by Tara Andrews
With their fingers still entwined, Mark tugged Rachel away. She followed him through the rows of empty seats to the stairs leading to the balcony. In a section like the one they’d shared for a short while the night before, they stood at the railing above the media circus.
“Let’s try this again.” He faced her, holding each of her hands. “Last night was unexpected, but one night isn’t enough for me. I need more of you, Rachel. A lot more.”
“Last night…Mark, it was more than I could ever have asked for. Somewhere along the line, I went from being your fan, to being yours.”
The rest of what she wanted to say got swallowed by his sudden kiss. She hugged his neck and reveled at being in his embrace. With the repercussions of the performance dealt with, and the pressure of confining their time to a single night behind them, she relaxed into him.
And, for the first time, she fell in love.
Epilogue
“Sasha, you look beautiful.”
Rachel sat on the foot of the bed next to the bride. The sliding doors of the villa were pushed open, allowing an ocean breeze to fill the room. Fresh, salty Hawaiian air carried the chatter of a select number of guests waiting on the beach.
Her twin, seven months pregnant, tried to slip on a pair of white sandals, but the silk of her simple georgette gown twisted around her legs. Laughing, Rachel bent to help right the shoe that had tipped over. Sasha huffed and leaned back on her hands, her swollen belly protruding.
“They’re going to mistake me for a beached whale,” she complained.
“You can hardly blame them, the resemblance is unmistakable.”
In true sisterly fashion, Sasha replied by sticking out her tongue. She’d been a bit grouchy lately, never mind emotional. It had been tough going since Las Vegas. Rachel had done her best to lighten the mood when she could, but the scandal hadn’t gone away nearly as quickly as they all would have liked. Once in awhile, some reporter brought it up, stirring a bit of backlash in social media for a day or two.
It helped having the wedding to distract the media—bring up Vegas-gate, mention the wedding. Rachel supposed it tarnished things a bit for Sasha and might have been the reason she’d been so touchy.
“You ready?” Rachel stood and examined her appearance in the mirror. The mint-green, knee-length dress was perfect for a sun-and-sand wedding, with the fun and flirty V-neck wrapped bodice and ruffle cascade skirt. Except she only wanted to flirt with one man. She and Mark had been practically inseparable since Las Vegas. She sighed, recalling the night before—
“Ouch!” A pillow landed at Rachel’s feet. Whipping around, she checked the back of her dress over her shoulder in the mirror to ensure it fell into place.
“Stop thinking about him. You’re making me miss Jonathan.”
“Well, get your butt in gear, and you can see him. He’s been waiting on the beach, sweating his ass off.”
“Hey, I told him not to wear a tie.” True. Poor Jonathan had been tugging on it all afternoon.
“Come on. It’s time for you to become Mrs. Jonathan Chandler before you’re too pregnant to fly home.”
“Where’s my flower girl?”
Rachel smiled at the mention of Kelsey. “She thought it her duty to pick more flowers to throw. So, let’s go before there’re none left.” Not to mention, the idea of seeing Mark sent her pulse into overdrive, so she wanted to get a move on.
***
Outside Mark kept an eye on Kelsey. When the door of the villa opened, he straightened from the palm tree he’d been resting against. Sasha came out first. The twins’ resemblance didn’t normally faze him, but now it gripped him hard, too easy to imagine Rachel as a bride.
Soon. He hoped.
Kelsey jumped up and ran to Rachel to show her the flowers she’d picked from the bushes. The two had taken to each other immediately, and Kelsey adored her. That, more than anything else, opened his former in-laws’ minds to his return to dating. It had to be hard for them to watch him move into a new relationship, but they’d grown to like Rachel.
His lady strolled in his direction, taking her sweet time, hips swaying playfully, her smile outshining the sun. “You ready?”
Mark nodded. Yes, he was more than ready, and more reassured about his decision.
***
The sun drifted closer to the horizon, casting an orange and pink glow over the reception. The DJ announced the bride and groom’s entrance, and Rachel glanced around for Mark, but didn’t see him. The first dance would start soon, and she wanted them to be able to join in at the end. They hadn’t danced since their first night together.
She spotted Kelsey with Nina, one of Wicked Vixen’s dancers. They were mimicking hula moves from the show they’d been treated to while the newlyweds took wedding photos. How cute.
“And Mr. Mark Travis!” announced the DJ.
Mark stood on the raised platform, a stool behind him, holding the guitar she recognized as Patrick’s hand-me-down acoustic. Wow. Mark hardly ever played it—preserving it for fear of damage. She couldn’t believe he’d brought it with him.
“Good evening,” he greeted, and everyone quieted. Her sister and Jonathan stood in the center of the dance floor. Sasha gave her a strange smile. “First, congratulations to Sasha and Jonathan.” The small crowd applauded in agreement. “It’s been a real honor to be able to call you both friends. And I hope, soon, to count you as family as well.”
Rachel gasped. As if he’d heard, Mark glanced toward her. “And it’s an honor that you chose my new song for your first dance as husband and wife. This song means a lot to me, and so does the woman who inspired it. It’s called, “My Everything.”
She teared up at his confession. Though she saw it in his eyes every day, he had never put the way he felt about her into words.
Mark sat on the edge of the stool, one foot on the small platform, the other on a rung. Resting the guitar on his knee, he began to strum a soft melody. Rooted in place, Rachel focused solely on Mark as he sang about his everything. About her.
By the time the song ended, a few tears had escaped. Happy tears. He had written a beautiful song that spoke of how much he loved her in every note. Leaning the guitar against a speaker, he strode toward her. She still hadn’t moved. When he got within touching distance, he took her face in his hands for a soul-searing kiss. Easing back, he rested his forehead against hers.
“Thank you. The song…. It’s perfect,” Rachel said.
“I love you.”
Her heart pounded at his admission. “I love you, too.” How wonderful to hear it, to finally say it aloud.
He dug into his pants pocket and she covered her mouth when he produced the small velvet box. But when he got down on one knee, the tears she’d had decent control over moments earlier ran unchecked.
“Rachel, will you marry me?”
Unable to get a yes past the lump in her throat, she nodded. He rose, grabbed her in his arms and whispered his love for her again. Running over, Kelsey hugged them around their waists. Mark scooped her up. With the three of them together, standing as a family, he slipped the ring onto Rachel’s finger.
~A Letter from Tara Andrews~
Dear Readers,
If you’re reading this, you are already my favorite person in the world! Seriously, thank you for spending your precious down time reading Her Everything.
Mark and Rachel’s story became more than I ever envisioned from when I first sat down to write. It’s a short story but touches upon some big topics; loyalty, loss, and finding love unexpectedly. The biggest of all, though, is breast cancer. We all know someone touched by this disease in some way, and Rachel and Mark are no exception. This book opens with them attending a charity event for Breast Cancer research, a cause close to both their hearts.
I hope you enjoy their overnight journey. And I’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at [email protected]
Thank you,
Tara
Long Overdue by Tara Andr
ews
Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date.
Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he is tempted by the promise of a perfect match. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night with the possibility of more. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with someone he never forgot.
Afraid of another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached while Blake tries his best to convince her to want more than a one night stand. They only have one long overdue night to figure it out.
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