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Nick studied them and Rosie could have sworn his eyes were shiny. “Not bad for a pair of reprobates.”
Maggie tutted. “Ignore him.”
Nick cleared his throat. “I’m proud of my girls. You both look beautiful. Of course you have your mother’s genes, so that’s to be expected.” He winked at Maggie. “How am I doing? Admit it, th
at was smooth.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “If you didn’t expect praise after every compliment, it would be smoother.”
“You do look beautiful, Mum,” Katie said and Maggie turned to look at herself in the mirror.
“Catherine helped me pick it out. Turns out losing your luggage can in fact have a good side. And talking of Catherine, if you three are all ready, I’d like to join her at the front. She’s probably thinking about Dan’s father, and how much he would have wanted to see this day. I want to give her moral support and make sure she knows we’re here for her. We’re all family now.” She kissed both the girls, and Nick, and then walked out of the room.
Rosie took a steadying breath.
She felt her father take her hand and slide it into his arm.
“Ready?”
She nodded, and tightened her grip on her father’s arm. Together they walked through the door to the main room with its picture windows and stunning mountain views. The chairs faced those windows, the snowy forest and snowcapped mountains providing the perfect backdrop. The floral designer had worked with Catherine to produce a perfect winter wedding. The flowers in the room mirrored those in her delicate bouquet—silver dollar eucalyptus, dusty miller, and pure white lisianthus.
It was everything she could have wanted, and she was pleased she and Dan had decided to keep their wedding small and intimate, close friends and family only.
As the music changed, heads turned to look at her and she felt a flutter of nerves.
And then she saw Dan, standing at the front with Jordan.
He smiled, and she walked toward that smile, oblivious to everyone but him.
It didn’t feel scary. It felt like the start of an exciting adventure.
She spoke her words, and heard him speak his. Later, she’d think about those words, but right now everything she needed to know was right there in his eyes.
She heard Catherine sniff behind her, or maybe it was her mother, and then Dan was kissing her and she was kissing him back.
“Well, Rosie Reynolds,” he said against her mouth, his eyes laughing into hers, “it’s too late to change your mind now.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m never going to change my mind.”
“Anything you want to say to me? I’m checking in, like we agreed. I’m listening.”
She smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. I also happen to be starving, so shall we get the party started?”
She’d already peeped into the room where the party was going to be held. The tables were decorated with silver pine cones and bunches of white anemones, and delicate strands of fairy lights were twisted through ivy. There was a dance floor, and plenty of champagne and the chef from Snowfall Lodge had prepared a winter-themed menu.
It was going to be a night to remember, but she knew this was the part that would stay in her head forever.
She saw her mother and Catherine, arms linked, bonded by the events of the past week. Her father, beaming and proud, and Katie, her hand in Jordan’s.
Turning to face the smiling faces, she stepped forward, eager to start her new life with Dan.
Maggie
“Merry Christmas.”
Maggie opened one eye carefully and saw that Nick was already sitting up. “Why are you awake so early?”
