One And Only: Emerald Lake Billionaires, Book 4

by Leeanna Morgan

  Blake’s eyes widened.

  There was more clapping and congratulations. By the time Paul invited everyone to enjoy the shared meal, the room was so noisy that he almost needed a megaphone to be heard.

  Elizabeth hadn’t told anyone what she’d decided to call the clinic. She’d thought of a couple of names, but nothing seemed right. But after speaking with the foundation and listening to Blake’s stories about his grandmother, Elizabeth wanted to pay tribute to a lady who was brave and courageous, who’d stepped out of her comfort zone to help other people.

  She jumped when Blake touched her arm.

  “You didn’t need to name the clinic after my grandmother.”

  “It felt right. If it weren’t for her foundation, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the clinic. Besides, I think she’d be proud of what we’ve created.”

  Blake looked around the dining room. “If she were still alive, she would be here now, enjoying everyone’s company and working out what she could do next.”

  Elizabeth held Blake’s hand. She knew how much his grandmother meant to him.

  “When are you opening the clinic for emergency accommodation?”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Tomorrow afternoon. There’s a waiting list of families who are desperate for somewhere to stay. I thought you were going to show me the finished rooms when you blindfolded me.”

  “Talking about the blindfold,” Blake whispered. “Did I tell you how much I really liked—”

  “There you are,” Doris said. “Can I take your photos for the community Facebook page? Everyone will enjoy seeing what’s happening.”

  Blake sighed, but wrapped his arms around Elizabeth’s waist. “How’s this, Doris?”

  “Perfect,” she said as she took a photo.

  Elizabeth leaned into Blake. Doris was right. Being here felt more perfect than she could ever have imagined.

  Later that night, Blake held his Christmas tree in its stand. “What about here?” When Elizabeth didn’t say anything, he looked over his shoulder.

  She was scowling at the tree.

  “An answer anytime in the next thirty seconds would be appreciated.”

  Elizabeth tilted her head sideways. “Angle the top a little to the left.”

  Blake wiggled the tree sideways.

  “That’s it. Don’t move.” She crawled around his legs and tightened the bolts in the stand. “Okay. It’s fine.”

  Blake let go of the tree. “Do you want to cut the twine?”

  Elizabeth was already heading toward the kitchen. “You do it. I’ll fill the container with water. The man at the Christmas tree farm said to make sure the tree doesn’t run out of water.”

  Blake pulled his utility knife out of his pocket. “Does that mean I have to refill the reservoir during the night?” With a flick of his blade, the twine shot away from the branches. He gave the tree a shake before standing back to admire their work.

  “If you water the tree before you go to bed and again when you wake up, it should be okay.” Elizabeth poured a jug of water into the stand. “We should go Christmas tree shopping together next year. This is one of the best trees I’ve seen.”

  Blake had to admit the tree was impressive. It was the perfect height for his living room and had enough bushy branches to give it the full, I’m-a-Christmas-tree look. “I’m surprised there were any decent trees left.”

  “If you hadn’t seen this one, we would have had to buy a tinsel tree from town.”

  “Or raided the forest behind your brother’s house.”

  “That would have been fun.”

  Blake could think of a lot of things that would be fun, but he didn’t know how to tell Elizabeth. Instead of jumping feet first into what he wanted to say, he picked up the fairy lights.

  Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. “You’re not going to like this, but I think we should turn the tree around.”

  Blake’s eyebrows rose. “We’ve just added the water. The tree isn’t going anywhere.”

  “But it would look so much better if you saw this side when you walked into the room.” Elizabeth grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him to the right.

  He stared at the tree, then moved back to where he had been standing. “I won’t be able to move it.”

  “Not even a little bit? It would make a huge difference.”

  Blake sighed. “Fine. I’ll try once, but that’s all.” He left the lights on the coffee table and headed toward the nine-foot tree.

  “I’ll help,” Elizabeth said as she ran toward the tree. “You take the base and I’ll twist the trunk.” She fought her way through the thick branches. “Tell me when you’re ready.”

  Blake undid the screws. “Which way are we turning it?”

  “Toward the windows overlooking the backyard.”

  “Okay. We’ll move it on three. One, two, three.” He heaved the tree to the left, barely managing to turn it more than a few inches. “Has it made any difference?”

  When Elizabeth stepped out of the tree, her eyes were scrunched tight. “Remind me not to do that again.” She rubbed her eyes, then took a few steps backward. “Much better. We can camouflage the problem areas with tinsel.”

  Milo, one of his kittens, wrapped his little body around Elizabeth’s legs. She picked him up and cuddled him close.

  Out of the three cats, Milo was the one most likely to be stuck on the top of a dresser or locked in a cupboard. The Christmas tree would offer unlimited potential to a kitten with no common sense.

  Elizabeth looked around the room. “Where are Oreo and Simba?”

  Blake walked into the dining room and looked at the climbing frame he’d bought two weeks ago. “They’re in here.”

  “Milo’s on his way,” Elizabeth said.

  Sure enough, Milo came scurrying into the room. Within seconds he was jumping on top of his brothers, trying to bite their tails.

  When Elizabeth saw the kittens, she smiled. “I’m glad you decided to look after them. Everyone needs somewhere special to call home.”

  Blake sighed. “We need to talk.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  He held her hand and tugged her back into the living room. It was no wonder Milo had enjoyed being in here. Boxes full of Christmas decorations, tinsel, and lights filled every table and chair.

  “We should probably sit down.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “Now I’m really worried. You’re not sick, are you?”

  “What? No. I’m not sick.”

  “Because you can tell me if you are.”

  He sighed. “I’m not sick.”

  “Are you leaving?”

  Her softly spoken words pulled at his heart.

  “I know this wasn’t a forever move, but I thought buying the house might have made a difference. We haven’t even finished putting the Christmas decorations—”

  “I’m not leaving, either.”

  “Oh.”

  He held her hand. For the last few weeks he’d thought about this moment. He’d planned what he would say, how he would ask Elizabeth to marry him. But she’d already told him she couldn’t be more than his friend. What if he still made her feel lost and confused?

  “Blake? What’s going on?”

  “I love you, Elizabeth. I’ve loved you since the day I met you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  He looked into her clear blue eyes. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “I want to marry you and start a family. I want to grow old with you and spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you.”

  Elizabeth blinked. “Oh.”

  That wasn’t what he was hoping to hear. “What do you think?”

  Her face turned white. “I feel sick.” She let go of his hand and dropped her head between her knees.

  Blake jumped out of the sofa and looked around the room. He grabbed a vase off the table and rushed back to Elizabeth. “Take this. I’ll get a cold washcloth.”

  As soon as she was holding the vase,
he raced down the hallway. Why had he ever decided to tell her how he felt? He could have buried his feelings, gone back to Manhattan and learned to live without her.

  “Hold on! I’m coming.” He threw the first washcloth he saw under the faucet. By the time he came back, Elizabeth still had her head between her knees.

  He held the cloth on the back of her neck and she sighed. “Does that feel better?”

  “I think so.” She slowly lifted her head.

  Blake held her wrist and felt her pulse.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Doctors do this all the time. I’m checking your pulse.”

  “You’ve been watching too much TV,” she groaned. “I’ll be fine.”

  “When was the last time you had something to eat?”

  “You made dinner for us an hour ago.”

  He couldn’t say much to that. The casserole had been good. So had the rolls he’d toasted.

  “I just got a shock, that’s all.”

  “When I asked you to marry me?”

  Elizabeth looked as though she was going to burst into tears. “I don’t know if I can have children.”

  Blake almost sighed with relief. If that was the only reason she was upset, then he was the happiest man alive. “A lot of couples our age have problems getting pregnant. But it’s amazing what fertility doctors can do. We’ll just have to start trying for a family sooner rather than later.”

  When she didn’t look any happier, Blake became even more confused. “Why do you think we can’t have children?”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. “One of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation is infertility. Even if I hadn’t gone through those treatments, my fertility levels would be low because of my age. We can’t get married if having children is really important to you.”

  Blake gave her a handful of tissues. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “It’s not the type of thing you discuss over tomato soup.”

  He took the vase out of Elizabeth’s hands and sat beside her. “Mark Twain once said that the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. You are the reason I was born, Elizabeth. I’ve loved you for eighteen years and I can’t imagine spending another day without you. If we can’t have children, it doesn’t matter.”

  “But you’ve always wanted a family.”

  “I want you more. As long as you’re the first person I see each morning and the last person I see before I go to sleep, I’ll be happy.” He held Elizabeth’s hand, linking his fingers through hers. “We can grow old together with three cats, maybe a dog or two, and any other animals you’d like.”

  “I’ve always wanted a guinea pig.”

  He wiped the tears from her face. “That sounds like the perfect family to me.”

  “What if you change your mind?”

  “I won’t change my mind.”

  Elizabeth looked into his eyes and sighed. “You’ve been beside me through the best and worst times of my life. I was given a second chance to live a wonderful life and I don’t want to do it without you.”

  Blake took a deep breath. He wanted so badly to do this right, to give Elizabeth a happy memory to hold onto.

  He took a small black box out of his pocket and knelt on one knee. “Elizabeth Sullivan, will you marry me?”

  Elizabeth smiled through her tears. “I will. I love you, Blake.”

  He pulled Elizabeth to her feet and held her close. She was his life, his love, and the reason everything made sense.

  “I forgot to give you the ring,” he whispered. He kissed her gently, then slid the ring onto her finger.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  The solitaire diamond sparkled as bright as his love for Elizabeth.

  They’d both been searching for their happy ever after. And now, eighteen years after they’d first met, they’d finally found it. And for the rest of his life, Elizabeth would be his one and only true love.

  * * *

  FIVE MONTHS LATER

  * * *

  “I can’t find our bouquets,” Sarah yelled from the stairs.

  Elizabeth’s head shot up.

  “Don’t move,” Holly shrieked. “I nearly stabbed you with a bobby pin.”

  Sarah ran into the loft. “I looked in the refrigerator where Daniel said he’d left them. They aren’t there.”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. The whole day had started on shaky ground and it had only gotten worse. She dropped her head to her chest and tried not to think about bad omens.

  “What about looking in the pantry? Our flowers were in separate boxes. There might not have been enough room in the fridge.”

  Sarah bit her bottom lip. “I’ve already looked there. I even asked the caterers if they’d seen them.”

  “Have you called, Daniel?” Holly asked. “He might have moved them at the last minute.”

  “His phone was engaged. I’ll go and find him.”

  While Sarah was gone, Elizabeth tried to calm her racing heart. Instead of the relaxed, pre-wedding morning she’d planned, everything was a disaster.

  Last night, her parents’ flight had been delayed. They’d missed the wedding rehearsal, the barbecue at Emerald Lake, and spending time with everyone before she married Blake.

  At six o’clock this morning, Elizabeth had driven into town with Daniel to collect them from the airport. Spending even a few minutes with their parents before the wedding would be better than nothing.

  Thanks to a mechanical fault, their plane had finally arrived at eight o’clock. After a hurried hello and a desperate search for their luggage, Daniel had driven at break-neck speed out to the lake.

  By the time they’d arrived home, Sarah and Holly were pacing the front yard.

  Daniel had rushed across to his home, taking a frazzled set of parents with him.

  At least Blake had stayed out of sight. Seeing her fiancé before they were married would add another nail in their happy ever after coffin.

  Sarah rushed into the living room. “The flowers are in Elizabeth’s kitchen.” She opened the refrigerator door and pulled out two boxes. “You were right. There wasn’t enough room for the food in the main house. Blake moved the bouquets into your loft when you were at the airport.”

  Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

  A soft knock sounded on the door.

  “How is everyone?” Elizabeth’s mom walked across the room. Mary Sullivan looked stunning in her champagne silk dress and lace jacket.

  Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes. They’d been through so much together that it was wonderful to see her mom looking so happy. “You look amazing.”

  A soft blush warmed Mary’s cheeks. “Thank you. I came to help you get ready.”

  Holly grabbed a handful of tissues and handed them to Elizabeth. “No crying. The mascara hasn’t set.”

  With her head tilted toward the ceiling, Elizabeth dabbed her eyes to stop more tears from falling. When her breathing was less ragged, she smiled at her mom. “I’m ready to get into my dress.”

  Mary walked across the room and touched the skirt of Elizabeth’s fairytale wedding dress. “It looks even more beautiful than I remember.”

  Not long after Elizabeth became engaged, her mom had flown to Bozeman to help choose a wedding gown. The bridal boutique on Main Street had some of the most exquisite dresses they’d ever seen. Imported lace from Italy and France added more than a touch of glamor to the stunning designs.

  The Cinderella dress Elizabeth chose was nothing like the simple design she thought she’d wear. But as soon as she saw the full, tulle skirt and heavily beaded bodice, it was love at first sight.

  Sarah had found her peach bridesmaid’s dress on the same shopping trip. By the time they left the boutique, they all had smiles on their faces.

  While Elizabeth took off her jeans and shirt, her mom and Sarah carefully slid the dress off its hanger.

  When it was ready, Elizabeth steppe
d into the gown and lifted the strapless bodice into place.

  Sarah carefully pulled up the zipper and grinned. “It fits like a glove.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Mary sighed. “You look beautiful.”

  Holly gave Mary the box of tissues. “Wait until you see it with the veil.”

  Elizabeth held her breath as Holly and Sarah lifted the floor-length veil into place. Forty years ago, her mom had married the man of her dreams in the same veil.

  Mary wiped her eyes. “It’s perfect.”

  “Don’t look in the mirror,” Holly said quickly to Elizabeth. “I need to add the tiara.”

  Sarah pulled some tissues out of the box. “We’ll have to fix our makeup before we go downstairs.”

  Mary hugged Sarah’s shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. Happy tears are the best kind of tears.”

  Holly gave Elizabeth a red box.

  When she opened it, Elizabeth gasped. “It’s incredible, but it’s not mine.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s amazing.” She turned the box around and showed her mom and Sarah what was inside. Set on a gold band, the diamond and pearl tiara sparkled in the mid-morning sunshine.

  “It will look so pretty with your dress,” Sarah said softly. “But where’s the tiara we chose?”

  “I’ve got that one, too,” Holly said. “This was Blake’s grandmother’s. He thought you might want to wear it, but if you don’t, he doesn’t mind.”

  Elizabeth touched the delicate heart-shaped designs swirling above the band. The tiara was stunning, but she would have worn it regardless of what it looked like. It was special to Blake and had been worn by the woman whose generosity was helping a lot of people.

  “It’s beautiful. Can you slide it into my hair?”

  Holly sighed as she placed it in front of the veil. “Have a look.” She turned Elizabeth toward the mirror.

  Within seconds, everyone was reaching for the box of tissues.

  Blake took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Usually, Emerald Lake calmed him. But not today. He stood beside Daniel under an arch covered in white roses, waiting for the woman he loved.

  “How are you doing?” Daniel asked.