by Cheryl Holt
Lucas smiled a warm, supportive smile. “I’m betting you will be too, brother.”
Lucas gestured for Aaron to lead them out, and as Aaron stepped toward the vicar, James teased, “What’s that sound I hear? I believe it’s the old ball-and-chain banging along behind him.”
Aaron rolled his eyes at the vicar. “Please wed me to my bride as fast as you can so I can get away from these idiots.”
“Idiots!” Lucas huffed. “I was smart enough to marry Amelia, wasn’t I?”
“And I was smart enough to marry Rose,” James pointed out.
“But I,” Aaron said, “was smart enough to marry the most incredible woman of them all. Eat your hearts out, boys.”
* * * *
“If Miss Peabody was here, what do you suppose she would think?”
Evangeline peered over at Rose and Amelia.
Rose clucked her tongue like a mother hen. “She’d scold you for reaching too high in your choice of husband.”
They all chuckled, knowing it was absolutely true.
Evangeline had always had big dreams, had envisioned a splendid future, but Miss Peabody had fought to quash Evangeline’s optimism. Yet she hadn’t been able to stamp it out completely. Evangeline had never stopped hoping for more.
Ha, Miss Peabody! she yearned to gloat. It happened just as I planned, and I have everything I ever wanted.
They were in the church’s vestibule, the organ music playing quietly, and Evangeline could barely keep from dancing in merry circles.
“I doubt she’d have been overly thrilled with any of us,” Evangeline told her two friends.
“Especially not with me,” Rose said. “She betrothed me to James’s grandfather. What sane person would have engineered such a dire fate? I nearly didn’t escape it.”
Amelia added, “I scarcely managed to wrangle mine into place. It was touch and go with Lucas. I couldn’t figure out how it would end. I’m still surprised.”
“If I recall correctly,” Rose said, “you would rather have clobbered him with a stout log than have him as your husband.”
“Look at me now.” Amelia grinned and held up her wedding ring. “I snagged the worst rake in the world, and I’m so glad about it. Who would have ever guessed?”
“Life is so strange sometimes,” Rose mused.
“And so amazing,” Amelia said.
Up by the altar, a door opened, and the vicar emerged. Aaron followed him out, then Lucas and James. The organ began to blare, and people turned to glance back. For how swiftly they’d arranged the ceremony, there was a crowd in attendance. But then, Evangeline had boarded at the school, and the neighbors knew her.
Bryce asked, “Are you ready?”
Evangeline stared down the aisle at Aaron. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Rose gave her a hug, then marched off. Amelia did the same. Then Evangeline was standing with her brother.
Evangeline gazed up at him. From the moment she’d agreed to be Aaron’s bride, she’d been weepy and emotional. Apparently, the heightened sentiment was catching. Bryce’s eyes were a tad misty too.
“I wish our mother was here,” she said.
“Oh gad, Evangeline, if you spew maudlin drivel like that, you’ll have me bawling. I’ll never be able to escort you.”
“Sorry”—she was laughing—“but I wish she was.”
“All right, I admit it. I wish she was here too.” He offered his arm and she grabbled it. “Let’s go. The groom is glowering at me. I think he’s tired of waiting.”
“Well, I want to proceed slowly and drag it out so I can remember every single detail.”
“Women!” he huffed, and they started off, but he leaned down and murmured, “By the way, I believe Mother is probably with us. I believe she’s watching.”
“I believe she is too.”
He straightened, struggling to appear very serious. “Now let me get you down to your husband—before you come to your senses and run out the back.”
Aaron was smiling at her, his affection flowing out, luring her to him. She’d always been alone, an orphan who didn’t know her history, who thought she was floating free and not connected to anyone or anything. But she’d been wrong.
She had friends. She had her brother—and two others besides. They were out there somewhere, practically begging to be found.
And she had handsome, dashing, wonderful Aaron Drake who would love her forever.
She peeked up at her brother and grinned. “You don’t need to worry that I’ll run away.” She pointed to Aaron. “My future is there in front of me. Aren’t I lucky?”
THE END
Praise for New York Times Bestselling Author
CHERYL HOLT
“Best storyteller of the year…”
Romantic Times Magazine
“A master writer…”
Fallen Angel Reviews
“The Queen of Erotic Romance…”
Book Cover Reviews
“Cheryl Holt is magnificent…”
Reader to Reader Reviews
“From cover to cover, I was spellbound. Truly outstanding…”
Romance Junkies
“A classic love story with hot, fiery passion dripping from every page. There’s nothing better than curling up with a great book and this one totally qualifies.”
Fresh Fiction
“This is a masterpiece of storytelling. A sensual delight scattered with rose petals that are divinely arousing. Oh my, yes indeedy!”
Reader to Reader Reviews
Praise for Cheryl Holt’s “Lord Trent” trilogy
“A true guilty pleasure!”
Novels Alive TV
“LOVE’S PROMISE can’t take the number one spot as my favorite by Ms. Holt—that belongs to her book NICHOLAS—but it’s currently running a close second.”
Manic Readers
“The book was brilliant…can’t wait for Book #2.”
Harlie’s Book Reviews
“I guarantee you won’t want to put this one down. Holt’s fast-paced dialogue, paired with the emotional turmoil, will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.”
Susana’s Parlour
“…A great love story populated with many flawed characters. Highly recommend it.”
Bookworm 2 Bookworm Reviews
BOOKS BY CHERYL HOLT
WONDERFUL
WANTON
WICKED
LOVE’S PERIL
LOVE’S PRICE
LOVE’S PROMISE
SWEET SURRENDER
MUD CREEK
MARRY ME
LOVE ME
KISS ME
SEDUCE ME
KNIGHT OF SEDUCTION
NICHOLAS
DREAMS OF DESIRE
TASTE OF TEMPTATION
PROMISE OF PLEASURE
SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL
DOUBLE FANTASY
FORBIDDEN FANTASY
SECRET FANTASY
TOO WICKED TO WED
TOO TEMPTING TO TOUCH
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
THE WEDDING NIGHT
FURTHER THAN PASSION
DEEPER THAN DESIRE
MORE THAN SEDUCTION
COMPLETE ABANDON
ABSOLUTE PLEASURE
TOTAL SURRENDER
LOVE LESSONS
MOUNTAIN DREAMS
MY TRUE LOVE
MY ONLY LOVE
MEG’S SECRET ADMIRER
WAY OF THE HEART
CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author of thirty-seven novels.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, a
nd she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She has been hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance” as well as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.
