Noah liked the way Cassie’s mind worked. He liked the pretty dress she was wearing, and he really liked her.
When the bridal march began and Sam walked down the aisle, Cassie’s bottom lip quivered. “She looks beautiful.”
Noah studied the stunning pearl and diamond necklace Sam wore. “Is she wearing one of your necklaces?” he whispered.
Cassie nodded.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you.”
Noah settled back in his seat to enjoy the rest of the wedding. He’d only been to a couple of weddings since his engagement ended. Each time, he wondered if his friends were making the right decision. But for some reason, seeing Sam and Caleb get married had restored his faith in humanity.
Their wedding vows were simple and came straight from their hearts. Even last night, as they’d gone through the service at the rehearsal, Noah had seen just how committed they were to each other.
“They look so happy,” Cassie whispered. “Sam’s mom hasn’t stopped crying.”
“She isn’t the only one.” Noah lifted his hand and wiped a tear off Cassie’s cheek. By the time her friends were pronounced husband and wife, she’d used nearly all the tissues in her bag.
Cassie sighed. “It was a lovely wedding. If I ever get married, I want it to be here, surrounded by my family and friends.”
Noah looked into her eyes and felt his world shift. He wanted to be the man who could change her life. The man who would be a loving husband and a good father. The man who would be beside her for the rest of their lives.
But if she ever discovered who had paid the legal costs of the man who had accused her dad of stealing his designs, she wouldn’t speak to him again.
“Are you all right?” Cassie touched his arm. “If you need some fresh air, we can go outside.”
Noah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After he’d left Tasha, he never expected to fall in love again. But now, as Caleb and Sam signed their marriage license, he knew he wanted to be more than Cassie’s friend.
His hand tightened against the edge of the chair. “I’m fine. Do you know where Willow is taking the bridal party for their wedding photos?”
“A friend of Caleb’s owns a big house not far from Sapphire Bay. It has an incredible view of Flathead Lake and is surrounded by pine and spruce trees. Willow thought it would make a wonderful location for the photos.”
“It sounds perfect.”
Cassie studied his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded and looked around the church. With its stained-glass windows and high-pitched ceiling, there was a timeless elegance to its architecture. Generations of families, tied together by love and a belief that was as old as time, had been baptized and married in the old brick building. What happened here was important and could change someone’s life forever.
He took another deep breath and held Cassie’s hand. “I need to tell you something.”
The confusion on her face worried him. He thought she might have realized how he felt about her. He’d come to Sapphire Bay to find the mysterious C.J. Davis and, in her place, he’d found Cassie, an amazing woman who was proud, determined, and so kind it made his heart ache.
“What did you want to tell me?” Cassie asked.
The words stuck in his throat. What if he’d totally misread her feelings about him? It could spoil their friendship and interfere with their working relationship. And Cassie’s future with his company was something he wasn’t prepared to risk. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you later.”
“Are you sure?”
He looked away, embarrassed by the lie. “Sam’s sisters seem to be enjoying themselves.”
Cassie turned toward Bailey and Shelley. They were laughing at something one of the groomsmen had said. “They’re probably feeling a lot happier now that Caleb and Sam are married. Before the wedding, they were worried about their mom. She was so stressed they thought she was going to faint.”
“Because Shelley decided at the last moment not to get married?”
“Exactly. Sam’s mom was convinced the same thing would happen to Sam.”
Noah could sympathize with what had happened to Shelley. Like her, he’d learned the hard way that sometimes you had to follow your head and not your heart. And if he was clever, that’s what he’d do now.