by Marie Force
“What did he say to that?”
“He laughed and hugged me again as tight as he had in years, and he said, ‘Someday, you’ll know exactly what I mean, and you’ll thank me.’”
“Cocky bastard, huh?” Slim said, grinning.
“Not usually, but in that case, yeah, seriously cocky.” She linked their hands and looked up at him. “Every time I’ve thought about that weekend since then, I’ve been annoyed with him for trying to sabotage my relationship with Mitch, but now I know he was one hundred percent right. Now I know exactly what he meant, and I’m indeed thanking him.”
“Yeah?” he said, his brows raised in question.
She nodded and took the plunge. “My Toby was telling me to wait for you, and as usual, he was right. I love you, Tobias Fitzgerald Jackson Junior.”
He blinked a couple of times, as if trying not to cry, before he reached for her, bringing her close enough to kiss. “Marry me,” he whispered gruffly against her lips.
Erin gasped. “What?”
“You heard me. Marry. Me. Erin. Please, marry me. Be my wife, my love, my everything. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Will you please, please, please marry me and let me teach you how to fly in every possible way?”
She was so stunned that she could barely think.
“We could have it all, baby. Winters in Florida, summers on Gansett. Together every day. Maybe even a little Slim or Erin tossed in there, too, if we get really lucky. You’re the only thing I need to be happy. You’re it for me. Say yes.”
She loved him, her parents loved him, her friends loved him, and she had no doubt, no doubt whatsoever, that her beloved brother would’ve loved him, too. What was left to think about? Absolutely nothing. “Yes.”
“Really?” he asked, his expression priceless.
“Really.”
“Oh my God,” he said on a deep exhale. “You’re really going to marry me?”
“I really am, and I’ll let you teach me how to fly, too.”
“I’d love to.” He kissed her then with a kind of desperation he’d rarely shown her, and she returned the desperation, the intensity, the desire. “I need to get up for a second, but I’ll come right back.”
Erin reluctantly released him, and true to his word, he returned a minute later and put a stunning diamond ring on her left hand. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “W-what? When… When did you get this?”
“The day before I left West Palm. I hadn’t planned to blurt out a proposal the second you arrived, but after what you just told me about Toby… It was the perfect time, the perfect woman.” He kissed the back of the hand where his ring now resided. “If you don’t like it, we can return it.”
Laughing through her tears, she said, “I love it. We’re not returning it.” She was filled with every kind of emotion possible, including one she’d never expected to experience so fully again—joy. “Who’d have thought that spraining my ankle and getting a flat tire on a dark road would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened?”
“I did. I knew from that first night that you were going to ruin me in the best way possible.”
“You did not know then!”
“Yes, I did. I really did. And you know how I knew?”
“How?”
“Me, who made a career out of never, ever spending a night with a woman, slept in that uncomfortable chair in your living room so I could be there if you needed me during the night. That was the first sign of trouble where you were concerned.”
“Trouble, ha! I haven’t been any trouble to you.”
“Are you kidding me? You’ve been nothing but trouble to me, disturbing my focus, plaguing my dreams, keeping me awake at night, forcing me to jack off in the shower more than I have since I was a kid. If that’s not trouble, what is it?”
Laughing at his recitation, she said, “It’s love.”
“Yes, it is, and I want all the trouble you can dole out for the rest of our lives.”
“You got it. Thank you so much for taking on all my issues and helping me find a way to be happy.”
“Baby, being happy with you is like breathing—the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
Epilogue
There had been a time, not that long ago, when Grace Ryan had been convinced she’d never have a boyfriend, let alone a husband. Lap-band surgery had transformed her body, but Evan McCarthy’s love had transformed her soul. Seeing herself through his eyes, she felt beautiful for the first time in her life, and standing before the full-length mirror in the resort’s bridal suite, she took in the sight of herself in her wedding dress and could see for herself, for once, that she was indeed beautiful on the most important day of her life.
From one of the most embarrassing incidents ever had come the love of a lifetime. Sometimes it seemed like minutes rather than more than a year since the night she’d been abandoned by a date on Gansett Island and rescued by Evan, who’d been playing a gig with Owen at the McCarthy’s marina.
Evan had taken the time to find out why she was sitting by herself, crying. The guy she’d come to the island with had taken off on his boat with her purse, her money and her clothes, all because she’d refused to have sex with him after finding out their “relationship” had been yet another in a series of jokes about the “fat” girl.
She refused to think about him. Not today. She’d much rather focus on the man who’d taken her home to his parents’ house, put her up for the night and paid for her ferry ticket home to Connecticut the next day. The single best thing she’d ever done in her entire life was return to the island the following week to reimburse Evan for the ferry ticket. He hadn’t wanted her money, but much to her surprise, the handsome, sexy, ridiculously talented musician who could’ve had any woman in the world had wanted her. They’d been together pretty much ever since, and she’d ended up giving her virginity to a man who truly loved her and always would—her first and only boyfriend, the love of her life.
A knock on the door drew her out of the trip down memory lane. “Come in.”
The door opened, and in came Linda McCarthy. She shut the door behind her and crossed the room to Grace. “Oh, honey,” Linda said, her hand over her heart. “You’re stunning. Evan won’t know what hit him when he sees you.”
“Thank you,” Grace said, fortified by her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s reaction. Her hair was long and shiny thanks to the efforts of the resort’s salon. She wore the same makeup she wore most days, which wasn’t much, and her dress, which her friend Tiffany had helped her to special order, was a simple white, floor-length gown with a beaded bodice and a long, flowing skirt. The bicep curls Grace had been doing every day for six months had brought new definition to her arms that she was damned proud of.
She would carry a bouquet of red and hot pink tropical flowers and had a red hibiscus bloom tucked behind her right ear.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Linda asked.
“I think I’m good. You can send the girls in if they’re ready.”
“They’re outside. I’ll get them for you, but before I do… I just wanted to say, Mac and I are so thrilled to welcome you into our family. If we could’ve handpicked the perfect partner for Evan, we couldn’t have found anyone better suited to him than you are. Thank you for making him happier than he’s ever been.”
“Oh, Linda, don’t make me cry.” Grace reached for her hand. “Your son is the finest man I’ve ever known, except for maybe your husband, and it’s the greatest honor of my life to become a McCarthy. All this time, in the back of my mind, I think I’ve been waiting for something to go wrong. Something always goes wrong.”
“Not today, sweetheart. Today will be perfect, and at the end of it, you’ll be Evan’s wife and he’ll be your husband. Just the way it was always supposed to be.”
Grace risked wrinkles to hug Linda. “Thank you so much for coming to check on me. It means so much to me to know you and Mac are happy for us.”
&n
bsp; “We’re delighted. We love you both very much.” Linda hugged her, carefully, kissed her cheek and stepped back. “I’ll send your girls in.”
“Linda.”
She turned back, her brow raised in inquiry.
“Thank you for knowing that I could use a little mothering right now.”
“Of course, honey. This mother is available to you any time you need her.”
“I’ll probably be needing her a lot.”
“That’s fine with me.” Linda left her with a smile, closing the door behind her.
Grace took a deep breath, battling the emotions stirred by Linda’s generosity. She had fallen in love with Evan’s family almost as quickly as she’d fallen for him, and knowing they would be part of her life forever made this amazing day that much sweeter. In her opinion, she’d done a rather admirable job of forgetting her own parents weren’t there. She’d enjoyed the time with her brothers, Evan’s family and their wonderful friends. It wasn’t just enough. It was more than enough.
After a quick knock, the door opened, and in came Grace’s tribe of bridesmaids—Abby, Stephanie, Janey, Maddie, Laura and Tiffany, along with Ashleigh, who was their flower girl. Each of them wore dresses made from the same floral material, but all in different styles that they’d chosen for themselves.
Not only had meeting Evan led to her first real boyfriend, it had also led to deep and meaningful friendships with the most incredible group of women who would serve as her attendants.
“You look amazing,” Tiffany said, giving Grace a critical once-over. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“That’s high praise from the empress of style,” Maddie said, “and I completely agree with my sister. You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Grace said, blinking back tears as she brought them in for a group hug. “Thank you all so much for being the best friends I’ve ever had.”
Evan had expected to be nervous, but he was too excited to be nervous. Today he got to marry his amazing Grace, and he couldn’t wait to make it official. They’d been counting down to this date, the eighteenth of January, for what felt like forever.
And now that the day was finally upon them, Evan wanted to push the clock ahead an hour so he could see her. Because she was superstitious, they’d spent the night apart, and he hadn’t yet seen her today. He was losing his mind waiting for the magical sunset hour they’d chosen for their wedding. They should’ve done it at sunrise so he wouldn’t have had to spend most of the day without her.
“Are you with me?” Owen asked from his perch on the stool next to Evan’s.
“Oh, yeah, sorry.”
Owen laughed in his face. “You’re a mess.”
“I’m anxious to get on with it.”
Owen looked over his shoulder to see the sun heading toward the horizon in a fiery ball that gilded the surface of the crystal-blue water. “Won’t be long now, and from the looks of things, it’ll be worth the wait.”
“Means a lot to me that you’re here, and singing with me, and everything.”
“I’d be so bummed if I were at home missing it.”
“Does that mean you’ve come around to enjoying the getaway with your wife?”
“Well, except for the part where she’s giving me the deep freeze thanks to your stupid brother and his big ideas.”
Evan tossed his head back and laughed. “I’ve got the most pissed-off and horny group of groomsmen.”
“I’m never listening to Mac again. Ever.”
Still laughing, Evan said, “Let’s go through it one more time.”
Playing ukuleles, they went over their rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” medley, singing in perfect harmony, as always. They’d practiced as often as they could over the last few days, and exchanged smiles as it came together just the way Evan had envisioned. Grace had left the music to his discretion. He wanted it to be special for her, and having Owen there with him made it special for him, too.
When they finished that, they practiced Evan’s number-one hit song, “My Amazing Grace,” before declaring themselves good to go. The rehearsal had been a formality, something to kill the time. He and Owen could play together in public on a moment’s notice without so much as a minute of rehearsal.
They stashed their instruments and went to make sure the other guys were getting ready on schedule. On the way to the villa where they were meeting the others, they ran into Big Mac. Evan’s dad wore the same white linen shirt and khaki pants as the guys in the wedding party.
“Was wondering where you two had gotten off to,” Big Mac said.
“One last sound check on the beach,” Evan said.
“Owen, would you mind giving me one minute with my son?” Big Mac asked.
“Of course not. I’ll see you back at the house.”
“We’ll be right along,” Big Mac said. “And Owen? It wouldn’t have been the same for Evan without you here.”
“I’m glad Laura manipulated me into coming,” Owen said with a grin before he left them.
Evan stood with his dad on the expansive boardwalk that looked out over the water. “You’re not going to make me cry like a little girl or anything, are you?”
“Would I do that?” Big Mac asked.
Evan laughed at his indignant reply. “Yeah, you would.”
“I just wanted the chance to say how happy I am for you and Grace and how proud I am of the man you grew up to be.”
Sure enough, Evan blinked rapidly. “You know how much your opinion means to all of us.”
“I’m also proud of you for pursuing the music when it would be less complicated to let go of the dream and take the easy road. You always would’ve wondered what might’ve been if you hadn’t taken this chance, but you should know how much we’ll miss you. We’ll be waiting for you when it’s time to come home.”
Evan nodded and smiled at his dad. “That’s good to know. I’d hoped you would approve.”
Big Mac put his arm around Evan’s shoulders. “I approve, and I love you, son. More than you’ll ever know.”
Evan battled his emotions to find the words he needed. “I’ve always known I was lucky to be born into our family, but after seeing what Grace has been through with hers, I appreciate it so much more than I ever have before. You and Mom are the heart of us, and I hope to be able to give my kids a fraction of what you’ve given me.”
“And you thought I’d make you cry.”
Evan hugged him, holding on tight to the man who’d been his true north his entire life.
“Let’s go get you married, shall we?”
After putting Evan in charge of the music, Grace had been prepared for just about anything, but listening to him and Owen on the ukuleles singing a song he knew she loved, Grace couldn’t contain her smile or the tears that filled her eyes. It was perfect, just the way he’d said it would be.
They sang that song as their guests were seated and as the wedding party came together in couples, Mac and Maddie, Joe and Janey, Grant and Stephanie, Adam and Abby, Tiffany and Blaine, and Laura as her matron of honor, who’d join Owen as Evan’s best man.
While waiting to hear if Laura would be able to convince Owen to come to the wedding, Grace had held off on asking anyone else to be her honor attendant. As Laura headed down the sandy path to the spot they’d chosen for their wedding, Grace was so happy everything had worked out and they’d been able to come. Even the location was perfect after being moved from the resort they’d originally chosen in Turks and Caicos, which had been damaged in a storm.
“Ready, honey?” Big Mac asked, extending his arm to her.
Grace slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Ready.”
Through highs and lows and ups and downs, through his absences on the tour and everything else they’d been through together, she and Evan had become closer than ever. And as she took Big Mac’s arm and heard Evan switch to a solo version of “My Amazing Grace,” she followed the sound of his vo
ice down the path just as the sun touched the horizon, firing the sky with brilliant colors, the same way Evan had filled her life with magic.
He locked his gaze on her as he sang the song he’d written for her, and never looked away as she made her way toward him on the arm of his father. When Evan’s voice faltered, Owen picked up the slack, finishing the song while Evan put down his guitar and stepped forward to meet her, hugging his dad as he delivered her to him.
Grace handed her flowers to Laura as Owen took his place next to Evan.
Grace would never forget the way Evan looked at her when he took her hands and brought them to his lips, kissing the back of each one. “You take my breath away,” he said softly.
This man, this extraordinarily handsome, sexy, talented, sweet man, was going to be her husband. He’d shown her his heart the first night she met him, and nothing she’d seen since then had altered that unforgettable first impression.
The resort had provided a celebrant who led them through the recitation of traditional vows and the exchange of rings. Then he turned to the groom. “Evan?”
Evan smiled down on her and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. “From the first time I saw you in the crowd at the marina, I couldn’t look away. While I was having a blast playing with Owen, you’d had a rough night. Something drew me to you, and that same thing has been drawing me to you ever since. You are the sweetest, sassiest, sexiest woman I’ve ever known, and I can’t wait to hit the road with you and see where life takes us. I can’t wait to see you pregnant with our babies. I can’t wait for everything with you. Thank you for taking this amazing ride with me. I promise you’ll never be bored.”
Grace laughed as she cried and tried to collect herself so she could respond.
