to Mitch! He’s going to be out in the apartment with his mother.”

“You’re really not going to let us see each other, are you?” Jenny frowned.

“Nope,” Paula answered, “That’s the rules.”

“OK,” she sighed, “Let’s get my stuff, guys.”

The day dragged by for Jenny. She knew Mitch had arrived and been ushered to the apartment without being allowed into the main house. Dutch and Chelsea arrived and so did Terry. The men started setting up the chairs on the lawn. Jenny wandered aimlessly around the house trying to think of a way to at least talk to Mitch.

It was the middle of the morning when Bob announced, “I’m going down to look at that Jaguar. Mitch said he’d talk to her for me. Did you see it, Linda? It’s a convertible…red. Can’t tell what year for sure, but it can’t be more than three or four years old.”

“OK, Bob,” Linda waved him off, “Go drool.”

Jenny ran upstairs to the boys’ bedroom. Their window overlooked the stable and Mary’s car was parked in full view. At least she could watch him from here. Right now just a glimpse of him would do her heart good.

The men on the lawn noticed Bob and stopped working to follow him over. Rob was the one who knocked on the door. She strained to see around the group of men. Mary came out with them and took them over to the car. No sign of Mitch. They began lifting the hood, opening doors, and crawling under it. She sighed. Rob must have told Mitch he had to stay inside.

“There you are,” Chelsea came in, “What are you doing in here?”

“Trying to get a look at Mitch,” Jenny confessed, “But he’s not out there.”

“Give up,” Chelsea chuckled, “They’ll tie you both up if they have to. At least your wedding is in the afternoon and not tonight.”

“Chelsea,” Jenny moaned, “This is torture.”

“I know,” Chelsea smiled, “Been there, done that. Not so long ago, remember? Now, do you want to know a secret?”

“Sure,” Jenny giggled, “What is it?”

“I haven’t even told Daddy,” Chelsea confessed, “Only Dutch and I know this. It’s too soon to be certain, but I may be pregnant.”

“Already?” Jenny exclaimed.

“I’m late,” Chelsea told her, “And I’m always like clockwork. By the time you get back, we’ll know for sure.”

“Wow,” Jenny reflected, “That was fast. I’ll keep it to myself.”

“You can tell Mitch,” Chelsea replied, “After you’re gone. If you want to, that is.”

“Jen?” Linda came in,  “What are you doing in here?”

“Nothing,” Jenny answered, “Just talking to Chelsea. So when are you and Bob leaving? Tonight or tomorrow?”

“I don’t know yet,” Linda answered, “Bob and I haven’t discussed it. It may depend on how long the Jag stays.”

“True,” Jenny chuckled, “Let’s go downstairs and see if Paula needs help with lunch.”

The ladies were all helping Paula fix lunch when Mary came in. She walked into the kitchen as if she were on a mission.

“Jenny,” Mary smiled, “Do you think I could have a few moments alone with you?”

“Sure,” Jenny wiped her hands, and noticed Paula looking worried, “Let’s use the study.”

Jenny led the way and closed the door, “What is it, Mary?”

“Here, Dear,” she handed her an envelope, “Poor Mitch is fit to be tied down there. I told him I’d deliver this to you.”

“Oh, thank you!” Jenny ripped it open, “Do you mind?”

“No,” Mary offered, “Please do. I’ll take a reply back to him if you wish.”

Jenny sat down to read the note:

My Dear Sweet Jen,

I’m going crazy down here in the apartment without you. This is the longest day of my life. I tried to call the main house to talk to you, but they wouldn’t put you on the phone. I tried to sneak out, but Dad appeared from nowhere and threatened me with my life. So, Mary offered to smuggle you a note. I’ve about decided she’s not such a bad mother after all.

Bob came down here to look at the Jag. They wouldn’t even let me come outside to look with them. I guess Mary laid it on pretty thick while he was here. She told him she’s thinking of trading it in on a newer one, but its trade in value has dropped below $30,000 now. Wouldn’t you have loved to see the look on his face when she said that?

Jen, I just want to see you or hear your voice so bad right now. I miss you so much. I’m aching to hold you. If you’re feeling anything like I am right now, then you need to know how much I love you.

One time, before I knew you, Mom told me that I needed to stop chasing rain clouds and wait for a rainbow to appear. I want you to know, Jen, that you are that rainbow and together I promise you our life will be a pot of gold.

I’ll see you soon. I love you with all my heart.

Completely and Wholly Yours,

Mitch

Jenny had tears in her eyes. She held the note close to her heart for a moment and closed her eyes. She could almost feel him there.

“Would you like to write him back?” Mary asked.

“Yes,” Jenny hopped up and went to the desk to find a pen and paper, “Just give me a minute.”

She wrote:

My Dearest Mitch,

I’m going crazy up here, too. I’ve tried to watch out the window, hoping to just catch a glimpse of you, but it has been useless. They didn’t even tell me you called. I’m very glad you wrote me the note. Mary offered to take a note back for me. You’re right—she’s been pretty nice to us lately.

I couldn’t sleep last night. I should’ve gotten up and called you then. I didn’t realize they weren’t going to even let us talk. You’re right, I need to hear your voice. I just want to be able to talk to you. We should be able to share every moment of this day.

I love you so much, Mitch. Thank you for telling me that I’m your rainbow. You already know that you are my knight in shining armor. You’re my hero, my prince, and most of all you are my best friend. Everything I am and ever will be is yours.

I am counting the moments until I am Mrs. Mitch Martin.

I am Forever Yours,

Jenny

She folded it and put it in an envelope. Then she went to hand it to Mary.

“Will you give him something else for me?” Jenny asked.

“Of course, Honey,” Mary agreed.

“Give him this,” Jenny hugged her, “And tell him it won’t be long now.”

“I’d be glad to,” Mary hugged her back, “And I want you to know that I am really happy for both of you. I can tell how much he loves you, Jenny. If you ever need anything…anything at all…please don’t hesitate to ask, OK?”

“OK,” Jenny smiled, “Thank you…and thank you for doing this. Everyone else seems to be taking great pleasure in keeping us apart.”

“I’ve noticed,” Mary smiled, “If I thought I could smuggle you back to him, I would. I’m afraid a note is the best I can do.”

“It helps more than you know,” Jenny assured, “I’ll see you at the wedding.”

It was time for Jenny to start getting ready in earnest, so she and Chelsea set up shop in the master bedroom. Linda joined them and Paula came in and out a lot. As the hour approached, guests started arriving and most of them felt the need to come up and talk to Jenny to give her some bit of advice.

Bruce came up, Lucy came up, Sheila came up…the one who surprised Jenny the most was Doc. He visited with Jenny and Linda at length and told them how special they both were to him. Jenny was quite touched when he hugged her and told her how happy he was to know that she and Mitch would be the ones buying the practice. He said he knew they would continue to provide the high quality service and care his clients had grown to expect over the years.

Finally, Rob came up, fully decked out in his tuxedo, and he told everyone else to leave them alone. Jenny thought he was the handsomest man she had ever seen, next to Mitch, and remembered sitting at Rob and Paula’s wedding when she was a little girl.

“We already had this talk, Daddy,” she reminded, “I don’t want to start crying now.”

“I have no intention of making you cry, Sweetheart,” he smiled, “But you don’t need a million people in here with you right now, fussing about and making you nervous. You need some time to gather your thoughts and savor the memories you are making.”

“Do you know how much I want to talk to Mitch right now?” She asked.

“I know how much he wants to talk to you,” he assured, “And I know how he’s going to feel when he sees you walk down that aisle toward him. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

“You know, Daddy,” she came over and brushed at the lapel on his suit, “You’re every bit as handsome as you were that day. I remember sitting there and wishing that you were marrying my mom instead of Paula.”

“Well,” he planted a kiss on her cheek, “You ended up being my little girl anyway. And it’s better this way, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you rather have Mitch as your husband than your brother?”

“Definitely,” she giggled, “I’m really glad you’re the one giving me away…you don’t know how much that means to me.”

“Now you’re going to make me cry,” he grinned, “You don’t know how much it means to me, Sweetheart. This is one of the proudest moments of my life.”

There was a tap on the door and Jason’s voice calling, “Dad, it’s time.”

“On our way,” Rob called, then he held his arm out for her to take, “Are you ready, Fair Maiden? Your Knight in Shining Armor awaits.”