“Is that how you see me, as the mother?”
His grin was wicked, reminding her of the stolen moments they’d shared in the wine cellar and in her room. “I think you already know the answer to that one.”
She considered his proposal for the space of time it took to draw a breath. “I guess I could do worse than marry you.”
It seemed to him that he was the one doing all the giving here. “You’re going to have to do better than that for an answer, or the proposal’s null and void.”
“I guess marrying you is all right?” she offered, a smile playing on her lips.
“Better.” She knew what he wanted to hear, Wyatt thought. “Try again.”
Amusement rose to her eyes. “I love you?”
“It sounds better if you don’t make it sound like a question.”
“You are a demanding soul, aren’t you?”
“At times,” he allowed.
“All right.” Pausing, she looked into his eyes. “I love you.” The words came out in a soft whisper. “Maybe I always did.”
“Much better.”
She rose on her toes to kiss him, still swaying to the beat. “You might just have something there, for a change, McCall.”
His arms tightened around her. His smile enveloped her. “I think so.”
“Think someone should tell them the music’s stopped?” Jake asked Zoe.
Zoe turned to look at her daughter and the man she’d always secretly known would be her son-inlaw. “No, let them enjoy themselves.” She smiled. “Looks like we’ve got one more wedding in the offing, old man.”
Pleased as punch, Jake grinned. “Looks like.”
Epilogue
“How come none of you told me?” Morgan looked from one sister-in-law to the next. There were four of them now, four Mrs. Cutlers surrounding her in the tiny room, all newlyweds, all resplendent in light turquoise gowns shot through with silver threads that caught the light and gleamed warmly.
“Told you what?” Fiona, the most nurturing of them, fussed with Morgan’s veil, straightening it. Despite her high heels, she had to stand on her toes to reach the crown.
Morgan pressed a hand to her stomach, careful not to get the engagement ring Wyatt had given her caught on the appliqué. It flashed at her, reminding her of the look in his eyes as he’d slipped it on her finger. “That I would feel less nervous walking down Main Street naked than I feel right at this minute.”
Brianne grinned impishly. “We wanted to save that as a surprise. Smile.” Unable to help herself, she’d brought a small camera with her into the vestibule and aimed it now at Morgan.
Before Morgan had a chance to raise her hand, the flash went off.
“Oh, great, now I won’t be able to see the mess as I throw up.” She felt her empty stomach knotting in protest against all the butterflies that were meandering back and forth within it like 747s circling in an unending holding pattern over a foggedin airport.
Denise laced her arm around Morgan’s shoulders and gave her a quick, heartfelt squeeze. “You’re going to be fine, Morgan. You’re not going to throw up, and your eyesight’s going to be back to normal before you take those first steps down the aisle.”
The first steps toward the rest of her life…the rest of her life. Morgan took a deep breath, but panic still flared. “Oh, God, what if I’m making a mistake?”
“You really believe that?” Ginny fixed Morgan with her sternest look, the one she used in court when she was intent on getting the truth out of a hostile witness.
It worked. Morgan slowly shook her head. “No. No, I don’t.”
A strange calmness began to take hold of Morgan. This wasn’t a mistake. She’d made a lot of them in her life, but this was not one of them. It might very well be the single best thing she’d ever done, outside of adopting Josh.
There was a light rap on the door, and it opened a crack.
“Tight fit,” Denise laughed, she maneuvered open the door and squeezed out. As she passed him, she brushed a kiss on her new father-in-law’s cheek. “Hi, Dad.”
“Make sure she doesn’t bolt, Dad,” Brianne warned playfully, mimicking Denise and brushing a kiss on his cheek.
“See you up front.” Ginny followed her sistersin-law and kissed Jake.
“’Bye, Dad,” Fiona murmured before she kissed him, too, and disappeared.
“Well, just you and me, girl.” Jake looked at his daughter, feeling as if he was going to burst with pride. She looked beautiful. Just like her mother had on their wedding day. “You ready?”
Morgan pressed her lips together. “As I’ll ever be.”
The strains of the wedding march were beginning. “I believe they’re playing your song.” Jake presented his arm to her.
She slipped her arm through it, her heart starting to pound in anticipation.
“I’ve only got one request.” Jake’s lips barely moved as he began to walk down the aisle with her.
“And that is?” Morgan whispered back.
“That you name the first baby after me.”
A smile played on her lips. “What if it’s a girl?”
“Hey, I’m open-minded. Couldn’t have survived with all of you if I weren’t.”
She tried not to laugh. It wouldn’t look right. “I’ll talk to Wyatt.”
Jake suppressed a chuckle himself. “You’d better do more than talk if I’m going to get that grandbaby.”
“I always listen to my daddy.”
Her eyes fixed on Wyatt, she saw him turn in her direction when she was a little less than halfway there. Turn and smile as he looked at her. The pounding in her chest sped up, but she didn’t feel like bolting anymore. Didn’t feel like being anywhere but where she was. Walking to her destiny.
Stopping at the altar, Jake placed Morgan’s hand on Wyatt’s arm and stepped back.
“What kept you?” Wyatt whispered to her with a smile.
She felt his smile spread over her heart. “I’m not sure anymore.”
But the main thing, she thought, was that she was finally here at his side. Where she belonged.
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eISBN 978-14592-6053-5
A MATCH FOR MORGAN
Copyright © 1999 by Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
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 permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, 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.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
Dear Reader1
Title Page
Dedication
Dear Reader2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Epilogue
Books by Marie Ferrarella
Copyright
A Match for Morgan Page 13