Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49562 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“Please, ladies …” Maria snapped her manicured fingers, breaking up the excited chatter of Chloe’s bridesmaids. “It’s time for us to get in position.”
Oh no.
Elle, seeing she was frozen in fear, linked her arm with hers and moved her away from the opened French doors that were curtained for their reveal, to the back of the line, where her bridesmaids were forming. “You’ve got this.”
However, her best friend’s encouraging words didn’t ease her queasy stomach.
“No, I don’t,” Chloe whispered back, trying to keep the little bit of food she could eat today in her stomach. “I really don’t.”
“Yes. You. Do,” Elle reassured her, bringing them to a stop at the end of the line.
“I’m going to trip.”
Elle chuckled, and with the squeeze of her arm, she let go, knowing her best friend’s true strength. “No, you’re not.”
Oh God … “I’m going to throw up,” she warned, placing a hand over her stomach.
Maria linked her arm with the arm Elle had just released. “If you do, just make sure you turn your head so none of it hits me.” Patting down her styled blonde locks, she gave her a threatening glance. “I look too good to be covered in vomit.”
Chloe felt her lips tremble in laughter at the thought of Maria looking anything but magnificent, even covered in vomit. The thought eased her nerves until the panic set in when the line started moving. She didn’t budge when Maria tried to propel her forward, unable to force her feet to move.
What’s happening? What am I doing? This is crazy! Am I really about to get marri—
“If you don’t start moving, Lucca is going to think you don’t want to marry him.” Maria’s usual overly sweet tone disappeared. “Now, do you want to ruin the happiest day of my brother’s life?”
No. She sighed. Chloe didn’t want to spoil Lucca’s day, or hers, or the whole world’s, for that matter, if she didn’t walk down that aisle to where the flowers grow.
Holding on to Maria’s arm for dear life, she started walking, feeling like she was about to—
“It’s going to be hard to give my protégé away. Just remember everything I taught you,” Maria began whispering to her as they headed for the curtained French doors. “Always make him do the dishes after dinner—”
With each step, Maria gave her another piece of advice.
“—keep him on his toes—”
Another step.
“—and pretend he forgot something important and make him beg for forgiveness.”
One more step.
“When you do get mad at him, order takeout. It’ll cut him to his soul.”
Tears already brimming her eyes as they reached the curtained door, Chloe hugged Maria and placed a kiss on her cheek before they had to walk through it. “Thank you, Maria. After my parents …” She trailed off as she thought about her father and mother, who had died in a tragic gas explosion not that long ago. Even though they had never truly cared for her like they should have, there was still a little sadness that her parents weren’t here. “You’ve just made it easier for me to get through the day without any family.”
“You’ve always been a member of the Caruso family, Chloe.” Maria smiled ever so sweetly then winked. “This is just going to make it official.”
“That’s right,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Turning, she stared up at Lucca’s father.
It wasn’t until Dante got a nod of approval from Maria that he held out an arm. “Chloe, would you give me the honor of righting a wrong by being able to walk one of my daughters down the aisle?”
Overwhelmed with joy that he’d asked, she still looked at Maria for her approval.
Maria was still smiling but now with tears in her eyes. There was no jealousy showing in them, only complete selflessness and happiness before Maria walked through the curtain and down the aisle to her place.
Smiling with glossy eyes of her own, Chloe took her soon-to-be father-in-law’s strong arm. “Of course.”
“Thank you,” Dante uttered hoarsely, patting her hand and giving her all his strength.
And with that, Chloe took a final deep breath, growing worried she might not live up to Lucca’s expectations of what he wanted her to look like on their wedding day until …
When the curtain opened, Lucca’s blue-green eyes met the precious gray ones he loved with all of his heart since the moment he had first seen her.
There were no words to describe Chloe’s beauty. There was nothing like her on this earth that could compare. She was as exquisite as she was rare. Her porcelain skin; long, silky black hair; and the scars she no longer tried to hide were a testament to that fact. Somehow, though, it was her inner beauty that was her most alluring of features.
Every day, he was amazed at her beauty, but today, with the sun shining brightly and the garden in full bloom as she walked toward him down the aisle, she looked ethereal. The dress she had chosen to marry him in was as exquisite as she was, but it was the never-ending veil covered in a million white roses that had his eyes going misty.