The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“He left,” they answered in unison.

“Shit,” I muttered as tears sprang to my eyes.

Jules glared at Jamie briefly before she turned back to me. “Don’t freak. He’ll be at the party tonight. I heard your mother ask him if he would come.”

“He said he would?”

“He

told her he wouldn’t miss it,” Jules exclaimed proudly. “Let’s get you home and Sandra Dee you up.”

An hour into the party, and after staring at the doors from the arboretum, I began to lose hope. Jack was nowhere to be seen. I took my time making rounds, thanking my father’s crew, and chatting with the new staff as I attempted to keep from bursting into tears.

I loved him. I missed him. And now I belonged to him. It was that simple.

Champagne poured freely as everyone took the dance floor that sat next to the fountain. My father grabbed my hand in passing and led me onto it with a smile.

“We haven’t done this in a very long time,” he said as he gripped my hand and began to lead.

“Remember when you first taught me and let me stand on your feet?”

He smiled at me with a nod. “I’m surprised you remember that. You were so little.”

“It was one of my favorite days,” I said fondly.

“Mine too, little woman,” he said as he spun me around. “That was one hell of a speech you gave. Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder.”

“I had parents who molded me and gave a crap about my future. I’m the lucky one, Dad.”

“You’ll be the same way when you become a mother.”

“Right,” I said, being agreeable as I looked around us. The party was in full swing, and I had to admit, it had been put together well in a short time. I noticed the subtle touches. The finished floor to ceiling healing posts that Jack had had spent hours on at the entrance were nothing short of spectacular. They were so intricately carved, I knew on nights we weren’t together that was what he was doing. Pink, White, and Orange roses were arranged throughout the room in vases covered in ribbon similar to the one we cut today. I looked up to the lights strewn above us and froze. They’d been netted and woven together to cover the whole of the atrium. Soft green, blue, streaks of white, and light purple shone above us in alternating patterns as I stood in complete awe.

“Isn’t it amazing?” my father said, clearly impressed. “Jack set it up this morning before the ceremony. It’s—”

“Northern lights,” I pushed out as tears I could never hold fell down my cheeks. “They’re beautiful.”

I kept my head up, as did he, to appreciate them a little longer while he grabbed my hand and resumed our dancing. Once satisfied, my father turned his attention back to me and noticed my freshly wet cheeks. His head reared back in surprise and question.

“I’m in love with Jack, Daddy.”

My father’s eyes bulged slightly, and I quickly started damage control. “Please don’t be mad at him. He treated me so well. He was nothing but honest, loving, and respectful.”

“Was?” my father said as he put our dance on pause and took a step back to look at me.

“I screwed up, and I wasn’t honest with him about Grant.”

“How long have you two been sneaking around?”

“Pretty much since he showed up at the center.” My dad continued to dance with me as we shared a short silence before I begged him to end it. “Daddy, please say something.”

“Jack,” he said, looking down at me with a grin. “You love Jack.”

“I do, Daddy. I do, more than anything. Lightning struck again,” I croaked as I looked at him with a smile through tears. My father stilled as he studied me and unshed tears of his own surfaced.

“I didn’t think it was possible,” I said as I cried in his embrace. “I look at you and Mom and Dallas and Dean and think there isn’t anyone else for you, could never be, and I thought the same for me. I was terrified to find out, but I got struck twice, Daddy. And I’m going to try to talk him into loving me back tonight if he bothers to show up. I just need to know you’ll be okay with it.”

My father smiled down at me with both shock and admiration. “I will say this again, like I’ve said it a million times before, the only thing I care about is your happiness. And if Jack is the one who makes you happy, in my opinion, that’s even better.”