William continued as if he hadn't spoken. "It's no excuse, but I saw so much of her in you. Only the good, beautiful parts of her. And yet, it was still too much for me. Every time I looked in your eyes, I saw Lynn. And I grieved all over again. So I disappeared." Tears rolled down William's cheeks. "I know you blamed me for her death. And you were right. I didn't know how to love anyone enough. Not her. Not you. I have so much to make up for, and I will. I promise you, I will."
Alec instinctively put his arms around his father and hugged him in a way he hadn't since he was a little kid. "We both screwed up, Dad. But it doesn't matter what happened in the past, because we're both going to work like hell not to keep making the same mistakes in the future."
His father smiled through his tears. "I'm proud of you, son. So damned proud." He squeezed Alec's hands. "Tell your brothers and sister I'm ready for them to come in now. It's time for you to go and get the girl of your dreams."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Alec Sullivan was a changed man.
Cordelia knew it the moment he walked out of his father's hospital room. Whatever decision he'd made was so powerful, so big, that it almost felt as though it had caused a seismic shift in the earth's plates.
She smiled at the thought as she finished slicing a perfectly ripe tomato. She'd driven Alec back to her cottage and convinced him to sit in the garden with a glass of wine while she made him something to eat. Though it was morning now, heat was already rising up from the ground, and the air was scented with flowers. After so many hours inside the hospital, he needed to listen to the sounds of the ducks calling to each other in the nearby pond and to enjoy the light breeze rustling through the leaves of the maple tree beside her cottage.
She knew they had a lot to talk about, but she wanted to wait until both of them were able to think clearly again. Her mother had taught her that fresh food always helped, and she smiled at the sight of Alec in her garden as she walked out with a lantern and a plate of tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.
He speared a bite, then groaned with pleasure as he swallowed--the sound close enough to the ones he made in bed for her skin to heat up. "Swear to God, you must sprinkle some sort of magic potion over your plants, Cordelia. No tomato ever tasted this sweet. Here."
He held out the fork for her, and when their eyes locked as she bit into the tomato flesh, she wished it were his skin she was tasting instead. "It's good."
"Better than good." But he put the plate down and took her hands in his. "I don't know what I would have done without you. Thank you for being here. For being with me."
"You don't have to thank me for anything." Still, his appreciation made her warm all over. "I'm just glad William is going to be okay."
"When he woke up, we talked." She loved seeing the smile on Alec's face as he told her, "We talked about forgiving each other. About letting go of the past and starting over with each other. And we talked about you too."
"Me?" She was stunned. "Why?"
"He likes you. A lot." Alec grinned. "In fact, when you were at his house at Summer Lake, he was tempted to drag out his paints for the first time in thirty years, because he wanted to paint you."
"Me?" she said again, unable to get out more than that, even though she sounded like a broken record.
"He said he wanted to paint the look in your eyes."
"Which look?"
"Love."
She felt her skin flush, knew her eyes had widened, knew she was giving everything away. But she couldn't stop herself, couldn't pretend to be just his friend. Not this morning, not after everything that had happened. But before she could say anything, Alec spoke again.
"That morning when the press were outside your cottage door and I suggested that we make the world think we were together to keep the fortune hunters away, you said you didn't want me to lie about my feelings for you. But the only person I was lying to was myself, Cordelia. Because I was already in love with you." He lifted his hands to her face and held her so gently, so sweetly. "I fell in love with you the first time I ever set eyes on you, standing outside my office building, so beautiful and brave." He lowered his forehead to hers. "You're the most magnificent, loving, sweet, and sexy woman I've ever known. And I love you. With all my heart."
She was so stunned, so choked up, so overwhelmed, that she couldn't do anything but press her lips to his in a kiss of pure, raw emotion. Finally, she found her voice. "I love you too. I fell in love with you when you were so kind, and then I fell even more in love with you when you took care of me in a way no one else could have. And when you touch me, when you kiss me, when you make love to me..." She had to kiss him again. "I never knew such pleasure was possible. Or that it can get even better and better every time."
"I don't know if I'll ever feel like I deserve your love," he confessed in a hoarse voice. "But I'm going to work like hell to earn it, every second of every day that we're together."
"You don't have to earn anything, Alec. I love you for all the things that you are--dark and light. Rough and gentle. And most of all, because you're a man who would do anything for his family, for his friends, even for a stranger who showed up in his office owning half of his company." She laughed softly. "Gordon must have known you were my other half. That's why he sent me to you."
"He almost told me about you, I realize that now." She was stunned silent as Alec told her, "We were drunk one night after a deal had gone bad, and he said he didn't regret losing the business. He said losing a few dollars was nothing compared to his biggest regret. Compared to his wasted chances. Compared to dreams and hopes that were lost forever. He asked me what my dreams were then, if planes were what I really wanted to do, if there was anything I was hiding from. Anything I was afraid of. I thought he was trying to get me to talk about my father, so I shut him down. Laughed off his talk of dreams and hopes and happiness, even though those were the very things I'd been hiding from for so long. But I don't want to hide anymore. When I'm with you, I know I don't have to."
And then, before she realized what was happening, he was down on one knee in the middle of her garden.
"I love you, Cordelia. I want to share all of your hopes, your dreams, your happiness--and I want to share all of mine with you too. With the family we're going to make together." He plucked a pink cosmos from the bed beside them and held it out to her. "Marry me and I promise I'll make you the happiest woman alive."
She dropped to her knees in the dirt and threw herself into his arms. "I already am."
EPILOGUE
It hadn't been easy for so many Sullivans to carve time out of their busy schedules to travel to New York for William's birthday party, but they'd all found a way to make it happen. Everyone's return to Cordelia's garden only a week later should have been impossible, but Alec's wedding was an event so epic that no one would have dreamed of missing it.
"The harder they resist," Cassie said so that only Harry could hear, "the harder they fall."
Harry couldn't deny his cousin's assessment. Alec was standing in front of the rose arbor, waiting for Cordelia to walk down the aisle, looking happier--and more in love--than Harry could ever have hoped for.
"They were meant to be together," he said to Cassie. "Cordelia is Alec's perfect match."
Everyone stood as "The Wedding March" began and Cordelia appeared on her father's arm in the garden looking radiant in a flowing, pale yellow gown, carrying a bouquet of pink cosmos, with an enormous smile on her face. No bride had ever looked more certain about the man she was marrying, and no groom had ever looked so grateful that she was his. As a bonus, last night at their rehearsal dinner, they'd told everyone that they would now be working together on the new restaurant at Langley Garden Center.
Cordelia was only two-thirds of the way up the aisle when Alec headed down to grab her and kiss her as though he'd wouldn't survive if he didn't have her in his arms that very second. The crowd whistled and clapped with obvious approval.
When Alec finally let her go, Cordelia'
s smile was even bigger than it had been walking down the aisle. Clasping each other's hands, they made their way to their spot in front of Harry's father. Walter, still grinning, kissed his daughter and took his seat in the front row beside his wife.
"Family, friends," William began, "we're gathered here today to celebrate the love between two very special people. Cordelia Langley is the woman every father dreams of for a daughter-in-law. And Alec..." Harry's father looked too choked up to speak for a moment. "You'll never know how much I respect you, son. How much I cherish you. How much I love you."
Alec reached out to put his hand on his father's shoulder and William's shook slightly as he covered it, holding on for a long moment. Alec had shared with Harry, Suzanne, and Drake some of his discussion with their father in the hospital room, enough for Harry to know that major bridges had been built--and were getting stronger every day.
William cleared his throat. "Cordelia and Alec have prepared their vows. Please," he said, "whenever you're ready." He took the flowers from Cordelia, then moved a step back to give them the full spotlight.
Cordelia turned to face Alec, putting both of her hands in his. "The day we met," she said in a clear and steady voice, "the last thing on my mind was love. I felt lost and confused, hurt and angry. But every moment--every single day and every night--you were kind. Sweet. Helpful. Caring. The knight in shining armor I swore I didn't want, one I was convinced my birth father had foisted on me against my will. But it turns out Gordon Whitley was a very wise man, because he must have known all along that I couldn't live without you and that we belonged together." She moved closer so that she could hold Alec's hands against her heart. "All my life, I've waited patiently for things to grow. But my love for you bloomed in an instant...and I know it will keep growing bigger and bigger forever."
All around Harry, people were sniffling. He was more than a little choked up himself, although what really got him was realizing that his father was crying tears of joy. For so long, all of them had wanted the dark clouds around Alec to disappear. Thankfully, just as Cordelia had said in her vows, Gordon must have known she would be able to reach him in a way that no one else could have.
"You say I'm your knight in shining armor," Alec said in a deep voice that brimmed with emotion, "but don't you know? You're my knight in shining armor, Cordelia. You're the only woman in the world who could have reached in and touched my heart. You're the only woman who has ever made my palms sweat, my heart race. Every time I look at you--every time I so much as think about you--I can't keep from smiling. I want to thank your parents--Amy, Walter, and Gordon too--for trusting me with your life. With your happiness. And you most of all, Cordelia, for seeing something in me that I wasn't able to see in myself until you loved me. I'll forever be amazed that you believe I'm worthy of you. I swear I'm going to prove to you every single day for the rest of our lives that you chose the right man to love."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house as William stepped forward. "It is the greatest honor of my life to pronounce you husband and wife. Alec, Cordelia, you may now seal your vows with a kiss."
The way they looked at each other as they moved into each other's arms was so intimate that Harry almost felt as though he were intruding by watching. And when Alec lowered his mouth to Cordelia's, Harry knew their kiss was as much a vow of forever as the words they had spoken.
Everyone was on their feet applauding as Cordelia and Alec made their way back down the aisle. Baskets of flower petals had been placed at the end of each row, and the very happy couple laughed as the fragrant, colorful petals rained down upon them.
"Do you really think that?" Cassie asked Harry as they headed over to congratulate the happy couple.
"Think what?"
"What you said before they said their vows--that everyone has a perfect match?"
A picture instantly came to Harry's mind. One he shook away. This was a day to celebrate, not to get lost in thoughts about the past.
"Sure, don't you?"
"The way my luck in love has gone," Cassie said, "I'm honestly not sure anymore."
Harry put his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe we can fix that today," he suggested. "Any wedding guests catch your eye?"
"One happy ending at a time, Harry. And given the way this family does things," she said as she grabbed two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed him one, "we all know yours is next."
Before he could reply, she clinked her glass against his, then headed off to congratulate the bride and groom. Leaving Harry thinking about happy endings...and whether Cassie was right and his actually was next.
Anything was possible, he supposed. After all, Alec and Cordelia had just proved that in spades. From across the garden, he raised his glass to the happy couple in a silent toast to true love prevailing yet again.
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I hope you loved reading Alec and Cordelia's romance as much as I loved writing it! Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter (https://bellaandre.com/newsletter) so that I can let you know the release dates for all upcoming books, including Harry Sullivan's book.
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Please also enjoy the following excerpt from the first San Francisco Sullivan book, THE LOOK OF LOVE
Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she's convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?
As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he's home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is--until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love--and protect--her, but will Chloe let him?
Enjoy the following excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE...
Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn't passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians--who didn't know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather--stayed home.
Knowing better than to slam on the brakes--he wouldn't be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them--Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.
He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him, and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.
Wondering why she wasn't just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try to help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.
"Are you hurt?"
She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. "No."
He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he'd turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.
Something inside of Chase's chest clenched tight.
Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn't too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.
In an instant, his photographer's eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was
a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn't even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn't judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.
It wasn't until Chase heard her say, "My car is definitely hurt, though," that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he'd come out here to do.
Knowing he'd been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he'd been right about her car. It didn't take a mechanic like his brother Zach, who owned an auto shop--more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago--to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn't half-smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she'd slid into, her bald tires weren't going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.
If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck." He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.
But the woman didn't move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.
"I'm not getting into your car."
Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.
"I'm not going to attack you. I swear I won't do anything to hurt you."
She all but flinched at the word attack, and Chase's radar started buzzing. He'd never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn't the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.