“I have nothing against you; in fact, I encouraged her to go after what she wanted. But, I had to make sure you weren’t going to try to clip her wings. I can see that you want her to be happy, and that you’d go to the ends of the earth to ensure that she is.”
Nate interjected gently but firmly, “You know this means you’re going to have to butt out now, right? I can only handle so much interference.”
“I will, I promise. And I’m sorry for making you feel like you had something to prove. You’ll understand, someday, when you have children of your own,” she punctuated the statement with a pointed look, “the overwhelming need to meddle. Can you forgive me?” Nate doubted many people had ever been on the receiving end of a Lila LaRue apology, and accepted it without further to-do.
“You realize I’m not going to bow out gracefully, and that means you and I will be spending time together. Hopefully, as family.”
Lila’s encouraging smile gave Nate permission to ask the big question. “I want to marry Chloe more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life. Your blessing would mean a lot to me, and to her. Do I have your permission to propose?”
Tears sprung to Lila’s eyes as she enveloped Nate in an unguarded hug. “Of course you do. Take care of my baby.”
“I will.”
Chapter 21
Lila stood on a pedestal surrounded by mirrors, watching the admiring faces of her beloved bridal party. Baylee knelt before her, the clicking of her camera audible above the din of a hundred anxious guests waiting in the next room for Lila’s entrance.
EV, sporting enough pancake makeup to cover her bruises, produced a small velvet box from the bag of emergency supplies Chloe insisted they put together “just in case”.
“Lila, I have something for you, something old.” With a tender smile, she lifted the lid and removed a single, 24-karat gold, diamond-encrusted hairpin.
Lila gasped. “I can’t believe you remembered this! You’re going to make me cry and ruin my makeup!”
“My mother had a whole set of these; six in all.” EV explained to Chloe and Faith. “We used to play with them as kids, can you imagine? There wasn’t much use for this kind of trinket in Ponderosa Pines, so she sold them and used the money to help construct the turbines that now power the town. I think it was more about making a statement than actually needing the money. But she kept this one as a memento, and I thought…” EV’s voice tightened, and when she looked up at Lila, her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.
“It’s perfect, and I love you. Thank you.” EV slid the pin into place and stepped back to appraise the bride. “It’s also a loaner; I might need it one of these days.” She added with a wink.
“So that’s old and borrowed; your necklace is new; now we just need something blue.” Chloe looked around the room in a panic. Of all the things to forget.
Lila lifted her dress, exposing one shapely leg and pointed to a lacy garter edged in blue satin. “All set. Let’s get this show on the road.”
* * *
The ceremony went off without a hitch; Lila practically sailed down the aisle, and vows were exchanged above sniffles from an emotional audience. Chloe, grateful for the wonder of waterproof mascara, shed tears of joy at the depth of love she saw on both Lila’s and Javier’s faces. As they said their vows, EV noticed the look passing between Chloe and Nate; deducing that it wouldn’t be long before they made pronouncements of their own. By the time Mr. & Mrs. Javier Rosales made their entrance into the Rose Room, Chloe’s eyes were dry and beaming.
All of Lila’s careful planning had paid off: soft, twinkling lights sparkled off beveled crystal at every place setting; the pale blue bridesmaids dresses provided inspiration for a neutral gray, silver, and gold color scheme punctuated with sapphire accents; and a decadent blue velvet cake covered in fondant and white chocolate roses elicited a chorus of oohs and ahhs when cut.
A delayed flight had given Javier and Tomas mere moments to reconnect before they had to take their places at the front of the room. After Baylee’s emotional phone call to tell Tomas of Remy Vincent’s arrest and that all charges against Tomas had been dropped, his attorneys had moved heaven and earth to get his travel documents reissued so he could get to the castle in time for the wedding.
Watching his brother stride into the lobby, take his wife in his arms, and kiss the breath out of her released the last weight from Javier’s heart. When Tomas stood to deliver his best man speech, it was with more confidence and poise than he had displayed for quite some time.
“To my big brother—my hero—and his beautiful bride: thank you for the unending support you have provided me, even in my darkest hour. It’s been a difficult year for me, and you’ve stuck by me through thick and thin. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” His gaze broke from where it hovered between Javier and Lila, searching for Baylee, whose teary-eyed expression was full of hope for the first time in too long.
“Lila, I know you can take care of yourself; you’re an exceptional woman. But from now on, you’ve got a partner who, I can attest, will never fail to support you and fight for you. We should all strive to be the husband I know Javi will be. Love you both!”
Everyone toasted, the newlyweds exchanged besotted kisses, and when Chloe saw a camera flash, she knew Baylee had captured the moment.
* * *
The party continued long into the night. Two hunky
