“How can I thank you?” she said, getting to her feet.
“Marry him, and make him as miserable as she makes me,” Albert said with a wink.
She hugged and kissed them both and hurried out to the garden, slipping in next to Morgan.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” That crease was in his forehead again.
“I have so much to tell you—”
“Well, not now.” Noelle pulled Margot’s skirt straight and fixed Morgan’s tie. “You two, go.”
“We’ll talk later.” He pulled her hand through his and brought her close. “You scared the hell out of me.” Not as much as she had scared herself.
They walked down the aisle as Tara played the piano. A soft breeze rustled the trees and cooled the guests sitting in the late-afternoon sun. Fragrant roses filled the air. Colorful splashes of lady slippers completed the picture. The day was perfect. The bride and groom were perfect. And Margot cried all the way because Morgan loved her. Her day was perfect, too.
He put his arm around her waist and held her tight. She was glad he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. She wanted him there, beside her, strong and steady. She knew she’d never leave him. “Morgan.” He patted her hand and let go.
“Later. You go to the left. I go to the right.” He gave her one of his smiles. The one he gave to her and no one else.
She fidgeted all through the ceremony. She needed to speak to Morgan and tell him everything.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” Zack leaned over to Gabe. “You may kiss the bride.”
The guests applauded, took pictures, cheered at the same time. Viv and Gabe went up the aisle beaming. The other attendants followed behind them.
She walked toward the aisle and Morgan. She wanted him to know right this minute that she loved him and wanted him. While she waited for the couple before them to meet and start up the aisle, she took the ring out of her purse and put it on her finger.
She met him at the aisle and threaded her arm through his.
“I let you believe—”
“Shush. I know. When Gabe told me this morning that Zack was the minister, I figured it out.” She didn’t know if she was embarrassed or relieved. She chose to be relieved. “But I was no better. I waved the no-commitment flag in front of you hoping you’d tear it down. We’ve both been childish.” Tear down the flag. She was speechless. She hadn’t considered that. All along he wanted…her.
She placed her left hand over his. The ring caught the light and he stopped. They were halfway up the aisle. Everybody hushed. Viv, Gabe, Zack and the other attendants turned to see what was happening.
“Marry me,” she whispered to him.
“I thought you’d never ask.” She not only felt his desire in the way he held his body, but she saw it in his eyes. She felt an insistent, all-consuming need for him to hold her.
He took her in his arms. The expression on his face was smoldering passion, love and devotion. The look Gabe gave to Viv. His face lit in his Bruce Willis smirk and she went weak in the knees. They gave each other a kiss that had commitment written all over it.
* * *
Alan and Eloise have been married for ten years, or have they? Will a near disaster break them up forever or send them back to the altar. SECOND CHANCE BY THE SEA is available in the anthology — TIMELESS ESCAPES: A Collection of Summer Stories.
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About Ruth A. Casie
Storyteller | Blogger | Creative Thinker | Dreamer | Good Sport | Teammate
You might be wondering what Ruth is about. Sit back and let her tell you.
She’s happiest when she’s telling stories either chatting in a group or writing them down. She loves to put her hero and heroine in tough situations and dare them to work it out—together, always together. They haven’t disappointed her. Oh, they complain but in the end their love and relationships are stronger than ever.
While she keeps tormenting her druid knight, she’s outlining a new series. The working title is the River of Time. It’s about an elite technology security officer, whose job is to eliminate time travelers, but falls in love with a time traveling art appraiser and has to choose between his duty and his one chance for a timeless love. She loves this story line because it lets her stretch her contemporary voice while working in historic time periods. She thinks this is the best of both worlds.
For most of you, her contemporary side will be a surprise.
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For more information about Ruth, please visit her online at:
@RuthACasie
RuthACasie
www.RuthACasie.com
[email protected]
Also by Ruth
Want to read stories about a love so strong four hundred years couldn’t keep Lord Arik and Rebeka apart? Then you’ll want to read Ruth A. Casie’s time travel series, the Druid Knight Stories.
Knight of Rapture
He crossed the centuries to find her…
For months Lord Arik has been trying to find the right combination of runes to create the precise spell to rescue his wife, Rebeka, but the druid knight will soon discover that reaching her four hundred years in the future is only the beginning of his quest. He arrives in the 21st century to find her memory of him erased, his legacy on the brink of destruction, and traces of dark magick at every turn.
A threat has followed…
Bran, the dark druid, is more determined than ever to get his revenge. His evil has spread across the centuries. Arik will lose all. Time is his weapon, and he’s made sure his plan leaves no one dear to Arik, in past or present, safe from the destruction.
But their enemy has overlooked the strongest magick of all…
Professor Rebeka Tyler is dealing with more than just a faulty memory. Ownership of Fayne Manor, her home, has been called into question. Convenient accidents begin happening putting those she cares for in the line of fire. And then there’s the unexpected arrival of a strange man dressed like he belonged in a medieval fair—a man who somehow is always around when needed, and always on her mind. She doesn’t know who to trust. But one thing is certain. Her family line and manor have survived for over eleven centuries. She won’t let them fall, not on her watch… in any century.
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Knight of Runes
When Lord Arik, a druid knight, finds Rebeka Tyler wandering his lands without protection, he swears to keep her safe. But Rebeka can take care of herself. When Arik sees her clash with a group of attackers using a strange fighting style, he's intrigued.
Rebeka is no ordinary seventeenth-century woman—she's travelled back from the year 2011, and she desperately wants to return to her own time. She poses as a scholar sent by the king to find out what's killing Arik's land. But as she works to decode the ancient runes that are the key to solving this mystery and sending her home, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic and powerful Arik.
As Arik and Rebeka fall in love, someone in Arik's household schemes to keep them apart, and a dark druid with a grudge prepares his revenge. Soon Rebeka will have to decide whether to return to the future or trust Arik with the secret of her time travel and her heart.
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The Druid Knight Tales
Maximilian, the druid Grand Master, was given a year to find his soul mate. On the final day, the sacred mistletoe has shriveled and died—proclaiming his failure. He must do what no other Grand Master has done before and journey to meet with the Ancestors to formally relinquish his title.
Ellyn of Brodgar has the gift of healing. But each use of her magick, through a kiss, depletes her energy and brings her closer to death. Time is running out as she searches for a way to continue saving lives—especially her own.
Max and Ellyn are tossed into the Otherworld together—a place filled with magick and wonder, it’s also fraught with danger, traps, and death. They have only until the third sunset to find the Ancestors, or be lost to the world forever. The domineering druid must work with the stubbor
n healer, not only for survival, but for the promise of the future—a future together.
Included an epilogue fifteen years later. See how the man destined for Max and Ellyn’s daughter takes the first steps in becoming a druid knight.
Arik, son of Fendrel and Dimia, prepares for training with his adopted brother, Bran, setting into motion a ripple effect that will carry love, betrayal, and death across the centuries.
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In the mood for more paranormal romance by Ruth A. Casie? Check out her latest story, available now!
The Guardian’s Witch
England, 1290
Lord Alex Stelton can’t resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it’s his. Desperate for land of his own, he’ll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.
Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she’d never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.
Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can’t get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they’ll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.
Part II
Till Death Do Us Part
Lita Harris
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Nikki and Nate’s stable marriage is shattered when his law enforcement career is cut short by a stray bullet. Their future seems to be on the mend when Nikki inherits a family-run business in the woods of Maine.
Together they take ownership of the inn, but Nikki soon has doubts that her marriage will survive. The stress of hosting a wedding and remaining financially solvent threatens to ruin everything she’s worked for. And concern for her young daughter—forced to leave New York City for the serene, laid-back country life—leaves Nikki unsure she made the right decision for her family. Will any of that matter when another change is thrown into the mix?
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Dedicated to ~
Chocolate, and my fellow scribes who supply me with chocolate.
Copyright © 2015 Lita Harris
Till Death Do Us Part
by Lita Harris
A second wave of nausea threatened to take her out of commission. Not today. Please. Nikki struggled to lift her head without losing her breakfast on the lobby desk. This wedding was going to make or break their business and the stress got in the way of her normally organized hands-on manner.
Nate was doing the best he could to help with the preparations in spite of withdrawing from her even more. Ever since she’d mentioned she wanted a divorce, he’d stayed out of her way and acted like she’d never spoken the words. He didn’t get that his increasing emotional distance is what made her spurt out those words to begin with. A moment of frustration and an argument over a wall plug outlet caused her to unleash words she wasn’t sure she meant.
Balancing a business that was barely above water and imagining her life as a single mom weighed heavily on her. She’d gotten used to the dull ache in her head.
Thank God for Todd.
He came to her just in time to take on necessary repairs and help her out around the inn.
She cursed her grandmother as much as she loved her for leaving her the family headache.
“You okay, Mom?” Noelle lightly caressed her mom’s brow.
Nikki moved with caution to keep from stirring her upset stomach more than it already was. “Would you get me a ginger ale, please?”
“Sure thing.”
Her daughter, Noelle, was her world. Such a good kid. She seemed to be handling the disconnect between Nikki and Nate better than could be expected for a twelve-year-old girl.
Living in the seclusion of the Maine woods had a way of making an old soul out of someone so young.
Nikki knew that firsthand and saw the same growth in her daughter.
Noelle placed the can of soda in Nikki’s hand. “Here you go. I took it from the wedding stock. Is that okay? I couldn’t find any in the regular fridge.”
She nodded. “Not a problem.” But it was. They had been scraping by with the little bit of money to feed themselves. Before Nate lost his job they’d planned to only spend summers running the place. It was to be a second income and a place to get away and spend time as a family. She’d never anticipated it becoming their main source of income. The emergency fund was quickly eaten up by repairs and heating costs of two brutal Maine winters.
Nate did his best to come to terms with the fact that he couldn’t stay on the police force. It wasn’t his fault. The bullet came out of nowhere. One minute he was walking out of the coffee shop and the next thing he remembered was waking up in the back of an ambulance. His pension wasn’t enough to keep their home in New York. The Loon Lake Inn had to be profitable to keep them going.
The ginger ale soothed her belly as she emptied the can. “So are we on track this morning?”
“Yep, Dad is raking the flower beds. Todd’s working on the gazebo—he’s almost done. It’s looking pretty and almost new again.”
“New as in that rustic Maine look?” She crushed the empty can and tossed it into the bin under the counter.
“Yes,” Noelle giggled. “Weathered but sturdy. I’ll drape the tulle when Todd’s finished. I’m not putting out the daisies until Saturday before the ceremony.”
Nikki smiled at the thought of daisies decorating the gazebo. It’s the flower she would have chosen if she’d had the wedding of her dreams.
“Yeah, it’s still too cold. I’m praying the weatherman is correct and it’ll be a comfortable day. I’ve asked Todd to set up the portable gas heaters in case they’re needed, so the guests are comfortable. You know how cool the nights can be. I want to make sure Viv and Gabe are happy with their wedding.”
She touched her daughter’s cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” The soulfulness of Noelle’s eyes contradicted the youthful feel of her skin and perky disposition.
How did I create such a wonderful person?
Noelle’s infectious smile had breathed joy into the past two years of Nikki’s world. She’d watched Nate age from worry each day. The sparkle that danced in his eyes was replaced with sadness. At first she thought it was because of her. Was she getting too old? Was she not as much fun as she used to be? But damn it, she was fun to be around. Resentment festered in her even though she tried her best not to let it consume her.
The inn kept her busy and her mind off her marriage. This weekend was sure to throw enough her way and keep them at a safe distance, if only she could squash the headache and upset stomach.
“The next check-in isn’t until later. Do you want to grab breakfast? It’s Thursday—you know what that means: wild strawberry corn muffins.” Nikki squeezed Noelle’s hand, suggesting they head into the kitchen.
“Can’t. I promised Agnes that I’d help her pick fiddleheads.”
“For what? They’re done for the season.” She was all for encouraging guests to explore the woods but worried that Agnes might trip over something and get hurt.
“She wants to cook them for dinner.”
“She’s a guest, not a cook.” Nikki wasn’t about to let a guest into her kitchen. The last thing she needed was someone getting hurt.
“You tell her that. I don’t mind. Plus, I like her stories.”
“Enjoy yourself but keep an eye on her.” Nikki worried that her daughter wasn’t around kids her own age. It wasn’t like Noelle could drop in at a friend’s house like she used to when they’d lived in New York. Nikki was afraid that going from the big city to a remote environment would have a negative effect on Noelle during the teen years.
At least
she didn’t have to worry about strangers. Bears were what she feared most, though Noelle seemed fearless.
She left the lobby and went upstairs. Her nausea subsided; the soda helped. Her nerves were getting the better of her. Worrying about making the event profitable was a challenge to her financial skills. She hated numbers.
She hugged her knees to her chest on her bedroom window seat. Her head rested against the window as she hummed a song her mother used to when she hugged her as a scared child. She’d invited her mother to stay for the summer but she was away in England and had promised to visit for Christmas. If she could hold on to the inn that long.
They might be spending the holidays in the local shelter if they didn’t catch a break soon.
Her low hum turned to song. “But will you dance with me under the cloud of love from long ago?”
She smiled as she remembered the song she wrote when she first met Nate. It wasn’t about him, but he was the one who’d made her forget about the one that got away and broke her heart.
She glanced out the window and saw him bending over, scooping up the trash he’d raked out of the flower beds. Black-eyed Susans faced the sun and their bright yellow petals with dark brown centers always looked happy as the flowers swayed on their dainty stems. Well, as happy as a flower can be. She liked to think the feeling of life existed in all of creation. It gave her comfort and passion—something she’d been missing from her husband.
The disconnect was getting harder to fix, even though she still loved him. The distance was becoming too great to overcome.
She tried hard to remember his touch the way it used to be—the eagerness of his kiss, the happiness that once promised to carry them through forever until death did they part.
Timeless Vows: Five Tales of Love (Timeless Tales Book 4) Page 5