Persuading Spring: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The Four Seasons Book 4) (25 page)

A lot happened over the next ten months.

In April, Mateo moved up to Russell to live
with his father, and then shortly afterward Nita returned to Spain. It proved
to be an emotional time for everyone, but Mateo already being with his dad
helped the transition, and by the time she came back to visit in October, he’d
settled into his old school. She was able to see how happy he was, which made
it much easier for her to return to Spain, where she was now living with
Nicolas.

In May, Bridget finally moved up to Russell
to live with Aaron and Mateo. She spent a while looking at premises for a new
shop for Four Seasons and finally found the place she’d been looking for in
York Street, right in the middle of a group of busy restaurants and tourist
shops, the perfect site. The shop was being gutted and repainted, ready for its
opening the following January, at the height of the tourist season.

Rowan and Hitch got married somewhere in
the Himalayas, then came back for a second celebration with their friends in
July.  Shortly afterward, Rowan announced she was pregnant, with the baby due
the following March. Around the same time, Callie told everyone she was
expecting her second, so the two of them were able to compare notes and know
that their babies would grow up together. Callie’s eldest was now a year old,
just starting to walk, as mischievous and funny as his mother.

Neve and Rhett married in September, and
Neve even wore a dress. Bridget had never seen her so happy. She’d wondered
whether her friend would be able to truly put aside all the pain their
relationship had caused her in the past, but the two of them seemed to be going
from strength to strength, and Rhett was clearly devoted to her. Bridget knew they
would never have the same, calm, idyllic relationship she felt she shared with
Aaron—Neve bossed Rhett around while he liked to tease her, prompting frequent
arguments, but they always seemed to enjoy making up, which Bridget secretly
believed was the main reason they argued.

The business was booming, too. As well as
the shop in Russell, they’d also opened up one in Auckland and one in Hamilton,
and there was talk of another in the South Island soon. Rowan’s designs had
begun to be picked up by retail outlets across New Zealand and Australia, and
Callie was meeting with the sales rep of a large chain of American stores in
the New Year, which could mean them expanding to the States. They were all
really excited about that.

Aaron and Joe’s veterinary business
continued to grow, too, helped along by Izzy and Pam, and also Harriet Lyttle,
who came in as a volunteer to foster the occasional injured stray until it
found a new home.

Today, it was a beautiful Midsummer Day,
December the twenty-first, and there wasn’t a cloud in the bright blue sky.

Over a year had passed since Bridget had
first met Aaron on Wellington quay. Their relationship had deepened and
strengthened, and a few weeks ago, when she’d met Clara Reed for coffee one
lunchtime, Clara had apologized for giving her a hard time when they’d first
gotten together. Joe, too, had gone out of his way to be friendly and
welcoming, so she guessed that they’d all finally accepted that even though the
relationship had started so unusually, there had genuinely been a seed there
that had now grown into something beautiful.

“Daydreaming again?” Callie said with a
smile.

Everyone had come up to the Bay of Islands
for a special pre-Christmas get-together party. Some of Bridget’s friends had
never been to the bay, and it was a chance for them to meet Joe and their other
friends and Aaron’s family, and for everyone to enjoy the gorgeous sub-tropical
weather.

“It’s so hot,” Bridget said, fanning herself
with a menu. She wore a simple summer dress in a pretty lilac color overlaid
with a slightly darker lavender-colored lace that she’d bought especially for
the occasion, but she was still too warm. “I can’t believe it’s not even
Christmas yet,” she said. “I’m going to be melting by February.”

“It’s definitely a few degrees warmer up
here,” Rowan commented.

“And it’s more humid,” Neve said. “I can
feel sweat running down my back—yuck!”

Rhett nuzzled her neck. “Are you trying to
turn me on?”

She pushed him away and scolded him, and
everyone laughed.

Bridget smiled, glancing around for Aaron,
Hitch, and Mateo. They’d walked off together to talk about something and hadn’t
yet come back. She couldn’t see them, so she let her gaze linger on the
beautiful surroundings. They’d booked a large table in the restaurant of one of
the more exclusive hotels in Russell, and everyone was staying the night in the
luxurious suites that fronted a private beach. It was late afternoon, and at
the moment they were all sitting outside around several tables under large
umbrellas, letting the cool sea breeze wash over them. Something was happening
on the large lawn to her right, some kind of event, where a small marquee had
been erected over a group of empty chairs. Somewhat distractedly, she watched a
man stand in front of a podium and arrange some papers there, while another guy
took a seat by his side, resting a guitar on his knee. Live music, nice!

She closed her eyes, listening to her
friends’ chatter, enjoying the moment.

“Bridget?”

She turned and looked up to see Hitch
standing beside her. He was smiling, and to her surprise he held out a hand.

“I think it’s your pregnant wife who
probably needs a hand up,” she joked, but he didn’t move, just continued to
stand there, and then flicked his fingers telling her to get up.

Around her, the conversation trailed off,
and suddenly everyone else got to their feet and began to move away from the
table toward the lawn, casting her grins and winks as they walked away.

Slowly, she stood, her heart beginning to
hammer. “What…?”

Hitch held both of her hands in his until
she looked up at him. He was still smiling, and he squeezed her fingers. “Are
you ready?” he asked.

Her head was spinning. “Ready for what?”

“To get married. For real this time.”

“But…” She looked back at the lawn and saw
Aaron there with his son, directing people to chairs before walking to the
front of the group to speak to the man behind the podium. That morning, both he
and Mateo had donned white shirts and smart dark-gray trousers claiming it was
because the hotel was posh and they didn’t want to look scruffy. Now, they both
wore a light-gray waistcoat with a silvery tie, the boy’s a smaller version of
his father’s.

“Here.”

Bridget turned her head to see Callie
standing beside her, holding a small bouquet of pink roses and red pohutukawa
flowers. She pushed it into Bridget’s hand, smiling.

“I don’t understand,” Bridget whispered.

“He didn’t ask you to marry him,” Hitch
said, “because he didn’t want you to worry that he wouldn’t turn up on the day.
So he thought he’d just go for it.” Hitch slid a finger under her chin and
lifted her gaze to his. “He wants me to make sure it’s what you want, though.
He knows it’s sudden, and if you’d rather have time to think about it, he’d
rather you say. We’re all here for a party anyway—the only difference is that
the celebrant’s here, so it’s no big deal.”

“How long have you known?” Bridget said
hoarsely.

Hitch glanced at Callie. “Four months?”

“Nearer to five,” she said.

Aaron had been planning this since July?
And all her friends had kept the secret?

“Well?” Callie murmured. “Do you fancy
getting married to the love of your life today?”

Bridget pressed her lips together as
emotion soared through her. In the end, all she could do was nod.

“Okay.” Callie rubbed her arm. “He did say
that he knows you haven’t had a chance to buy a wedding dress, so if you want
to have another ceremony maybe down in Wellington later with a big meringue,
he’s happy to do so.” She smiled as Bridget just nodded again, unable to say
anything. “All right. Come on, then.”

Callie walked in front of her, leading the
way, trying not to waddle with her bump, and Hitch held out his arm for Bridget
to hold on to as they followed.

“Keep breathing,” he murmured as they
walked. “For God’s sake don’t pass out on me.”

Bridget tried, but it wasn’t easy. All the
air had been sucked from her lungs. Now she was closer, she could see that it
was Joe’s brother playing the guitar, and her lips curved as she recognized the
song. She’d been talking to Aaron about classical music only a few weeks
before, and he’d asked her what her favorite piece was. She’d played it to him
on her iPad—Pachelbel’s Canon in D. He’d remembered.

Her and Aaron’s friends and family had
taken seats either side of the aisle—Clara and William, Fran and her husband
and kids, Joe and Izzy, Pam and Kevin and their girls, Neve and Rhett, and
Rowan and Gene, who were waiting for their partners to join them.

Aaron stood at the front, to one side of
the podium, smiling, but with a hint of anxiety on his face. He was worried
she’d be upset because he’d organized this without telling her. Beside him
stood Mateo, looking a bit nervous. His best man.

Aw. There was no way she was going to make
it through the ceremony without crying.

Keeping her eyes on his, she walked slowly
down the aisle between the two lines of chairs, half aware that the air was
filled with the smell of jasmine that grew around the lawn. Hitch led her to
stand in front of Aaron before moving aside to take his place next to Rowan.

Bridget looked up into Aaron’s gray eyes.

“Well?” he whispered and, to her shock and
surprise, he dropped onto one knee. “Will you marry me and make me the happiest
man in the world?”

She pressed the hand not carrying her
flowers over her heart and fought against tears, nodding happily. “Of course,”
she managed to squeak, and nearly cried again at the relief and joy that swept
over his face.

Everyone cheered and clapped, and the man
behind the podium laughed and gestured for everyone to sit. Bridget handed her
bouquet to Callie, and held Aaron’s hand.

“
Kia ora
, everyone,” he said. “My
name is Edward Cane, and I’m a registered celebrant who will be performing the
wedding today of Aaron Michael Reed and Bridget Catherine Hitchcock at this beautiful
place on such a beautiful day.

“
Teenaa koutou, e hoa maa, Kua tae mai
nei, I teenei raa, No reira ra, e hoa maa, Kia ora ra, koutou katoa
.

“Greetings to you, friends, who have
arrived, this day. And so, friends, greetings, to you all.”

Bridget’s heart was starting to slow its
rapid pace. The celebrant talked about the significance of it being Midsummer
Day, “a day full of light, energy, and promise,” before going on to explain the
significance of marriage and the importance of the vows.

Bridget listened, but it was as if her
consciousness was expanding, and she was aware of the smallest sights and
sounds around her. She could hear the tuis calling in the large jacaranda trees
that had scattered lilac-colored petals onto the lawn like confetti. She could
smell the jasmine and the salt from the sea, and a faint scent of mint and
rosemary from the borders that ran around the lawn.

She was facing Aaron, but as she glanced at
her friends, she suddenly realized how everyone had made an effort that day—she’d
thought they’d dressed up considering they were Kiwis who would normally have
worn shorts and T-shirts, but now she understood that they’d prepared for the
wedding. The guys looked smart in jackets and trousers in spite of the warm
day, and the girls had taken time with their hair and makeup, and wore pretty
summer dresses so that they looked like summer flowers scattered amongst the
men.

“Now I am going to ask Neve to take the
podium,” Edward said, “and she is going to read a poem.”

Bridget stared in surprise as Neve rose and
walked to the front, opening a piece of paper.

“Aaron chose this beautiful verse,” she
said, smiling at Bridget. “And I can understand why—it’s perfect for today. It
is, of course, Sonnet Eighteen by Mr. William Shakespeare.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of
May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a
date.”

Bridget looked up at Aaron, who was smiling
at her, and she pressed her fingers to her lips as emotion overwhelmed her
again.

Neve saw her, hesitated for a second, then
continued.

“Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature’s changing course,
untrimmed;”

Her pure voice seems to drift on the summer
breeze, and Bridget caught her breath, knowing she would always remember this
moment of pure, sweet happiness.