She refused to give in so easily. He needed to understand that he couldn’t get his way about everything in their new life. “That’s a maybe,” she corrected. “October’s awfully short notice to pull a wedding together. Maybe next October would be better.”
“That’s more than a year from now,” he protested. “What if we get cold feet?”
“I won’t,” she said with certainty. “Will you?”
“No, but—”
“If what we’re feeling is real, it won’t hurt to wait.”
Sean regarded her with obvious disappointment. “Isn’t there anything I can say to persuade you to move things up? How about if I promise to spend every day of my life making you happy, building a family with you that can’t be broken?”
She touched a finger to his lips. “I already believe that with all my heart.”
Sean sighed. “Then there’s nothing I can say?”
“I can’t think of anything,” she said.
“I guess there is a bright side,” he said finally. “At least Hank won’t win a few hundred bucks from the guys at the station.”
She stared at him blankly. “What does our wedding date have to do with Hank winning a bunch of money?”
Sean hesitated, then shrugged. “Now don’t get too upset, but he’s got a bet going at the station. He thinks I don’t know about it, but nothing stays secret down there for long. He bet that you and I would wind up married by fall.”
“He what?”
“I told you not to get upset,” he scolded. “All the other guys thought it was a sucker bet. Hell, even I thought it was a sucker bet. I’d have put my money on Hank and Ruby getting to the altar a whole lot faster that the two of us.” He shook his head in disgust. “I can’t believe those two are still dillydallying around. Anybody with two eyes can see they’re meant for each other.”
Suddenly Deanna saw the humor in the situation. “And if we’re not married by fall, this fall, Hank loses, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe I should re-think this,” she said, her expression turning thoughtful. “Winter officially begins December twenty-first.” She snuggled just a little closer to this man who’d taught her to dream again. “I know it’s not quite as soon as you were thinking, and it’s a whole lot sooner than I was planning, but actually I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to get married on New Year’s Eve.”
“New Year’s Eve,” he repeated slowly, his gaze locked with hers. “This New Year’s Eve?”
“Seems like the perfect time to commit to a fresh start, don’t you think?” she asked solemnly, trying to keep a grin from spreading across her face.
For a minute Sean seemed to be absorbing the comment, interpreting it, and then he let out a whoop. Deanna wasn’t entirely sure if Sean’s delight was at her sneaky way of winning the bet or at his success in getting her to say yes to a very short engagement.
Then his mouth was covering hers, and none of that mattered. In fact, she didn’t have any more doubts about anything at all.
Epilogue
Hank was still grumbling about having been cheated out of hundreds of dollars by a few short weeks, but he was decked out in a tuxedo and standing beside Sean as they waited for Ruby and Deanna to walk down the aisle of a church in the neighborhood. They’d considered the same church where Ryan and Maggie had wed, but the reality was that Father Francis’s hands were tied, because Deanna was not only divorced, but Protestant.
Once the old priest had heard the whole story, though, he’d said, “That doesn’t mean I can’t participate in a service held at another church, if that’s what you two would like.”
Sean had grinned at his clever way of skirting the rules. It was little wonder Ryan and Maggie adored the man.
Now, as the organist began to play, Sean’s gaze shot to the back of the church. Kevin appeared first, wearing a tuxedo that was already wrinkled, a cowlick of hair sticking straight up despite the gel Sean had used to tame it. When he spotted Sean, a grin split his face and he started forward, holding tightly to a pillow bearing the rings as if he’d been entrusted with a priceless piece of fragile crystal. Sean gave him an encouraging wink.
Beside Sean, Hank sucked in a breath as Ruby appeared in a gown of black velvet that clung to every curve and yet managed to have a totally proper and regal look to it. Sean knew that an engagement ring was all but burning a hole in the pocket of Hank’s tux. If he was any judge of anything having to do with love, Ruby was bound to say yes. New Year’s Eve was going to be a night to remember for all of them.
Then Deanna appeared, framed by splashes of red and white poinsettias, her white satin gown shimmering in the candlelight. Every single thought in Sean’s head vanished at his first glimpse of her. She was stunningly beautiful, but there was an unmistakable hint of sadness in her eyes that he suspected only he could see. He also thought he knew the cause.
He held his breath before finally catching a movement just to her side. He heard a whisper, saw her gaze shift and a look of wonder spread across her face. Until that moment Sean hadn’t been sure he’d done the right thing. Now he knew he had.
A tall, distinguished-looking man stepped into place beside Deanna and held out his arm. After the slightest hint of hesitation Deanna linked her arm through her father’s, and together they walked toward the front of the church.
When they reached Sean’s side, her father, his eyes misty, bent and kissed her, then placed her hand in Sean’s. His gaze held Sean’s for just a minute and then he moved to take a seat beside a woman who was unashamedly crying in the front row.
Apparently hearing the faint sound, Deanna gasped. Her
