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I looked up as Dahlia entered the room along with her sister, Delphine, and mother, Rosemary. “We have something for you.”
I turned and beckoned them in with a huge smile. “What is it?”
“You’re about to become a Barrett again, but we wanted to give you something from us. Something all us girls have.” Cade’s sisters circled around me. Tears threatened to spill but I blinked them back.
Dahlia placed a pale pink jewelry bag into my open palm.
“Thank you.” After inhaling a deep breath, I opened it. Strung on a delicate platinum chain was a single, perfect pink pearl. I looked up to see that they each had a matching necklace around their necks, and I immediately wanted to wear mine too. “Oh gosh. Help me put this on, Gwen. Please.”
Gwen took it from me and fastened it. I’d never had a mother or a sister or an aunt. I grew up with the best dad ever and wonderful brothers and I never lacked love and affection, but standing here right now, I could feel what I had missed out on.
“These came from a necklace Cade’s grandpa gave me after we got married,” Rosemary explained. “A couple years ago, I decided I wanted all my girls to have a piece of it.”
She held her arms up and I hugged her. “Welcome back to the family, Charlotte. We missed you.”
“I missed you too. All of you. So much.”
I bit the inside of my cheek hard. I was not going to cry. No way.
“Are you ready?” My dad’s voice in the hall made us all stand at attention.
“Yes,” I replied. This was happening. I beamed at every face in this room. “I am about to burst!” I couldn’t help it, I twirled. Then I stumbled over the train and almost went down. But Gwen caught me before I could fall.
“Girl, I warned you about this. Trains are not for the faint of heart. And definitely not for spinning.”
“Let’s do this,” Rose took my hand. “A girl can never have enough sisters. I’m so happy.”
“We all are.” Violet leaned in and kissed my cheek
“There is no getting away this time,” Lily added. “We won’t let you.”
“I’m here for good,” I promised. “I love you all.”
I watched as they all made their way to the entrance of the ballroom where Cade waited, then took my father’s arm.
“I love you, princess.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
The music started and my smile grew bigger. For a second, I got worried because my face was in real danger of freezing in a permanent expression of my joy.
As I got ready to marry the man I had loved forever, my eyes were dry, but my heart was full.
Maybe tonight was Cade’s turn to cry. Tears filled his eyes when I took my place at the start of the rose petal-covered aisle.
“I love you!” I shouted, making him smile through his tears.
“I love you too, Charli.”
We had strayed from the path we began so many years ago, but with each step down this aisle I knew we’d never lose our way again.
This time was forever.
And when my father placed my hand in Cade’s, my soul sighed in contentment, knowing it was finally back home where it belonged.
Click here! To read the exclusive bonus scene! Click here to meet Cade’s sisters!
Bonus Epilogue - One Year Later
