by Lynn LaFleur
In the time Abby had left her seat and climbed onto the stage, someone had lighted the tapers in the candelabrum and trained a second spot on the table. The roses and stephanotis looked as fresh as if they’d been hanging only a few seconds, with Cupid’s arrow glittering in the light of the spot.
Two rows of chairs now stood where the Austrian drape had hung. In the back row, Abby saw her Aunt Rose, who wriggled her fingers and beamed a smile that could have lighted up the room. When had she returned from Rio?
Rose waved to her friends and sat down again alongside a woman who looked oddly familiar. It took Abby a moment to realize where she’d met her. It was Madame Duvalier, the woman Judy and Ronn had described as Rose’s archenemy.
Oh my. Judy and Ronn, decked out in gala finery, sat beside the French designer.
In the front row, Abby saw Beau and Lauren. Seated to their left, Brett’s sister and her family, and to their right, the biggest surprise of all, Abby’s parents.
In his dress blues with a chest full of ribbons and medals, her father, Sgt. Major Joseph Granger, sat tall, straight, and smiling the smile that always warmed Abby’s heart, the one that said, “I love you, gal.” Next to him, with her arm looped through his, and dressed with her usual understated elegance, Janine Granger dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief.
For two days, Abby had fought tears, doubts and misgivings. Now she let her tears fall freely. Not from heartbreak, but from joy and love.
She knew Brett must have sensed the emotions coming at her from so many directions. He slipped his arm around her waist. If he hadn’t, she might have flown away. She had no idea how he’d orchestrated this. Every moment they shared together, he surprised her more. She only dared dream and hope what other surprises still lay ahead for her—for them.
“Okay, a little memory test,” Brett said to the crowd. “Show of hands. How many of you remember The BIG Storm?”
Abby looked out at a sea of raised hands. No one had forgotten it.
“It happened on a Friday, May third. My senior year at Seaside, football season long over, and as far as I was concerned, so was my high school career.” He looked over Abby’s head at Beau. “Sorry, Dad, I cannot tell a lie—I cut class almost every day.”
“You think I didn’t know that?” Beau laughed and nudged Abby’s father with a friendly elbow.
“I was throwing a few hoops in the gym when suddenly I heard a roar I never want to hear again. A storm had been predicted for a couple of days, but this wasn’t lightning and thunder. This sounded like a locomotive headed straight at me.” He swallowed hard. Abby knew exactly what he was thinking. She was reliving the terror too.
“I think I hurled the basketball in the direction of the roar and took off running. Got about ten feet from the door and almost crashed into this skinny little girl who was just standing there. It took me a second to realize she was so scared she couldn’t move. The roar got louder and closer. By then, I knew it was a tornado and that we had only a second or two to find shelter. Instinctively, I just ran right at her, grabbed her and rolled under the bleachers. A second later all hell broke loose.”
Dizziness swam through her head as all her emotions battled with each other. She’d told him her first name in the darkness, but she’d never known his. It had been Brett in the gym with her during the storm. All these years, she’d dreamed of finding the one who had saved her life so long ago. Now he was here, holding her hand in a firm grip.
“I’ll never understand how we were spared,” Brett said. “Looking back, the bleachers were probably the worst place to run and hide. Especially after the roof collapsed. The bleachers were trashed, twisted and broken all around us, but by some miracle we were still alive.” He looked down at Abby and smiled. She saw so many things in his eyes, so many memories they’d shared.
“The good news is that about three hours later someone figured out we were missing and came looking for us. Electrical lines were down everywhere, making it one of the darkest nights ever when they pulled us out of what was left of the gym. We were bruised and still pretty darned scared, but like everyone else at the scene, astonished that we walked away from it.”
Brett slid his hand along Abby’s arm and pulled her close to him. She’d never told anyone what happened during those hours.
“I know this will come as a shock to you,” Brett continued, “but in those days, I was a pretty cocky guy.” He laughed, and everyone laughed with him. Everyone but Abby.
“Once the twister had moved on, I realized that my left arm and my leg were caught under a part of one of the bleacher benches. I was sure they were broken, or worse that when someone found us, I’d be paralyzed. What would happen if I could never run or throw again? I was due in South Bend to start practice in two weeks. There was a Heisman in my future—my dad had told me that all of my life. And an NFL contract. And there I was, caught under a piece of wood all because some skinny little girl had blocked my way out of the gym. I remember I was scared and furious, and I couldn’t feel my leg. How could this have happened to me? I was Brett Kincade, for god’s sake, and bad things didn’t happen to Brett Kincade. They happened to other people.”
Abby remembered those moments as if they’d happened yesterday. The room had fallen silent.
“Then this skinny little voice from that skinny little girl said, ‘Don’t be scared. I’m pretty strong and I earned a merit badge in first aid. You’re going to be okay.’ I realized then I was crying, bawling like…like a girl…and she was there telling me to be strong. That she’d make sure I was okay.”
For a moment, Abby regretted that the cameras were trained on them and their giant-sized reflections projected onto the three screens. But Brett didn’t seem to mind that a tear rolled down his cheek. He swiped it away and continued.
“Talk about a ‘gotcha’ moment. That was mine. True to her word, that girl was stronger than she looked and in about ten minutes, she’d managed to free my arm so we could move the lumber aside without bringing down the rest of the bleachers.
“Obviously, I hadn’t broken any bones, but I’d sure had a ‘come to Jesus’ that day. At about ninety pounds soaking wet, she was twice the hero I’d ever been or would ever be. I’d accomplished a lot on a football field but not so much in the humility and humanity departments.” He rubbed her arm and pulled her even closer.
“For the next three hours, we held onto each other. Part of the time we prayed and hoped for someone to come looking for us. The rest of the time, we truly shared the secrets of our souls. Not before that day or since have I ever spoken to another girl or woman like that. Maybe it was the darkness that hid our faces, or the idea that at any moment something could happen and we’d be gone.”
Abby slipped her arm around him. The memories were still so fresh and brutal.
“I knew only her first name and that she was a freshman. But I also knew by the time the rescue workers pulled us out of the rubble, that I’d found my soul mate.” He looked up and laughed. “I remember wanting to kiss her so badly before the ambulances took us away, but I was afraid to, afraid I might scare her away from wanting to see me again.” He looked back at her and whispered, “As much as I want to kiss you now.”
As much as she wanted him to kiss her.
“I remember thinking, I have to get her number or find out where she lives, but the television stations had sent crews over to film the big football hero’s rescue, along with about a hundred other people, all pushing and shoving, wanting to make sure I was okay. No one even looked twice at her. The last time I saw her, she was walking away, alone.”
Abby blinked back tears. How many years had they wasted? How many years had they loved each other and neither knew it?
“Unfortunately, we were like those two ships passing in the night,” Brett said. “She left Seaside and I went on to achieve everything Dad said I would. I never thought we’d see each other again, until a couple of months ago when I kicked back for a beer with an old football bud
dy and his wife.” He pointed to a table in the second row, where a dark-haired, athletically built man and a lovely brunette held hands. “If you followed the Irish back then, you certainly remember Slade Blackstone.”
Abby heard the sounds of surprise coming from the guests. “He could have been the best damned wide receiver in the game if he hadn’t chosen the Marines instead.”
That brought a thundering round of applause from the guests. Slade flashed a thumbs-up in acknowledgement.
“That’s his wife Kari sitting beside him, and today’s their first wedding anniversary.”
Slade smiled and hugged Kari, who looked both pleased and embarrassed.
“I have to tell you something about Ms. Kari. She’s psychic.”
A titter of laugher coursed through the group.
“Hey, I admit I thought Kari was pretty far out there too, especially when she saw I was about to find true love.” He look lovingly at Abby. “Tonight I’m a believer.” He brushed her lips with a quick kiss and reached for something in his jacket pocket. “And so now, in front of my family and all of you, I’m going to call the riskiest play of my life…”
To Abby’s astonishment, Brett dropped to one knee in front of her, took her left hand in his, and said, “I have loved you, Abby Horton, since the first moment I met you. I want to go on loving and cherishing you forever.” And then in that same wonderful drawl he’d used when he asked her to dance, she heard the words she’d longed to hear since the first moment she’d met him. “Miz Abby Horton, would you do me the honor of partnering with me for the rest of our lives?”
Chapter Seventeen
It wouldn’t have mattered if the ring had been a cigar band instead of an array of diamonds and sapphires almost too big to be real, or that the last few hours had been better than any fairy tale. There were still a couple of things that rankled.
After Abby, her voice shaking with emotion, accepted Brett’s proposal, the crowd showed their approval with a standing ovation and a demand that they dance the tango one last time. Afterward, Slade ran interference while they dashed out the side door, the exit Abby had earlier planned to use for her quick escape.
Carlton stood patiently beside the open passenger door of the small limousine he’d driven Abby to Whispers in just two nights ago.
Abby slid across the soft leather seat. “You’re so sweet to give Slade and Kari a night at The Castle as an anniversary present.”
Brett took off his jacket and loosened his tie before climbing in beside her. ”I was happy to do it.” He drew Abby into his arms. “I hope they enjoy The Castle as much as we did.”
Abby touched his cheek. She had to keep touching him to be sure all of this was real. “Has it only been three days?”
“More like eighteen years.”
“Ummm,” she purred. His wonderfully soft, warm fingers had found their way to her breast. He kneaded it while he trailed kisses along her chin and throat.
“No bra?” he murmured in her ear.
“No.” She tilted her head back so he had easier access to her neck.
“I like that. Promise me you won’t ever wear a bra at home.” He whisked his thumb across her nipple. “Or much of anything.”
“I promise.” She’d promise him anything as long as he kept touching her, kissing her. “Where are we going?”
“To our castle.” He kissed her jaw and worked his way toward her lips. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to stand in front of that crowd and concentrate when all I wanted to do was rip off this dress and devour you.”
She giggled. “I don’t but please feel free to tell me.”
“It was torture. Now that I have you alone, I can’t get you out of this damned dress. See, all we need is a little zipper from here…” He laid his finger on the cleft of her breasts and drew a line in a southerly direction. “To right about here.” He stopped a little below her mound. “I need to touch you, Abby, now.”
“How long ‘til we get home?”
He slid his hand under the hem of her dress and along her inner thigh. “Too long.”
She opened her knees and arched her hips. She loved it when he touched her… there.
She ran her hand along the bulge in his trousers. Desire rose from deep inside her. “What about you? A vest, suspenders…”
“Wanna see how fast this zipper comes down?”
“I’m sure with blinding speed, but…”
He leaned his forehead against hers and groaned. “But what? For two days I’ve been going nuts because I couldn’t make love to you. I’ve been hard for twenty-four hours straight.”
“Good, because I’ve been in misery for twenty-four hours too, and before I get into your pants and you get into mine, you got some ‘splainin’ to do, Lucy.”
He dropped his hands in his lap and lowered his head. “You mean about yesterday and not taking you home from Whispers?”
“And the things Jordan said and did, where my aunt’s been, how in the world my folks got here. It’s been a crazy two days, Brett Kincade. A little too crazy.”
No longer trying to appear contrite, he answered her with a throaty chuckle and draped one arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. He laced her fingers with his so she couldn’t move away from him.
“Sweetheart, these last two days were awful,” he said. “But I had to give you time so you’d know for sure.”
“Know what?”
“I knew I loved you, but I wanted you to be sure you loved me too. Telling me you planned to leave on Monday didn’t give me much time.” He looked away a moment, as if searching for the right words. “Abby, I don’t mean this the way it sounds because I know you’re not like that, but there are a lot of women who fall in love with the idea and not the man. We started out so magical, but it wouldn’t last if it weren’t real. I wanted to give you time to see me as I am, warts and all, and to figure out if you were in love with me, or the illusion. I knew I had to trash the fairy tale to get to the happily ever after.”
“But how did you know it was me? I told you my first name while we were trapped, but that’s all I told you. How did you know I’m Rose’s niece?”
“She told me. Rose is a dear friend, Abby, has been for years. She was teasing me a few months ago about still being single. I admitted I’d found my soul mate years ago during the big storm, but lost her before ever telling her how I felt. After pumping me for more information, she put everything together and figured out you were the one with me. She said she’d known something had happened that day since you were so shaken when you got home, but you never told her about being trapped.”
“I never told anyone about that. I wanted to keep what we’d shared locked in my heart forever.”
Brett kissed her tenderly. “As soon as I knew who you were, I asked Rose for her help. She agreed to have you come to Seaside and run Love in Bloom during its busiest time of the year. She asked Ronn and Judy for their help too. They thought it was a great idea.”
“And my folks? My dad lives by the book. No way he’d ever drop everything…”
“Are you kidding? Joe’s great, and Janine—I love her.” He warmed her hand between his palms. “Remember yesterday, when Jordan buzzed and told me you wanted to stop in and say hello.”
She tried to pull her hand away. He held on tighter. “I wish I could forget that. I almost packed and left last night.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. “I saw your cart near the elevators. Normally I would have loved it if you’d walked in and said hi, but my mom and dad and your folks were in my office. Jordan was sending a message for me to stay put.”
Abby’s mouth dropped open. Jordan had been an absolute bitch to her, and she’d been helping Brett? “Jordan was in on everything too?”
“From day one.”
“Then why did she do her best to keep me away from the Gala?”
“Because I asked her to. I was afraid you’d back out of the Gala. I knew i
f Jordan said you couldn’t come, that would be the clincher for you to show up.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “No one is going to tell Miz Lily Granger what she can and can’t do.”
Abby heard the pride in his voice. Some men would be turned off by a strong woman. Not Brett. She covered his hands with hers. “And Thursday night, after we’d…”
“Our family jeweler lives in Mountain Ridge.”
Abby shook her head. That name meant nothing to her.
“About five hundred miles north. You could say I’d put him on high alert before I met you at Whispers. Afterward, after the first time we made love, I knew he had to get moving. I met him at seven the next morning so we could finalize this design.” He kissed her fingers, next to where the diamonds and sapphires sparkled in the low light. “I stayed over rather than fly back the next day to pick it up. It took longer than he thought.”
“You didn’t return my calls yesterday, after you’d asked me to call you.”
“When I got to his place, I realized I didn’t have my phone. I’d dropped it on the plane. By the time they returned it, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t tell you where I was or ask to see you. I know I would have blown the surprise, so I did nothing.”
She kissed him soundly, then scolded him. “Don’t you ever, ever do nothing again.”
“Ummm, I promise.”
Again she purred when he gently palmed her breast. Until she abruptly sat up. “One last question.”
“One and only one.”
“How the heck did Madame end up sitting beside Aunt Rose? I thought they hated each other. And when did Aunt Rose get back from Rio?”
“That’s two questions.” He smiled. “Your aunt never left town. She was staying at Clara-Jean’s.”
“Then they don’t hate each other?”
“Maybe sometimes. Rose and Clara-Jean have been lovers for years. Unfortunately, they fight as ferociously as they love. In fact, during one of their hotter times,” he added emphasis to hotter, “they bought the land and pitched the idea to Dad and me for Whispers.”