As she neared the man directing traffic, he slowed her to a stop and opened her door. “Have a good time.”
Chloe laughed. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t belong there.”
She was more confused when Stella and Marilee hopped out of the car and came around to her side. “Oh, yes, you do.” They pulled her out before she could even think to protest.
“Dylan’s party! Is this the party for Teddy?” she said as they ushered her to a vacant lot that had been set up for a no-holds-barred party. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming.”
“You didn’t want to stop us, that’s why you didn’t see it,” Marilee explained. “Your Higher Self knew all about it, but it also knew you wanted to be here.”
People were laughing and drinking and eating. Slabs of ribs smoked on huge grills and filled the air with delectable aromas. A couple people she recognized from her naked protest waved at her or patted her shoulder. Will McKain lifted a plate of food to her in salute. Her heart was already beating faster at just the prospect of seeing Dylan, and her eyes were already seeking him out.
“Did he do this? Orchestrate my kidnapping, I mean?” Her heart sang at the prospect, but she hushed it with the fact that this party was only more of his gratitude.
“Yep. He called Lena last night, and she put me on the phone. He said since he went down to the Keys with you at her request, he was calling in the favor.”
“We would have dragged you out of bed anyway,” Marilee threw in. “But he gave us a better reason.”
“It’s your party, Chloe. You can’t not be here.”
“I wish I’d dressed better. And put more make up on!” she said, slapping her cheek. Spotting Susan didn’t help matters any.
“You look great, hon. Besides, I don’t think it matters to Dylan.”
She followed Stella’s gaze to the man who put the beat in her heart. He wore white shorts and a blue shirt, and his eyes fairly sparkled as he met her gaze. The tallest, most handsome man there walked over to her. With a nod to his right, a television crew carried their equipment over and aimed it at Dylan. She started to move away, but he caught her arm and pulled her right up against him.
“This is our guest of honor, Chloe Samms.” He turned her toward the camera. “She also happens to be the woman I want to marry.” He turned to her then, not seeming to mind that her mouth was hanging open. It was a good thing he was holding on so tight, because she’d probably have crumpled to the sand. “The woman I want in my life. More importantly, the woman I need in my life. She not only saved my son’s life, she taught me to believe in miracles … and in love.” His fingers caressed her face as though he couldn’t believe she was there. “You taught me that my priorities were all wrong, that love comes first.” She could see that love in his eyes as he looked at her. Not a trick of the light this time. “I want to teach you that you belong wherever you are. That mostly, you belong with me.” Then he kissed her, with everyone watching and the camera rolling. For a few minutes she forgot about all that, until he broke the kiss. “The open mouth — is that a yes?”
She clamped it shut. “Are you crazy?”
“Certifiably. About you.”
She whispered, “What will people think, you marrying the strange Lilithdale woman?”
He moved back a bit, head tilted. “What will people think, you marrying that idiot who didn’t see love right in front of his eyes? Who almost lost it? You taught me something else, too. That it’s okay to be different. Promise me you’ll never do anything just because you think I want you to. Don’t be anything other than who you are.” He gave her a pained expression. “Are you trying to make me suffer? I know I deserve it, but I’m a little too tender to be kept in suspense.”
She felt shell-shocked. “What do you mean?”
“You haven’t answered me yet.”
She put her hands on his face the way he had with her. “You think I’m crazy? Of course I’ll marry you!”
He squeezed her tight, and she’d never felt so loved in her life. After a minute, he pulled back. “You’ll be marrying Teddy too, of course.”
She grinned. “I already love that kid.”
He turned to the crowd surrounding them. “She said yes!” Then he picked her up and spun her around until she was dizzy and giddy and totally free. She was laughing when he finally set her down again. After squeezing her against him, he turned her to the right.
First she saw Teddy, spinning around too. And beside him … Lena, with a tender expression on her serene face. She came forward and hugged Chloe.
“I’m so happy for you. I hope you’ll forgive me for being so horrible to you. You have made me, Stella, Marilee, and everyone in Lilithdale so proud. And if you want to live in your house, you and Teddy and Dylan, we’ll welcome you all with open arms.”
She turned to Dylan, who squeezed her hand. “Happy?” he asked.
“I don’t know how I could be any happier. I’m afraid I’m already illegal as it is.”
“Don’t lose your head,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to finish a particular scene that involves you in a towel and wet clay.”
She tilted her head back and smiled. “Oh, I believe I can arrange that.”
Thank you so much for reading A Trick of the Light. If you enjoyed it, please consider posting a review on BookBub.com, Goodreads.com, and/or wherever you buy books.
Find links to more stories in the Love & Light collection and other series by Tina at www.WrittenMusings.com/TinaWainscott and www.TinaWainscott.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I hope you enjoyed A Trick of the Light! If you did, I’m happy to tell you that I have many other novels available for your pleasure in different subgenres of romance. I’m the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels published with St. Martin’s Press, Harper Collins, Random House, Harlequin, and Written Musings.
I have always loved the combination of suspenseful chills and romantic thrills, especially with a bit of paranormal thrown in, so I decided to release my favorites in the Love & Light Collection. Although many of the stories have connections to other books in the series, all the novels are stand-alone stories—no cliffhangers!
Find the entire collection at www.WrittenMusings.com/TinaWainscott and www.TinaWainscott.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
My sincere appreciation to Arnie Gruskin and Terry G. for advice on family law.
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