by Lucy Gage
Em hardly saw Rob after they woke that morning. While they would normally have made love first thing, she told him they had to wait – might as well do something out of the ordinary to make their wedding night special. She saw him so infrequently that it was as if they were at separate locations.
Christopher and Reggie took turns, with Christopher dressing Rob at the last minute.
When Rob heard that Emily's dress had red accents, her stylist said he'd insisted on wearing the tie she'd bought him for Christmas. A private joke between the two of them, it was the one thing about their wedding which would be only theirs.
Emily dressed in the living room while Rob prepped in their bedroom. Christopher had created a makeshift platform and he'd happily employed Rick's daughter, Liv as his unofficial minion.
She was thrilled to be a part of it.
Liv's eyes widened when Christopher stripped Emily down to nothing but her lacy white panties. He wrapped the corset around her torso, then lifted her breasts into her dress to settle them perfectly. Like Liv, the women in Emily's family all gasped, in part because Em didn't even flinch.
Under his breath, Christopher said, “You're lucky I included extra room in the top. They grew a little since I last saw you.”
“Really?” Em whispered. It hadn't been that long since her fitting. “Damn. They'll be huge by the end.”
“Don't worry, I have plenty of ways to disguise that for you. Which will be crucial for the Oscars.”
He had her step into the dress, which he zipped and adjusted. Despite the fact that they were not alone, Em drifted into a zone where it was just her and Christopher.
Her voice rose slightly. “You think we're going to the Oscars again this year?”
Christopher laughed. “Of course. You, my dear, will be going as a very sexy pregnant woman. You'll be almost as big as Miss Jenna is right now. We'll find a way to make that look hot.” He tied the silver fabric belt around her waist artfully.
“Do you think he'll be nominated again?” That made her strangely nervous.
“Oh, it'll be a bigger deal this year, hon. He'll get nods for all the awards in Lead. You'll be walking the red carpet a lot in the coming months. Get used to new pairs of Louboutins.” He winked. “Shoes.”
Liv brought the shoes. As Em stepped into them, she asked, “You think he'll get Lead noms for Not Worthy? How can you know? It hasn't even hit wide release yet.”
He fluffed and adjusted, smoothed and tucked. “Look at you, miss thing, learning the lingo. I know because I've seen the movie numerous times, hon. Remember, I traveled the circuit with him. There was buzz everywhere. He'll get it. He might even win.”
Emily had an unpleasant flashback to her last conversation with Rachel. Oh, the Academy favors actors in couples, especially ones who are in non-actor relationships.
“Why do you say that? Because he'll be married?”
Christopher laughed. “Oh, honey, that's an old wives tale. Who told you that? I said it because he kicked that role in the teeth. He earned the right to be among the elite. I'm just glad he'll have you to share it with.” He kissed her cheek in a rare display of genuine affection. “Now, Reggie will be down in a minute to do touch-up and I'll go make your gorgeous fiancé look perfect. I'll see you in a few for the big walk.” He squeezed her hand and rapidly exited the room, Liv hot on his heels.
“Wow,” Charlie said. “What was that?”
Emily laughed. Christopher didn't faze her anymore. “That's what I said the first time, but he's a genius. What do you think?”
Gail bit her lip. “Oh, Emily, you look beautiful.” She lifted Emily's curls off her shoulder. “Your hair is stunning and that dress fits you like a glove. It's a bold choice, but it suits you perfectly.”
“You really like my hair?”
“Oh, darling, of course! I've always loved your hair. I never understood why you straightened it every day when it was so beautiful like this.”
Emily almost started crying and took a deep breath to steady herself. All those years, she'd had no idea what it was her mother had wanted. She'd made assumptions, went with what she thought was the perfect way to be to please her mother, and had probably done everything opposite of what her mother had intended.
She threw her arms around her mother and sniffed, “I love you Mom. I'm sorry I've been such a bitch the last year.”
Gail hugged her back. “I love you too. And we've all made some mistakes this past year,” she said, pulling away. She looked at Annie, who gave a sad smile. “I'm glad I made the effort to know the real Rob. And I'm especially glad we could be here to share this with you. All of us.” She looked at Charlie, Nina and Meg, who all smiled and nodded. “I miss my girls when you're away. We need to spend more time together.”
“We have another wedding to plan,” Emily said, looking at Annie. They weren't ever going to be the same, but things were better, bit by bit. It was hard to believe that a week ago, Em had confessed to her sister that she was pregnant. It was the only way to put everything past them, to admit they had all made mistakes and to apologize.
“And a baby shower,” Annie noted, squeezing Emily's hand. Em nodded her agreement.
Meg noted, “With any luck, those won't be the only celebrations this year.” Her expression spoke of things unsaid.
The women all hugged Emily in a group. “I don't think I could do this without you guys. Thanks for always sticking by me, even when you probably wanted to tell me to take a hike.”
They all laughed.
Reggie walked into the room then, and touched up Emily's makeup. Christopher returned.
“Are we all set? Can I send Rob down and retrieve your father?” Emily nodded and he set things in motion.
“Are you nervous?” Charlie asked.
“No. Were you?”
“Nope. Except worrying about falling on my face in those shoes. But I was excited. Are you excited?”
“I can't wait. You know how good he looks in Armani...” Emily joked, recalling their conversation the day Emily was fitted for the gala.
Charlie laughed. “Oh, God. I forgot about that. How will I ever concentrate? I'm glad you're the one performing the ceremony, Nin. I'd never be able to talk with him standing next to me looking like that!”
They all laughed. Meg shook her head. “I don't think I ever would've imagined my best friend marrying the guy I used to fantasize about. Sorry, Gail, but it's true.” Gail laughed. “I think the more surprising thing is that, after knowing him, he just seems like a regular guy. Albeit still a very hot one.”
They all laughed again. Charlie shook her head. “Sorry, Meggie. You haven't seen him and his brother in swimsuits. See that, then we'll talk about him being a regular guy.” Gail nodded and murmured her agreement.
“Mom!” Emily exclaimed.
“What? She's right. I might be older than you but I'm not dead. I'm glad to have some new eye candy around the lake.” They all laughed again.
“Okay,” Christopher said, “It's time. Ladies, why don't you all take your places. We'll see you out there.”
The women all gave her quick kisses on the cheek and left. It was only Em and Christopher for a moment, and he surprised her with his teary- eyed smile.
“Are you okay?” Emily asked.
“You're a vision. I know it's my doing, in part, but you're beautiful. I just wanted to tell you that. And I want you to remind that man every single day how lucky he is to have you. You got it?” Emily nodded. “He was drifting through his life before you. I'd be insanely jealous of you if you didn't truly deserve him.” He regained his composure, wiping a tear. He kissed her cheek again. “Now let's go out there and get you married.”
As she stepped onto the deck, her father took her arm. “You look beautiful, princess. You sure you're ready for this?”
“I've never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Good. Because he deserves you. Work hard to make each other happy every day, okay?”
“I promise, Daddy. I love you.” She kissed his cheek.
“I love you too, Emily.” He helped her down the stairs and they walked the carpet Christopher had put on the lawn so her insanely high heels wouldn't sink into the grass.
Emily knew that she should have seen Rick first, since he was so large standing at the altar. Or that she should have noticed Meg, since she wore a red maid-of-honor dress.
But the only person she could see was Rob.
Beautiful, as always, in his perfectly tailored Armani suit, his grin spread from ear to ear. The mischievous upturn of his smile that had made her heart skip a beat that first night at dinner, had drawn her into his orbit, and she never wanted to break free.
A series of images flashed through her head – a highlight show of their relationship, starting with that first smile. All of it led up to this moment, when she would agree to be his for the rest of her life. Nothing could be more right or more perfect. Her heart couldn't be more full.
As she stood next to him and her father kissed her cheek and shook Rob's hand, Rob gazed at her with so much love she thought she might fall over. He whispered, “Nice dress.”
She laughed, “You like?”
“It really should be a crime to be that beautiful.”
“Well, lucky for you, I'm only taking one guy home with me tonight. I'm pretty sure he's about to put a ring on my finger.”
“Smartest move he ever made.”
“Don't ever forget it.”
“I promise. I never will.”
“You two done with the private wedding ceremony?” Nina joked. They nodded and laughed. “Dearly beloved...”
To Matt, Isabella and Nicholas for their perseverance while I birthed my third baby, known as my writing career. I love you all more than anything. Thank you for loving me back enough to let me do this.
To the women in my life who love books as much as I do. All my favorite women love to read. Coincidence? I think not. You know who you are and you all know I love you.
Last but never least, I can't express enough gratitude to Laurie Breton. Thank you for believing in me and for threatening to kick my butt if I didn't publish something and soon. Thank you for slogging through the ridiculously long first draft (and second, and third, and fourth...) and for having the guts to tell it like it is. I've always been happy to call you aunt and thrilled to call you author, but now I'm pleased to call you friend and proud to call you mentor. You can never know what this has meant to me.
In Memory of my grammy, Jean Marie Gage Peaslee. I know she's sitting in heaven, smiling. Miss you.
Dear Reader,
I hope you liked taking Emily and Rob's journey with them as much as I loved writing it. When I began Back to December, it was several years ago and had a slightly different bent, but the core of the story was the same: a woman unexpectedly meets and falls in love with a movie star. By the time I got to the end of the first official draft of this book, I'd created a whole world of people who were interconnected.
One day, I was writing through a block and I wanted to know what Emily's bodyguard Liam thought during a scene. Before I knew it, I'd written twenty pages. Suddenly, I was writing a story for Liam! And thus, the series was born. Since then, the series has expanded and at least three spinoffs are planned. These characters have a lot to say.
Here's a sneak peak of Liam's story, Only One, Book 2 in the Ward Sisters Series. Enjoy!
All my best,
Lucy Gage
©2014 by Lucy Gage
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2013
Second Printing, 2014
ISBN 978-1534968363
[email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Harpswell, Maine, present day...
Jenna pulled up to the big, white house with its New England charm, complete with a huge front porch. Numerous cars occupied the driveway, but since this place had been an inn, there were still parking spots. Unfortunately, there were none near the door.
“You ready for this?” Christopher asked. Jenna nodded.
Fake it til you make it, she thought.
Rob and Emily were getting married and that meant there would be a crowd of people here soon. The gathering wasn't the issue, however; the problem was that one of those people would be Liam.
As Emily's full-time bodyguard, Liam now lived with their boss, Rob Deacon, aka movie star Deac Roberts. Jenna hadn't seen Liam in seven torturous, heartache-filled months when she wondered if he still loved her or if he'd changed his mind. She'd despaired for six months because she hadn't told Liam his baby grew inside her.
Jenna and Christopher, who was Rob's stylist, had discussed Liam during the entire flight to Maine from L.A. She couldn't hide her pregnancy. These days, Jenna could barely get out of her own way. Concealment was impossible unless she was seen from the neck up. That wasn't going to happen.
Christopher walked ahead to the house door and his massive frame engulfed the whole doorway. From a distance, Jenna observed Chris' air kisses upon Emily's greeting, and heard his compliment that she was glowing. He shouted over his shoulder, “Come on, big girl, you're lagging behind.”
“Ha-ha. You'd walk slower if you were me, too.”
Christopher replied, “Thank God I never will be. My figure couldn't handle it.”
She stepped into the house and hugged Emily, whose eyebrows shot up her forehead. Apparently, Rob had neglected to mention her pregnancy.
“I'm glad to see you!" Jenna said. "I'm so happy Rob finally came after you. He knows." She put a protective hand over her belly.
“Knows?” Emily asked, brow pinched in confusion, eyes narrowed.
“About the baby. I told him.”
Emily's face suddenly paled. Did she still not trust Rob? Jenna clarified, “It's not his baby! I meant I told him. Because he's my boss. And I'll need to take time off when the baby is born.”
Her breathing relaxed and Emily smiled. “Right. Of course! How far along are you?”
“About seven months. Actually, it's 34 weeks on Monday.” If Emily did the math, she'd know what that meant.
They walked toward the back to the kitchen, where Rob's former make-up artist, Reggie, stood alongside a tall brunette who Emily introduced as her best friend, Meg.
Reggie hugged Jenna, rubbed her belly and offered her friend a knowing look. Nervous, Jenna's smile wavered and she thought, Yeah, it's about to get real.
She and Christopher stepped onto the deck. Across the expanse of wood, Liam stood in a small group. As handsome as ever, his recently-cut wave of brown hair accentuated his high cheekbones. His shoulders shrugged with a stifled laugh and his smirk made her smile. God, had she missed him.
Liam finally noticed her and Chris. His eyes found Jenna's and heat rushed through her body. Those gorgeous lashes framed twinkling brown eyes, the chocolate orbs that had first caught her attention, and her heart clenched at the memory. A grin spread across his face as wide as the one he'd given her at the Malibu house in January, the night when, after three years, he'd finally said he loved her.
Then his eyes strayed down her body to her breasts, which had grown from a C to a DD since the last time she saw him. As his gaze traveled to her hand on her belly, he wobbled.
“Grab him, Rob!” Emily shouted a second too late, because Rob barely caught Liam's arms before his best friend collapsed. In the process, Liam's head whacked Rob's nose. Rob lay his friend on the chaise before he asked for a cloth for his nosebleed.
Jenna ga
sped and tears sprang to her eyes. He knew that the baby was his, or else he wouldn't have reacted that way. Her hand instantly covered her mouth to stifle a cry of relief.
She looked down at the red-haired woman, who'd dropped to her knees beside Liam. She'd also gasped and panicked as he fainted.
“Oh, my God! Is he okay? What just happened?” Red asked and looked at Emily.
And that was when she saw Jenna.
Red's eyes teared, her mouth drooped in a wobbly frown and her eyelids drifted closed for a second before a tear rolled down her cheek. When Rob told her to head into the house, that he'd take care of Liam, she agreed without a word as Meg helped her stand.
She must be Liam's girlfriend.
Lucy Gage started her writing career under another name, but the same vivid imagination and love of books still fuels her daily life. When she's not writing, Lucy spends time with her friends and family, creating inspiration for her writing. She loves to hear from fans, and you can find her at:
Facebook: Author Lucy Gage
Twitter: @LucyGageAuthor
Instagram: @authorlucygage
email: [email protected]
A boxed set of the first four Ward Sisters books is currently available. Her fifth book, Time to Begin, is available now, both for individual sale and as part of the Affairs of the Heart boxed set. Book six in the Ward Sisters Series, Just Realized, is available now. Steal Your Heart, Book 1 in the Vega Brothers Series—a Ward Sisters spinoff—launches in 2016.
