The look her mother gave her made Jane laugh. Her eyes shifted to her sisters, and she offered them smiles as well. Ruth was pregnant again, and she’d started to show. That made baby number three. Serenity was at her side, looking a little sad but doing well at covering it up. A twinge of pain shot through Jane’s heart. Serenity’s husband had died in a work-related accident several months ago, and his loss was still hitting everyone hard.
While she wasn’t alone in the traditional sense—she still had her mother and sisters—Serenity still seemed to be a little lost without her other half.
Jane planned on asking her if she’d be interested in staying at Sagebrush for the summer so Jane could help with the kids. Noah had agreed it was a good idea, and that had been that.
The room was already feeling crowded when the door opened again, and Hallie hurried inside, shutting the door behind her with a thud. Her eyes darted around the room before landing on Jane. “Noah’s out there. Don’t let him see you. It’s bad luck.”
Jane snickered at Noah’s cousin. “I had no plans on going out there—” Her words were cut off when there was a pounding at the door. The room fell silent, and Hallie gave Jane a pointed look before shaking her head.
Jane laughed again then called out. “Yes?”
The knob rattled, but as Hallie had apparently locked it, the person on the other side couldn’t open it. “Jane, I have something to tell you.”
She glanced to Hallie again, who once again shook her head and mouthed, ‘bad luck.’ She sighed as she got to her feet and moved toward the door. Placing her hand against the cool wood, she spoke with amusement in her tone. “I’m sure this can wait until after the ceremony.”
There was a pause before Noah’s voice lowered. “It’s important.”
She didn’t hear concern in that voice. If anything, there was excitement. He sounded like a little boy on Christmas morning, and she couldn’t fight the smile that threatened to spill over the edges of her face. “Then tell me.”
“Not like this.”
She laughed again and shot a look at Hallie and the others, who stared on with curiosity. “It’s bad luck if you see me before the ceremony.”
His sigh permeated the door, and she could imagine him running a hand through his hair with frustration. “There’s a deadline on this deal, and I have to respond in the next ten minutes or?—”
Without thinking, she pulled open the door to gape at him. “You’re making business deals on our wedding day?”
His mouth was agape as his eyes trailed over her body, taking in the lace and beaded work on the bodice of her wedding gown. Hallie yanked her aside with a gasp and placed herself between the two of them. Jane fought another laugh, but Noah managed to squeeze past her and take Jane’s hands in his own. “There’s another company that wants to partner with your charity. They’d be bringing more funds, but they’d also be donating an entire facility to be built here in Rocky Ridge.”
This time, her mouth fell open. “What?”
He nodded. “The head of the company, Kat Jerris, insisted that she’s got a lot of options open to her, and she wanted to make you the first offer. But she’s got pressure from the members of her board, and she says the deal is too unbalanced for them to let us have much time to think about it.”
“Let’s do it,” Jane blurted.
“But—” He frowned, taking both of her hands. “If we partner, I don’t know what that would do to the charity you’re running in your name. It could change everything. We’d have to make adjustments?—”
She squeezed his hand and moved closer. “I don’t need the fame or recognition. That’s not what this is about, and you know it.” She leaned in close and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, drawing a disgruntled gasp from Hallie. Jane ignored her. “Like you said, it’s a deal that’s too good to pass up.”
“And you can hash out the details after the wedding is over.” Hallie gave Noah a firm push, causing him to stumble backward into the hallway. He gave his cousin a cheeky grin and winked at Jane as the door shut between them.
Hallie had her hands on her hips, looking every bit as disappointed in Jane’s decision to open the door as Jane had expected. Jane pulled her in for a hug and another laugh. Then she picked up her skirts and returned to the chair to have her makeup done.
Jane and Noahspun around the dance floor, the guests a blur around them. She only had eyes for the man who held her in his arms. Today had been perfect. She’d been surrounded by the people she loved most, and she wouldn’t have changed it for the world. As she rested her cheek to Noah’s shoulder, she thought back to how different things had been when she’d first moved to Rocky Ridge.
So much had changed. She’d found love in the most unexpected place. She’d made friends and started a job that she loved with her whole heart. This was pure and utter bliss.
Noah’s hands trailed up and down her back, eliciting shivers he had no right to give her in public. He hummed a contented sound, and she gazed up at him, but his eyes were locked elsewhere.
When she looked in that direction, she saw Reese chatting with her family at a table where they were seated.
“Something wrong?” she asked Noah.
He dropped his gaze to meet hers and shook his head with a smile. “Just thinking.”
“About?” she drawled.
“About how much everything is going to change this summer. Kat wants to visit Sagebrush to see where the horses are coming from for the therapy services. She wants to learn about the training process. I told her she’s welcome to stay as long as she wants.”
