Winning the Doctor
Page 17
Her eyes sparkled. “But what about our other agreement? To not mix business with pleasure?”
He mimed ripping up an imaginary piece of paper. “Consider it null and void.”
“I think we’ve broken it several times already,” Liza said, laughing.
“I’d like to talk about another contract,” he broached. Her face registered confusion and he was barely able to hide his excitement. “The contract of a lifetime together.”
He reached into his pocket and took a deep breath before presenting her with a large diamond ring.
He watched her eyes widen as he slipped it onto her finger. “Liza, will you marry me?”
She nodded in agreement, curling her arms around his neck, pressing her lush body against his.
“Now, why don’t we celebrate?”
Liza slipped his shirt from his shoulders and he kissed her with more love and passion than he thought either of them could bear, knowing that their journey together was just beginning.
Epilogue
“I’m going to miss this place...and you!”
Liza ran her hand over the antique mahogany bureau in her third-floor room at the bed-and-breakfast, tears brimming in her eyes. Despite the room being very small and filled with old-fashioned furnishings, she’d grown accustomed to the space. In a way, it had become her sanctuary.
Maisie swiped her finger along the edge, checking for dust, and not finding any, grunted with satisfaction.
“Aww...honey. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you! Bay Point is your home now. You and Anthony are part of the family.”
The two women embraced, and Liza gently pulled away for fear of suffocating in Maisie’s overpowering perfume.
“I can’t wait to see that grand new house you’ve built.”
In the midst of overseeing the construction of the clinic, she’d also designed and built her first home, where she and Anthony would live and love each other.
With a sly grin, she tucked a few last-minute items into her suitcase.
But Maisie wasn’t having it. Nothing got past her.
“What’s that smile for?”
“Oh, I’m just thinking how much fun it will be to have you and Prentice over for dinner, just as soon as Anthony and I get back from our honeymoon.”
Maisie rubbed her palms together. “Ooh. A double date! Maybe the old man will spring for a corsage from Vanessa’s flower shop!”
Maisie arranged Liza’s veil over her bare shoulders and down her back as carefully as she would cut out her famous biscuits.
Though Maisie had become a dear friend, for a moment, Liza wondered what it would have been like if her mother would have been helping her get ready.
She would have tried to hide her scar, first with her choice of wedding dress, high necked, then choice of veil, probably with enough tulle to make a scarf. Despite everything, Liza knew she would have welcomed her mother’s intrusion on the most important day of her life.
How many times does a woman get married? she thought and picked up the small arrangement of roses, daisies and baby’s breath. She held it in front of her waist, like she’d practiced so many times earlier in the week.
“If the corsage is as beautiful as this bouquet,” she giggled, “you should ask him to marry you!”
Maisie finished fixing the veil and put her hands on her hips. “No way. One wedding in a lifetime is plenty for me.”
Liza hugged her again, not caring if her veil was askew.
“Thank you for everything, Maisie. For allowing Anthony and I to get married here.”
Maisie shooed her away. “If you thank me one more time, I’ll play the lottery,” she warned. “And I don’t even believe in gambling.”
She stepped over to the window and drew the lace curtain aside. Liza joined her and they both looked down into the backyard, where the wedding party and guests were gathered.
Mayor Langston, who was Anthony’s best man, was there, along with Vanessa, holding their one-year old daughter.
Trent, who had jokingly agreed to be the ring bearer though none was needed, was sitting alone, looking gorgeous and vaguely uncomfortable at the same time.
Doc Z was back in town for a visit. He was surrounded by a gaggle of Bay Point’s most eligible older women vying for his attention. Liza pinpointed the one to whom she would toss her bouquet.
She let the curtain fall and turned to Maisie. “The last eighteen months sure have been a roller-coaster ride.”
The clinic had opened the week prior without a hitch. Anthony already had a six-month waiting list for new patients before he even opened the doors.
“That’s the fun part of life,” Maisie replied. “Not knowing where the next curve is coming.”
“Or where it’s going to take you.”
She stepped to the corner of the room and stared into the full-length mirror for a long moment, admiring what she saw reflecting back at her.
Her strapless ivory wedding gown was a perfect fit, and she knew Anthony was going to love it.
So much had changed for Liza in the past year, most of all, her opinions about herself. It had been a struggle, but she was finally starting to shed her mother’s opinions of beauty and establishing her own: ones that focused on building herself up, instead of tearing herself down.
“You are a beautiful bride.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Liza replied in a clear, strong voice.
“Ready for the day you’ll never forget?”
Her lips trembled, and her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. “I’m nervous, Maisie. What if—”
“Hush now. You deserve to be happy, Liza,” she said fiercely, shaking her finger. “Don’t let anyone or any situation in life take that away from you.”
Liza nodded and the two women looped arms. Between managing her gown and Maisie’s bad knees, the trip down three flights of stairs was slow.
However, it seemed only moments later that she was outside in the California sunshine, walking down the redbrick aisle, and standing in front of the minister saying “I do” to the most wonderful man she’d ever met.
Her Anthony.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488003691
Winning the Doctor
Copyright © 2016 by Jennifer Jackson
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