by Erika Kelly
Why on earth wouldn’t she want the coveted the contract?
But, then, she knew. Take away the quest to prove the bullies wrong, and she was left with the truth in her own heart. She knew exactly what she wanted.
“I’ll cover your expenses,” Jack continued. “Sewers, pattern makers, all the start-up capital you need. You’ll have access to our textile mills. But the dresses will be yours.” He dipped so they were eye-level. “Under your name.”
She caught his deeper meaning. “You knew?”
“Everyone knows. It’s a small world, this bridal market, and everyone knows what everyone else is doing. With me, you can design your gowns, and I’ll take care of the business end. You’ll get all the credit.”
“I can’t tell you how much this means to me. From the moment I learned about your company during my sophomore year at FIT, I’ve set my sights on working with you.” She allowed herself to imagine setting up an atelier in New York City. Or Paris. Not hard to do, since she’d dreamed it a hundred times over the years.
She pictured a life of designing collections based on what would wow the fashion world. Of living—like Luc had—to outdo the other top designers. Doing whatever it took to stay relevant.
And then she imagined a life of designing gowns for clients. Real women who shared their love stories with her. Of living in Calamity surrounded by friends and a team of people she loved and trusted.
There was no comparison.
“Excellent.” Jack gave her a warm grin. “If you have some time tomorrow, come by the office—”
“I’m sorry, as incredible as it sounds, I’m going to pass. Your offer really is a dream come true, but I think…I think my dream has changed.”
His features fell in disappointment. “I see. Well, if you change your mind, my offer has no end-date. Best of luck to you.”
“Thank you.” She watched him disappear into the crowd. And then she kicked off her heels and ran for the exit.
Knox Holliday was going home.
Alone in the gym, Gray bounced and flipped from one trampoline to the next. Throwing his right shoulder down, he twisted his hip into a spin. Once he got some air, he tucked, held, and made a safety grab, spotted his landing and—
What was that? The flash of white in his peripheral vision jarred him in a gym filled with black trampoline beds and blue throw pads. Someone’s here.
He landed on his back, then jumped to his feet, making out the form of a woman.
In a gown.
A ball gown.
What the hell? He leaped onto a throw pad and braced to get a stable view of the gorgeous woman with thick, wavy long hair. “Knox?” She looked ethereal, like a fairy princess.
“Hi.” She stood on a trampoline in one of her extravagant dresses, all lace and an abundance of feathers and creamy skin.
“You’re here.” Thank Christ.
She started to walk towards him, but between the profusion of feathers and the bouncy launch pad, she wavered.
“Hang on.” He leapt from one pad to another, until he reached her. Leaning down, he held out his hand to help her climb out.
Her hands fisted in the skirt, as she lifted it off the ground. “That’s better.”
“What’re you doing here? In a wedding gown?”
She fixed him with the most heartbreakingly earnest expression. “I’m here because I see you. I see how much you love me.”
Emotion crashed over him, dragging him below the surface. It took a moment to paddle his way out, because she needed an answer. “I do.”
“With all your heart.”
Why the hell was he shaking? He squeezed his hands into fists to make it stop. “You are my heart.”
She broke into a luminous grin. “I’m your heart.” And then she turned serious. “It isn’t about competing with Robert. It never was. All you’ve ever wanted was to be with me.”
Something broke inside his chest, spilling out warmth and light, rushing so fast it swept away the ache and crushing disappointment that lived deep inside him. “That’s right.”
“And I’m here because I want you to look into my eyes and see me. See how deeply and completely I love you. How I have never loved anybody the way I love you, and I never will.” Lifting the skirt of her gown, she awkwardly got down on one knee. When he reached out to help her, she shook her head. She gazed up at him, her expression so full of love, it knocked him senseless. “Gray Bowie, you’re the best man I’ve ever known. In my whole life, I’ve never felt so loved, so protected, and so happy. I want you, love you, lust you, crave you, need you, miss you, dream you, ache you, joy you…I choose you. I want to spend my life with you, make babies with you, get your good morning kiss every single day for the rest of my life. I want to make you feel as cherished and protected as you make me.”
He couldn’t take it one more second. Dropping to his knees, he scooped her and her endless yards of feathers into his arms. “Yes.”
“I haven’t asked you yet.”
“You don’t have to ask. I love you. With everything in me, I love you.”
She leaned back within the shelter of his embrace to give him a confident smile. “I know. And I’m gonna put a ring on it.”
Epilogue
The train pulled into the station and dozens of tourists climbed off to explore Owl Hoot on this spectacular June day. Knox waited at the crosswalk for them to pass, before turning into a parking spot in front of the resort hotel.
Cutting the ignition, she glanced at the stack of Etch-A-Sketches piled on Callie’s lap. “Anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” She peered at Delilah in the rear-view mirror.
“She’s really not very good with surprises, is she?” Callie asked.
“So impatient,” Delilah said, before getting out of the truck.
In her log cabin in the middle of a fairytale forest, Knox had awakened to an empty bed. On Gray’s pillow sat an Etch-a-Sketch that said, Come get your morning kiss. She’d found the next one on the kitchen counter. It had led her to Callie’s house, where she’d had her make-up done. The one after that had led to Delilah, at the main house, which was filled with a stunning array of flowers. The three women had put together gorgeous bouquets.
But no one would tell her what any of this was for.
The fourth Etch-a-Sketch had led to the hotel. “I don’t know why I need make-up this early in the morning.” But she followed them inside, where the concierge’s expression lit up at the sight of her.
“Good morning, Knox.” He handed her a fifth one.
“You’re in on it, too?”
He grinned, eyes sparkling, and returned to his desk.
“Okay, then.” On the screen, someone had drawn a crude image of a storefront. Written across the top: Knox Holliday Atelier. “What is this?” She turned to her friends for an explanation, but they were nowhere to be found. “What’s going on?”
To her right, guests checked into reception. Straight ahead, a grand staircase led to the second floor ballrooms. Shops and restaurants made up the left side of the building.
Butcher paper covered the window of one of the stores. A comfortable wrought iron bench sat nestled between planters filled with brightly colored wild flowers.
And written across the top of the black wood façade, in magenta-colored letters: Knox Holliday Atelier.
She nearly dropped the Etch-a-Sketch.
This store is mine? On legs as shaky as a newborn colt’s, she headed over and tried the door. It opened to a roomful of familiar—and expectant—faces. The Cooters, Zach, Amelia, Wyatt, the realtor, the hostess from Sweet Baby Jane’s…Good Lord, half the town had come to celebrate the opening of her…the breath whooshed out of her lungs.
My atelier.
So many people surrounded her, reaching for her hands, kissing her cheek, congratulating her. “Where’s Gray?” she kept asking. But no one gave her anything more than a secretive smile.
Wearing a suit, Zach broke through the crowd. “What
do you think?”
“I think I’m having a crazy dream, and someone needs to give me a good hard slap to snap me out of it.”
“Not a dream,” Zach said. “While you’ve been working on the custom gowns and launching your digital platform, the Bowie brothers built out this salon for you. Wait’ll you see the rest of it.”
The guests blocked her view of most of the room. But what she could see—plush magenta couches facing a long glass coffee table, one whole wall of windows bringing in stunning natural light, and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling—was absolutely stunning. The black wainscoting and the pin-striped wallpaper with a pattern of tiny magenta fleur de lis made the space elegant but whimsical. It had personality.
Mine.
“I think it’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“Just wait.”
“There’s more?” She searched faces for her fiancé. “Where’s Gray?”
“He’s waiting for you.” With a hand on her elbow, he moved her toward the velvet-draped dressing rooms. “But, first, let’s get you dressed.”
He brought her to a dress form. It took a moment to make sense of it, but it was the wedding gown she’d designed as a teenager. “Is this my dress?” Tears blurred her vision, until she couldn’t see it anymore. “Who made this?” Furiously, she swiped her eyes, desperate to see what was going on.
“We did.”
To see the sketch she’d designed as young, hopeful girl come to life…“Wait, why did you make my wedding gown?”
“Come on,” Callie said. “How ‘bout we make sure it fits?”
“I’m wearing it?” Wait. “Oh, my God, is that why you used me?” With her as a model, Zach had recorded the exact process of taking measurements and posted it on the website.
He smiled. “I’m so clever, right? You didn’t suspect a thing.”
“Make-up, bouquet, wedding gown…you guys.” She tried with all her might not to bawl like a baby. “Am I getting married?”
“For six months, you’ve been pushing Gray to either elope or do it at the courthouse,” Callie said.
“And he wasn’t having it,” Zach said. “So…” He gestured to the room. “He planned the wedding for you.”
Delilah smoothed a hand on her arm. “Is this okay?”
“It’s better than okay. It’s the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“Then, let’s get you dressed,” Callie said.
Wearing her frothy, extravagant gown and holding her gardenia-scented bouquet, Knox stepped out into the salon.
When the first strains of Tim McGraw’s My Best Friend started playing, she could no longer hold back the tears. As she moved toward the center of the room, the crowd parted to reveal a row of chairs facing…a white, wooden wedding arbor. Wrapped in lace, it was adorned with white, pink, and magenta zinnias.
And standing there, waiting, was Gray in a sleek black tuxedo.
The tremble began deep inside her. Because she understood all at once that her morning kiss was also her I do.
His brothers stood beside him, all three of them dashing and imposing in their tuxes. The guests took their seats, chairs scraping on the wood floor, amidst the low hum of conversation.
But Knox only had eyes for her man. That look of love, like she was his gift, the source of his joy, made her heart flutter out of control.
Because she would be blessed with that expression for the rest of her life.
Little Ruby came crashing from behind, ramming into her. “Sowwy.” She peered up at Knox with an earnest expression. “I gots fowers.” She held up a basket of magenta rose petals, before breaking away to do her job.
The three year old stomped down the aisle, carefully dropping them one at a time. The guests watched her with gentle smiles, some placing a hand over their hearts at all the cuteness, and some with actual tears.
But the stuffed chicken under her arm made it difficult to toss flower petals, so Ruby wound up tripping. The adults seated closest to her lurched forward, everyone ready to come to her rescue, but everyone froze because Ruby only had eyes for Will. Splayed out on the shiny wood floor, she watched her half-brother with a question in her eyes
Will smiled, but the intensity in his gaze radiated confidence, encouragement. You can do this, little one.
Everyone waited to find out whether Ruby would burst into tears. But, no, the little girl got back up. “I okay, Wheel.”
A titter of laughter broke out, but Ruby was too busy picking up the spilled petals to notice. Once she finished her task, Will scooped her up and pressed a dozen kisses all over her chubby cheeks, before setting her down. Giggling she ran to Marcella, the Bowie’s house manager, who was the ceremony’s officiant. The older woman leaned down and pointed to Uncle Lachlan, their dad’s tall, lean, and bearded brother. The man got up and in two long strides, whisked the little girl into his arms and plopped her into his lap.
“Okay, here we go.” Before heading down the aisle, Callie pressed a kiss to Knox’s cheek, leaving her awash in her subtle but elegant fragrance.
“You look gorgeous, and I’m so happy for you.” Delilah gave her a big hug before making her way down.
Fin and Will watched their women with pure adoration in their eyes.
And then it was Knox’s turn to make the walk down the aisle to her groom.
A breeze ruffled the feathers of her dress, making her turn to find her mom racing in the door, hair windblown, cheeks ruddy. Dressed in holey jeans, black patent leather Dr. Marten’s boots, and a peasant blouse, she hustled over to Knox. “Hey, hon.”
Tucking an arm under hers, her mom leaned in. “Got the car idling, full tank of gas. Just say the word.”
She couldn’t help laughing. “Mom, seriously, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” And then, together, they headed down the aisle to her groom.
Knox handed off her bouquet to Callie, her mom took her seat, and Marcella gave her a beaming smile.
And then she was standing beside Gray Bowie, the love of her life. Her heart and soul.
He brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Took you long enough.”
“Too long.” She placed her palm on his chest. “But my heart’s been here the whole time.”
“Friends, family,” Marcella began. “We are gathered here to witness the commitment shared today between Gray Bowie and Knox Holliday.” With glittering eyes, she looked from one to the other. “Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the life you will create together. Remember that in every marriage, there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey, an adventure filled with excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication, and faith you share in one another.”
Reaching for her hand, Gray kissed her palm and mouthed, I love you.
“Gray and Knox,” Marcella said. “Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?”
“I will,” Gray said.
She couldn’t keep her body from trembling, her heart from thundering. “Yes,” Knox said. “I will.”
“Our groom has a thing or two to say to you,” Marcella said. “Gray?”
He turned to face his bride, clasping her hands. “Knox, people have always liked to joke about my lack of commitment, but that’s because they didn’t know I was committed to you. It happened the second I first saw you in Mrs. Flint’s kindergarten class. My heart recognized you, and I just knew. You used to talk about me finding my passion, but that’s because you didn’t know that you were my passion. Always have been, always will be.” He shrugged, as if he’d just accepted the way he was wired long ago. “I love you. I promise that I’ll always make your tea, hold your hand, and give you a good morning kiss. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, so you can skip all the sickness a
nd in health crap, because I’m thoroughly devoted to you, my heart.”
“That’s my boy.” Marcella cupped his cheek. “I’m so proud of you.” And then she turned to Knox. “I know we’re springing this on you, so I’ll just go through the questions. Do you—”
“No, I want to say something.” Her heart was so full it hurt. “I love you, Gray. There isn’t anything I cherish more than that commitment you’ve given me throughout my entire life. It’s made me strong, confident, and deeply, profoundly, content. I vow to wake up every morning and ask myself what I can do to make your day better, to hold your hand every chance I get, and to sit down with you for dinner every night so I can find out how your day went. I love you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and body.”
“Now can I have my good morning kiss?” Gray asked the officiant.
“Hang on,” Marcella said on a laugh. “The rings.”
Will dug into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a rose gold band. Gray lifted her hand and slid it on her finger. “With this ring, I finally get the girl.”
Callie handed the simple gold band to Knox. “With this ring, my life is finally complete.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Marcella said. “May I present to you, Gray Bowie and Knox Holliday, husband and wife.”
Gray wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him, not wasting a single second before possessing her mouth with a searing kiss. Her body went hot; her heart jubilant. She flung her arms around his neck, unable to keep from smiling.
While their friends clapped, she tucked her face into his neck. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you did all this.”
“Better than eloping or the courthouse?”
“A thousand, billion times better.”
Delilah tapped her shoulder. “Come on, you two. My pastry chef made you the world’s best cake. Let’s get slicing.”