Dinah stood and strode over to the microphone. “Thank you so much for coming tonight to celebrate my husband’s birthday,” she said magnanimously. She looked at Bruce adoringly and blew him a kiss like they were the perfect couple. Bruce shifted and pulled at his collar, managing a tight smile. “We’ve had some exciting things take place in our family.” Her tone went conspiratorial like she was delivering juicy gossip to her girlfriends. “Folks, you’re gonna love this,” she purred. “Without further ado, I’d like to invite my former daughter-in-law, Silver Coulter, to come up.” Dinah’s eyes danced. “She has a very important announcement to make.”
Silver’s hands oozed sweat as all eyes turned to her. She stood, her heart clanging against her ribcage. She made a point of holding her shoulders erect as she strode to the microphone stand. “Thanks, Dinah,” she said, plastering on a smile. She caught the glint in Dinah’s eye, warning her to stay the course.
“Good evening,” Silver began, then realized Dinah was still standing beside her. She made a point of turning to her, then back to the microphone. “It’s okay, Dinah, I’m a big girl. I think I can handle this. You can sit down beside your adoring husband.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure he’s missing you by his side.”
This elicited a rumble of laughter from the crowd. Dinah flinched. “Watch it,” she whispered, then flashed a prima donna smile and laughed good naturedly as she sat down.
Silver took a deep breath and looked at Riley, who was wearing the smile of a champ. Gracie was still bent over, intent on coloring. Oh, how she loved her little girl.
“Most of you know me—or at least know me through my association with the Coulters.” She motioned. “But for those who don’t, this is my daughter, Gracie.” At the mention of her name, Gracie’s head came up. She offered a shy smile and waved. “Gracie is special. She was born with an extra chromosome. Or, as most people call it, Down syndrome.”
Gracie smiled broadly and nodded vigorously, causing her pigtails to shake. Out of the corner of her eye, Silver caught a glimpse of Dinah’s rigid expression.
A rush of tender emotion went through Silver as she swallowed. “Most people—even some members of our family—consider Gracie’s condition a burden, but nothing could be further from the truth. Gracie teaches me every day. When she was born, and I held her for the first time, I felt a depth of love I had never before experienced.” Tears glistened in Silver’s eyes. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and that I wouldn’t always know what to do. But that was okay.” A smile trembled over her lips. “Because we would love and grow together.” Time seemed suspended and she had the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff, about to take the plunge. “Dinah asked me to come up here to announce that Riley and I are getting remarried.”
Murmurs rippled through the audience.
Here it was—the point of no return. What she was about to do could either save her or destroy her, but she’d go down fighting … hunt down her happily ever-after and drag it back. “But that’s not true.”
Everyone went dead silent. “The truth is—Riley and I should’ve never gotten married to start with. It was a disaster from day one, and I don’t intend to repeat that mistake.”
“This is an outrage,” she heard Dinah say. She moved to stand, but Bruce caught her arm.
“Sit down, and let her finish,” he ordered.
As hard as it was to say this in public, Silver knew she had to press forward and tell it all—for that was the only hope she had of being free from Dinah. She looked at Riley, who had a murderous expression on his beet-red face. Her intent wasn’t to humiliate him, but to set the record straight once and for all.
“Like I said, I should’ve never married Riley. Not when I was in love with someone else.” She clutched the microphone for all it was worth. Her knees felt weak and wobbly. “My love came to my wedding and begged me not to marry Riley.” She paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “And I almost didn’t. I almost went after my love, but Dinah overheard the conversation. She came into the dressing room and offered me a deal.”
“She’s lying,” Dinah hissed.
“Be quiet,” Bruce barked, stunning Dinah into silence.
A single tear rolled down Silver’s cheek as she swallowed. “You see, I was raised by a single mother. We didn’t have much money, and my mother was sick with a rare lung disease. Her medical bills were expensive. Dinah offered to pay for my mother’s treatments if I married Riley.”
Gasps sounded in the evening air.
“How could you do that to our son? To her?” Bruce asked.
Dinah just sat there, her head held high, tears glittering in her eyes as she stared straight ahead.
“I take full responsibility for my part in this,” Silver continued. “True to her word, Dinah paid for my mother’s treatments.” Her voice hitched. “Sadly they didn’t work, however, and my mother passed away a year after Gracie was born. To make a long story short, Riley and I got divorced, and that brings us to the present.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “I recently had the privilege of reconnecting with the love that I had lost.” She smiled through her tears. “But Dinah didn’t like it. She didn’t want it to appear as though her son was sub-par and that I was trading him in for someone else. As if you can pick out a love like you’re picking out a car,” she muttered. All eyes turned to Dinah, whose deep-tanned face had turned a chalky yellow. “A few days ago, Dinah offered me another deal.”
“What did you do?” Bruce muttered through clenched teeth.
“Well, this time it was more of a threat, actually. You see, Dinah knows I’ll do anything to protect my daughter. I won’t bore you with the sordid details, but essentially, Dinah threatened to take away my daughter if I didn’t agree to re-marry Riley.” She held up a finger. “Oh, and she sabotaged Gracie’s chance of getting into a good school as well.”
A roar went through the audience as people started talking amongst themselves.
Silver turned. “Bruce, I’m sorry to put a damper on your birthday party, but I felt like the truth was long overdue.” She shrugged. “And well, Dinah did invite me to come up and say a few words.” A whoosh of wind rustled through the garden. The bottoms of the sooty clouds looked like they could split open any minute.
“Ace Sanchez,” Silver heard someone say.
Silver smiled regretfully. “Yes, Ace Sanchez is the man in question, the love of my life.” She hesitated. “Unfortunately, I fear that I lost him.” She felt the first drops of rain.
“No, Ace Sanchez is here,” a voice said.
She jerked, holding her hand above her eyes as a shield from the lights so she could see into the audience. Ace came striding towards her. Her heart leapt as she let out a half-laugh, half-cry, her hand going over her mouth.
“You haven’t lost me,” he said. When he reached her, he swept her into his arms.
She searched his handsome face, peering into his compelling eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Ace,” Gracie said, waving heartily. She held up the paper. “My picture. I drew for you.”
“It’s beautiful,” Ace said, bringing a few chuckles from nearby tables.
Gracie looked up at the sky and held up her hands. “It’s raining.”
A troubled expression came over Ace as he searched Silver’s face. “I had no idea about your mother’s treatments. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears dribbled down her cheeks, mixing with the rain. “I didn’t know how.”
He nodded, his lips drawing together.
“I’m sorry.” The words were a healing balm to her soul, bringing a swift relief over her.
“I’m sorry too.” A crooked grin tipped his lips. “That was some speech. Talk about a Hail Mary Pass. You really went for the gusto. Even had Ariana cheering.”
“Is she here?”
He chuckled. “Oh, yeah … she’s here.”
A burst of exhilaration ran through Silver. The raindrops turned to a light drizzle. “I
love you,” she exclaimed joyously. It was liberating to be able to say it out loud, in the open, for all to hear.
“I love you too,” he uttered, his lips claiming hers, sending a shot of adrenaline through her that sizzled her blood. A loud applause broke out around them as people jumped to their feet and gave them a standing ovation.
Then a loud clap of thunder sent people scurrying to get indoors as the drizzle turned to a downpour.
Ace took Silver’s hand. “Let’s get Gracie and get inside.”
Before they could move, Dinah stepped up to Silver, a crazed expression in her eyes. “I’ve never been so insulted in my life,” she hissed, getting up in Silver’s face. Her voice escalated over the rain. “By the time I’m finished with you, you won’t have a pot to pee in. I’ll take Gracie from you, and you’ll never see her again.”
Silver looked past Dinah and was relieved to see that Ariana had taken Gracie indoors.
Ace faced Dinah. “You’ve done enough.”
She let out a high-pitched cackle. “Oh, buzz off, spick! You think you’re so high and mighty—a big-shot football player, but I’ll take care of you, just like I took care of your family’s restaurant.”
Ace jerked, his eyes widening. “It was you, the whole time,” he uttered.
“What did you say?” Bruce stepped up, a stricken look on his face.
Dinah made a gurgling sound, then choked out a nervous laugh. “B—Bruce, I didn’t see you there.”
Bruce clutched Dinah’s arm in an iron grip, disgust heavy in his voice. “How could you do so many terrible things?”
An avalanche of tears gushed out. “All those things Silver said were nasty lies.”
“Save it,” Bruce barked. “Go in the house.”
She bristled. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Now!” he boomed, his face an inch from hers.
Dinah jerked back, fear creeping to her eyes. Then she gave Silver a look of pure malice before stalking away.
Bruce turned to Silver, a mortified expression on his face. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea any of that happened. You don’t need to worry about Dinah. I’ll make sure that she never hurts you again.” He looked at Ace. “And that goes for you too … and your family’s restaurant.”
Silver wanted to believe him, but wasn’t sure if she could. “How can you guarantee that?”
He straightened himself up to his full height. “Because there’s one thing in this world Dinah values above all else—money.” His jaw tightened. “I control that and therefore, control her. If you’ll excuse me.” He turned on his heel and strode regally into the house.
A shiver ran through Silver, her teeth chattering, as she hugged her arms. “L-let’s get inside.”
“Good idea,” Ace said.
They were almost to the door when Riley stepped up to them, a savage look on his face. “Do you think you can get up there and say all that crap about me?”
“It’s over, Riley,” Silver said, shaking her head. She was soaked to the bone and weary.
His expression took on a wounded look. “But I love you.”
He spoke the words as if he expected that one admission to fix everything. “You don’t love me,” she countered. “Love doesn’t hurt or manipulate. For you, it was all about the control … being the bigger man.” She shook her head, feeling a twinge of pity mixed with the anger and resentment. “But those days are over.” She moved to push past him, but he blocked her way.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” He thrust out his chest. “No one walks away from me!”
“Silver’s not your property,” Ace said, edging in front of Silver.
A flash of lightning streaked through the sky, causing Silver to flinch.
“I should’ve put you in your place a long time ago,” Riley said, shoving Ace backwards. He tried to strike, but Ace was faster. He grabbed Riley’s arm and in the blink of an eye, twisted him around, pinning Riley’s arm behind his back.
Riley doubled over, cursing. “Let go of me.”
Ace leaned in, a dangerous edge to his voice. “Out of respect for Silver and Gracie … and because we were once friends, I’m gonna let this one go. But if you ever do anything to hurt Silver or Gracie, I’ll finish this. You got that?” He applied pressure to Riley’s arm and wrenched it up, causing Riley to yelp in pain. “I said, you got that?” Ace growled.
“Yeah,” Riley finally said, his voice muffled.
Thunder shook the ground, reverberating through Silver’s body. She looked up at the sky, anxious to get inside.
Ace pushed Riley forward where he landed on all fours.
Silver touched Ace’s arm. “It’s over.”
He gave her a grim smile, colored with relief. “Yes, it finally is.”
Epilogue
One Month Later
“How do I look?”
Ariana brought her hands to her mouth, her face glowing. “Like a vision.”
Silver turned back to the full-length mirror, studying her reflection with a critical eye. White as snow, the soft silk body of the dress had a delicate lace coverlet. It was tight-fitting in the waist and flared at the bottom. She turned, admiring the line of pearl buttons trailing down to the massive train. Was this really happening? She kept expecting to wake up and discover it was only a dream. Silver wrinkled her nose. “You don’t think the dress is too much, do you?”
Ariana giggled. “No, it’s perfect. My brother’s gonna wet his pants when he sees you walk down the aisle.”
“Let’s hope not,” Silver laughed.
“Now for the veil,” Ariana picked it up and placed it on Silver’s head, helping her adjust it.
Tears moistened Silver’s eyes as she looked at her reflection and thought about how different this wedding was from her last. She was happy now, marrying the man of her dreams. “If only my mother could see me now.”
Ariana gave her a reassuring smile. “She’s looking down on you and smiling, I’m sure of it.” Then Ariana saw Silver’s expression. “Oh, no,” she said, using her fingers to dab at Silver’s tears before they could fall. “Don’t you dare cry. You’ll ruin your makeup.”
Silver laughed, drying her tears.
Marla burst into the room in a flurry. “Look how gorgeous you are,” she exclaimed, her voice going wispy as she stepped up behind Silver, fluffing her sleeves. “Seeing you in this dress almost makes up for the headache of overseeing an impromptu wedding.”
Silver rolled her eyes. “You can handle it, especially since I’m paying you time and a half.”
Marla sighed. “I suppose I do what I must.” Her eyes sparkled as she winked. “I told you, you had a thing for Ace Sanchez.”
“Oh, it’s more than a thing,” Ariana said. “Look at her, she’s positively glowing.” She turned to Silver. “And if anyone has a right to this much happiness, it’s you.” She hugged Silver. “Welcome to the family. It’ll be nice to have a sister.”
A lump formed in Silver’s throat. She and Gracie would finally be a part of a real family. The terrible ordeal with Riley and Dinah Coulter was over. Just as Bruce promised, the lawsuit against Ace’s family was dropped. As it turned out, Dinah had paid the woman a hefty amount to swallow the shard of metal, eat at Los Tios, then pretend it had happened there. Gracie was admitted into The Wexton Academy and the bogus additional tests were never mentioned again. She was starting there in the fall.
Ace was taking Silver to Hawaii for their honeymoon while Gracie stayed with Fabiana. Afterwards, when they returned, Silver and Gracie were moving into Ace’s house. Gracie couldn’t wait to claim the princess bedroom as her own, and Silver planned to add a few feminine touches to make place feel homier. Thankfully, Fabiana’s tests came back clean, except for high blood pressure, which she could control with medicine. Her collapse had been brought on by exhaustion and stress.
Angie, Silver’s employee, stuck her head in the door, her voice brimming with excitement. “It’s time.”
Ariana caught hold of Silver’s hands and squeezed them. “You ready?”
She smiled. “Absolutely.”
Marla winked. “We’ll, I’d better get back to work before the boss lady gets on her high horse,” she said before darting out.
Silver’s heart was filled to overflowing as she stood outside the chapel entrance and watched Gracie walk down the aisle in her yellow dress with daisies tucked in her hair as she tossed yellow rose petals from a white basket.
The Wedding March began, and it was Silver’s turn. Butterflies began a happy dance in her stomach as she straightened her shoulders and stepped into the chapel.
Her breath hitched when she caught sight of Ace looking like a million bucks in his tuxedo, his rugged features and golden skin radiating handsome. His curls were tamed for the occasion, but one had escaped, falling in the center of his forehead, giving him an adorable boyish look. He smiled, tilting her world. She felt an all-consuming love that sang to her spirit and flowed like warm honey through her veins. And in that small moment, she had an inkling of what it was like to see heaven, as she made her way down the aisle towards Ace, forward into her real-life happily ever-after.
A Note From the Author
Hey there, thanks for taking the time to read The Persistent Groom from The Texas Titan Romance Series. If you enjoyed it, please take a minute to give it a review on Amazon. I really appreciate your feedback, as I depend largely on word of mouth to promote my books.
If you enjoyed Ace and Silver’s story, read on for an excerpt of another Texas Titan Romance: The Fearless Groom.
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The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances) Page 19
