She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘You really want to do this now—tonight? You planned this two weeks ago?’
‘I planned this two weeks ago.’
‘But how could you possibly have known?’ She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.
He tilted his head. ‘Because when you know, Rose, you just know. Remind you of anyone we know?’
The words flooded over her. He’d used her father’s expression and it had never seemed so apt. It was time. It was time to let go and trust her instincts. She’d grown more than she could ever have predicted in the last three years. It was time to throw off the seeds of doubt. Will was standing in front of her declaring his love. He’d done all this for her. He’d done all this because he loved her. And she loved him with her whole heart.
She smiled. In her head she could see them already. Sitting on a little wooden bench with grey hair growing old together—of that, she had no doubt.
He stood up and put his hands on her hips. ‘Ready to visit our island?’
She grinned. ‘Our island. I like the sound of that...’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WHEN HER STOMACH flipped over now it was with pure excitement. They pulled up straight next to where the boat was moored. Even from here she could see multicoloured fairy lights strung across the thick trees on the island.
‘What about witnesses?’ It was the first time she’d given it any thought. The drive here had just been a blur.
Will touched her face. ‘I spoke to Violet. If we’d tried to sneak your sisters away from the renewal it might have attracted some attention. They’ll be waiting for us when we get back. Our witnesses—as long as you’re happy—will be Judy and my friend, Arral. I invited him along specially.’ She smiled and nodded as tears pooled in her eyes. He’d thought of everything.
She fingered the fine material of her blue dress. It wasn’t quite what she’d imagined herself getting married in, but then again, this was how she’d always wanted to do it—just as her parents had—no fuss, just two people who loved each other saying their vows.
The journey to the island was smooth as silk. He helped her out of the boat at the other side and pointed her towards the cottage. ‘There’s a surprise for you in there. I’ll give you a few minutes.’
She nodded as she walked into the cottage. It was just as beautiful as she remembered. But the ambience had changed. Last time it had been full of pent-up emotion and surging hormones. This time it was balanced. This time it was full of hope, promise and love.
She caught her breath. A full-length dress was hanging part way from the ceiling, just within her reach. It was a real-life wedding dress. Cream embroidery at the top with an embroidered tulle straight skirt, it was exactly what she would have picked for herself.
It only took a few minutes to slip out of the blue dress and into the cream one. On a table at the side were a few lemon roses tied with lemon and cream ribbons. All the while she’d thought Will was helping her plan her parents’ renewal he’d actually been planning their own wedding.
There was a knock at the door. ‘Rose? Is everything okay? Are you ready?’ He sounded a little nervous.
She walked over and opened the door. He’d changed into a grey suit with a matching lemon rose buttonhole. Her husband-to-be couldn’t have looked more perfect.
She slid her hand into his. ‘I can’t wait.’
They walked hand in hand to the church. Will smiled as he opened the door and a wave of heart-shaped foil balloons burst from the doors and floated into the sky above. Then he led her down the aisle where their witnesses and celebrant stood waiting.
It was perfect. It was magical. The room was lit with fairy lights and candles. The evening light behind the stained-glass windows sent beautiful shards of rainbow reflections over the white walls.
She walked over and gave both Judy and Arral a kiss on the cheek. ‘Thank you for coming,’ she whispered. ‘Thank you for sharing this with me and Will.’
The celebrant nodded. ‘Can we begin?’
Rose took a deep breath and nodded, looking into the eyes of the man she loved. No Runaway Groom. No waiting. Will was about to become her husband.
They repeated their names and made their declarations. For a second Rose expected the church to be invaded by a wave of angry objecting ex-fiancées, but everything was silent.
Will turned to face his bride, holding up a plain yellow band. ‘This was the one thing I couldn’t plan. I could hardly ask my wife to make her own wedding band without letting her in on the secret. So, I decided we’d make do for now because she’ll have the rest of her life to change them if she wishes.’
Rose nodded. ‘These will be perfect.’
Will held the ring poised at her finger. ‘Rose Huntingdon-Cross. I love you more than I ever thought possible. I’ve shared things with you that I could never share with another living soul. You complete me. You are my world. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you more and promise to love you more each day until the end of my life.’ He smiled at her. ‘Because when you know—you just know.’
She let out a nervous laugh and picked up his wedding ring, her fingers trembling as she slid it onto his finger. ‘Will Carter, you burst into my life in the most unpredictable way and will probably bear the scar for the rest of our lives. I love you, Will Carter, even though I was afraid to. You’ve taught me that after three years it’s okay to trust my instincts again. You’ve taught me that people aren’t always what we presume they are. You’ve taught me that there’s a whole world out there that I knew nothing about. I want to spend the rest of my life working side by side with my husband and helping those who want to be helped. I want to grow with you, Will. I want to love you more each day. And you’ll never be my runaway groom, you’ll always be my husband, the man who has captured my heart.’
She leaned forward and they kissed. His hands sliding down her back and cupping her backside, pressing her against him. She wound her hands around his neck. She couldn’t have planned anything more perfect. This was all she’d ever wanted from a wedding. Her and her husband saying their vows at a beautiful setting. Two people who loved each other for ever.
‘Do we get to have our honeymoon in the cottage?’ she whispered.
He shook his head. ‘Oh, no. The honeymoon is a complete surprise. We’ll be gone for three weeks.’
She pulled back. ‘Three weeks? But what about the tour and the charity concert?’ She put her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, no. I’m supposed to pick up that reporter from the airport in a few hours.’
Will laughed and shook his head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t. That’s all under control. For the next three weeks Violet is in charge. I’ve given her your black planner and she’s picking up Tom Buckley at the airport. She’s even packed your case. All we need to do is go back and tell your parents and Daisy that we’re married.’
‘Really?’ He’d thought of everything.
He held out his hand towards her and she slid her fingers into her husband’s. ‘Really.’
* * *
By the time they arrived back her father had just finished rocking out on the stage with his band. His hair was damp with sweat and his jacket and tie had been flung aside.
Daisy and Violet were pacing. It was obvious Violet hadn’t been able to keep things to herself.
She rushed over straight away. There was no mistaking the look on her face; she was genuinely delighted. She grabbed hold of Rose’s left hand. ‘Have you done it? Are you genuinely Mrs Carter?’
Rose gave the tiniest nod; she couldn’t hide the grin that spread from one ear to the other as she looked at her brand-new husband. ‘Mrs Carter, wow.’ She hadn’t actually said the words out loud and they seemed unreal.
But that didn’t stop Violet. ‘Wheeeee!’ She let out
a yell and jumped on Will, sending him flat out onto the grass. ‘Finally!’
Will couldn’t stop laughing. ‘I take it you approve.’
Violet bent forward and kissed him on the forehead. ‘Finally, I stop having to pretend to like all your fiancées.’ She winked at Rose. ‘This one, I love!’
‘Rose!’ Her mother’s voice cut through the crowd of people.
Will stood up from the grass, dusted himself off and slid his hand into hers.
Sherry was gorgeous as ever. Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed the change in Rose’s dress. She wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulder. ‘You look beautiful, darling.’
She reached her hand over to touch Will’s cheek. ‘I take it you have something to tell me, Mr Carter?’
Rick appeared at Sherry’s side, sliding his arm around her waist. Rose was holding her breath, well aware that both her sisters were doing the same thing. But Rick Cross grinned and held out his hand towards Will. ‘I take it she said yes?’
Will shook his hand. ‘You’ve no idea the relief I felt.’
Sherry’s eyebrows rose. ‘You knew?’
Rick laughed. ‘Of course I knew. Will’s a traditionalist. He asked me a few weeks ago.’
Sherry shook her head. ‘And you kept it a secret from me?’
Rick rolled his eyes. ‘You and secrets, Sherry? Oh, no. I wasn’t getting myself in that much trouble.’
‘I’ve got something to tell you, too, Dad.’ Rose’s heart was thudding in her chest. She’d never been so sure of anything.
‘What is it, honey?’
She intertwined her fingers with Will’s. ‘When I come back from my honeymoon I’ll help with the final plans for the tour and then I’ll be resigning.’ She shot Will a smile. ‘I’m going to be working on my jewellery collection full-time.’
Her father gave a little nod of his head. It was almost as if he’d been expecting it.
He leaned over and kissed Rose’s cheek. ‘I take it you got the wedding you always wanted, beautiful?’
She breathed in deeply. Her parents were happy for her. Her sisters were happy for her.
And she had a husband she loved and trusted with her whole heart.
She leaned up and whispered in his ear. ‘Can the honeymoon start now?’
Will slid his hands around her waist as his blue eyes twinkled. ‘Absolutely.’
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE WEDDING PLANNER AND THE CEO by Alison Roberts.
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Romance.
You adore a feel-good story! Harlequin Romance offers uplifting escapes featuring real, relatable women and strong, deeply desirable men. Experience the intensity, anticipation and sheer rush of falling in love.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Romance every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience
CHAPTER ONE
‘NO?’
The smile was sympathetic but the head-shake emphasised the negative response and the receptionist’s raised eyebrows suggested that Penelope must have known she was dreaming when she thought her request might be considered reasonable.
‘There must be someone I could speak to?’ It was harder to say no face to face than over the phone, which was, after all, why she’d taken time out of her crazy schedule to fight London traffic and come to the company’s head office in person.
In desperation?
‘There’s really no point.’ The receptionist’s smile faded slightly. ‘You might be able to engage a cowboy to let off a few fireworks on a week’s notice but to get the kind of show the best company in the country has to offer, you have to book in advance. Months in advance.’
‘I didn’t have months. My bride only decided she wanted fireworks this morning. I’m talking Bridezilla, here, you know?’
There was a wary edge to the receptionist’s gaze now. Was she worried that Penelope might be capable of following her client’s example and throwing an epic tantrum?
‘I understand completely but I’m sorry, there’s still nothing I can do to help. For future reference, you can book online to make an appointment to talk to one of our sales reps.’
‘I don’t want to talk to a sales rep.’ Penelope tapped into the extra height her four-inch heels provided. ‘I want to talk to your manager. Or director. Or whoever it is that runs this company.’
The smile vanished completely. ‘We have a chief executive officer. All Light on the Night is an international company. An enormous international company. We do shows like the Fourth of July on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. New Year’s Eve on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.’ Her tone revealed just how far out of line Penelope had stepped. ‘You might very well want to talk to him but there’s no way on earth Ralph Edwards would be interested in talking to you.’
‘Really? Why not?’
The curiosity sounded genuine and it came from a male voice behind Penelope. The effect on the young woman in front of her was astonishing. The receptionist paled visibly and her mouth opened and closed more than once, as if she was trying to recall all the vehement words that had just escaped.
Penelope turned to see a tall man and registered dark hair long enough to look tousled, faded denim jeans and...cowboy boots? One of the sales reps, perhaps?
‘She...doesn’t have an appointment.’ The receptionist was clearly rattled. ‘She just walked in and wants to book a show. A wedding...’
The man’s gaze shifted to Penelope and made her want to smooth the close fit of her skirt over her hips even though she knew perfectly well it couldn’t be creased. Or raise a hand to make sure no errant tresses had escaped the French braiding that described a perfect crescent from one side of her forehead to meet the main braid on the back of her head.
‘Congratulations.’ His voice had a rich, low timbre. It made Penelope think of gravel rolling around in something thick and delicious. Like chocolate.
‘Sorry?’ Was he congratulating her on her choice of this company?
‘On your engagement.’
‘Oh...it’s not my wedding.’
That was a dream too distant to be visible even with a telescope at the moment. And there was no point even picking up a telescope until she knew what it was she was looking for, and how could she know that until she discovered who she really was and what she was capable of? Come to think of it, this was the first step towards that distant dream, wasn’t it? The first time she was taking a leap out of any known comfort zone. Doing something she wanted—just for herself.
‘I’m an event manager,’ she said, after the barely perceptible pause. ‘It’s my client who’s getting married.’
‘Ah...’ The spark of polite interest was fading rapidly. ‘You’ve come to the right place, then. I’m sure Melissa will be able to help you with whatever arrangements you want to make.’
Melissa made a choked sound. ‘She wants the show next Saturday, Mr Edwards.’
Mr Edwards? The terribly important CEO of this huge international company wore faded jeans and cowboy boots to work? Penelope was clearly overdressed but she couldn’t let it faze her enough to lose this unexpected opportunity.
One that was about to slip away. She saw the look that implied complete understanding and went as far as forgiving the company receptionist for her unprofessional exchange with a potential client. She also saw the body language that suggested this CEO was about to retreat to whatever top-floor exec
utive sanctuary he’d unexpectedly appeared from.
‘I’ll give her a list of other companies that might be able to help,’ Melissa said.
‘I don’t want another company.’ The words burst out with a speed and emphasis that took Penelope by surprise. ‘I...I have to have the best and...and you’re the best, aren’t you?’
Of course they were. The entire wall behind the receptionist’s desk was a night sky panorama of exploding fireworks. Pyrotechnic art with a combination of shape and colour that was mind-blowing.
The man’s mouth twitched. Maybe he’d been surprised, too. ‘We certainly are.’ Amusement reached his eyes with a glint. Very dark eyes, Penelope noticed. As black as sin, even. Her pulse skipped and sped up. There was only one thing to do when you found yourself so far out of your depth like this. Aim for the surface and kick hard.
‘It might be worth your while to consider it.’ She snatched a new gulp of air. ‘This is a celebrity wedding. The kind of publicity that can’t be bought.’ She managed a smile. ‘I understand you specialise in huge shows but New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July only happen once a year, don’t they? You must need the smaller stuff as well? This could be a win-win situation for both of us.’
An eyebrow quirked this time. Was he intrigued by her audacity? Was that a sigh coming from Melissa’s direction?
‘You have a managerial board meeting in fifteen minutes, Mr Edwards.’
‘Give me ten,’ Penelope heard herself saying, her gaze still fixed on him. ‘Please?’
* * *
She looked like some kind of princess. Power-dressed and perfectly groomed. The spiky heels of her shoes looked like they could double as a lethal weapon and he could imagine that the elegant, leather briefcase she carried might be full of lengthy checklists and legally binding contracts.
A Bride for the Runaway Groom Page 17