“If you’re sure. Thank you for all you’ve done. You’re the best sister a girl could ask for.”

Sophie drew back and palmed Jenna’s cheek. “Be happy.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” Grant said.

Sophie gave him a final hug, and as they slid into the car she called, “Let me know when you get there.”

The crowd cheered as the couple drove away, and Sophie blinked back happy tears as the taillights disappeared down Bayside Drive. Her baby sister was officially married.

More good-byes were said, and finally the last of the guests left. Sophie went back into the quiet house and released an anxious Pippa from the bedroom. The terrier bounced around, trembling with happiness to see her mama again.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Pippa whined pitifully and Sophie chuckled. “Well, it’s over now anyway.”

After changing into yoga pants and a T-shirt she took Pippa outside, lingering awhile since the poor darling had been cooped up.

Once she had Pippa settled inside again, Sophie began to set the place to rights, starting with the deck. A drizzle began as she was picking up the last of the trash. She’d take down the twinkle lights in the morning. According to the forecast it would rain for a while before the actual storm hit, so she’d have time to safeguard the house as well.

She thought of the big dead oak tree outside her bookshop and prayed it withstood the gale-force winds approaching. She couldn’t afford—and didn’t have time for—a damaged roof right now.

The caterers had cleared away the food and dishes, so there was only random trash in the house to deal with. When she was finished picking up, she carefully slid the furniture back into place.

It was almost midnight by the time Sophie fell into bed with a copy of She Means Business, trying to dredge up the excitement that had been building for months. Excitement about her new life and her new shop.

But the gloomy cloud that had been hanging over her the past few hours refused to budge. She tried to blame it on some kind of empty nest syndrome. Her family was gone and she was officially alone. But if she was honest, the sense of loss had begun before the crowd’s departure, before her sister’s departure even. It began the second Aiden Maddox raised his hand in good-bye.

Nonsense. He’d been out of her life for seven years now. They didn’t even live in the same state.

And yet . . .

Sophie gave her head a shake as she pulled Pippa close, snuggling her baby. “Well, sweet girl. I guess it’s just you and me now.”

*  *  *