Love Me Sweet (A Bell Harbor Novel)

by Brogan, Tracy

  She loved him so much.

  SoMuchSoMuchSoMuch.

  “Yes, OK. We’ll always be honest. Absolutely honest. I promise. In that case, can I ask you a question?” she whispered.

  He nodded. “Anything.”

  Her heart thudded in her chest, crazy fast. “Do you think it’s possible you could ever fall in love with Delaney Masterson?”

  His eyes sparkled, and he leaned forward until his lips were very nearly touching hers.

  “I already have. I just didn’t know it.”

  And then he kissed her.

  EPILOGUE

  “ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW what you’re doing?” Tyler asked. He was leaning against the doorframe of the dressing room at St. Aloysius Church of the Immaculate Conception while Grant stood in front of the mirror. Scotty and Carl were there too, and looking good. The men of this family cleaned up nicely when they were all in tuxes. Which they were. Donna was there as well, looking happy and vibrant in a dark purple dress that Lane had picked out just for her, saying it was the perfect complement to his mother’s ivory complexion.

  Grant smiled confidently back at his brother. “I know exactly what I’m doing, Ty. Getting married is the smartest decision I’ve ever made. I’m certain of that. And anyway, weren’t you the one who told me when you know, you just know?”

  Tyler chuckled. “Probably, you dumbass, but what I meant was, do you think you can manage to tie that bow tie on your own, because it looks like you’re trying to strangle yourself.”

  “Here, let me help,” Carl said, stepping forward. “I’m pretty good at these. I used to be quite dapper, back in the day.”

  “You’re still dapper, sweetheart,” Donna said.

  Grant relinquished his grip on the tie and turned to let Carl give it a try. The guy wasn’t nearly as useless as Grant had once thought. In fact, over the last several months, the old sloe gin pusher had really come through. He was taking excellent care of Donna and she was doing remarkably well. No stealing, no gambling. No meltdowns at the Bob Evans. Grant liked to think his being home more often had something to do with that, but he knew deep down, the real reason his mother was better was because she was working hard. She’d come a long way since stealing Lane’s bag back in January.

  Now it was May and the Bell Harbor snow had finally melted. Spring was in the air. Flowers were blooming. Birds were chirping, and Grant Connelly was getting married.

  “There,” Carl said, giving the tie one last tug. He patted Grant on the shoulder. “You look good, kid.”

  Donna sniffled, but her eyes were bright. She dabbed a tissue to her nose. “You do look good, so handsome. All you boys are so handsome. I’m so blessed. And before we know it, Scotty will be getting married.”

  Scotty took a step backward. “Don’t start with that, Mom. Let’s just get through this wedding first, OK? Without the waterworks?”

  “I can’t help it.” Her smile was tremulous. “I’m just so happy.”

  Grant stepped closer and gave her a fast hug. “I’m glad, Mom. I really am.”

  The door flew open and Fontaine burst into the room like a bottle rocket. His dark hair was slicked back and his goatee artfully carved. He clapped his hands. “Lickety-split, Connelly people. What’s taking you all so long? If you don’t hurry up, I will be forced to notify the pa-pa-paparazzi and your secret wedding won’t be so secret after all.”

  Grant turned toward the wedding planner and smiled again. He had a feeling he’d be doing a lot of that today. Smiling. In fact, it seemed like that’s all he’d done for the past six weeks, ever since proposing to Lane on the peak of Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora. Asking her to marry him had been a spontaneous gesture, but there was no doubt in his mind it was the right decision. Every instinct told him so. She made him happy in a way no one else ever had, and no one else ever could. He intended to spend the rest of his life trying to return that favor. Starting now.

  “I’m ready, Fontaine,” Grant said.

  Tyler handed him the tuxedo jacket and he put it on.

  “Oh, aren’t you fabulous?” Fontaine said with a sigh. “You look like a superhero.”

  Grant grinned into the mirror and tweaked his bow tie. “Do I?”

  Fontaine nodded. “Absolutely. So come on, Matrimony Man. Time to fly off to your next adventure.”

  “I always knew you’d make a beautiful bride.” Delaney’s mother blinked away a perfectly timed tear. Even without cameras present, she knew how to work a moment. “This would have made an amazing episode of Pop Rocks, wouldn’t it have?”

  Delaney chuckled and shook her head. Her hair was styled back from her face and was still her natural brown shade. Grant liked it that way, and she’d never gotten around to redoing her blonde highlights. She’d been too busy traveling around the world and falling deeply, madly in love.

  She looked into the mirror and adjusted her simple but elegant veil. It was the perfect complement to her white satin dress. She may have left her life as a stylist behind, but she still knew when something looked good. And this looked good. Or maybe she just thought so because everything seemed to make her happy these days.

  Even pressure from her mom to turn this wedding into a public spectacle didn’t bother her. “Really, Mom? It’s my wedding day and you’re still thinking about ratings?”

  “She’s always thinking about ratings.” Melody was sitting on a beige velvet chair in the church’s bridal dressing room where the Masterson family waited. “But she’s right about the bride thing. You do look amazing. If you ever decide to go back to being a stylist, you should do weddings. And I could do bridal makeup. We could have our own show.” Melody was teasing. Mostly.

  Roxanne did a little twirl in the mirror, making her swishy, plum-colored dress even swishier. “You should do weddings, Lane. These bridesmaid dresses are not half bad.”

  “Thanks, Rox. That means a lot, coming from you. It’s nearly a compliment.”

  “I’m not always thinking about ratings,” Nicole continued on as if her daughters hadn’t tried to change the subject. “I just think our fans would be thrilled to see you so happy. But honestly, having a secret wedding in Bell Harbor is going to make for fabulous headlines. It’s quite brilliant, really. You do have a flair for the dramatic, darling.” She leaned over and air-kissed Delaney’s cheek.

  “This marriage isn’t a publicity stunt, Nic.” Delaney’s father stepped forward and took his daughter by the shoulders. He smiled down at her, the famous Masterson smile, and she felt her eyes start to puddle up. He’d cut off that ponytail of his at last and looked pretty stylin’ in his tux. Her father was finally moving into the next phase of his life, just as she was moving on into hers.

  “It’s the real deal, right, kid?” he asked. “You’re doing this for all the right reasons?”

  Delaney nodded, and sniffled. “It is, and I am.”

  “Good for you. I’m so proud of you.”

  Fontaine popped his head inside the room after a quick rap on the door. “OK, Masterson folk, the Connelly people are all in their places. Mommy of the bride, the usher is waiting to take you to your seat. Chop, chop. Let’s get these beautiful people married, shall we?”

  Delaney’s mother hugged her close. “Oh, Lane, it seems like I should have some profound words of wisdom to share with my daughter on her wedding day, but all I can think of to say is how much I love you.”

  “That’s perfect, Mom. It’s all you need to say.” Delaney’s heart was bursting with joy, and if her mother said more, they’d all start to cry and ruin Melody’s meticulous makeup jobs. Paparazzi or no paparazzi, she didn’t want to get married with mascara running down her face.

  “All right, ladies. Enough mush.” Fontaine hustled her mother from the room, then Roxanne and Melody followed. Melody turned and winked before disappearing into the hallway.

  Delaney’s father
held out his arm, his face full of pride. “Are you ready for this?” he murmured. “You could make a break for it, you know.”

  Delaney smiled and shook her head. “No running away for me, Pop. I’m happy. And I’m finally heading in just the right direction.”

  “Good, because I think I hear them playing our song.”

  The headline read, RUNAWAY BRIDE?

  Former

  Pop Rocks wild child Delaney Masterson may have snuck down the aisle with hunky boyfriend cinematographer Grant Connelly in a supersecret surprise wedding attended only by their families and a handful of their closest pals, but it looks as if there’s no settling down on the horizon for these two lovebirds. The dynamic husband-and-wife duo are off to places unknown to begin filming their new series,

  Sweet Charity, a show featuring international organizations doing charitable works all around the globe. Produced, directed, and filmed by Connelly and hosted by Masterson, each week a different charity will be featured and viewers can go online to make donations or volunteer to get involved. Word has it we can expect a lot of guest celebrities to stop by and hawk their favorite charities, and we’re certain that onetime Beverly Hills stylist and fashionista expert Masterson can show them how to make khaki look sexy!

  “Hey, Finch!” shouted Reggie from the boogie-woogie room of the Paradise Brothers’ tour bus, “You’re not going to believe this! Honeybun went and got herself married.”

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  I’d like to thank the staff at the Heartbreak Hotel for their gracious hospitality and note that any errors or variations in describing the hotel are mine alone. I spent time in the Burning Love Suite and the Graceland Suite, and both rooms were pure Elvisy goodness. The Graceland Suite even has a doorbell. How fun is that? I did take a few liberties with the description of the Jungle Room Lounge because it has no stage. I made that part up, but I get to do that because it’s my job. I’d also like to note that, while weather in the South is often moderate, I wrote this book during the winter of the polar vortex when even things in Memphis were cold. Still, I took a few liberties with the weather as well.

  On a final note, the main characters of this book are motivated by a desire to contribute to the greater good. If you are similarly motivated, here are some of my favorite charities. Thank you for considering them.

  The Wounded Warrior Project: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

  Reach Out WorldWide: https://www.roww.org/

  Heifer International: http://www.heifer.org/

  UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First and foremost, thanks to my wonderful and tireless team at Montlake Publishing. Your support is surpassed only by your generosity and zeal, and I am grateful. To Hai-Yen, Helen, Melody, Susan, Thom, Jessica, and Kelli, you guys are the best. Beyond the best. You are the superbestest. Ginormous thanks to Nalini Akolekar for your confidence, guidance, unwavering support, and an extraspecial thanks for loving Carl as much as I do.

  Thanks to Kimberly Kincaid, Alyssa Alexander, and Jennifer McQuiston. You guys know why!

  Thanks to Darcy Woods for your impeccable and enviable mastery of snark, and for sending me a celebratory red balloon when I really needed one. Thanks to Kieran Kramer for those early reads and your fabulous insight.

  Thanks to Jane Pierangeli and Samhita Rhodes for reading, reading, reading (sometimes from halfway around the world—or wherever Switzerland is) and for offering up such fabulous suggestions. Can’t wait to collaborate again!

  Thanks to Shelley and Stacy Smith for inventing an imaginary product that should seriously become a real product.

  Thanks to the Eskimo Brothers for their sassy lyrics and honky-tonk style, because when I said, “I’m a romance writer and you guys have totally given me an idea for a book,” I wasn’t kidding. Thanks to Molly Mesnick who graciously agreed to answer my questions about life as a TV reality star. I’m glad you got your “real life” happily ever after.

  And finally, thanks to my husband, who has always supported me, but who truly went above and beyond this time to make sure life didn’t fall apart for the rest of the household while I was otherwise occupied, and to my wonderful children, who cheer me up and cheer me on. I’m so proud of you. Without you, none of the rest would matter.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2012 Allie Gadziewski

  Tracy Brogan is an award-winning, bestselling novelist who writes fun and funny stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and also lush historical romance full of royal intrigue, damsels causing distress, and the occasional man in a kilt. She has been nominated by Romance Writers of America® for a prestigious RITA Award for her debut novel, Crazy Little Thing, and was nominated by RWA for two Golden Heart Awards. She’s a Booksellers Best Award recipient, along with two Golden Quill Awards in both contemporary and historical romance. Unapologetically devoted to romance, Tracy lives in Michigan with her often-bemused husband, their gloriously above-average children, and their two intellectually challenged dogs. Tracy loves to hear from readers, so please visit her website at tracybrogan.com or e-mail her at TracyBrogan@att.net.