She’d found a beautiful white dress to be married in. It wasn’t exactly the bridal gown of her dreams and maybe the white was a bit of a stretch but it was a lovely off-the-shoulder summer frock that she could wear again. Cameron looked handsome and strong and sexy in his tuxedo. Sally and Trish had found an adorable matching tuxedo for little Jake to wear.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Adam said, and everyone raised their glasses as he proceeded to give a stirring speech.
“Cheers,” the guests cried, and Cameron and Julia took sips of the expensive champagne. The diamond on her finger twinkled and she smiled. The day after she’d told Cameron she would marry him, he had presented her with the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. Then he’d made love with her so tenderly, so sweetly, she’d been brought to tears. Yes, she knew Cameron didn’t love her, but she couldn’t fault him for putting on a really good act.
Julia had been consumed by both the catering conference and the sudden wedding plans, so Sally had taken on the task of inviting friends to the wedding. Many of Julia’s friends were there today, and for that alone, she fell in love with her new mother-in-law all over again.
Cameron’s two brothers were sharing the best man honors. Sally had held Jake quietly through the ceremony and the toast, but now the boy cried for Cameron to hold him.
“Come here, cowboy,” Cameron said, and hoisted Jake into his arms, putting an immediate stop to the whimpering. Holding Jake securely in one arm, Cameron put his other arm around Julia, then leaned in to kiss her. “Thank you. We’ll be happy, you’ll see.”
“I know,” she said, smiling. Then she was whisked away for a hug and a kiss on the lips from Brandon.
“Welcome to the family, gorgeous,” he said.
She smiled up at her handsome new brother-in-law. “Thank you, Brandon.”
“I’d like to welcome you, as well,” Adam said, then hauled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
Dizzy, she almost stumbled but caught herself. “Whew. Okay. Anyone for cake?”
Cameron scowled at his brothers, but Sally laughed as she linked arms with Julia. “They’re a formidable trio, aren’t they?”
“I’ll say,” Julia said, still breathless.
“This is a delightful party,” Sally said, giving her a quick hug before she left to join her girlfriends at the champagne bar.
Julia watched as other guests wandered over to the nearby tables where all sorts of hearty hors d’oeuvres shared space with numerous bite-sized desserts. Many of them were made following her own recipes so she knew they were delicious. She wished she’d had more time to prepare for the wedding, but things had turned out pretty well, under the circumstances.
Most importantly, she and Jake were now part of a family, and that made all the last-minute preparations worth it.
Her old friend Karolyn Swenson walked over and gathered her close for a hug.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Julia said. They’d known each other since grade school and Karolyn was her manager at the bakery.
“How could I miss it?” Karolyn said, gripping Julia’s hands in hers. “I still can’t believe you’re married. You actually went and did it.”
“I did it,” Julia said, and met her friend’s gaze. “Be happy for me?”
“Of course, I’m happy for you,” she said, then whispered, “He’s gorgeous. I assume he’s your baby’s daddy. Jake looks just like him.”
Julia gave a start of surprise. “Yes, he’s the one. And he’ll be a great dad. We’re going to be a happy family.”
“Then that’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Karolyn hugged her again, and Julia had the feeling her friend was trying to reassure her that she’d done the right thing.
As Karolyn walked away to find a glass of champagne, Julia’s resolve slipped. Was having a family all that mattered? Julia had thought so when she told Cameron she’d marry him, and again when she said “I do” a while ago. But honestly, how would she know? She hadn’t had a real family in almost twenty years. But it’s what she’d always wanted, so she would have to take it on faith that she was doing the right thing. Faith, and Cameron’s vow that the three of them would have a wonderful life together. As vows went, that was a good one.
“I brought you a fresh glass of champagne,” Sally said.
Julia turned and smiled her thanks and the older woman entwined her arm in Julia’s.
Sally sighed. “When I see the way Cameron looks at you, it warms my heart.”
Julia counted to five to ease the sudden tension she felt. “I know we’ll be really happy together.”
“Of course you will be.” Sally patted her arm. “Now look, you and I were friends long before we became family, right?”
“That’s right,” Julia said with a tentative smile.
“So I want you to tell me the truth. You do love Cameron, don’t you?”
Julia blinked. “Love him? Why, of course I…”
Sally studied her for a moment. “Was that a yes?”
“Oh, God,” she said lamely. It was impossible to lie. The fact was, she and Cameron had talked about his inability to love her, but as for whether Julia loved him or not…
What she knew for sure was that she wanted to be part of his family more than anything. She respected and cared for him a lot. She wouldn’t have agreed to marry him if she didn’t.
Her shoulders sagged. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Sally asked. “Interesting. It didn’t come up in conversation before you took the plunge?”
Julia bit her lip. “Well, yes, it did. But not in the way you think.”
“I suppose I appreciate your honesty,” Sally said. “But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I won’t be surprised if someday soon, you and Cameron both realize that what you’re feeling for each other is love.”
Julia grabbed Sally’s hand and squeezed. “I hope you’re right. But for now, please know that I’m happy. Really, really happy.”
“I’m happy, too, sweetheart.” Sally blinked back tears, then smiled and surveyed the crowd. “I’ll be honest. Once my sons were grown, I worried that they would have a hard time finding women who would love them for themselves and not for their money or position.”
“I imagine you’ve suffered through some scary moments over that issue.”
“You’d better believe it.” She winked at Julia. “But I don’t have to worry about that with you, do I?”
Julia laughed. “No, I don’t think anyone can accuse me of marrying your son for his money.”
“What’s so funny?” Cameron said, coming up behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side.
“Sally was just saying that nobody can accuse me of marrying you for your money.”
He chuckled, then thought about it for a moment. “I guess nobody can accuse me of that, either.”
“So it’s a win-win,” she said and smiled at him.
“Absolutely,” he murmured, and smiled back. Then he tightened his hold on her, pulling her even closer and resting his forehead against hers.
Sally looked on with interest, then said something about getting more champagne and walked away, leaving the newlyweds alone for a moment.
He stared into her eyes. “Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?”
She sighed. He was so handsome, and he’d been so good to her and Jake. It wouldn’t take much more for her to fall in love with him.
She stopped, stunned. What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she just confessed to Sally that she hadn’t married for love? She needed to get a grip. He was handsome and a nice guy, so all she was feeling was lust, not love. She glanced around as she cleared her throat. “It looks like everyone’s having a good time.”
“Thanks to you,” he said. As his brothers came over to talk to him, Cameron absently took hold of Julia’s hand and kissed her knuckles.
She sighed again. It had just been a momentary lapse, she assured herself. It wouldn’t happen again. She could blame it on the wedding itself. Weddings were romantic, that was a given. Everyone here, including his mother, had automatically assumed they were in love. And why wouldn’t they? She and Cameron had just repeated vows to love
