Hearing that in his voice, seeing the unmistakable love in his eyes, Heather felt doubly blessed. Not only was this her wedding day, but perhaps it would be a fresh start with a new perspective for her parents as well. It was a long shot, but today was definitely a day for dreams to come true.
* * *
Driftwood Cottage was bathed in moonlight. Heather and Connor had made the decision to spend their wedding night here, in the house that would be their home. There were still a few final touches to be completed, but Mick had called in extra men to make sure it would be mostly ready for them.
Standing on the porch, Connor looked into Heather’s eyes. “We’re finally home,” he said quietly. “And you look more beautiful than I’ve ever seen you. What’s the old song—something about moonlight becoming you? You look radiant.”
“I feel like a bride,” she said, a smile on her lips. “Thank you for giving me this moment, for giving me a day like today.”
“I should have done it long ago,” Connor said. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I think most people, if they have any sense at all, are a little scared by the idea of marriage, but you had more reasons than most to be afraid.”
“Maybe so, but I had you. I knew the kind of person you are. I knew what we had. This decision should have been easy.”
“Well, you made it eventually, and we’re here now,” she said. “Are we going to go inside? I think the wedding night tradition is the one part of all this hoopla that might appeal to you the most.”
Connor laughed. “No question about it,” he said, inserting the key into the lock and opening the door. He scooped her up and carried her across the threshold, then kicked the door closed behind them. Then, without hesitation, he carried her up the steps and into the master suite.
He’d left the wedding night decor of the room to his sister. Jess had a real romantic streak, and, thanks to the honeymoon suite at her inn, she was an old hand at getting all the touches just right.
Sure enough, there were white rose petals scattered across the bed, which was covered with one of Heather’s quilts—a wedding ring pattern, if he wasn’t mistaken. A bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket on a tray with two crystal flutes. There was even a tray of hors d’oeuvres, including chocolate-dipped strawberries. Every surface held an array of candles just waiting to be lit. The cooperative moon spilled its silvery light through the windows.
Heather’s eyes sparkled as she looked around. “Connor, it’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Are you glad you waited to see it?” he asked.
She nodded. “You got every detail exactly right.”
“You can thank Jess for all the little wedding night touches.”
“I’ll definitely do that.” She glanced around. “Do you suppose she put my negligee in here?”
Connor grinned. “You won’t need it for long, but I believe it’s in the bathroom. Why don’t we have a glass of champagne first?”
Her gaze held his. “Why don’t we?” she agreed in a breathless whisper.
He poured the champagne, then led the way to a love-seat tucked into the nook of the room’s large bay window. When they were seated, he looked into her eyes and saw his soul reflected there.
“We’re going to be happy here. I promise you that. I will do everything in my power to make sure you never regret marrying me.”
“That’s the promise I should be making,” she told him. “We’re going to make this work, Connor. We’re going to beat every depressing divorce statistic and be married for fifty years.”
“Longer,” he corrected at once. “It’s taken me a while to get there, but I do believe that.”
And when he leaned in to kiss his bride on this night that would be the start of their journey, he knew with every fiber of his being that they would make it a good one.
* * * * *
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Connor’s distaste for marriage is deeply rooted in his parents’ divorce and has been reinforced by his career as an attorney handling bitterly contested divorces. Have you ever known someone whose past experiences have shaped their attitude toward love and marriage? Were they able to overcome the past to find happiness?
Connor eventually leaves his Baltimore law firm and returns home to Chesapeake Shores to practice a different kind of law. Why do you think he reached that decision? Who do you think was most responsible for leading him to make the choice to change the direction of his career? Have you ever influenced a friend or spouse’s decision to change careers? Under what circumstances?
When Connor ultimately recognizes that he can’t imagine a life without Heather, she doesn’t believe his sudden turnaround. Do you think it’s possible to take a fresh look at core values and change so dramatically? Have you ever done so? Why?
As Megan O’Brien had felt when leaving Mick, Heather felt she had to leave Connor in order to have the kind of future and family she truly wanted. Megan has admitted that she made such a drastic choice in the hope of getting Mick’s attention. The ploy failed. Do you think Heather left for the same reason? Or was she truly determined to move on to make a new life for herself and her son?
Heather had very mixed feelings about being welcomed so warmly into the O’Brien family. She wanted that experience for her son, but it was very difficult for her knowing that she wasn’t truly a part of the family and never would be. Have you ever felt that you lost not
