Love Takes Time (21 page)

A
lyssa had always dreamed of her wedding day. The journey from being that little girl to the woman she was now, in some ways seemed long and in others so very short. As she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror, her gaze roamed over every detail in her white wedding dress and she could feel another wave of tears threaten to ruin her makeup.

“I wish your father was here to see you,” Estelle said, looking on. “He would have been so proud.”

“Ooh. You look pretty,” Jessica said, staring up at her.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She beamed down at her little sister, pleased to see her father so clearly in her face.

“I'm supposed to give you this.” Jessica handed her a folded slip of paper. “It's from Sterling.”

She frowned with a brief fear that her fiancé had changed his mind and was about to leave her standing at the altar. But instead, the brief message warmed her soul.

“It must be good news.” Estelle said, winking.

“The best. I'm about to marry the love of my life.”

“Hallelujah.” Tangela snickered as she finished buttoning the tiny buttons on the back of Alyssa's dress. “But I guess love takes time.”

Alyssa agreed. She just wished that Quentin would be there. It was the one blight on this otherwise perfect day. Somehow both she and Sterling had managed to hurt him in ways they feared that Quentin could never forgive. Turned out, she'd become the very heartbreaker he'd predicted she would be.

Finally, it was time.

The second the wedding march began, Alyssa stepped out onto the Hintons' lush green lawn and tried to control her pounding heart. It was a beautiful spring evening. Her heart swelled at the sight of so many family and friends gathered there on her special day. Beatrice, James, Antonio, Jamie and Lidi—all sat up front waving and crying.

The smile stretched across Sterling's face as she moved toward him and their future warmed her to her core. The look in his eyes radiated with love and she basked in all its glory.

Her gaze fluttered to his right. There, standing with his hands crossed before him, was Jonas…and Quentin. His expression was unreadable…and if she wasn't mistaken one side of his face looked twice its usual size. But at least he came. For now, that was enough. The tears she had barely held in check finally flowed freely down her face as she took her place next to Sterling and faced the preacher.

When they were finally pronounced man and wife, Alyssa slid into her husband's arms, pleased with the knowledge that her life was a hell of a lot better than any childhood fantasy.