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THEHOT-AIRBALLOONrose gently into the blue sky. Below was the breathtaking scenery of the Meteora, a landscape dotted with huge monoliths and towering rock formations, on top of which several Greek monasteries clung perilously. The distant mountains were capped with snow that glinted in the golden sunrise.
Eleanor shut off the burner and turned to Jace. ‘Isn’t this amazing? I’m glad you came. You seem more relaxed in the balloon now.’
He grinned. ‘I trust my pilot.’
She thought her heart might burst with happiness. ‘I trust my co-pilot,’ she said softly.
‘I will never give you cause to doubt me.’ He moved closer to her in the balloon basket and dropped down onto one knee. Eleanor’s eyes widened when Jace took a square box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was an exquisite engagement ring: a light blue sapphire surrounded by small diamonds that sparkled as brightly as the snow on the mountains. The delicate beauty of the ring brought a lump to her throat.
‘You already gave me an engagement ring,’ she murmured, feeling guilty that she was not wearing the huge diamond solitaire.
‘I thought you would be impressed if I gave you a flashy, expensive ring, but I should have known that you do not value something by how much it cost. This suits you much better,’ Jace said as he slid the pretty ring onto her finger, next to her wedding band. The sapphire was the clear blue of the sky.
‘The ring is perfect, thank you.’ Eleanor hesitated. ‘Would you mind if I donated the diamond solitaire to the Scoliosis Support charity? They are holding an auction to raise money which will be used to give children with scoliosis some fun experiences, like I had when I was introduced to ballooning.’
Jace stood up and kissed the tip of her nose. ‘I think it’s a great idea. And, speaking of ideas, what do you think of having a ceremony to renew our wedding vows? I want to stand with you in front of family and friends and proclaim our love for each other.’ He smiled, seeing that she remembered what she had said to him before she’d walked out of their marriage.
She nodded eagerly. ‘I’m sure my brother would come, and bring his new fiancée. It will be lovely to meet Joanne. Mark seems to have put his problems behind him now that he’s busy working with the horses on her family’s stud farm in Ireland.’ With a faint frown, she said, ‘I might also get a chance to find out what’s wrong with my sister. Lissa has seemed unhappy lately. When I told her that I’ve arranged with the bank for her to have full access to her trust fund, she burst into tears. Will you invite Takis?’
Jace nodded. ‘I have already mentioned to him that we might want to hold the ceremony and reception at Eleanor’s Hotel.’
‘I think I would prefer to have it somewhere else. Even though the hotel’s name has changed, I’ll always think of it as the Pangalos, with its history of the feud between our families. I’m glad we sold the hotel to Takis. It’s a fresh start for us.’
‘You haven’t told me yet if you are going to accept a position at Zagorakis Estates. We work well together.’
Eleanor took a deep breath. ‘I would like to work alongside you in the future. I think we should renew our vows soon, while I can still fit into my wedding dress.’ She gave Jace a tremulous smile. ‘I’ve been feeling a bit nauseous recently. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want you to worry,’ she said quickly when he frowned. ‘Anyway, the doctor sent me for an ultrasound scan, and... I’m still pregnant.’
Jace stared at her. ‘Stillpregnant?’
‘The doctor said it’s likely that I conceived twins three months ago, and miscarried one of them. But the other baby is absolutely fine. I...we...are expecting a little girl.’
‘Theos!’Jace looked stunned.
‘You are pleased, aren’t you?’
The expression of pride and pleasure in his eyes convinced her. ‘My angel. How could you doubt it? Of course I’m pleased. I’m over the moon,’ Jace assured her huskily. ‘I’m the luckiest man in the world.’
Five and a half months later Eleanor gave birth to a healthy daughter. Jace was with her throughout her labour and his eyes glistened when he cradled the infant in his arms.
He sat on the edge of the hospital bed and kissed Eleanor tenderly. ‘I love you. And I love our baby girl. Now we are a family.’
She gave him a tired but joyful smile. ‘I love you too. Family sounds nice. But our baby needs a name.’
‘Your middle name is Rose, and my mother’s middle name was Acacia. What do you think of calling her Acacia Rose?’
‘I think it’s perfect.’
Jace looked down at the baby’s tiny face, peeping out from the shawl she was swaddled in. He marvelled at her exquisite features. ‘Our daughter is as beautiful as her mother,’ he said softly. His heart was full. Love, family and a future that looked shining bright. ‘Everything is perfect.’
