Her heart thumped into her throat. She swallowed tightly before continuing, “While I was in Paris, I did a lot of praying and soul searching. And one day I realized something. All these years, I’d always believed that my mother was the reason I came back to Atlanta after graduating from culinary school. I always thought I’d returned home out of a sense of obligation to her, and that same obligation was keeping me here.” She shook her head slowly. “But I was wrong. It was you, Quentin.You’rethe reason I rushed back home all those years ago. Andyou’rethe reason I’ve stayed.”
She watched, breathless, as he bowed his head and gripped the balustrade with trembling hands.
“I looked in the mirror,” she continued softly, tears misting her eyes, “and I asked myself what I was doing in Paris when my heart was here with you. Iloveyou. And it scares me to realize that maybe, just maybe, some of Adam’s fears were founded. I’m not excusing his deplorable behavior, but the truth is that I’vealwaysloved you, Quentin. I don’t know if I’ve been in denial all these years, or genuinely clueless. But my eyes are open now, sweetheart. And the greatest gift you could have ever given me was that kiss on the bal—”
He whirled suddenly, reaching her in two powerful strides and hauling her roughly into his arms. Her heart soared to the sky and she clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as tears of joy and relief streamed down her face.
“I love you,loveyou,” Quentin whispered hoarsely. “Don’t ever leave me again!”
“I won’t!” she promised.
He hugged her tightly, then cradled her tear-streaked face between his hands and gazed fervently into her eyes. “I’ve always loved you, Lex. I wish toGodI’d figured it out before you married another man. That was one of the worst days of my life!”
Her heart swelled with raw emotion. “I should have known that day how I truly felt about you,” she confessed. “The moment I stepped through the church doors and started searching for you, I should haveknown.”
Quentin groaned, his mouth covering hers with fierce, tender urgency. They kissed as though their very lives depended on it, pouring years of secret longing and passion into the kiss.
Drawing back slightly, Quentin rested his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes, into her soul. “Help me make this right, sweetness,” he said in an achingly husky voice. “Say you’ll marry me.”
Smiling through her tears, Lexi reached up and cupped his warm cheek in her palm. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Whooping with triumphant elation, Quentin lifted her into his arms and spun her around before capturing her lips in another deep, searing kiss that was eventually interrupted by the sound of applause.
Mouths parting reluctantly, they glanced toward the house. A crowd of their friends, Georgina Reddick and several other guests had gathered on the veranda, their faces wreathed in wide, delighted grins as they watched the emotional reunion.
“Itoldyou Q would be next,” Michael crowed to an incredulous Percy Sheldon. “Now pay up.”
Laughter swept over the veranda.
“So are we having another garden wedding,” Asha called out merrily, “or do you lovebirds have somewhere else in mind?”
Lexi and Quentin looked at each other and smiled. “Burgundy.”
Epilogue
Three months later
Everything was perfect.
The weather was glorious. The hills surrounding the château were covered with fields of lavender that perfumed the air, mingled with the scent of ripe grapes wafting from the lush vineyards. Flowers bloomed in the beautifully manicured garden, where three hundred guests were gathered.
The flower girls sprinkled a trail of roses and anemones in honor of the bride’s favorite print, a gift from the groom. Ring bearers Matthew and Malcolm Wolf drew adoring sighs and chuckles from the crowd as they strutted down the aisle. The gorgeous dresses worn by the bridesmaids—Reese, Samara, Raina, and Summer Austin—elicited hearty murmurs of approval.
An awed hush swept over the garden when the bride made her entrance, radiant in a strapless princess gown fashioned out of white appliquéd silk. Handkerchiefs were fumbled out of purses and dabbed at watery eyes.
Everything was perfect.
But as Lexi started down the aisle on Sterling’s arm, she only had eyes for Quentin. Not only was he devastatingly handsome in a custom-made Armani tuxedo, but the worshipful look in his eyes took her breath away. Over the years they had laughed and cried together, and fought like there was no tomorrow. But in Quentin’s eyes she saw alifetimeof tomorrows, glorious days filled with joy and fiery passion. She saw the promise of the children they would bring into the world together. And most of all, she sawlove.A deep, unshakable love that would sustain them through whatever trials life brought their way.
As they exchanged their vows on that momentous day, their voices trembled with emotion. This time when Lexi spoke the words “I do,” she knew down to her soul that this was forever. When Quentin lifted her veil and gazed down at her glowing face, tears were swimming in both their eyes. As their lips joined in a passionate kiss, their guests showered them with cheers and applause.
As Quentin swept Lexi into his arms and carried her back down the aisle, she was surprised—and touched—to see her mother weeping with gratitude.
Carlene was undergoing counseling to deal with her emotional scars. After having a long heart-to-heart talk, she and Lexi had agreed to work on mending their relationship. They were taking things one day at a time, and Lexi believed that someday they would be all right.
But even if the painful memories from the past haunted them for years to come, Lexi knew that with Quentin by her side, she’d never have to run again.
Later, after sneaking out early from the reception festivities, the newlyweds lay blissfully sated in each other’s arms after an explosive round of lovemaking that had left them shuddering and gasping for breath.
