Chase stands, opens the box and pulls out the biggest square-cut diamond I’ve ever seen, and places it on my ring finger.
“Perfect fit.”
“Chase, I do love you, but—”
“What else is there to discuss?” asks Noah Kelly.
“I have Charlotte to consider.”
“She will be well taken care of,” says Chase. “You do want to get married, don’t you?”
“It’s only been nine months.”
“I know.” Chase kisses the top of my hand. “Don’t you feel it, Isabelle? We’re meant to be together.”
Glancing at Charlotte, she nods, and I nod at her, but Chase mistakes this as a yes.
He throws his arms around me. “You’ve made me so happy! Now come, meet our friends and some family.”
As we walk past Mason, he kisses my cheek. “Welcome to the family, Belle.”
“It’s Isabelle.”
Chase chuckles. “Tonight, you’re the belle of the ball. Belle… it suits you.”
“My name is Isabelle.”
Chase nods and smiles at his father. “Shall we do it as we rehearsed?”
“No, she has the ring on her finger now. I’ll simply announce it when we go back out.” He looks at me. “Welcome to the family, Belle. May you bear us many children.”
“My name is Isabelle.”
Noah Kelly laughs. “Of course, it is.”
Chase takes me by the hand.
Charlotte is still attached to my other hand, gripping it tightly.
“It’s okay, honey,” I whisper, trying to reassure her. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Chase laughs. “Everything is going to be perfect. You and Charlotte now have an entire family to look after you. You’re no longer alone.”
Right at that moment, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alone. The ring weighs heavily on my finger as Chase parades me around the room. Charlotte clings to me and only lets me go when she sees Liam.
He takes her under his arm. “She’ll be fine with me. Connery and I will take good care of her.”
I smile mechanically at him and let Chase lead me to the grand ballroom. Noah Kelly is up on a platform with a microphone, smiling and waving at the people assembled. “It’s my great honor to welcome Isabelle ‘Belle’ Jones to our family. Chase and Isabelle are getting married in March for a spring wedding. I know you’ll all make her feel most welcome.” He holds up a glass. “Raise your glasses to my son, Chase, and his beautiful bride-to-be, Belle.”
Chase kisses me on the lips, and the room explodes in congratulatory cheers.
I’m stunned at how quickly this has all happened, and most of all, how not one of them listened to me when I told them my name is Isabelle.
Isabelle
It’s the next day. I’m curled up in a ball in the center of my bed, staring at the diamond on my finger. It’s funny, I never pictured myself with such a huge rock. In fact, in my daydreams, it was a band, not your typical engagement ring. Chase and I have never even had a conversation about the future, let alone marriage.
Charlotte was confused last night, and it took a little while for her to calm down. She doesn’t like any of the men in the Kelly family. Surprisingly, it was Morgan who helped ease Charlotte. I’ve never had her say more than a handful of words to me, but last night she hugged me and welcomed me to the family. Morgan kissed Charlotte on the cheek and told her she was now her sister as well and that she’d always be there for her. It was touching, but it also felt a little creepy.
My cell phone chimes, and I roll over, reaching for it on my bedside table. The display says it’s a text message from Chase. Turning off my phone, I sit up and take off the ring. Holding it up to the light, it sparkles. It’s too big and audacious, much like everything to do with the Kelly family.
There’s a knock at my front door.
Quietly, I tiptoe to it and stare through the peephole. It’s one of my employees, Joe. He knocks again and looks down. He has something in his hands.
Leaving the chain on, I open the door.
Joe thrusts a newspaper through the gap. “You got engaged? To him?”
Closing the door, I undo the chain and let him in.
“Apparently.”
Joe walks in and flops on my couch. “I thought it was a casual thing? Now, you’re getting married?”
Sitting on the couch, I stare at the door. “Yeah, it would seem so.”
Joe touches my shoulder. “You don’t seem happy.”
“I don’t know what to feel. It was unexpected.”
“Girl, you and I have been through a lot. I thought we shared everything, but now you’re marrying Chase Kelly.”
“I’m engaged to Chase Kelly.”
Joe holds up the newspaper and points to a picture of Chase and me smiling. “Yes, you are.”
Taking the paper off him, I skim through the article and groan. “They’ve announced the wedding date?”
“You didn’t know?”
“It all kind of happened so quickly. There was an argument, then an apology, then a proposal, and I accidentally said yes.” I stand and pace. “Then there was an announcement, dancing, lots of people shaking my hand and looking at the ring. Charlotte was confused, so I was trying to be happy, so she’d calm down—”
“Stop.” I halt and look down at Joe. “You’re rambling.”
“Coffee? I haven’t had one yet.”
“Sit. I’ll make it.” Joe stands and moves past me.
Curling up on the couch, I stare straight ahead. My mind is fried. I’m not sure I can form a cohesive thought. After a few minutes, Joe walks back in.
“Your coffee machine was already fired up.”
“Yeah, I have it set to start nice and early. Sometimes I take a cup with me when I go jogging.”
“That doesn’t sound healthy.”
I shrug and take a cup off him. “It clears my mind so I can concentrate, or in the case of my early morning exercise, it keeps me from killing whoever gets in my way.”
Joe chuckles. “I didn’t realize you had such a violent streak.” He sits near me and slurps his coffee loudly. “So, you’re getting married?”
“I guess?”
“Do you love him?”
“I think so?”
Joe frowns. “You know these are the wrong answers, don’t you?”
“Are they?” I sit up straighter in the seat. “Chase loves me, and he wants to marry me. It will mean that I’ll never need to worry about money again, and Charlotte will always be taken care of.”
Joe scoffs. “You’ve never cared about money before. And you’ve always taken care of Charlotte. She’s never wanted for anything. What happens to your business once you get married? Will he allow you to work?”
“I care about money.” Joe shakes his head. “I do. I’m lucky that I have this building. We make most of our catering needs downstairs, and with the insurance money from Mom and Dad, it allows me to pay all the taxes and keep Charlotte in her group home, but it would be nice to have some extra. I’d love to travel overseas instead of vacations at the beach with Charlotte in budget accommodations.”
“You love your vacations with Charlotte.”
Smiling, I nod. “Yeah. But it would be nice to take her somewhere else.”
“So, you want to get married to go on nice holidays?” Joe laughs.
Shaking my head, I shift on my couch. “I do care for Chase.”
“Do you love him?”
“I think so?” Joe grins, and I wave a hand at him. “No, that’s not fair. We’ve been dating for nine months, and we’re still getting to know each other. I like him a lot. Maybe it’s love that needs to develop?”
Joe shakes his head. “My wife, Rita and I, knew straight away. One date, and I knew she was mine. It was the same for her.”
“You’ve never mentioned her before.”
Joe’s lips turn down, and he looks sad. “She died. It happened before I moved here. We only had two years together, bu
t it was the best two years of my life. Cancer took her.”
“Oh, Joe, I didn’t know.”
He looks at me and shrugs. “It was five years ago. I don’t talk about her much, but I miss the life we had. It’s one reason I moved to Chicago. A fresh start. No one here knows Rita or me. It was a chance to start again.” He picks up the newspaper and hands it to me. “If you love Chase, go for it. But if you’re unsure, and I think you are, put off the wedding. If Chase really loves you, he’ll understand.”
Nodding, I look at the photo of us again. “You’re right, I’ll talk to him.”
“Good idea.”
He slurps heavily on his coffee, and I laugh.
“You know, you make coffee sound awful.”
“Screw you.” Joe laughs.
“Joe?”
“Umm?”
“Thanks for coming over.”
He smiles at me. “All good. You’re my favorite boss.”
“Does that mean you have more than one?”
Joe stands and puts his empty cup on the coffee table. “Yep, I work three jobs. Helps to keep busy.” He opens the front door. “See you tomorrow. We’ve got that party at the Elwes to plan.”
Standing, I walk him into the hallway. “Yes, we do.” Reaching out, I touch his arm. “Thanks for coming over, Joe.”
“No sweat. See you tomorrow.”
I walk back into my apartment and shut the door. All I need is a quick shower, some exercise to clear my head, and then a lengthy chat with Chase.
I’m controlling my breathing, concentrating on the path ahead.
In and out.
In and out.
My feet hit the pavement in rhythm to the music streaming from my Apple watch and AirPods. Today’s playlist is a collection of thrash music. The screaming lyrics mean little, but the constant thump of the drums keeps me running at a nice pace.
With my head down, breathing under control, I avoid all those who cross my path. A figure looms in front of me, and I sidestep around it. A hand reaches out and grabs my arm. I yelp in fright, but when I focus on the man, it’s Chase.
Pulling the AirPods out of my ear, I smile up at him. “You gave me a fright!”
“Sorry.” He lets me go. “You left early last night, and I went by your apartment. You weren’t there, so I figured…” Chase looks at my hand and then reaches for it. “You’re not wearing your ring?”
Bending over, I pull out of his grasp and put both hands on my knees, sucking in lungfuls of air. “No. Didn’t want to get mugged.”
“Can we talk?”
I nod and walk toward a bench. Sitting down on it, I lean over again to even out my breathing.
After a minute, I sit up and face him. “Sorry, I was hitting it hard.”
“I don’t understand why you do it. You’re fit and healthy, so why punish yourself?” Chase reaches up and tucks some stray strands of hair behind my ear.
“It keeps me fit and healthy, and it helps me to gain clarity if I’m having an issue.”
“And being engaged to me is an issue?”
Taking his hand in mine, I shuffle closer to him. “We’ve never talked about marriage. We’ve never talked about a future. It was a huge surprise.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
Chase smiles and kisses me lightly. “Isn’t that all we need?”
I link my fingers with his. “What was the plan last night?”
“I wanted to surprise you… a romantic gesture. Father and I had it all planned, but Mason wrecked everything. I’m sorry for the way he spoke to you.”
“Why do you want to marry me?”
Chase chuckles. “Because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want to take care of you and Charlotte.”
“And Charlotte?”
In the past, Chase has not had a lot to do with Charlotte. He’s only ever spent a few hours with her, never an entire day.
“I know she’s important to you, so she’s important to me.” Chase moves and kneels in front of me. “Tell me what you need from me, and I’ll do it. Whatever it takes. I want you. I love you.”
He sounds so heartfelt, so sincere.
Leaning forward, I put my forehead to his. “I love you, Chase.”
“Then that’s all I need to know. All the rest is just stuff. Stuff we can figure out together as we grow old.”
Pressing my lips to his takes Chase by surprise, but then he crushes me to him, his hands digging into my sides as he kisses me passionately.
He breaks the kiss. “Let’s go back to your place. You can shower, and we can celebrate.”
I nod, and he takes me by the hand and leads me to his car.
Isabelle
I’m standing in front of the mirror, staring at myself. I am dressed in an ivory gown which is quite simple—a halter-neck dress that cinches in at the waist and falls to the floor. The veil made of the finest lace trails down my back, and a small tiara that belonged to Chase’s mother pulls my hair off my face.
Charlotte is my only bridesmaid, much to the Kelly family’s dismay. Of course, I have girlfriends, but it’s always been Charlotte and me, and for me, there was no other choice. Her dress is pale gold with sleeves and falls from her bust to the floor.
We’re in a small room at the front of the church, waiting for the signal to let us know that the ceremony is about to begin. I’m a bundle of nerves, and I fear it’s rubbing off onto Charlotte.
“Do I look okay, Isabelle?”
“Oh, honey, you look beautiful.”
A knock at the door has us both turning around. Joe sticks his head in. He’s wearing a navy suit and smiles at both of us.
“Damn, girls! You look fine!”
Charlotte blushes and looks at me.
“Stop it, Joe. You’re embarrassing my sister.”
He shrugs and comes further into the room. “Do you need anything?”
“No, we’re fine.”
“Is Brandon here?”
Brandon is Charlotte’s plus one for the wedding.
“He sure is! Sitting next to me on the bride’s side.”
“There are sides?” I ask.
Joe chuckles. “Not really. The whole place is filled with people I usually serve at these fancy things. One of them came up to me, shook my hand, and told me it was nice to see me again. He had no idea where he knew me from and probably wouldn’t have shaken my hand if he realized I was a server.”
I giggle. “Most are very nice once you get to know them.”
“It’s easier for you. You own the business, and I’m a simple servant.”
I shake my head. “Soon you’ll own the business, and you might serve people, but you were never a servant.”
The smile disappears from Joe’s face, and he rubs the back of his neck. “You sure you want to sell to me?”
“Yes!” I walk toward him and touch his shoulder. “There’s no one else I’d leave it with.”
Chase made me see that it will be too hard for me to work in his business and run my events business after we’re married. There simply won’t be enough time. I’m excited to be stepping into a new opportunity with him.
“I still feel like you gave me the deal of the century.”
“Pfft!” I wave a hand in his face. “I know you’ll do the right thing.”
Instead of Joe paying upfront for the business, we agreed on a price, and he can pay me out over two years. This way, he’ll have money coming in and won’t be crippled by debt. A lot of Chase’s friends and business associates use my company as we’re a one-stop-shop. We do everything from catering to supplying servers for the event. It’s turned a tidy profit from year to year, and I see no reason for that to change. And seeing as I’ll be living with Chase, I’m renting Joe the small building for a pittance until he pays me for the business, then we’ll renegotiate the deal on the lease.
Joe surprises me with a hug. “Thank you, Isabelle, I don’t know what I did to deserve yo
u in my life, but I’m glad you’re part of it.”
Tears spring to my eyes, and I push away from him to find a tissue so I don’t ruin my makeup.
“That’s enough of that. You make it sound like I’m leaving for good. I’ll still be around if you need help, and we’re friends.”
Joe nods. “Much to Chase’s dislike.”
“That’s not true. He just doesn’t understand why I didn’t consult him on the deal before I offered it to you.”
“He wanted more money?”
Not wanting to answer, I look at the clock on the wall. “Oh, my! Five minutes, and it’s showtime! You better go find your seat.”
“Nice evasion there.” Joe kisses my cheek. “See you soon.”
Joe walks out of the small room we’re in, and I stand near Charlotte.
“Are you ready?”
She nods. “Are you?”
“I’m nervous.”
“Me too.”
Pulling her into my arms, I squeeze her tight. “You’re going to do great.”
“And you’re only going to be gone for a month… four Saturdays.”
Leaning back, I look into her eyes. “Yes, honey. Chase and I are going to Hawaii for a month. I’ve planned everything. And when I get home, I’ll have presents for you and lots of photos to share.”
Charlotte nods, but her lips turn down, and she drops her gaze to the floor. “I’ll miss you.”
Placing my hand under her chin, I tilt her head back up, so we’re once again staring at each other. “I’m a phone call away.” I place a hand on her chest. “And I’ll always be right here, just like you are for me.”
A small smile creeps across her face. “I love you, Isabelle.”
“I love you too.”
Another knock at the door has us both turning to see who it is. A member of the church opens the door, a huge smile on her face.
“Are you ready?”
Looking at Charlotte, I nod, and so does she.
“Yes!” we say at the same time.
“Shall I signal the organist?”
Stepping back from Charlotte, I smooth out my dress and pick up the bouquet. It’s a cascade of red roses with white tulips dotted through and a bit of greenery around the top. Charlotte’s bouquet is a smaller version of mine.
Spark of Time: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 5: an MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 7