making you, I can live with that.”
EPILOGUE
R OSIE LAUGHED as she got out of the limousine Ethan had insisted on hiring. They’d ridden to the small church with Harris, Buck, Riley and Regina. Her white dress was knee-length, simply cut, but it was lovely, the bodice overlaid with lace and pearls. The look on Ethan’s face when he’d seen her in it had made her feel more beautiful than any traditional wedding gown could have.
The church was another thing he’d insisted on. And Rosie loved him too much to argue. Only two weeks had passed since the fire, which was still under investigation. They’d found the man who had carried Regina out, but no one else. He denied taking her camera, denied any wrongdoing, and claimed the other man Rosie had heard was just a customer.
He did agree that someone had deliberately set his place on fire. Unfortunately, he wanted to blame Regina.
So far, the fire was a mystery, but Riley was now convinced that Regina had reason to worry—and he’d taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her.
Rosie started for the front door of the church, but Ethan sidetracked her. “We need to go in from the back.”
“We do? Why?” Everyone kept watching her, making her very suspicious. “What’s going on, Ethan?”
His smile made her heart do flips.
“You’re so difficult, sweetheart. Come on.” He caught her hand and she had to trot in her high heels to keep up with him. Regina carried her bouquet for her—a beautiful creation of roses and baby’s breath and lilies. There was a strange hush to the air as they traversed the cobblestone path to the rear. Rosie hesitated when she saw the flower-covered trellis, but Ethan didn’t give her a chance to balk.
They stepped through the trellis—and into an elaborate setting of orange blossoms, crepe paper and hundreds of chairs filled with guests. A multitude of trees had been decorated with ribbons and a white outdoor platform, complete with a smiling minister, had been erected on the immaculate lawn.
Thunderstruck, her mouth hanging open, Rosie scanned the crowd of grinning faces. She recognized her neighbors, all the people she worked with, Ethan’s relatives and co-workers and friends and…almost the whole town.
And there, right in the front row where her family belonged, was her brother with Michelle at his side. He looked at her for a long moment, his expression poignant, tender, then he grinned like a rascal and winked. Michelle gave a small, happy wave. Emotion choked Rosie and she started gasping, unable to catch her breath.
“Hey.” Ethan slipped his arm around her. “Don’t faint on me now.”
She stared at him through a haze of tears. “Oh, Ethan…”
He caught her chin and tipped her face up to his. “I love you, Rosie.”
She covered her mouth with a shaking hand, gulped, but it didn’t help. Darn it, she never cried.
Ethan turned them both so that he blocked her from view with his body. Smiling, he used one fingertip to wipe the tears away. “You’re going to ruin your makeup, sweetheart.”
“But I thought you didn’t want this.” She sniffled, tried to pull herself together withoutmuch success. “Ethan, it’s wonderful, it really is. But you’re all that’s important. Nothing else matters to me…”
“It matters to me, Rosie. I used to think if I did this, everyone would see me and remember how I’d been jilted.” His mouth curled in a crooked smile. “Now I know what they’re really thinking.”
“What?”
His thumb rubbed under her chin, teasing her, keeping her face turned up to his. “That you’re beautiful, and that I’m the luckiest man alive.” He bent and kissed her to the roar of their guests. When he lifted his head, he grinned. “And I want the whole town to know that you’re mine.”
Rosie heard soft music begin, saw the guests all smiling and the flash of a camera capturing the moment.
Regina rushed up and handed her the bouquet.
Rosie stopped crying. She had
EPILOGUE
R OSIE LAUGHED as she got out of the limousine Ethan had insisted on hiring. They’d ridden to the small church with Harris, Buck, Riley and Regina. Her white dress was knee-length, simply cut, but it was lovely, the bodice overlaid with lace and pearls. The look on Ethan’s face when he’d seen her in it had made her feel more beautiful than any traditional wedding gown could have.
The church was another thing he’d insisted on. And Rosie loved him too much to argue. Only two weeks had passed since the fire, which was still under investigation. They’d found the man who had carried Regina out, but no one else. He denied taking her camera, denied any wrongdoing, and claimed the other man Rosie had heard was just a customer.
He did agree that someone had deliberately set his place on fire. Unfortunately, he wanted to blame Regina.
So far, the fire was a mystery, but Riley was now convinced that Regina had reason to worry—and he’d taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her.
Rosie started for the front door of the church, but Ethan sidetracked her. “We need to go in from the back.”
“We do? Why?” Everyone kept watching her, making her very suspicious. “What’s going on, Ethan?”
His smile made her heart do flips.
“You’re so difficult, sweetheart. Come on.” He caught her hand and she had to trot in her high heels to keep up with him. Regina carried her bouquet for her—a beautiful creation of roses and baby’s breath and lilies. There was a strange hush to the air as they traversed the cobblestone path to the rear. Rosie hesitated when she saw the flower-covered trellis, but Ethan didn’t give her a chance to balk.
They stepped through the trellis—and into an elaborate setting of orange blossoms, crepe paper and hundreds of chairs filled with guests. A multitude of trees had been decorated with ribbons and a white outdoor platform, complete with a smiling minister, had been erected on the immaculate lawn.
Thunderstruck, her mouth hanging open, Rosie scanned the crowd of grinning faces. She recognized her neighbors, all the people she worked with, Ethan’s relatives and co-workers and friends and…almost the whole town.
And there, right in the front row where her family belonged, was her brother with Michelle at his side. He looked at her for a long moment, his expression poignant, tender, then he grinned like a rascal and winked. Michelle gave a small, happy wave. Emotion choked Rosie and she started gasping, unable to catch her breath.
“Hey.” Ethan slipped his arm around her. “Don’t faint on me now.”
She stared at him through a haze of tears. “Oh, Ethan…”
He caught her chin and tipped her face up to his. “I love you, Rosie.”
She covered her mouth with a shaking hand, gulped, but it didn’t help. Darn it, she never cried.
Ethan turned them both so that he blocked her from view with his body. Smiling, he used one fingertip to wipe the tears away. “You’re going to ruin your makeup, sweetheart.”
“But I thought you didn’t want this.” She sniffled, tried to pull herself together withoutmuch success. “Ethan, it’s wonderful, it really is. But you’re all that’s important. Nothing else matters to me…”
“It matters to me, Rosie. I used to think if I did this, everyone would see me and remember how I’d been jilted.” His mouth curled in a crooked smile. “Now I know what they’re really thinking.”
“What?”
His thumb rubbed under her chin, teasing her, keeping her face turned up to his. “That you’re beautiful, and that I’m the luckiest man alive.” He bent and kissed her to the roar of their guests. When he lifted his head, he grinned. “And I want the whole town to know that you’re mine.”
Rosie heard soft music begin, saw the guests all smiling and the flash of a camera capturing the moment.
Regina rushed up and handed her the bouquet.
Rosie stopped crying. She had
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