Page 61 of Stolen

EPILOGUE

MEL STOODunder the chandelier in Miss Emily’s foyer, waiting for the wedding march to begin, her cue to walk down the aisle, exactly one year to the day after she’d first met Kyle Radley. She couldn’t ask for a better birthday present.

Gramps stood beside her, looking dapper and happy. This was his foyer now, too, she reminded herself. He’d been living there for the past eleven months, the same length of time that he’d been married. A whirlwind courtship, yes, but, as Gramps had pointed out that, at their age, why risk a long one?

Besides, the wedding had been more than fifty years in the making. It had just taken some time for Emily and Gramps to pull it all together.

Mel said a silent thank-you that she herself had come to her senses, because she couldn’t imagine waiting decades for Kyle. It had been hard enough waiting for the wedding after he’d proposed on the beach six months earlier.

She could hardly believe the day had finally arrived,and now here she was in her white gown, her veil and her blue garter, courtesy of Frances, to cover the “something old” requirement. Around her neck she wore a stunning diamond necklace, a wedding gift from Miss Emily, who’d wanted Mel to have the necklace that had brought her and Kyle together.

The music started and Gramps squeezed her hand. She gave him a quick kiss, and then they stepped through the doors and into the ballroom. From the far end of the room, Kyle smiled, looking absolutely perfect in his tuxedo. It was everything Mel could do not to defy the slow pace of the music and rush to his side.

Beside her, Gramps leaned over. “Nervous?” he whispered.

She shook her head. She wasn’t nervous at all. Why should she be? She had everything she’d ever wanted. Somehow her dreams really had come true. Cinderella never had it so good. She’d only won that wuss Prince Charming. Mel had won Kyle Radley.

And in her book, that was worth a heck of a lot more.

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