by Judith Yates
“I—I—don’t know.” She stared blankly at her silverhaired stepfather. Her mind was torn by fear and hope.
“What you do is totally up to you. Still, I suggest— with all the love in my heart—that you not repeat your parents’ mistake. If you are in love with this man, go to him and work out a life for yourself.”
“How can I be sure, Dad? I’ve made so many stupid mistakes.”
“And each mistake has led you right here, because you’ve learned from them. I can see it,” he reassured.
“You can?”
He nodded. “Trust yourself, Amy. It’s time.” Stepping up to his office door, he curved his hand around the knob. “Shall I?”
Her knees trembling, she rose from the chair and nodded. Thomas pushed the door open. “Good luck, dear.”
When she walked in, Paul was gazing at the expansive view from the floor-to-ceiling window behind Thomas’s desk. He wore his customary brown, leather jacket and denim jeans, and his thick, gold hair appeared a bit disheveled. Amy felt her heart slam against her chest. He looked exactly as he had the first time she’d laid eyes on him.
When she clicked the door shut behind her, Paul turned around. His sky blue eyes drank her in. A smile of hope brightened his face. “You came.”
His deep, honeyed voice filled the gnawing hole in her heart. God help her, how she loved him. No matter what happened now or in the years down the road, Amy knew she would always love Paul Hanley.
“You went to a lot of trouble.” She leaned against the edge of her stepfather’s desk. “I guess I can listen to what you have to say.”
Paul lifted a hand to touch her, but stopped. Instead he rested his hands on the high back of Thomas’s leather desk chair. “You and I have been hiding behind the shadows of the past for way too long.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “Hiding from what?”
“From the opportunity to love, to find some happiness. Until you, I didn’t think such things were possible for me,” he admitted, “because the past tends to overshadow the possibilities. But I refuse to hide from the truth any longer, and I’m not going to let you do it, either.”
The determination in his voice unnerved her. Amy moved over to the window, needing to focus on the familiar, like the stretch of mall between the monuments and the curving grace of the Potomac River in the distance. She needed to hold on to who she was and where she belonged. Yet, looking in every direction possible, she felt nothing.
“You and I belong together, Amy. I believe that deep in my soul.”
Paul came up behind her, close enough that she could smell the trace of wood smoke in his jacket. It reminded her of his handsome stone fireplace and how they had held each other in front of the dancing flames.
“I’m sorry your father left you,” he continued. “And I’m sorry for the men who have used you. God knows I’ve made mistakes, but I really love you. I love you for your warmth, your eyes, your laugh, the way you hold me after we make love.”
Finally, he cupped her shoulders between his hands, his embrace firm as he murmured in her ear, “I’m a man who wants to love you, not hurt you. Believe it, Amy. Take a leap of faith and believe in me.”
She turned around to face him, her heart in her throat. Searching his eyes, she touched his cheek. Then, with a fierce surge of emotion, she flung herself into his arms. “I love you,” she whispered over and over between kisses, pressing close against him.
Paul held her so tight she could scarcely breathe. And she didn’t care. She never wanted him to let her go. “Tell me you believe in me, Amy,” he said, his fingers entwined in her hair. “I need to hear it.”
Her heart was so full, she wanted to tell him so much. She wanted to make him sure. Leaning her head back, she sought his gaze. “It takes some kind of man to track Thomas Windom down at the crack of dawn—how could I not believe in you? How could I not love you?”
“Enough to take your chances?”
She nodded. “My mother and father were once madly in love, yet they weren’t capable of taking that leap of faith. And they suffered for it. Loving demands a lot, so does sharing a life. Except the alternative is bitter regret—my parents taught me that. But, as of this moment, I’m breaking that chain.”
Paul lowered his head, kissing her with deep emotion. She felt its passionate heat suffuse her heart and body with his love.
“Marry me, Amy,” he breathed against her lips, and then kissed her once more. “Marry me soon and share your life with me.”
“I will. You know I will,” she answered, breathless. “But there are certain conditions.”
“Anything.” The look in his eyes told her he meant it.
“I want to live with you in Tremont, in your beautiful house.”
“Our beautiful house.”
She smiled. “I’m going to become Bernadette’s assistant at the inn, and you know how hectic that line of work can be. You’re going to have to share me with the Blue Sky.”
“I’ll do that gladly.” Paul hugged her to him. “But what about the agency? Your town house? Washington? I’m not expecting you to give that all up.”
“I’ve been feeling like a fish out of water ever since I came back,” she revealed. It was a relief to finally be able to admit it. “My heart isn’t in the agency—I just keep thinking about the inn. I don’t care about Washington anymore. I just want to be with you, in Tremont.”
“Are you sure? You’ve been back only a few days.”
Amy stepped out of Paul’s arms and led him closer to the window. “When I look out there I see a great, exciting city, but it doesn’t feel like home any more,” she explained, caressing his cheek with her hand. “Do you know why I finally gave in to Bernadette’s demands to visit the inn? Because I found out what my father named it. Touch the Blue Sky. Do you know where Greg got the name?”
Paul shook his head. “I don’t think I ever heard it discussed.”
“Bernadette doesn’t know, nor anyone else as far as I can tell. Except for me.”
Amy told Paul about the swing game Greg had made up for her. “It’s one of the few memories I have of him. When I realized he named the inn after it, I had to go there. Now I know it was some of sort of sign. Because I found you, and the rest—Bernadette, Bridget and Maura, the town. All the pieces began falling into place for me. I belong there.”
“With me,” Paul said, giving her hands a loving squeeze, “and Mr. Snead and the house—”
“And our kids?”
“As many as you want.” His eyes sparkled with love, making her heart thrum with contentment. She couldn’t wait to get him back home to Tremont.
“Who shall we tell first?” she asked, unbearable happiness welling up inside. “I wonder if Thomas is still sitting outside here.”
“I can’t wait to see Bernadette’s face when we tell her,” Paul added.
“And Bridget and Maura? What a kick.”
Paul laughed. “You might want to reconsider marrying into this family.”
“Too late, I already belong.”
Amy put her hand in Paul’s, and together they started the journey back to the rolling hills and welcoming arms of the prettiest town on earth, back to plan a life they had never imagined possible. They were going home.
Epilogue
Paul stood in the gazebo, gazing out at the inn’s emerald green grounds. Looking down at the tiny village at the foot of the hill, he saw Tremont in its full spring glory. He couldn’t remember a May afternoon as glorious as this one, the mountain panorama crystal clear, the sky the most incredible blue. It was a perfect day for marrying the perfect woman for him.
Dirk Campbell, all decked out in formal best-man attire, skipped up the gazebo steps. His eyes flashed with surprise at the flowers, ribbons and greenery that had transformed the gazebo into a wedding altar. “Wow, look at this place.”
“Maura decorated the whole thing,” Paul informed him.
“You’ve got to be kidding. From her I’d
expect wind chimes and strawberry incense.”’Dirk shook his head. “Your cousin is a constant amazement to me.”
Paul spotted Bernadette scurrying between the rows of folding chairs, squinting up at the gazebo. She called to Dirk- “George wants you to go over the ring and pillow bit with Willy one more time. And, Paul Hanley, come down here,” she added. “I want to get a good look at you.”
He met her at the bottom of the steps. “Do I pass muster?”
She fidgeted with his collar and tie before stepping back. “You look so handsome. And happier than I’ve ever seen you. It’s all so wonderful—I can’t believe it’s happening.”
“Come here.” He put his arms around his aunt, embracing her warmly. “Thank you for taking care of me when no one else would. And for always being there for me. I don’t know if I’d be marrying a great woman like Amy if you hadn’t been in my life.”
“Don’t get me going. I promised myself I wouldn’t start bawling at least until the ceremony.” She dabbed at her eyes with a scrunched-up tissue. “I also came to tell you that Shelly and Andrew have arrived. I knew you’d like to say hello before the ceremony.”
“Thanks, love.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll go find them.”
Paul was glad his ex and her son had made it down for the wedding. In the past few months, he and Andrew had developed a nice, easy-going relationship. And, with Amy’s encouragement, he and Shelly had finally come to terms with what had happened between them.
“Paul! Over here!” Andrew called out as Paul wove his way through the growing crowd of guests.
Paul shook his head with disbelief. Andrew looked so grown-up in his blue suit and striped necktie. The cuddly toddler he used to carry on his shoulders was all boy. But even now he wasn’t too big to be lifted up for a warm hug. “I’m so happy you’re here today. It means a lot to me.”
“I’ve never been to a wedding before. Have I, Mom?”
Standing behind her son, Shelly smiled and shook her head. “This is a first for him.”
“I’m honored.” Paul straightened Andrew’s jacket and tie. “And I’ll tell Bernadette to make sure you get an extra big piece of wedding cake.”
“I brought you a wedding present,” Andrew announced, handing him a loosely wrapped object. “I made it in Cub Scouts.”
After tearing off the wrapping paper, Paul gazed at the roughly carved wooden candle holder for a long time. To him, it was almost as precious as the clay model of Sneed Andrew had made on his first day of nursery school. He got down on his knees to embrace the boy again. “It’s beautiful, son, just beautiful. I know Amy will love it.”
He glanced up at Shelly and she met his gaze with glistening eyes.
“I’m so happy for you, Paul. No one deserves happiness more,” she murmured. “And I’m glad Andrew and I can be part of your special day.”
Holding Andrew close to him, he reached for Shelly’s hand. “So am I, Shell. So am I.”
He meant it with all his heart. Laying rest to the past had not been without its thorns, but the rewards were abundant. Today was the happiest day of his life. Now he and his beautiful bride were free to embrace the future together.
From a window of an upstairs suite, Amy smiled as she watched Paul with Andrew and Shelly. Her heart was near to bursting with pride and happiness. She couldn’t believe she had finally found a man she could trust and love for the rest of her days.
“Amy, turn around, dear. Let me check the front of your veil.”
She turned to her mother, allowing Joan to primp at her to her heart’s content. She was just so grateful to have her mother with her—really with her.
Joan surveyed Amy from head to toe. “You look beautiful, darling. Absolutely perfect.”
She smiled at her mother’s unqualified praise, quietly reflecting on how far the two of them had come since Christmas. Amy reached for Joan’s hand. “Thank you for honoring my wish to have the wedding here at the Blue Sky. Coming here can’t have been easy for you.”
“I needed to do this for both of us,” Joan said, holding tight to Amy’s hand. “When Paul showed up at the house that day after Christmas, I saw right away how much you meant to him. I didn’t want you to lose that. And I made a promise, to Thomas and myself, that I wasn’t going to do to you what my parents did to me.” - Amy felt teary, but took several deep breaths to keep her composure.
“Now, Amy, I’ve been talking to the girls, and I know you have something borrowed, blue and new. I told them I was providing the something old.” Joan pulled a delicate lace-trim handkerchief from her purse. Amy had never seen it before. “I carried this on the day I married Greg. It was his mother’s.”
Her eyes wide, she accepted the handkerchief from her mother. “I can’t believe you kept it. And for all these years?”
“On that day, I loved your father more than anything,” Joan whispered, tears threatening her voice.
“Oh, Mother, thank you.” Amy hugged her close.
“Now, we really must stop this,” Joan said, finally breaking away when Julie Bauman entered the room, “or we’ll both ruin our makeup.”
Julie carried in two bouquets of spring flowers. “It’s time to start,” she announced, handing Amy the larger bouquet.
Joan gathered up her belongings. “Let me go round up Thomas.”
“Bridget and Maura are all dressed and set downstairs. I thought it best if they kept an eye on our little flower girl and ring bearer.”
“You’re the most efficient matron of honor a woman could have,” Amy teased.
“Hey, I’m just so happy to get you married off I’m making sure everything goes off without a hitch,” countered Julie. “Although I’m gonna kind of miss your smiling face around the office. So I’ll be making a lot of long-distance consultation calls.”
“Any time I can help.”
Bernadette poked her head in the door. “Thomas is ready, but can I sneak a peek at you first?”
“Peek away,” Julie said with a parting wave to Amy. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
When they were alone, Bernadette hugged Amy. “Your groom is walking on air out there. He’s not the least bit nervous,” she informed her. “Promise me you’ll always be good to my boy. No one deserves some happiness more than he does.”
“I know. And I do promise.” She patted Bernadette’s “hand. Then, remembering the handkerchief, Amy showed it to her.
“I’m happy your mother saved it for you. She ran her fingers over the fine, old linen. “You know, I feel Greg is in this room with us right now. And surely he’s the happiest one here. Do I sound like a dotty old fool?”
Amy felt her lips curve into a tender smile, and she gently touched Bernadette’s faded red hair. “I feel his presence whenever I’m with you.”
Bernadette dabbed at her eyes and then threw up her hands. “I’m not going to cry until the ceremony!”
Thomas was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. “This is the proudest day of my life,” he told her as she clutched his arm tightly.
They walked down the elegant staircase and out to the veranda, where the rest of the bridal party awaited. Bridget and Maura, the sisters she’d always wanted and now had, looked lovely in their satin gowns. They offered her encouragement as they lined up behind Willy and Jenny for the walk down the aisle.
The string quartet started up the wedding march, but before she and Thomas began down the aisle, Amy took a long, loving look at those gathered to witness this much-wanted union. Among the many faces, she saw Martin and Bud taking a moment from their catering duties; Jake and Janie Lee Pratt beaming in their best Sunday outfits; several of her kids from the agency; Shelly and Andrew and her mother and Bernadette sitting proudly in the front row.
Then she looked ahead to the steps of the gazebo, where Paul stood waiting, tall, handsome and beaming with happiness. Amy closed her eyes, wanting to lock the memory of him at this moment in her heart forever. When she looked again, Paul caught her ey
e and winked.
“Are you ready?” Thomas whispered.
“Ready.”
Her heart filled with deep love for the man at the end of the aisle and with affection for the family and friends surrounding them, Amy was ready to take the first step toward her future.
* * * * *
eISBN 978-14592-8050-2
A WILL AND A WEDDING
Copyright © 1996 by Judith Yoder
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written penrission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 Bast 42nd Stret. New York. NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Printed in U.S.A.