Saved by the Bride (33 page)

He blinked. “Of course I do.”

He reached for her again but this time she sidestepped him.
“Okay then, see it my way. The last time I saw you, you look absolutely appalled
at the idea of me loving you and you told me you could never love me. I hear
nothing from you in almost three months and now you appear with a declaration of
love. Why would I believe you?”

God
,
why
would
she
believe
him
? Her withering gaze didn’t look like it belonged
to a woman who still loved him and it sent terror scudding into every cell.
“Because I’m sorry for how we parted and because I’ve bought the painting.”

“You’re sorry?” Her chin jutted out in that stubborn way. “Did
you buy
Act
Now
because you think no one else will?”

“No!” He ran his hand through his hair trying desperately to
navigate his way through a conversation that was littered with Stealth
Bombers.

She drew herself up to her full height. “I won’t let you buy
this painting, Finn. I’ve worked too hard for this and I’m not going to let you
steal it from me to make yourself feel better. You once told me I couldn’t live
through you and yet if you buy this painting you’re doing exactly what you
accused me of.”

Desperation clawed at him as he envisaged his future stretching
before him without Annika in it. The pain of that realization almost rendered
him mute. “Annika, I bought it because you painted it. Because when I look at
it, it’s full of you. Your drive and compassion, your laughter and your caring
for the people that you love. I see your indignation over things that aren’t
fair and your hope that things can change. I see your stumbles and I see your
smile. I see everything I’ve missed so much since you left.”

“Since
you
asked me to leave.”

She wrapped her arms around herself but her face stayed
impassive as if his heartfelt declaration had just fallen on deaf ears. He’d
rejected her love, hurt her too much, and taken too long to realize she was the
love of his life. He was too late and there was nothing he could say or do to
recover from that. Nothing he could say or do that would convince her. He felt
the ring box in his pocket dragging him down into a pit of black despair.

Annika could hardly breathe. Disbelief, pain, fear and utter
desolation sucked at her, pummeling every intention she’d had to live her life
her way. He had no right to suddenly appear after three months of silence and
drop a bombshell like this. Not when she’d fought to stay upright and keep going
after he’d broken her heart so badly. And she feared he could do it again. Did
he even know what love was? She gripped her hand around the coat rail to steady
herself.

“Look, Finn, I really don’t know where this is coming from or
why. But you buying a painting is easy. You wouldn’t even notice the dip in your
bank balance. Saying ‘I love you’ is easy too. Paintings and words just aren’t
enough.”

He suddenly looked haggard and gray. “You think me telling you
that I love you is easy?” His anguished voice sliced through her. “God, Annika,
you of all people should know that me standing here telling you I love you is
the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

I
don’t
do
emotional
connections
.
I
don’t
fall
in
love
.
Love
destroys
more
than
it
ever
builds
.

She bit her lip and didn’t want to hope.

He sat down between the coats and dropped his head in his hands
for a moment before looking up. “The last three months have been hell. When you
left you took the rudder of my life with you and I’ve been drifting. Before you
fell into my arms at Bridey’s party, I thought I was content but you stormed
into my life and my heart and started questioning everything I believed. I’m not
proud to admit that scared me witless. You asked me why it’s taken three months
for me to find you. When you left I was angry. Angry at everyone and everything
but despite all of that it seems I’d taken on board some of what you’d said
without even realizing.”

“Like what?”

“I built the zip line with Sean and it wasn’t all bad. We’ve
made a start at having a type of friendship.”

The man who held himself apart from everyone had made a
connection. Her heart lurched. “I’m glad.”

He gave her a wry look. “Yeah. It’s been interesting. Last week
after I’d spent ten days trying to find you only to have your family and friends
block me at every turn, Sean took me to a sports bar. He also got me home after
I got filthy drunk.”

“I always said he was a good dad.” Her heart expanded and sang,
not just for Finn and Sean but for herself. Finn, who was always in control,
always had it together, had got publicly drunk because of her.

He stood up and gazed down at her, his eyes filled with sorrow.
“I know all of this has come too late, Annika, but I want you to know that if my
rejection of your love made you feel one tenth of the pain I’m feeling right now
then I’m beyond sorry.”

He
loves
you
.
He
honestly
does
love
you
.

But could they make this work?

She blinked back tears and held back every instinct to throw
herself into his arms because it was too soon. “Part of me knows you were right.
I needed to leave Whitetail. I needed to take this time for me and had you
realized you loved me this summer, I might never have done it.” She picked up
his hand and pressed her palm against it, matching her fingers to his. “But the
day you left me on the dock—” she drew in a steadying breath, “—I never want to
feel that way again.”

His voice was thick with emotion. “Neither do I.”

She pressed on, as a tear slid down her cheek. “You once told
me that love destroys more than it ever builds.”

“I was an idiot.”

She gave a half sob, half laugh. “But what about when things
get tough? When we disagree? I’ll want to talk about how you’re feeling and your
natural tendency’s to push it all down. How are we going to deal with that?”

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m not saying I’m going
to get it right every time, but given my family’s been banging me over the head
for weeks with the evidence that I love you, I’ve had a bit of practice talking
about my feelings.”

She thought her heart would burst. “They have?”

“Oh yeah.” He gave a soft smile. “I tell you, once you start
letting people into your life they’re in your face about things, and I wouldn’t
have it any other way. You once accused me of being like my father and I hated
it but the old man’s worked out what’s important and you opened my eyes so I
could see it too.” He slid his fingers through hers, linking their hands
together. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Annika Jacobson.
Please marry me.”

Tears poured down her face. “On one condition.”

He tensed against her. “God, Annika, you’re killing me.
What?”

She stroked his hair. “Tell Richard you’re not buying
Act
Now
.”

He sighed and it shuddered through her. “Okay. I understand you
need it out there to stand on its own feet no matter what. Believe me, it’s
going to stand. Kathleen’s Geoffrey is already muttering something about the
possibility of it being part of a new artists’ expo. I’ll rip up the check on
one condition.”

But he was smiling down at her so she knew she had nothing to
fear. “Tell me.”

“I want to buy your Lighthouse series, which, according to the
internet, never sold.”

She gazed up at him. “You want to buy my immature, derivative
and stylized offerings that are stashed somewhere in Axel’s garage?”

He tucked strands of stray hair behind her ears. “I’m not an
art critic. I’m just some dumb schmuck who thinks they’re full of love and the
promise of the joys, frustrations and delights of an annual family vacation by a
lake.”

She threw her arms around his neck, loving him more than she
ever had before. “Ask me again.”

He grinned down at her, his dark eyes shining and his face full
of love. “Will you make me the happiest man alive, not to mention making my
entire family ridiculously happy, by becoming my wife?”

“Oh, Finn, I most certainly will.”

He gave a loud whoop of joy and then he kissed her. He kissed
her with love, with his promise to build a future with her and to be by her side
always. He kissed her through the sound of running feet, the door being swung
open, and a dozen faces peering in at them.

“Sir? Miss? Is everything all right?”

Finn broke the kiss for a moment and grinned. “Everything’s
perfect. I’m getting married!”

And then he kissed her again.

* * *

US
Bride

Annika
Jacobson
,
artist
and
previously
of
Whitetail
,
Wisconsin
,
married
Chicago’s
perennial
bachelor
,
Finn
Callahan
of
AKP
Industries
,
in
a
low
-
key
wedding
,
ending
years
of
speculation
that
the
paper
magnate
would
marry
and
combine
love
with
a
business
merger
.
In
a
surprise
move
,
the
couple
married
in
a
snowbound
Whitetail
with
only
family
and
close
friends
in
attendance
.
The
bride’s
parents
came
the
farthest
distance
,
flying
in
from
Peru
.
The
hand
-
painted
wedding
invitations
were
made
by
the
bride
.
The
new
Mrs
.
Callahan
wore
a
white
Christmas
wedding
gown
with
a
fitted
full
-
length
fur
-
trimmed
coat
.
Instead
of
a
veil
she
wore
a
small
but
elegant
diamond
tiara
.
Whitetail’s
stylist
and
wedding
planner
,
Nicole
Lindquist
,
curled
the
bride’s
long
hair
and
styled
it
so
it
cascaded
gracefully
across
her
shoulders
.

According
to
our
sources
,
the
bride
slipped
on
some
ice
as
she
was
alighting
from
the
wedding
sleigh
but
due
to
the
quick
actions
of
the
groom
she
escaped
a
nasty
fall
.
The
groom’s
father
,
Mr
.
Sean
Callahan
,
was
quoted
as
saying
, “
We
couldn’t
be
more
thrilled
that
Finn
has
finally
found
the
happiness
he
deserves
.”
The
couple
are
rumored
to
be
honeymooning
in
the
Caribbean
although
a
helicopter
was
sighted
landing
on
the
small
island
on
Lake
Whitetail
.

* * * * *

In the mood for another heartwarming, small-town
romance
from Fiona Lowe?

Then check out
Boomerang
Bride
—winner of the 2012 RITA® Award for Best
Contemporary Single Title, available now!

Boomerang Bride

Matilda
Geoffrey
had
risked
it
all
for
love
.

She’d left Australia to be with Barry—the man who had swept her
off her virtual feet. Now, wearing a wedding dress, she’s alone
on
Main Street in small-town Wisconsin, and things
aren’t working out exactly as planned…

In town for his annual family visit, Marc Olsen had never seen
a bride quite like Matilda—staring into a storefront window, holding a tottering
wedding cake and looking desperately in need of a groom. He doesn’t have many
warm feelings for his hometown, but meeting Matilda just as she discovers she’s
been scammed by her online “fiancé” stirs something in him.

Matilda is not the kind of woman Marc imagined himself with,
and Marc is anything but the romantic hero that Matilda has always dreamed of.
But as unlikely circumstances throw them together, can they let go of their
misconceptions and risk their hearts for love?

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