Snowy Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor

friends.
    "Look at my girl, all dolled up to be the
lady of the manor." Her father kissed her cheek. "We're proud of
you, love. Marcus stopped to talk to us on his way in. He's turned
into a nice young man."
    "I know, Dad. I couldn't be happier."
    She passed Snow White's leash to Chloe, who
took her place behind her, ready to walk into the church.
    "You're not taking the dog in with you, are
you?" her mother asked.
    "Snow White is the reason Marcus and I met,
Mum."
    "Owen and I had a dog at our wedding as
well," Jennifer said. "It's a family tradition."
    "I don't want to keep Marcus waiting," Emily
said. The others wished her luck and hurried inside. Emily slipped
her hand through her dad's arm and they walked in the church door.
The burst of warm air as they passed inside was a relief after the
cold.
    The church was packed full with friends,
relatives, and villagers. Marcus stood beside his best man,
Jonathan, at the front, smiling as she walked down the aisle. The
strains of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" rose to the rafters,
played by the old man who owned the post office, who'd been the
church organist for fifty years.
    Marcus lifted her hand and kissed it as she
stepped up beside him. "Good morning, my darling," he
whispered.
    She squeezed his hand. "Missed you."
    "Me too."
    The vicar chuckled. "When you two have
finished talking, we'll start."
    The wedding ceremony flew by, the familiar
words spoken, the rings exchanged. She touched the diamond-studded
gold circle on her ring finger in wonder. This was real. She was
married.
    Marcus pulled her close and kissed her,
taking her by surprise.
    "I'm in a dream," she whispered, and he
laughed.
    "Congratulations, Mrs. Bramwell," he
said.
    "Thank you, my darling husband."
    Chloe passed Snow White's leash to Emily, and
her little dog trotted beside them as they walked out to be greeted
by a group of people, all pointing cameras at them.
    "Smile," Marcus said as the flashes nearly
blinded them.
    "I can't stop smiling," she said.
    She'd thought after Vicente that she would
never fall in love again. Now she realized she'd never been in love
with him, not really. Marcus had shown her what real love felt
like. He was her one and only.

Epilogue
    Marcus stopped the car near the back door of Rosemoor
Hall and opened the door. Stepping out of the air-conditioned
interior, the July heat hit him. He rounded the vehicle to open
Emily's door and took her elbow to help her out. She slid down from
the high four-wheel drive, wincing a little.
    "All right, darling?"
    "A little sore."
    He stroked the hair back from Emily's face
and kissed her. She'd been wonderful and brave, and he loved her so
much. Watching her give birth to their daughter had been the most
magical moment of his life.
    "I'm going to look after you. I'll run you a
lovely warm bath, and once you've fed Rose, you can have a long
soak and go to sleep. I'll look after her as much as I can
tonight."
    He opened the back door of the car and
unfastened the straps on the baby seat before lifting his precious
newborn girl into his arms. She had a little tuft of dark hair like
a Mohawk, and a squashed face. Yet to him, she was the most
beautiful baby in the world. He thought he'd fallen in love with
Emily fast, yet Rose had claimed his heart in an instant.
    He passed their adorable little girl to Emily
and while she went in, he gathered the rest of the baby
paraphernalia out of the back of the car, and then locked up.
    When he reached their apartment, Rose's
plaintive wail sounded, and he nearly tripped over as he dropped
everything to hurry to find out what was the matter. "Is she all
right?"
    Emily smiled. "A dirty nappy or an empty
tummy."
    "Oh, not the end of the world then." They
smiled at each other uncertainly. They both had so much to learn
about caring for a child. Vicky and Jonathan and Jennifer and Owen
made it look easy.
    "I'll do the bottom end, and then you can do
the top." Marcus took his daughter, feeling as though his