“Well, not right this minute,” Mabel said with amusement. “We have to go back to the house and call the courthouse and see how quickly it can be arranged.”

“That’s a good idea,” Elvi said, and then turned to call out, “Victor, round up the kids. We have to go home and arrange a wedding. Allie’s agreed to be Magnus’s life mate.”

“Really?” Liam squealed, rushing to them from where he and Teddy had been watching Victor and DJ lead the girls back up the hill. Expression excited, he stopped in front of Allie and Magnus, looking from one to the other as he asked, “Does that mean you’re getting married and Magnus will be my dad?”

“Yes,” Magnus said when Allie remained silent, her expression stunned. Taking Liam’s hand in his, he slid his other around Allie’s back and urged her toward the parking lot where the vehicles were, saying, “We better get your mom home. She’ll want to figure out what to wear.”

“Oh, my God,” Allie breathed, but allowed herself to be led.

Twelve

“You’re not eating, Allie. Do you need something? More sour cream, maybe?”

Allie raised her head at Tricia’s question, stared at her briefly, and then lowered her gaze to the chimichangas on her plate. Apparently, she’d requested them. She didn’t remember. But then everything from Cider Hill to their arrival here was a blur. She had a vague recollection of the women fussing over her at the house—ushering her into the shower and out, and then dressing her in the gown she was wearing, a pretty pale blue lace dress that flared out at the waist and reached her knees. She had no idea where it had come from but thought Elvi had loaned it to her.

The next clear memory she had was of standing in the courthouse next to Magnus in the charcoal suit he was still wearing, and stammering the words, “I d-do.”

Now they were at Mabel and Elvi’s restaurant, Bella Black’s, for her wedding dinner. She was married. The words were a whisper in her head when it should have been a scream. Dear God, she was married. And it had all happened so fast. One minute she’d been standing on the hill watching the kids tobogganing and the next she’d been rushed off to the courthouse to marry Magnus.

How had it all happened so fast? That was a question that just kept running through her head. Well, she knew how it had happened, but didn’t understand why, or if it had been the right thing to do. At the moment, it felt like she’d got caught up in a tornado on that hill and then been dumped here in the restaurant, storm tossed, bewildered, and married.