His Sleeping Beauty
Page 14
“Sarah!” He stood at the edge of the pool, ready to dive in and rescue her. But she came to the surface, smiling and splashing.
He laughed, overcome with relief and joy, then peeled off his clothes and left them in a heap on the ground. He jumped in and joined her in the water.
“You’re full of surprises,” he said, grinning at her. “My little history buff is now skinny-dipping.”
“Only here, only with you,” she said.
“What about your hero, Secundino?”
She gave him an impish smile that was one part Sarah and one part nineteenth century shameless flirt.
“Gone forever. You’re my hero now. Now and forever. I love you, Max.” And she sealed it with a warm wet kiss.
Epilogue
The day was cool and breezy. The guests gathered in the groom’s patio where a few dozen chairs were set up. Gardenias floated in the swimming pool, filling the air with a divine fragrance.
A string quartet on the patio began playing and the guests took their places. From the house next door a glowing bride in white satin, her dark hair held back with a pearl crown, came walking on her father’s arm down the path and through the gate onto the terrace. Heads turned and there was a collective sigh of admiration.
The simple ceremony took place under a trellis covered with purple morning glories. There were no poems, or odes to the bride or groom. Just the vows that men and women have been taking for hundreds of years. When the bride and groom kissed, the bride’s aunt wiped tears of joy from her eyes.
“Well, Mary, I suppose you planned this whole thing,” Sarah’s mother told her sister.
“Who me?” Mary said innocently but with a twinkle in her eye. “If I’ve learned one thing in my life it’s that you can’t plan love. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.” She took the hand of the tall gray-haired man who was standing next to her.
“Ruth, I don’t believe you’ve met Henry,” Mary said. “He’s a friend from that cruise I was on. Henry’s here on vacation. We’re going to be taking care of Max’s house while they’re on their honeymoon.”
“Where are they going?” Sarah’s mother asked. “I don’t think I heard.”
“I recommended a cruise,” Mary said. “There’s nothing as romantic.”
“Despite what happened on your cruise?” Sarah’s mother asked, aghast.
“Despite everything. No matter what happens, Sarah can handle it. After all, she handled my house, my tree and my neighbor while she was here.”
Sarah’s boss Trudy congratulated the newlyweds.
“This is a beautiful wedding,” Trudy said. “Just like a fairy tale.”
Max looked at his bride and squeezed her hand. “I think I know which one you mean.”
And just like the prince and Sleeping Beauty, Max and Sarah lived happily ever after.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5487-2
HIS SLEEPING BEAUTY
Copyright © 2005 by Carol Culver
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*Miramar Inn
†Best-Kept Wishes
**Fairy-Tale Brides