“Are you trying to ask me on a date?” Erin asked. Matthew nodded, pulling her closer, all but cuddling her on the dance floor. “But how? You live in Chicago. I live in Boston. What happened to only in Savannah?”
“We’ll figure out the details later. We will do whatever we have to do to make this work because I don’t want to be without you.” He bent to brush his lips over hers, cupping her cheek. “I love you, sugar.”
She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I happen to have Tuesday free…”
Epilogue
Six months later…
One Tuesday in late spring, Erin headed to Forsyth Park for her lunch date. She and Matthew always had lunch together on Tuesdays. It was the only time they could guarantee each other in their hectic schedules. Since she could run her business anywhere, she relocated to Savannah in March. With Dylan’s help, business was booming while Lauren pitched in from Boston. Matthew revived his grandfather’s architectural design firm and they bought a townhouse in the city, not far from Shelby and Millie. Their two businesses kept them hopping but they both loved the challenge. And since they were both their own bosses, they could ensure they’d meet for their Tuesday lunch each week.
She strolled beneath the oak trees, shrouded with Spanish moss. The azaleas were just past their peak as their bright pink blossoms danced in the breeze. She found a bench near the fountain and sat down to read while she waited for Matthew. He arrived a few minutes later, dressed in his dark blue pinstripe suit. He carried a large wicker picnic basket, his dark hair tossed by the light spring breeze. She stood and kissed him hello.
“I think spring has finally sprung,” she said as they sat on the wooden bench, their hips pressed together.
“It’ll be summer in a minute.” Matthew leaned over to open the straps on the wicker basket.
“I’ve come to appreciate winter. After all, if I hadn’t gotten caught in the blizzard, I wouldn’t have met the love of my life. Old Man Winter is okay with me.”
“I love you, too.” He stopped fussing with the basket and tilted her face up to claim a kiss. “So much.”
She smiled at him, happy to be with her favorite person.
“Erin…I…” He swallowed hard and looked away. His fingers tapped against his long thigh as he glanced around the park, squinting in the sun.
“Are you feeling alright? You’re pale and sweating and shaking…” Erin reached out for him. “Matthew, what’s wrong? Are you ill?”
He shook his head before sucking in a deep breath. Erin drew a deep breath too, trying to still her pounding heart. He fumbled for the closed basket as pigeons settled nearby, hopeful for crumbs. He handed her a slim, flat gift-wrapped package.
“Matthew…you don’t have to spoil me so much.”
“Open it, Erin. Please,” He croaked out, wiping his shaking hands on his suit pants as he scanned the park again.
She ripped off the bright purple paper and smiled at the record she found inside. That’s All by Nat King Cole. She remembered dancing to it at Alex and Ashley’s wedding. She hugged the record to her chest and looked up, smiling at him. “I love it. Thank you.”
“Turn it over.”
She flipped the record over to find Matthew’s scrawl across the back in silver sharpie. She squinted at his terrible handwriting and slowly read aloud the inscription: “Will you marry me?”
She lowered the record to her lap to find Matthew on one knee next to the bench, velvet ring box in hand, his hazel eyes intent on her face. “I think that’s my line but…will you?”
Her affirmative shriek scared the nearby flock of pigeons into flight as she flung her arms around him, knocking him backwards onto the path. He wrapped his arms around her waist, laughing. She straddled him, sitting on his lap, as he kissed her breathless, wrapping his strong arms around her, his palms sliding over her back, cuddling her close.
They broke apart, both breathing hard, their foreheads pressed together, smiling at each other. He fumbled for the ring box and slid the perfect round solitaire onto her finger. He wrapped their fingers together and pressed them to his chest, his heart shining in his eyes.
“Congratulations!” Erin looked up to thank the well-wishing bystander only to meet the merry blue eyes of her brother.
“Dylan?”
He pulled Erin to her feet and hugged her close, whispering, “Mom and Dad would be so thrilled. Welcome to the family, man.” He shook Matthew’s hand as Victor and Shelby walked up, arm-in-arm. Marina bobbed up behind Dylan to hug Erin and whisper her congratulations, while Millie held out a tablet with a split screen of Lauren beaming and waving from Boston, and Alex and Ashley from London.
“Everyone’s here?”
“I figured our families should be here from the start to celebrate with us.” He pulled her close, kissing her temple, as the family crowded around to congratulate them. Erin beamed, happy to be at the center of so much love, part of a family again.
Instead of forever being the bridesmaid, she’d finally be a bride in her own happily ever after.
The End
Acknowledgments
Writers are odd ducks and no matter how much our family and friends love us, sometimes we need writer friends, members of the same tribe that speak the same language. No writer gets by without fellow writers to keep them sane, brainstorm with them, and talk about the characters as if they are real—because they are! I have the best writer friends ever. This book is dedicated to my best writer friend, terrific alpha reader, brainstorming buddy, and plot-tribble mama extraordinaire, Heather.
Thanks also to my alpha readers, who waded through multiple drafts and talked me down from the ledge when I couldn’t get the ending right. Thank you for helping me make this book the best it could be.
Much love and thanks to my sister, Meredith, without whom I would not have experienced the glory that is Savannah, Georgia. Can’t wait to go back! And also to our parents, for sending us on the trip.
Many thanks to my wonderful editor, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, my copy-editor, Alastair Stephens of StoryWonk, and the Killion Group for their amazing cover. Thanks for making my book the best it could be.
And, as always, thanks to my husband, Glenn, and our son, Connor. I love you both.
Author’s Note
Have you heard of the trend toward professional bridesmaids? I first read about it when I was at Myrtle Beach, on vacation with my family in August 2014. My sister runs a very successful wedding makeup business and we got to chatting about different bridesmaids stories.
Pretty soon, I had the idea for the Always a Bridesmaid series. Within a few days, Erin Delaney and her band of professional bridesmaids started giving me lines of dialogue and off we went into the land of bridal mania.
I wanted Erin to meet and become friends with the man trying to stop his brother’s wedding first, so they ended up stuck in an early blizzard in Chicago and on their way to one of my favorite cities in the world: Savannah, Georgia.
Citizens and visitors to Savannah will note that Shortie’s restaurant, The Pie Plate, doesn’t exist. Watsons is an amalgamation of several historic bed and breakfasts on Jones Street. And while Forsyth Park boasts a gorgeous white fountain, it does not have a butterfly pavilion.
However, the waving girl statue sits on the Savannah riverfront. Florence Martus and her little dog wave to welcome ships into the harbor. The restaurant Matthew and Erin eat lunch at that day is the Olde Pink House, a Savannah icon. The nightclub for the bachelorette party is the Mata Hari, Savannah’s most secret nightspot. The wedding is on nearby Tybee Island, which boasts a gorgeous lighthouse, a popular wedding spot. If you happen to visit Savannah in December, don’t miss the Holly Jolly Trolley Tour. My sister loved being a bell ringer on that tour.
The rest of Savannah is as accurate as I could make it. Now it was up to Erin to pull off a wedding while Matthew struggled to stop it—and fall in love with each other along the way.
I hope you’ve enjoyed r
eading the first book in the Always a Bridesmaid series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next up, Lauren will get her chance at true love in Once a Bridesmaid. And finally, in the third book, Dylan reunites with his high school girlfriend in Never a Bridesmaid.
If you enjoyed Forever a Bridesmaid, please leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon. Reviews are critical to helping a book succeed, especially the first book in a new series. Please let other readers know what they can expect from Matthew and Erin’s love story.
While you are waiting for more bridesmaids, check out my other novels, including The Lost Art of Second Chances. Please come visit me at www.Courtney-Hunt.com and sign up for my email list. I’m also usually found on twitter at @courtneyhunt71, and would love to chat!
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Forever a Bridesmaid (Always a Bridesmaid Book 1) Page 16