“Definitely foolish. But I’ll take it.”
They stayed there until Knox called them back. Until the cold became impossible to ignore. Until duty demanded they rejoin their own engagement party.
Chapter 27
SIX MONTHS LATER
The mirrorin Eleanor’s guest suite didn’t lie. She looked like an actual bride in a dress that made her heart skip when she first tried it on. Simple, elegant ivory with delicate lace sleeves that made her feel both beautiful and like herself. Six months after his lakeside proposal, here they were on Martha’s Vineyard, about to make it official.
“If you touch your hair one more time, I swear I’ll stab you with this bobby pin,” Lucy threatened, brandishing her weapon of choice. “I’ve spent forty minutes getting these curls right.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled, dropping her hands to her sides. “Nervous habit.”
“Nervous? You?” Lucy stepped back, assessing her handiwork with a critical eye. “The woman who told off an entire office full of people and then flew across the sound on a ferry to fix it? Puh-lease.”
She laughed despite the butterflies in her stomach. “That was different. This is forever.”
“Forever with a guy who looks at you like you’re the only star in his sky.” Lucy tucked a final pin into her updo. “Do you know how rare that is? Most women would kill for that look.”
“That’s dramatic, even for you,” she laughed.
“I’m serious!” Lucy insisted, turning Devney to face her. “I’ve never seen a man more in love. It’s actually sickening how perfect you two are together. Makes me want to hurl glitter all over your disgustingly happy life.”
She shook her head, smiling. “You have such a way with words.”
“It’s my gift,” she shrugged, then reached for the diamond earrings. “These were your grandmother’s, right?”
She nodded, emotion clogging her throat. “I wish she could have been here.”
“She is,” Lucy said, all humor dropping from her voice as she squeezed her friend’s hand. “She’d be so proud of you, Dev. Finding genuine love in the middle of a fake engagement. That’s some serious rom-com material.”
“We should sell the rights,” she joked, blinking back tears. “That might fund your bakery expansion.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Lucy grinned, then pointed sternly at her eyes. “And don’t you dare cry. I spent too long on your makeup.”
A knock interrupted them. Eleanor Beauchamp entered, elegant in a silver-blue dress that complemented her hair. Her eyes widened when she saw the bride.
“Oh, my dear,” she breathed, pressing a hand to her heart. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her voice wavered. “And thank you for all of this. The estate, the dress…everything.”
Eleanor waved away her thanks. “It’s been our pleasure. Andrew and I haven’t enjoyed ourselves this much in years.”
“Still,” she insisted, “you’ve gone from business associates to…I don’t even know what to call it.”
“Family,” Eleanor said. “You’ve become family to us, and we’re so happy to share in this day with you.”
“She’s probably been planning your wedding since Martha’s Vineyard,” Lucy said. “Face it, you’ve been adopted.”
She elbowed her friend discreetly but couldn’t deny the truth in her words. Eleanor had taken her under her wing with surprising grace, the kind that paid no mind to social standing.
“Speaking of planning,” Eleanor continued, “it’s nearly time. Ronan is waiting, and if his pacing wears a hole in our lawn, Andrew will never let him hear the end of it.”
She laughed at the image of her usually composed fiancé wearing a path in the grass. “We can’t have that.”
Lucy handed her a bouquet—a simple mix of cream roses, greenery, and one cheerful yellow sunflower nestled in the center.
“Ready to get hitched to Mr. Wilder?”
