admitting that I want to be with you, no matter what. That I love you.”
A huge smile spread across his face. It was the same smile he wore when they were in bed together—a combination of smugness and contentment. “It is downright freaky how we’re on the same page. I love you, Sydney.”
“No. Wait.” She stepped back, waving her hands in the air like she was trying to wave off a plane barreling down the wrong runway. “You can’t say that yet.”
“That isn’t even a little bit funny.”
“You have to accept my apology gesture.”
Alex shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Hit me.”
She pulled a business card out of her jacket. “That’s for Langdon Crews. He works for Excursions 365. Stories on hot new properties. When you’re ready, he’ll come and shoot video, take pictures, and do a mention of you in the next episode. If you want.”
Alex took it slowly, almost gingerly. “You’re joking.”
“Nope. He’s pretty excited. Langdon far prefers old, comfortable properties to new, glitzy ones. He likes character.”
“That’s about all the Three Oaks has going for it.” A rueful acceptance tinged Alex’s words.
“Nonsense. She’s beautiful. You’re bringing her back. Look, I tanked your last job. The least I can do is give this one a boost.”
“This will be immensely helpful. Thank you.” After giving a stiff nod, Alex said, “Apology accepted.” Then he lifted Sydney into his arms, covering her face in kisses as he sat them both on the tailgate. “Say it again. Say you’ll stay with me. Say you’ll let me love you.”
“Yes.” Sydney let her head drop back, giving him access to continue the line of kisses down her neck. “Now you. Say you forgive me. Say we can have a fresh start. Say you’ll let me help you and love you.”
“Yes.”
And then his mouth covered hers, and neither one of them said anything for quite some time…
Epilogue
Three Weeks Later
Everleigh spun in circles down the length of the ballroom. It made the full skirt of her blue dress billow up.
Alex knew he’d probably get branded a stick-in-the-mud. But he had to stop it. Because nothing could go wrong today. Nothing.
“Ever, enough of that. This is a PG-13 wedding. Please don’t risk flashing your panties at the guests.”
“Spoilsport.” But after one more twirl and some complicated, ballet-esque leap, she stopped at the first row of tables. “I’m just so happy to be dressed up again. To feel pretty.”
“You always look pretty.” Alex didn’t say it to shore up her ego. It was fact. His sister’s BFF was a stunner. Which in no way explained her god-awful track record with men. With her looks and inherent sweetness, she could crook her finger and get any man. Yet for some reason, she always ended up with jerks and losers.
“I know I do,” she said smugly. “But feeling pretty’s different. I don’t feel pretty scrubbing and sanding and painting and dusting.”
“Oh, you’re so put-upon. Should we start calling you Cinderella?” Amelia asked dryly. She was at the cake table, adding sprays of fresh flowers around the bottom of Nora’s lemon raspberry wedding cake. “Except, wait, we’re all Cinderella, working our fingers to the bone.”
“Yes, but you like it. You’re never happier than when you’re sitting on dirt with your hands in the dirt.”
“True. The last couple of days have been sheer heaven. Potting up all the annuals, planting the flowering shrubs. It felt like the inn was in that scene in the Wizard of Oz where it switches from black and white to Technicolor. My reward for surviving the winter and all our hard indoor work. Just like wearing a cocktail dress today is your reward.”
“I’ll take it.”
“The gardens are spectacular, Ame.” Alex looked out the wall of windows overlooking the main garden that led to the river’s edge. His sister had brought to life all the flowerbeds, and created a beautiful trellis at the apex of the three ancient oaks. The outside of the inn now looked just like the pictures they’d seen online when they won the lottery.
“The gardens are barely acceptable,” she corrected him. “They are, at best, a start. And frankly, miracles were worked with that minuscule budget you allotted me.”
“A budget that you and I worked on together. Don’t treat me like Scrooge.”
“I’m sorry. I just see how much potential this place has as spring brings more and more of it to life every day. It kills me not to be able to do all the things I can picture