Hearing his name, the cat stretched and climbed out of his bed in a sunny corner. The feline strolled over to Rose, leaping into her lap. He turned around twice then settled down, purring quietly.
“Then what’s the problem? I just don’t understand,” Zetta said, placing a comforting hand on Rose’s arm. “Go to Colorado and get him if you need to.”
Rose laughed. “I can’t do that. Tanner made his choice and now we’ll both live with it. He knows where to find me if he changes his mind. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well, maybe you should,” Lucille said, drawing surprised looks from both Rose and Zetta. “Maybe you should let us manage the shop for a while or hire someone while you take a trip. Go visit one of your book club friends. Travel to another exotic locale. Look what happened on your last trip. You wrote a letter and stuffed it in a bottle and it brought you Tanner. Maybe you should try that again.”
Rose shook her head. “No, thank you. One letter is enough to last me a lifetime. Travel just doesn’t sound appealing right now, even though it would be fun to visit Lily. Last I heard, Prince Charming has not yet showed up on her doorstep.”
“The two of you could take a trip together,” Lucille suggested.
“I think it best if I stay right here, with the two of you.” Rose stroked the cat with a wistful look on her face. “Now, I better…”
The bell above the door jangled as a customer entered the shop. Tumnus jumped off her lap and Rose stood, smiling at the two old women who meant so much to her. “Back to work.”
Hours later, after Rose had closed the shop, she tried to keep her mind occupied by balancing her books, browsing through catalogs, and adding the final stitches to a new dress.
Restless, she stepped out into the cool autumn air and shivered, but didn’t go back for a jacket. Instead, she walked down to the beach. It was dark, but the moon shone brightly overhead, just like it had the night she’d first set eyes on Tanner.
As she strolled along the beach, memories washed over her, making her heart ache. She missed him, more than she would have expected, far more than she anticipated.
The boy she dated in college might have broken her heart, but saying goodbye to Tanner had broken something in her spirit. She loved him so deeply and completely she had no idea how she’d ever get over him. Part of her acknowledged she never would.
The conversation she had with Lucille and Zetta earlier in the day came back to her. Dare she go to Colorado and see Tanner? Would he welcome her warmly, or spurn her affections?
She smiled, wondering when the old-fashioned words she enjoyed reading, and even writing, had worked their way into her thoughts.
The words she’d written and tucked into a bottle that summer on the island with her friends came back to her. She’d said she wanted a man who would forever alter her life. Tanner had certainly done that. She stated she wanted a man to add vibrancy to the colors in her world, which Tanner had done. He’d given her heart a new song to sing, filled her with hope, and she was quite certain he’d peeked into her soul.
Lost in her musings, she hadn’t realized how far she’d wandered from her place. She turned to retrace her steps and stopped. Her hand flew to her throat and she gasped in surprise.
Tanner sat on a bench nearby watching her.
A slow, lazy grin spread across his face as he rose to his feet and strode with purposeful steps toward her.
“Tanner?” she asked, taking a step back as he moved to stand in front of her, looking even more handsome and larger than life than she recalled. His dark hair was tousled and a layer of stubble covered his face, but the moment he smiled, her knees began to quake.
She inhaled a deep breath and nearly choked on his musky, masculine scent.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, still uncertain if he was real or she’d imagined him.
Rather than answer, he stared at her, as though he drank in the sight of her. But that couldn’t be. He was the one who’d left. The one who’d decided it was best they didn’t stay in touch.
“Why are you here?” Rose asked again, wanting to throw herself into his arms.
“I had to see you, Rose.” Tanner reached out and took her hand in his, kissing the backs of her fingers just like he’d done the day they officially met for the first time. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she asked, needing to pull her hand away from him, but unable to move.
“For leaving. For letting you think I don’t care about you. I’m an idiot and I’m truly sorry.” He sighed and lightly squeezed her hands as he continued to hold them.
The moon had already risen when he arrived in town, but he drove straight to Rose’s place. The lights were on in her house, but she failed to answer the door, so he decided to take a walk on the beach.
He’d only gone a few yards when he saw her ambling along the shoreline, looking like something from a dream. The breeze blew the full skirt of her dress out behind her while curls tangled around her face.
Enchanted and mesmerized by her beauty, he quietly made his way to a bench and watched her. It wasn’t until she turned around that she noticed him and he couldn’t stay away from her a second longer. Not when he needed to touch her, to love her.
“I should never have left.” He looked into her face, tempted to get lost in the depths of her eyes.
“What brought you back?” She pulled her hands from his.
“You, Rose. I came back because I need you.” He reached for her hand again, but she moved just beyond his reach. “I need you in my life and I can’t spend another day apart from you. I love you, Rose Madeleine Lawson, with all my heart. I’m sorry for leaving, for cutting things off with you. I thought I’d be able to get past the feelings I have for you, but I can’t. And I don’t want to. Not when you’ve captured me so thoroughly and completely.”
Rose melted inside. However, she wasn’t quite ready for him to know it yet. “What about all those adventures you mentioned you wanted to experience? You did say you weren’t ready to settle down. And you don’t have a job here. Your thoughts on mooching off your friends, as you put it, were perfectly clear.”
He took a step closer to her. “As of yesterday, I’m the new director at the fort just outside of Astoria.”
At Rose’s shocked look, he smiled. “My thoughts on mooching haven’t changed, although there is something I need to share with you about my finances. That’s a conversation we can have later.” His hands grazed up and down her arms.
She breathed in his masculine scent again, lost in the heady fragrance and the warmth of his presence. Her gaze roved to the little cleft in his chin, and her legs threatened to collapse beneath her. Rose battled the urge to fall at his feet and beg him never to leave her.
Tanner’s thumbs worked the most enticing circles on the inside of her wrists as he gazed adoringly at her. “As for the rest of what I said, I realized I’m more than ready to settle down, but only with you.” He kissed one cheek, followed by the other, and then raised his head again. “You, my beautiful, sweet Rose, are my favorite adventure and the only one I want to have.”
“You do say the nicest things,” she whispered, taking another step closer to him.
His hands slid to her waist and he kissed her temple. “Does this mean you’ll forgive me?”
She nodded. “Yes, I suppose so, if you’ll forgive me.”
He pulled back and stared at her. “Forgive you? You didn’t do anything wrong, Rose.”
“Yes, I did. I knew there was no way you could possibly be married to someone else. I just said that to make you mad, to make it easier to let you go. I’m sorry.”
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her in a tender embrace. “All is forgiven, beautiful.”
Before she could say another word, Tanner released her and dropped to one knee. He pulled a silver antique ring from his pocket, holding it up to her. Moonlight flashed across the diamond, sending brilliant sparks of light dancing around the stone. “Will you be my
wife, Rose? I have a feeling marriage to you will be the adventure of a lifetime. Loving you will take me places I’ve never been and don’t want to go unless you’re right beside me. I love you, Rose, with all my heart, for always.”
Tanner slid the ring on Rose’s finger and rose to his feet, giving her a hopeful look. Even in the moonlight, his eyes glowed with emotion and Rose could see his heart there, full of love for her, and promises for a happy future together.
“How could I say no?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her in his arms and rained kisses over her face.
“I truly love you, Rose.” He kissed her gently, softly, a kiss of welcome.
“And I love you. You really are the man of my dreams, and so much more beyond what I could ever imagine.” The kiss she pressed to his lips was passionate, full of hunger and new beginnings. “Don’t leave me, again, Tanner. My heart won’t survive it.”
“Never, my Rose. Never again. I’m yours today and forever.”
Chapter Eleven
“Everything looks lovely,” Lucille said, adjusting an organza bow on a chair and stepping back to admire it.
“We did good,” Zetta proclaimed, clasping her hands beneath her double chins. “I can’t believe we pulled this together so quickly.”
“I can hardly believe it either, but then again, everyone was more than happy to help when they found out it was for Rose.” Lucille fluttered her hand at Tanner as he and a handsome young man he’d introduced as his best friend strode toward them.
It was just last week when Tanner returned to Seaside and asked Rose to marry him. In a whirlwind, Rose had asked Lucille and Zetta to help plan her wedding.
Tanner’s parents arrived two days ago and had jumped in to help where they could. They offered to pay for everything and Rose had finally relented, after discovering Tanner’s family owned a billion dollar corporation.
“Tanner, you look quite dapper,” Lucille said as he kissed her cheek and then Zetta’s.
“You both look nice,” Tanner said, smiling at them. “Are we ready to get this party started?”
“Absolutely!” Zetta grabbed the arm of the young man with Tanner, squeezing his bicep. “Oh, Lucas, you must be one of those boys who like to hang out at the gym.”
“Guilty as charged,” Lucas said, guiding Zetta to a seat of honor in a front row.
Tanner escorted Lucille and once the two women were seated, he took his place next to Pastor John West. Lucas stood beside him and they both smiled as Dave escorted Meri to her seat at the front of the opposite row from Lucille and Zetta.
Meri winked at Tanner then Dave disappeared.
Guests filled every seat that had been set out for Tanner and Rose’s wedding. Because they both liked the idea of a beach wedding, they decided to hold the ceremony in the exact spot where they’d first seen each other. Zetta and Lucille had organized a small army of volunteers who roped off a large area for the wedding. Rows of white chairs faced the ocean while a gauze covered archway accented with ivy and roses provided a backdrop for the bride and groom to exchange their vows. The sun had started to set, filling the sky with a cornucopia of vibrant colors.
Music began to play and one of Rose’s friends from her book club walked down the aisle followed by a little girl who lavishly tossed pink, yellow and red rose petals. When the wedding march began, everyone stood and all eyes turned to where Dave escorted Rose down the beach and up the aisle.
Tanner had eyes only for his beautiful bride. The elegant silk and lace sleeveless gown she wore highlighted her figure while a vintage string of pearls encircling her slender neck provided the perfect accent. A single white rose nestled above her ear in her pinned-up tawny hair. She moved toward him with bare feet and a beaming smile.
To him, she’d never looked lovelier. Dave stopped and kissed Rose’s cheek before taking her hand and placing it on Tanner’s arm. He smiled at his son then sat next to Meri.
Rose took a brief moment to study the gorgeous man who pledged his life to hers. Tanner wore an expensive, tailored tuxedo, although his feet were also bare. The morning after he proposed, he’d told her over breakfast about his family, their business, and the money in his bank account. Flabbergasted, Rose didn’t quite know what to make of the fact she agreed to marry a very wealthy man.
Then she looked at Tanner, at the love shining from his eyes, and realized she didn’t care. He could have been penniless and it wouldn’t have changed how she felt, how much she loved him. When she told him as much, he scooped her into his arms and held her so tightly she could scarcely draw in a breath.
“I love you so, so much, my vintage Rose.”
Recalling the swell of emotion, of all the hugs and promises, the sweet kisses they’d shared in the past week, heat turned her cheeks pink as she cast one more glance at Tanner. He winked at her and squeezed her hand as the pastor began the ceremony.
Rose recited her vows flawlessly, if not a bit breathlessly. Who could blame her when the man of her dreams had just vowed to love her for a lifetime and cherish her always?
When Pastor West pronounced them man and wife, Tanner kissed her softly, tenderly, and with a hint of restrained passion that made both Zetta and Lucille fan their faces.
Tanner raised his head, gave her a rakish wink, and then faced the gathered crowd. “Please join us for dinner and some dancing.”
In tents set up along the beach, they enjoyed a meal that included their favorite dishes. Rose had made teacakes at Zetta’s request. The little cakes decorated a tray next to the simple layered wedding cake adorned with rose petals. After she and Tanner fed each other a piece, carefully avoiding smearing frosting on each other, they danced barefoot on the sand beneath the light of the moon with torches and lanterns illuminating the night around them.
“That’s a clever idea,” Tanner said, pointing to a table that held a big glass bottle. A sign next to it encouraged guests to write a letter and stuff it inside for the happy couple to read on their first anniversary.
“Lucille thought of it. She said since a letter in the bottle drew us together, it would bring good luck to celebrate our first anniversary with messages from our friends.”
Tanner grinned. “I don’t know about the luck part, but I do believe we are very blessed, Mrs. Thomas.”
Rose smiled and wrapped her arms around Tanner’s neck. “And I do believe I like the sound of that, very much, Mr. Thomas.”
“In that case…” Tanner swept her into his arms. “How about we sneak away from our own party, Mrs. Thomas? I know this cozy little place where the two of us can hide away from the world for a few days.”
“If that’s your way of saying you’re taking me to the yurt for our honeymoon, by all means, let’s go.”
Tanner kissed her long and deep as he carried her across the sand back toward her house. “I love you, Rose, with all that I am. I meant what I said when I proposed. You are my best and only adventure.”
“And you, beloved husband, are mine.”
#
Overnight French Toast
Here is the recipe for the French toast Rose served Tanner for breakfast. Enjoy!
Overnight French Toast
½ cup butter
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6
slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Whipped cream
Berries
Place butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, stirring after 30-second intervals to combine. (If you prefer, you may also use a saucepan on the stove.)
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer over the top.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight (8-10 hours).
Remove the pan from the refrigerator, uncover, and place in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bread is golden and the syrup bubbles.
Serve while warm with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries of your choice.
AUTHOR BIO
Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, USA Today best-selling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.” Please visit Shanna’s website or connect with her on social media. http://shannahatfield.com
BEACH BRIDES THANK YOU
Thanks for reading Rose’s story!
Lily’s book is next.
You’ll find a Sneak Peek in the Excerpt.
Find all of the Beach Brides at Amazon!
MEG (Julie Jarnagin)
TARA (Ginny Baird)
NINA (Stacy Joy Netzel)
CLAIR (Grace Greene)
JENNY (Melissa McClone)
LISA (Denise Devine)
HOPE (Aileen Fish)
KIM (Magdalena Scott)
ROSE (Shanna Hatfield)
LILY (Ciara Knight)
FAITH (Helen Scott Taylor)
AMY (Raine English)
Excerpt Copyright Information
Prologue and Chapter One from
Rose (Beach Brides Book 9) Page 10
