“Wow,” Anna said, checking out the landscaping as they approached the house. “This place is beautiful.”
Neil cleared his throat. “You look beautiful today yourself, Anna.”
She smiled, giving him a side glance and bumping her hip into his. “You’re not looking half bad yourself. Plus, I love the way you smell.”
Neil laughed, glancing at Finley. “It looks like you might have to try a touch of my aftershave, Fin.”
Neil swore the dog was smiling.
Luke came walking out from the garage with a grin on his face. “Neil, Anna. Hey, I know this dog. He’s visited here before.”
“Really?” Anna asked.
“Yep. Kelly and I like to foster them. We have a huge basement, and amazingly our dog Hawk gets along well with just about any of them we bring home.”
“Hawk?” Neil was suddenly emotional, turning to Anna. “You remember Luke and Hawk Benton were best friends?”
“I sure do,” she answered. “I think he’d get a kick out of knowing that your dog was named after him.”
“Yep, and Kelly and I might not have gotten together if it hadn’t been for Hawk’s fiancé Mel, who came all the way here to Crystal Rock to give me a talking to. Life is too short, she said. And I didn’t know how lucky I was to be alive when Hawk wasn’t.”
“I always liked Mel,” Anna answered. “Whatever happened to her?”
“Heck. You didn’t know?” Luke asked, definitely surprised. “She’s working as an R.N. at the wounded warrior home. I can’t believe you haven’t run into her since you two are there every day. She should be stopping by sometime tonight.”
Neil shook his head dazedly, looking at Anna. “I told you. Isn’t it weird how so many of us are ending up here in Crystal Rock?”
Luke made a motion toward the garage. “Go help yourself to beer or food or whatever you’d like. The band is down on the beach along the shore near the bay, and we have a tent set up close to the bleachers. Both the junior high and high school teams play hockey here in the winter.”
“Great. We’ll talk with you later,” Anna said as they continued walking toward the garage.
Neil found the keg, where a bunch of familiar faces had gathered, and he and Anna sipped their beers and stood and talked for a few minutes while Finley sat near Anna, amazingly content.
After dropping off the engagement card in the house with all the other gifts, they began heading down the path toward the beach to listen to the band.
“They’re pretty good,” Neil said, giving Anna a side glance. “I told you I was in a band? My mom was also a music teacher. I can play several instruments.” He grimaced. “Well, I used to anyway. I’m definitely out of practice.”
“Can you play a guitar?” Anna asked, raising a brow. “I always thought the sexiest guys in the band were the ones who played guitar.”
“Can I play a guitar?” Neil stood up and smiled, grabbing her hand. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Neil walked her over to the bandstand set up inside the tent, while Anna held onto Finley’s leash.
“Is it alright if I borrow your guitar for a song or two?” Neil asked one of the members of the band.
The man looked indecisive until Josh appeared with Nina. “I’ll vouch for him, Les.”
Les smiled, handing over the guitar to Neil.
Neil saw a pile of sheet music resting nearby and began shuffling through it. Finally, he grinned, pulling out the music and lyrics for a familiar song.
“Talk about coincidence,” he said to Anna, before turning to Josh.
“Josh, would you hold on to Finley for us?”
“Sure,” Josh answered, taking the leash from Anna.
Both Josh and Nina grinned.
After giving Anna the sheet music, Neil dragged two stools near the front of the stage and motioned for Anna to sit down.
Les handed over the microphone to Neil, and Neil set it up in front of him and Anna while sitting on the other stool with the guitar.
Anna held the music in front of them and smiled widely as Neil began strumming and playing a few chords.
Neil was pleased with himself for remembering so quickly, because soon he was playing the guitar nearly as well as he used to.
Anna was definitely impressed when Neil went into a full rendition of the song and chords before he began singing.
I was living for my dream
Neil smiled, and Anna took the cue and began harmonizing with Neil, as they put their own spin on the words like they had before.
And I was loving for the moment
Suddenly the band surrounding them joined in, building the momentum of the beautiful melody as Neil and Anna continued their duet.
I knew for certain
the friend I have in you
we were living for our dreams
loving for those moments
Neil kept gazing into Anna’s eyes, recognizing the importance of conveying the meaning of every single word.
my search is over
I can see forever in your eyes
When the song was ended, everyone around them stayed surprisingly quiet as he and Anna sat staring into each other’s eyes.
Anna’s eyes filled with tears, and Neil realized something momentous was definitely happening here, because Neil knew Anna would be the only woman whose eyes he would look into and always see forever.
Carefully putting aside the guitar, Neil reached out, pulling Anna into his arms.
All of a sudden, loud applause echoed through the air.
* * *
Later, having spoken with nearly every one of Luke and Kelly’s guests, Neil and Anna were sitting by themselves on the bleachers with Finley.
“Gee, you guys are popular,” Kelly Callahan approached, wearing a huge smile on her face. “I think you both know Melinda?”
Melinda McDaniel came creeping up behind Kelly, smiling ear to ear. “You two sound so good together. You have amazing voices. I couldn’t believe when I looked at the stage and saw both of you singing.”
“Mel,” Anna stood up, wrapping her arms around her.
Neil smiled. Thankfully, Anna would have lots of friends to keep her busy when he returned to active duty.
But all of a sudden, the thought of leaving her was making him panic.
“Neil?” Mel approached him with a quizzical look on her face. Obviously noticing the direction of his gaze, she turned and looked at Anna, who was busy talking with Kelly about the wedding. “Take her up to the top of Crystal Rock, here at Dragonfly Pointe. And I mean right now.”
Neil blinked. “Why?”
“Because if you kiss at Dragonfly Pointe, your love will last forever.”
She was kidding—wasn’t she?
No, Mel definitely looked serious. “I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but you wouldn’t believe how many people I know who’ve done exactly that, and it’s worked out for them.” She grinned. “Even me. I’m in a new relationship, and I’m so happy, it hurts.”
Neil smiled. “That’s great, Mel. Hawk would want for you to be happy.”
“Well. I heard you’re still on active duty?”
“I am.” Neil took a sip of his lukewarm beer.
“Make sure you tell her that you love her now, while you have time to spend together. Heck, you’re both over thirty. Why not just get married before you go back?”
Sipping on more of his beer, he began to choke.
Mel started laughing, pounding on his back. “Well it doesn’t have to be today.”
Neil grinned, answering wryly, “Actually, I was thinking it was a pretty damned good idea, Mel.”
She smiled widely.
* * *
Neil had asked Anna to take a walk with him to the top of Crystal Rock, and the view from here was incredible, she thought, as the fiery sun descended, sending out beams of sparkling light rippling across the lake.
Anna stood with Finley’s leash in hand, looking at Neil in shock. “What did you
just ask me?”
“I wanted to know if you’d like to get married?”
He couldn’t really mean it, the way he was asking? He probably just felt guilty because they’d slept together so quickly.
Anna stared across the lake. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“Anna—is something wrong?”
He did look genuinely concerned when she studied his face.
“You don’t have to marry me just because we slept together,” she muttered, nearly in tears.
Neil slapped himself in the head. “Talk about screwing things up. I can’t seem to do anything right. Here I was thinking—what am I going to do without you? I love you that much. I can’t stand the idea of going back on tour and having to leave you, so I figured if we were married, I could think of you here,” he pounded on his heart, “waiting for me.”
And then he grinned. “And Finley too, of course.”
Finley barked sharply, obviously answering yes as a slow smile began lighting up Anna’s face.
“Repeat that again?”
Neil grimaced. “I don’t think I can remember it all. What am I going to do without you?”
“Not that part,” she said.
“I figured if we were married, I could think of you here, waiting for me?”
“Not that part either.”
This time Neil grinned. “I’m going to be missing Finley’s kisses?”
Anna snorted, putting her hands on her hips. But she was having trouble controlling her laughter when Finley whined, hearing his name.
“I love you, Anna,” Neil said softly.
And Neil surprised her, by easing her against his shoulder, his hand gliding over her spine in a soothing motion. Their bodies touched at intervals, and the pressure of him warm and hard had her knees weakening.
One of Neil’s hands caressed the side of her face, holding her steady as his mouth descended. He was gentle easing her into the kiss. The kiss was captivating, and his tongue touched hers while her hand slid up and groped the back of his neck. Sensation filled her with love, even invading the spaces between her heartbeats.
“I love you too, Neil,” Anna said in a breathless voice. “But it’s only been five days since you came back into my life.”
“Anna? Think about it—does it really matter? I felt a connection with you the moment we met. I would have stayed with my wife, but she didn’t want me. You might have stayed with your fiancé, but it didn’t work out.”
“In other words, fate has always meant for us to be together?” Anna asked.
“As my life has moved forward, I’ve come to believe in the power of fate. How about you?”
“Definitely,” she answered, giving him a teary smile.
Giving her a tender smile, Neil bent down on his knee. “Will you marry me Anna Drummond?”
Anna bent down beside him. “I will, Neil Harrison.”
As they kissed, Finley whined, laying down on the ground beside them, covering his eyes with his paws.
Epilogue
One week later.
Finley hadn’t been too thrilled about returning to the shelter, but this time he would be loose in the play area where dogs could be boarded for the day. Anna would have to travel occasionally for her job, and until she found someone who would be willing to dog sit, boarding Finley would be the best option.
Anna took one final glance at herself in the mirror, pleased with the results from the shopping trip she’d taken with Mel and Sarah.
After the engagement party last week, it had suddenly occurred to her that she didn’t have anything appropriate to wear to a formal wedding. But Mel had seemed to realize the same thing, because she’d given her a call at the beginning of the week to let Anna know she would be taking Sarah shopping to find a dress and wondered if Anna would want to go along too.
She’d applied a little bit of extra makeup today, with eyeshadow, blush and lipstick. Anna had even had her hair done, although she’d left it styled in loose waves since the hairdresser had assured her it would look beautiful with the gown she’d be wearing, while flattering her heart-shaped face.
Taking in a deep breath, she paused when she walked into the living room and found Neil dressed in his uniform.
He looked great.
But Neil was standing there, just staring at her in shock. “It’s like I’ve never really looked at you before, Anna. And I mean it when I say, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
Suddenly, he turned, and swiped a hand across his face.
“Neil? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just thinking about how happy I’ve been with you.”
“Then we’re in accord,” she said softly, as he turned and looked into her eyes. “You’re so handsome.”
He grinned. “I have a question? What are you doing wearing pink?”
She held her head up high. “I’ll have you know, this color is rose.”
They both began to laugh.
But then a knock suddenly sounded at the back door.
Anna frowned, walking into the kitchen. “Who could that be?”
When Anna opened the back door, she couldn’t have been more surprised, and it took her a moment to recover.
“Jeremy, Ben, Evan? What are all of you doing here?”
Her three brothers filed into the kitchen, each looking at her grimly.
“It’s time for you to make peace with Dad, Sis. He was invited here today for the wedding. Apparently, he knows Luke Bryant, and so do I,” Jeremy said. “When I spoke with Luke, he said to bring Ben and Evan along, when he heard they were both on leave.”
Neil came walking into the kitchen.
Ben asked, “Are you Lieutenant Harrison?”
“Neil to all of you,” he answered, not looking surprised to see them.
Anna stared at Neil suspiciously, and she noticed he was acting nervous.
“I think Anna needs to hear what you told me,” Neil said, looking at Jeremy.
“We’ll make it short, Sis. The reason Dad didn’t encourage you to enter the Air Force? He promised Mom before she died that he’d keep you safe. So, there you have it. He was trying to honor a deathbed wish to her, knowing how much you wanted to enter the academy.”
“Another thing you didn’t know?” Ben said. “Dad flew to that hospital and waited while you were in surgery in Germany, along with me by the way. He was balling like a baby. He really loves you, Anna. He’s so proud of you. For some stupid reason, he doesn’t seem to be able to tell you though. That’s when I found out about Mom, when you were there. Dad was so upset thinking he’d alienated you for good.”
“You know, I’m going to have to fix my makeup before we leave here, Neil?” Anna was crying in full force and she just couldn’t seem to stop.
Neil wrapped his arms around her and held her.
Jeremy grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry like that. Even after Mom passed away.”
Anna nodded her agreement, admitting, “Dad couldn’t talk to me because I was so hostile—I would never let him. I was afraid to show him how much he hurt me.”
“I get it,” Evan agreed. “Like I said, none of us ever knew. We were just as mad for your sake as you were, when we knew you wanted to enter the academy.”
Anna sniffed. “I understand. We’ll talk later. Okay? You guys better get moving and head to the wedding. It’s going to take me a few minutes to get rid of these puffy eyes. I’ve missed all of you. I guess Wes couldn’t make it?”
Evan frowned. “Whatever he’s got going with the Rangers is really hush, hush, I guess. We haven’t heard from him for a few months. But we’ve all been known to be off the radar for a while.”
“Yep, every one of us has been there at one time or another,” Neil said.
Ben nodded his agreement, grinning at Anna. “Just save us each a dance. Okay?”
Running up to them before they began filing out from the kitchen, she gave them each a hug.
Giving her a wry smile, Jeremy followed Ben and Evan through the doorway outside.
“Are you mad at me?” Neil asked. “I thought that maybe you needed to get this resolved before we moved forward. When we get married, I want your dad to be the one walking you down the aisle, just as it should be.”
“Thank you, Neil. I don’t know if I would have ever discovered why Dad held me back if you hadn’t contacted them,” she answered, walking into the bathroom and washing her face.
She quickly reapplied her makeup, and soon she looked as good as new, but there was a difference, she thought as she looked into the mirror; there was a sense of peace and contentment showing on her face that she’d never seen before.
Staring at her with a soft smile on his face when she came out from the bathroom, Neil reached for her hand. “You look even more gorgeous than you did earlier. There’s a light in your eyes.” He cleared his throat. “Come on. We’d better be on our way.”
* * *
When Neil and Anna arrived at the wedding site, where a few hundred people had already gathered, they discovered some trouble had arisen before the ceremony.
Luke looked at the two of them with relief when they arrived at the beach where the wedding was being held.
Quickly, he rushed over. “Hey, can I ask you two for a huge favor? Emily Richardson, our soloist, isn’t going to be able to get here in time for the wedding. We have no one who can sing the appropriate music.” Luke shoved his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. I hate to ask...”
Neil answered, “That’s alright, Luke. Calm down. How much time have we got? About an hour?”
Luke nodded yes.
“I need to go through some music, and maybe I should have a guitar?”
“We can find one for you. I’ll talk to Danielle Loughlin from the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. She’ll have someone bring over some music right away. I’d ask her to sing, but she’s going to be performing at the reception and she’s put most of our entertainment together for us already.”
“Take a deep breath Luke, and go comb your hair,” Anna said, wearing a smile. “Have them send the music that’s stored in the piano bench in their bar. I’m sure I saw some songs that would work.”
Two Hearts In Accord (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 7) Page 13
