92 Pacific Boulevard - Debbie Macomber [108]
“When do you plan to tell them?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Mack, if Mom finds out from someone else, she’ll be devastated.”
“I know.” Although that wasn’t likely to happen.
“So will Dad.”
Mack knew that, too. In hindsight, he wished he’d already mentioned the engagement to his parents.
“Okay, I understand why you want to keep it a secret,” Linnette surprised him by saying.
“You do?”
“Of course. You want to wait until you’re certain she wants to go through with the wedding. The way things stand right now, you’re feeling hesitant—”
“It’s not me who’s hesitant. It’s Mary Jo.”
“Are you sure about that?”
No question. “Very sure.”
After a moment, Linnette asked, “Can I trust you with a secret, too?”
“Of course.” His sister, however, had never really kept secrets. She’d always been the model student and the good daughter, whereas Mack and his father often fought. It worried him that keeping his engagement from his parents threatened the truce he’d established with his father. He’d risked a great deal for Mary Jo and his biggest fear was that it was all for nothing.
When Linnette wasn’t immediately forthcoming, Mack said, “So what’s your big secret?”
His sister’s voice dropped so low he couldn’t hear.
“Say that again,” he said.
“Okay, fine, I will. I’m married.”
“You’re what?”
“Married.”
“When?”
“December twenty-ninth. On the drive back from Cedar Cove to North Dakota after Christmas, Pete and I took a detour to Las Vegas. Neither of us had ever been before and it was sheer craziness.
“At first, we couldn’t find even one hotel room, let alone two, and when we finally managed to locate a room—there was just the one. That’s when Pete said he didn’t care what the advertisements said—what happens in Vegas doesn’t necessarily stay there, so we got a wedding license and got married the same day.”
“You married Pete?” His sister barely knew the farmer, although it was obvious he’d fallen for her, and fallen hard. Anyone with eyes in his head couldn’t possibly miss that. Linnette had been more circumspect, especially around their parents, but she must’ve felt the same way. “You married him because you could only find one hotel room?”
“Yes.”
“Linnette, that’s insane!”
“Now just a minute, little brother. If that’s not calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.”
She had him there. Mack wanted to argue and tell her she hadn’t known Pete nearly long enough. He wanted to say she had better sense than this. Besides, less than a year ago she’d been crazy in love with Cal Washburn.
“You’ve been married a lot longer than Mary Jo and I have been engaged. Why keep it a secret?”
“Well…” Linnette exhaled slowly. “I figured Mom and Dad would be disappointed that I hadn’t gone for the big wedding, so Pete and I decided there was no reason to say anything right away. I promised Mom I’d be home this summer, and I thought we could have a second wedding there.”
“Why not tell them now? They like Pete. It isn’t like they’re going to be upset about who you married.”
“I know,” Linnette agreed. “But I was afraid they’d think I married Pete on the rebound. I didn’t. I genuinely love him and, living so far away, it’s not hard to keep it a secret.”
“So that’s what you plan to do? Say nothing and just go ahead with a second wedding?”
Linnette sighed deeply. “I haven’t got that part worked out yet. Getting married on the spur of the moment isn’t as simple as it seems.”
Mack could sympathize.
“We’ve been married for almost four months, and Pete keeps asking when I’m going to tell my family. It was so easy to delay it and now…now it’s been so long. Mack, I’m not sure what to do.”
Mack didn’t have any advice to give her, considering that he’d phoned her with his own troubles, looking for help. “I don’t know, either.”
“You’re not upset with us, are you?”
“Of course not! I couldn’t be happier for you both.”
“Thanks, Mack.”
“I’d suggest you tell Mom and Dad soon, though.”
“I will…”
They spoke for another ten minutes, and his sister updated him on the medical clinic in the small town where