Happily Ever After

by Jennifer Gracen

  When they returned to the reception eighteen minutes later, after a fast, hot romp in an empty coat room, Pierce and Abby were the very picture of a put-together bride and groom, not a hair out of place.

  They walked around the room, hand in hand, chatting up every single guest who’d attended as they all ate their main course. They both made sure to keep straight faces as first Fiona reentered the room, then Troy a few minutes later. They gladly accepted the glasses of water Julia pushed into their hands, the hugs from their niece and nephews, the well-wishes of everyone they spoke with.

  Toward the end of the evening, the sun outside dipped farther into the horizon, morphing the sky into a blend of blues, hot pink, and marmalade orange. Pierce took the microphone from the DJ, stopped the music, and asked for a moment. Standing across the room with her parents, Abby looked at him quizzically, no idea what he was doing.

  “Hi, everyone.” Pierce flashed a ridiculously charming grin, the one that had grabbed Abby the very first time they met. Even now, it gave her heart the tiniest tug.

  “I just wanted to thank you all for being here with us today,” he said, his marine-blue eyes scanning the room as he spoke. “We’re glad you were able to share this day with us. And we especially want to thank our families and the wedding party . . . you’ve been there for us, and Abby and I really do appreciate it.” His gaze landed on her, and when it did, his smile turned warmer. “My beautiful Abby . . . my God, people, have you ever seen a more beautiful bride in your life? I know I haven’t.”

  The crowd oohed and ahhed, and a few people applauded. Flattered, Abby felt herself blush but only smiled back at him, curious to hear what else he had to say.

  “When Abby and I started dating, at first I messed it up. Badly. But I was smart enough to beg, and she gave me another chance. I thank God for that every day,” Pierce murmured into the mic. He stared at her, talking directly to her now. “Abby, I’ve become a better man because you came into my life. I’m not overstating that.” He smirked as he added, “Ask my family; they’ll tell you. Some louder than others.”

  His siblings chuckled audibly.

  He grinned at their response but continued to talk to her. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met. You’re smart and passionate and strong. You give so much to everyone. You’ve given me so much . . . strength and purpose and support. You’re the home I always looked for. You’re everything to me, baby. I love you so much.”

  Her eyes stung with tears and her breath caught. Never had she expected such an open declaration like this; it wasn’t his style . . . but there he was, saying these things in front of everyone they knew. I love you too, she mouthed back.

  He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He looked around the room and said, “So. The second time we were dating . . .” The crowd laughed. “I heard this song one night on the radio, after I dropped her back home. I started listening to the lyrics and it moved me so much I had to pull over. Because the words had described me, and my life before I met Abby, perfectly. It also described what I wanted for the future perfectly. It was, um . . . one of those epiphany moments, you know? I was just frozen, sitting in my car. Because I heard this song . . . and I imagined dancing with her to it at our wedding.”

  Abby lost it. Tears rolled out of her eyes, right down her face.

  “So, Abby? I know it’s not our official wedding song—we did that already—but will you please come have this one special dance with me?” Pierce held out a hand.

  The crowd murmured, some people breaking into applause as Abby crossed the ballroom to go to him. She flung herself at him and held tight. His arms wrapped around her.

  “I can’t believe you,” she sobbed.

  “I know, I’m ruining your makeup.” He pulled back to wipe her cheeks. “Sorry.”

  “I’ll never forget this as long as I live,” she whispered. She raised her hands to hold his face. “You’re amazing. That was beautiful. I love you so much.” She pressed her lips to his. As they kissed, the guests applauded, and the song Pierce had asked for started to play: “Forever in My Life” by Prince. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his cheek to hers; her arms slid around his waist and she closed her eyes.

  As the quiet ballad played, Pierce and Abby danced in the center of the room. All eyes were on them, but it was as if they were the only ones there. They held each other close, swaying gently to the music, as Pierce sang every single word into her ear along with the song.

  For those few minutes, a hush fell over the room, as if a spell had been cast. The song played and they danced and he whispered every word to her and Abby held him close. As her love for him battered her like a tidal wave, she clutched at him, holding on to him to keep her steady and upright.

  When the song ended, the room broke into thunderous applause. He took her face in his hands. “See why that song means something to me? That was me, Abby. That was me until I found you.”

  She sniffled hard, and he kissed her lips gently.

  “Remember that date we had,” she said, her voice still quavering, “when you bought like two hundred dollars’ worth of sushi and I said you might have gone a little over the top?”

  He nodded.

  “And you said, ‘I excel at over the top. It’s one of my special gifts,’” she quoted.

  He grinned. “Sounds like me.”

  “Yup. Well, it’s true. You’ve had a lot of those over-the-top moments,” she said, sniffling again. “Proposing to me on top of a mountain in Sedona . . . surprising me with wanting to buy that wonderful house . . . making sure Fiona had your credit card so she could plan an extravagant bachelorette party at that spa for me. Those were pretty over-the-top things. Nice things. But all of that pales compared to this.” She shook her head. “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to top this moment,” she said. “This was the single most romantic thing you’ve ever said or done. I’ve never been so moved, so touched, in my entire life.”

  “Aww, babe.” He lowered his head and kissed her, long and sweet. “I’ll never stop trying to top it, though.”

  “Because you’re so competitive,” she said on a laugh.

  “No. Because you’re worth it.”

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at the story you’ve been waiting for!

  Tess Harrison meets her match in

  BETWEEN YOU AND ME,

  the next in The Harrisons series.

  Coming soon

  from Zebra Books!

  Chapter One

  Tess Harrison surveyed the festive scene around her. It was Christmas Day, and over sixty relatives were celebrating at her father’s enormous estate. The mansion, set atop a hill on hundreds of acres beside the Long Island Sound, was filled with the sights and sounds of a picturesque holiday gathering. The grand main living room was decorated elegantly, beautifully, as the staff did every year. No lights—that would be gauche—but red ribbons, garlands, holly, and faux white candles made the whole ground floor look like something straight out of a Christmas movie. Bright flames crackled and popped in the enormous stone fireplace, and the eight-foot-tall tree stood majestically in the corner. That did have white lights, and decorative ornaments that went back four generations. Tess suppressed a yawn. She was now over the holidays.

  She cradled her china cup of eggnog and watched her eldest brother, Charles, and his wife, Lisette, sit together on one of the longer sofas as they played with their infant daughter, Charlotte. Tess adored her newest niece and had spent a lot of time with her. Bonding with that baby had awakened things in Tess she hadn’t known existed. Now five months old, the dark-haired cherub squealed with delight as her father lifted her up and down in the air. Charles’s strong arms raised Charlotte up, then back down to kiss her sweet face, over and over, as Lisette smiled brightly at his side. They’d married in May and the love they shared was tangible. Tess was so glad for them, and smiled and cooed at the baby. But oh, how she adored that little girl. Every time Charlotte squeaked, she felt it in her cor
e. Such pure love, such pure joy.

  Across from them, Tess’s middle brother, Dane, and his wife, Julia, sat together leisurely and smiled along as they watched too. The baby’s giggles were infectious and everyone around her was under her spell. Tess relaxed against the lush cushions of the armchair and sipped her drink. She loved all four of Charles’s kids deeply; they’d brought the kind of light into her life that only children could.

  She longed for that light in her life.

  Charles’s three older children from his first marriage sat huddled in the far corner of the room, playing handheld video games with some cousins close to their age. The youngest Harrison brother, Pierce, and his wife, Abby, were absent, and Tess felt it keenly. But Pierce would rather die than spend a family holiday with their father and gladly went to Abby’s family for every major holiday. Tess couldn’t fault him for that, given their tumultuous history, but she still missed her baby brother.

  At least Pierce and Abby had been at Charles’s house the night before. Charles always hosted Christmas Eve, and it had been a lovely gathering. Only twenty people, only closest family, with the exception of the Harrison patriarch . . . which was why it was a lovely gathering. No vitriol, no stress, no walking on eggshells waiting to see who’d fire the first verbal shot that would kick off a horrible fight. Last night had been even more special, though, as Pierce and Abby—who’d just been married in a lavish ceremony in August—had shared their surprise news: Abby was pregnant. They’d only found out a few days before and were bursting with it. It was a lot sooner than they’d planned, but they were excited and their joy was palpable. Tess was thrilled for them.

  She sipped her eggnog again and gazed at the Christmas tree. The lights blurred as she zoned out and slipped deeper into her thoughts. More than anything, she wanted a baby of her own. There was no reason she couldn’t make it happen. She was thirty-seven, healthy, wealthy . . . there was just a lack of a father candidate. She had always believed in love and had been deeply in love twice in her life. The second time she’d come close, getting engaged . . . and then had had to break her engagement after being betrayed. In the seven years since then, she’d hoped to find someone else, but she knew the truth of it: She didn’t trust enough to open her heart that completely again. She dated, met perfectly nice men, and some not so nice . . . none were a father-to-her-future-children candidate.

  And over the last few months, spending time with Charlotte had driven it home more than ever: She wanted children of her own and time was ticking away.

  By Thanksgiving, she’d decided to take matters into her own hands. She had the means, so why not? This was one of the times that being born into a ridiculously wealthy family, along with making her own strong and vital career, gave her benefits and options other single mothers didn’t have. And while a part of her wanted to talk about it with her brothers . . . most of her wanted to keep it to herself until she was actually pregnant. They’d all have something to say, and for once, she didn’t want to hear it if it was negative. Not from any of them.

  “Hey, Tesstastic.” Dane’s jovial voice interrupted her thoughts. “You sure Julia and I can’t convince you to spend a few days with us in Cancún?”

  Tess smiled but shook her head. “You’re both sweet to ask, but I don’t need to be a third wheel during your three-week jaunt in paradise.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dane scoffed. “You’re no such thing.”

  “Colin is coming for the whole second week,” Julia pointed out. Her grown son from her first marriage was a quiet, kind young man. “We won’t be alone. He’s not worried about being a third wheel.”

  “He’s twenty-four,” Tess reminded them. “He’s not worried because he’ll be at the bars and clubs every night, trying to pick up women, I’m sure.”

  “God, I hope so,” Julia said. “But it’s not a good reason for you not to come too. Come on, who wants to be in New York in January? It’s miserable. Come down for a week.”

  “Again, I thank you both,” Tess said. “But I . . . have plans of my own. They would overlap.”

  “You do?” Dane arched a brow. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

  “I tried, brother dear.” A grin tugged at the corners of Tess’s lips. “You keep asking anyway. Which is sweet, but . . .”

  “I think I smell a deflection tactic,” Dane said.

  “I think you should leave her be,” Charles piped up. Lisette bit down on her lip.

  “It’s so wrong that I want my sister to have some fun?” Dane asked him.

  “Of course not,” Tess said.

  “You just finished months of hard work pulling off another massively successful Harrison Foundation Holiday Ball,” Dane said to her. “You need a real vacation. To go somewhere and be pampered. I offered to make that happen because you don’t do it enough for yourself. Sue me.”

  Tess rolled her eyes at her big brother. “I love you too, you big nag.”

  “I’m a nag now?” Dane put his hand to his chest. “You wound me!”

  They all snorted out laughter.

  Tess had had enough of this conversation. She rose to her feet and swept her long curtain of curls back over her shoulders. “I’m getting more eggnog,” she said. “Anyone want some?”

  The four of them murmured various forms of no thanks, and she crossed the room to the cavernous crystal bowl that held enough lightly spiked eggnog for a small village.

  Tess couldn’t help but smile to herself as she refilled her mug. Charles, Dane, and Pierce weren’t just her brothers; they were some of her closest friends. The four of them were tight as could be. They were incredibly devoted to and protective of her, and she counted on them as much as they all counted on her. After all, she’d spent years watching over the three of them. When their parents split up and their mother left home over two decades before, as the only female left in the family, Tess had slowly but surely slipped into the role of mother hen. Some of it had been a conscious decision, some of it hadn’t. She never minded—her brothers needed her, even when they didn’t realize it, and she was all too happy to provide crucial emotional support. She was a caring person, with so much love to give—who better to lavish it on than her siblings, who needed it so desperately?

  But they were all fine now. Grown men, they’d all eventually found their place in the world, especially with the help of good women who loved them and believed in them. Tess was grateful beyond words that she genuinely liked her three sisters-in-law. Charles, Dane, and Pierce were strong men, but pairing with women like Lisette, Julia, and Abby had truly completed them. They had all built, or were building, their own families and didn’t need Tess’s pseudomothering the way they once had.

  And Tess . . . found herself lacking. Despite having adoring siblings and family, good friends, a fulfilling career running the Harrison Foundation, the family’s massive nonprofit organization . . . maybe it was the holidays and the slight melancholy that could sometimes accompany the season, but for months she hadn’t been able to deny the basic facts: She was creeping up on forty, she wanted a baby, and she’d somehow have to get that done on her own.

  She considered herself to be a positive, upbeat person. A woman who accomplished things, took the lead, and knew how to get things done—she didn’t wait around and let life happen to her. Why should having a baby be any different than her other goals and successes? That thought had churned in her head for too long. It was time to take her future into her own hands. She was ready.

  “How’s my best girl?” Her father’s confident baritone sounded behind her.

  She turned to him with a fake smile. “Great, Dad. Hope you’re having a nice Christmas?”

  “I am,” he said. “Thank you again for the painting. What a special gift.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said as he kissed her cheek. She’d been able to find a small Picasso piece she knew he’d love to add to his impressive collection and had called in a favor from an acquaintance in Paris to make it happen.r />
  “You’re very thoughtful, as always.” There was the tiniest shift in his gaze, but Tess knew him so well, she steeled herself. “So. Charles tells me Pierce got Abby pregnant already. I guess expecting my youngest son to call me himself with that kind of news is too much to hope for, eh?”

  “Dad.” Tess touched his arm with her free hand. “He only told us last night. They only found out last week.”

  “So? He told you all last night. He could’ve called to tell me, or to say ‘Merry Christmas,’ any time since then. He hasn’t. Yet another intentional snub.”

  “Did you call him to say ‘Merry Christmas’?” Tess asked.

  Caught, Charles II scowled and sipped his drink.

  “I thought not.” She gentled her voice to soften the blow, but looked her father right in the eye as she said, “You blew that relationship sky high two years ago. It’s on you. You attacked him and Abby both. You did that. You know that.”

  “There were two of us in that fight,” Charles II reminded her, an angry edge to his voice. “But everyone always holds only me responsible.”

  “Dad—”

  “And they had their big, elaborate wedding,” Charles II barreled on, “and I was shunned! Not even invited to my own son’s wedding, purposely kept away, unwelcome. That was disgraceful.”

  She was tired of this argument, which always remained unresolved. “I’m not going to get into all this with you now,” Tess said. Her tone was mild, but her words were firm. “I refuse. It’s Christmas.”

  He nodded curtly, lips pursed, but grunted, “Fine.”

  Tess knew he wouldn’t push it with her then, not with the room filled with extended family on such a major holiday. Since the heart attack last year, at least he’d softened that much. “I’m sorry you’re upset. Just be happy for them. Send a nice gift when the baby’s born. Who, by the way, will be your fifth grandchild.”

  Charles scowled. “Pierce will likely keep me away from that child, you know.”