Fortune's Proposal by Allison Leigh

the simple wooden cross that hung above the chancel area. Her shoulders slowly lifted and fell. “Ever since I lost Ryan I’ve felt that he’s been there, still watching out for us all.” Lily’s voice was husky. “I have to still believe that.”
    Deanna blinked hard and looked away.
    But a moment later, the bride had turned around to face them. Her expression was drawn, but her chin was lifted. “I do still believe that. But there’s no purpose to hanging around here.” She stepped down the three shallow steps leading up to the chancel and her beautiful gown swayed slightly around her shapely ankles. “The caterer won’t take away the food. So if anyone is hungry, they should come out to the Double Crown. Nothing will be solved by any of us collapsing from hunger.” She looked toward Isabella. “Would you be so kind and let the reverend know we’re finally getting out of the way so the custodian and groundskeeper can clean up around here? I know they still need to prepare for regular services tomorrow.” She cradled her hand around the spray of flowers decorating the end of the pew were Deanna and Drew were sitting. “If any of you want some flowers, take them. They’re too lovely to waste.”
    Not surprisingly, nobody seemed inclined to enjoy the flowers now, beautiful or not.
    Drew pushed to his feet beside her. “Has anyone considered the notion that something else might have happened to Dad?”
    Deanna sucked in a breath. “Drew—” He surely wouldn’t offer the suggestion that William had changed his mind, would he?
    He shook his head sharply, though, and she fell silent. She hadn’t seen such an expression on his face since the morning she’d gotten to the office early and found him sitting at his desk with an empty bottle of whiskey beside him, looking at a photograph of his mother.
    â€œHe’s a Fortune,” Drew continued. “We can’t allow ourselves to forget that fact.”
    J.R. folded his arms across his wide chest. Like his brothers, he too had discarded his suit coat and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up his forearms. “What are you thinking?”
    â€œI don’t know. But we all know it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s deliberately brought harm to this family.”
    Deanna gasped. “No.” But she saw the way Lily’s hand jerked, then moved away from the hydrangea blossom and the petals that rained down onto the carpet after. She quickly slid her arm around the woman’s slender waist and nudged her toward the pew. “Sit. Please.”
    Lily sat. She pressed her fist against her chest. “Nobody would want to harm William,” she said, but there was a fresh shimmer of fear in her voice.
    â€œMaybe not,” Darr allowed and Deanna saw the look he and Drew exchanged. “But this family has had more than a few incidences.”
    â€œWhat about kidnapping?” Drew looked toward Nick and J.R. He hated being the one to voice the possibility, but he already knew that he and Darr were on the same page.
    â€œDear Lord,” Isabella whispered. She, too, sat, thensuddenly leaned her head forward until it touched her knees.
    â€œHoney?” J.R. started.
    But she just lifted a hand, waving at him. “I’m fine. I just got dizzy for a minute.”
    Frowning, J.R. sat next to her, his hand resting on her back.
    â€œWe’re all getting ahead of ourselves.” The voice of reason came, surprisingly, from the cotton candy-soft-looking Bethany who walked up the aisle with her miniature version toddling after her.
    Charlene brought up the rear, holding her sleeping baby. “She’s right. Imagining outlandish scenarios isn’t helping the situation.”
    â€œIt’s not outlandish, though,” Lily countered shakily.
    Isabella had sat up again. Her face was pale. “The fires a few years ago. First at