Caught in the Frame Read online

  * * *

  The ceremony went off without a hitch; Lila practically sailed down the aisle, and vows were exchanged above sniffles from an emotional audience. Chloe, grateful for the wonder of waterproof mascara, shed tears of joy at the depth of love she saw on both Lila’s and Javier’s faces. As they said their vows, EV noticed the look passing between Chloe and Nate; deducing that it wouldn’t be long before they made pronouncements of their own. By the time Mr. & Mrs. Javier Rosales made their entrance into the Rose Room, Chloe’s eyes were dry and beaming.

  All of Lila’s careful planning had paid off: soft, twinkling lights sparkled off beveled crystal at every place setting; the pale blue bridesmaids dresses provided inspiration for a neutral gray, silver, and gold color scheme punctuated with sapphire accents; and a decadent blue velvet cake covered in fondant and white chocolate roses elicited a chorus of oohs and ahhs when cut.

  A delayed flight had given Javier and Tomas mere moments to reconnect before they had to take their places at the front of the room. After Baylee’s emotional phone call to tell Tomas of Remy Vincent’s arrest and that all charges against Tomas had been dropped, his attorneys had moved heaven and earth to get his travel documents reissued so he could get to the castle in time for the wedding.

  Watching his brother stride into the lobby, take his wife in his arms, and kiss the breath out of her released the last weight from Javier’s heart. When Tomas stood to deliver his best man speech, it was with more confidence and poise than he had displayed for quite some time.

  “To my big brother—my hero—and his beautiful bride: thank you for the unending support you have provided me, even in my darkest hour. It’s been a difficult year for me, and you’ve stuck by me through thick and thin. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” His gaze broke from where it hovered between Javier and Lila, searching for Baylee, whose teary-eyed expression was full of hope for the first time in too long.

  “Lila, I know you can take care of yourself; you’re an exceptional woman. But from now on, you’ve got a partner who, I can attest, will never fail to support you and fight for you. We should all strive to be the husband I know Javi will be. Love you both!”

  Everyone toasted, the newlyweds exchanged besotted kisses, and when Chloe saw a camera flash, she knew Baylee had captured the moment.

  * * *

  The party continued long into the night. Two hunky bartenders and a few kitchen staffers offered to stay and keep the food hot and the drinks flowing; Chloe noticed a tip jar full to bursting, even though Lila’s tab included a generous gratuity. She guessed they’d serve until dawn, if given the opportunity. Noticing a break in the steady stream of well-wishers who had monopolized most of Lila and Javier’s evening, Chloe gathered EV, Nate, and Dalton and whisked the happy couple into a changing room reserved for the bridal party.

  “Something arrived in my email yesterday afternoon; a gift for you two. I forwarded you a copy, but I thought it would be appropriate if we all took a look at it now.” Chloe explained while booting up her laptop. “Congratulations from Ponderosa Pines.”

  A few clicks opened a video, beginning with a panoramic view of Ponderosa Pines that Chloe could tell had been filmed from atop the church bell tower. Sparkling snow clung to every tree branch, covered every roof, and formed fluffy banks along each winding road through town. The village looked like a winter wonderland, and Chloe appreciated Javier’s involuntary, awed gasp at the sight. “Congratulations, Lila & Javier!” scrawled across the screen in glitter script, as if written with the wave of a magic wand.

  Swirling into a pinwheel, the scene changed to a view of the town square where, it seemed, the entire town had gathered. A chorus of congratulations broke out over the notes of Pachelbel’s Cannon. Everyone waved and blew kisses at the camera, and when Chloe peeled her eyes from the screen there wasn’t a dry eye among the group.

  Priscilla Lewellyn’s face appeared on the screen; she was sitting in the back room of Thread, surrounded by skeins of yarn and backdropped by an intricate quilt depicting an arial map of Ponderosa Pines. “Hello, Lila and Javier. We all wanted you to know that we’re so happy for you, and we wish you both a lifetime of happiness. You are in our thoughts, and we hope you’ll make it home for a visit one of these days!” As Priscilla and Thread faded into the background, Lottie and Talia swirled into focus.

  “Watch out, Javier, you married one spitfire of a woman!” Lottie warned, an uncharacteristically warm smile emblazoned across her face. Apparently, Lila was one of the few people on Lottie’s good side—probably due to her significantly distant proximity. “And you must be one hell of a man if she chose to spend the rest of her life with you.” The statement was punctuated by a suggestive wiggling of eyebrows and a sly smile that actually brought a blush to Javier’s face.

  Continuing on for several more minutes, a good percentage of the town expressed their congratulations, some including a story or anecdote about Lila’s youth, and all urging the couple to plan a visit to the Pines as soon as possible. When the last image faded from the screen, a teary-eyed Lila took turns embracing each of the five of them before returning to her place at Javier’s side.

  “Damn those crazy old bats!” Lila exclaimed, wiping her face with a dainty white handkerchief. “Now I’m going to have to visit.” She shot a meaningful look at EV, knowing her friend would recall Lila’s promise to return when EV married Dalton. EV rolled her eyes in response, but shot a look at Dalton that spoke volumes in Lila’s educated opinion.

  “Well, I, for one, can’t wait.” Javier had caught the Ponderosa Pines bug; Chloe guessed she’d be seeing a lot more of her mother in the future. The thought put a smile on her face, and as she wrapped one arm around Nate’s waist and the other around EV’s, she couldn’t help feel like everything was finally falling into place.

  Epilogue

  Chloe padded over to the kitchen in search of coffee, clad in one of Nate’s button-down shirts, her hair disheveled. Humming to herself, she filled the carafe with water and set the machine to brew. As she leaned over the sink, Nate watched her from beneath a pile of fur blankets stretched in front of a roaring, rustic stone fireplace. How did I get so lucky? He thought, as Chloe stretched on her tiptoes to get a better view of the rolling Irish hillside encompassing the cottage’s backyard, and revealing her long, lean legs.

  Nate watched her for a long moment, then stole to the entryway and pulled a small box from his coat pocket. He was back before she realized he had moved, and when she returned with two steaming cups of coffee and pulled a fuzzy throw around her shoulders, Chloe still hadn’t noticed the beatific expression on his face.

  “We only have two more days here.” Chloe lamented. “I’m excited about going home, but I also don’t want to leave. I like spending my days and nights with you. And I don’t want you to go back to your father’s house.” She finished quietly, not quite meeting his gaze. She didn’t want to push her luck; make him feel like she wanted more than he was ready to give. But if she was honest with herself, Chloe knew her feelings ran deep—and she hoped they were on the same page.

  Nate pulled himself into a sitting position, set his cup on a nearby end table and leaned toward her. He gently placed a finger under her chin and lifted Chloe’s face until they were looking into one another’s eyes. “I don’t want to go back either. I want to stay with you, forever. I love you, Chloe.” As he spoke, Nate shifted onto his knees and pulled the box from where it was stashed between two pillows.

  “I’ve always loved you, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you make me the happiest man alive?” And with that, he opened the box and held his breath as he watched her expression change from casual excitement to gleeful incredulity. Nestled inside the box was a ring that would make any woman sing; a vintage, white gold pave band sparkled in the firelight, twisting around an exquisite, princess-cut diamond at least two carats in weight.

  It was beautiful, but Chloe would have said y
es to whatever had come out of a Cracker Jack box. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized this wasn’t a dream—she really would get to keep Nate by her side forever. Wrapping her arms around his neck with a vice-like grip, Chloe answered Nate’s question with a deep, head-swimming kiss. When she finally released him, her jubilant “yes” left no room for doubt.

  THE END