Authors: Melissa Collins

Tangled Vines (13 page)

BOOK: Tangled Vines

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Eight Months Later

Lightly gripping a more than crazed Elle by the shoulders, I stop her in her tracks. “Calm down, sweetheart. Everything is going to be perfect.” The frenzied look in her eyes lets me know she’s anything but calm. It’s our first wedding at the newly finished reception hall and even though we’ve worked out every possible detail, Elle hasn’t been able to breathe all morning.

“But the flowers are late, and the bride will be here in…” she pauses, looking down at her watch. “Oh, God, like five minutes. She’ll be here in five minutes!” The panic rises again and I have to admit, she looks absolutely adorable when she freaks out.

“Shh…” I pull her to my side and walk us over to the rustic bench sitting in the entryway of the atrium. Kneeling before her, I hand her a flute of champagne from the table at our side. “These are for the guests,” she scoffs, but she still takes the glass. After tossing it back in a single gulp, she takes a deep breath.

“Better?” I ask with an arched eyebrow. She shrugs, but I catch a hint of a smile pulling at her lips. “Elle, this wedding is going to kick ass. You’ve done amazing things and the place is gorgeous. Sit back, relax and enjoy the day. We have everything in place for the day to run as smoothly as possible.”

Just as she wordlessly, but nervously nods her agreement, a sleek white limo pulls in front of the building. “Let’s do this.” There’s a resolve to her words as she laces her fingers with mine. Smoothing out her skirt, she greets the glowing bride with nothing but cheerful confidence.

Watching her throughout the day only makes me fall in love with her more and more. When Mom first moved to Florida, Elle took the adjustment in stride. We split our time between her apartment and the house for a while. When the commute became too much and Mom decided she was most definitely not moving back, I sold the house. It was difficult to say goodbye to the home I’d grown up in, but it was also a relief in a way. In no time at all, Elle’s apartment became our apartment and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.

Enjoying our first event at the vineyard has been a dream come true. The guests have complimented us on the wine and food countless times. Watching the happy couple take pictures in the vines I’ve come to love is the perfect way to close the day.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Elle. Today was beautiful.” I hand her a glass of merlot as the last of the crew clears the main ballroom.

“You think they had fun?” she asks around the lip of her glass.

I laugh. “Of course they did. They had a blast. You gave them the wedding of their dreams.” Pulling her feet up to my lap, I rub away the soreness. Her eyes close as her head rolls back. Sensual groans fall out of her mouth as my fingers work their magic.

“Think we can pull it off again next weekend?” Her light chuckle is meant to deflect her worries, but I can still hear them there.

“Elle,” her eyes meet mine at my serious tone. “We can do this, weekend after weekend after weekend.” Gently, I place her feet back on the floor. She turns to put her glass on the table to her side and when she twists back to me, she’s shocked to see me kneeling on the floor in front of her.

“What are you doing?” she gasps as I reach into my pocket.

“There’s no one in my life I can ever imagine doing this with.” I sweep my free hand to the side, across the room that’s being cleaned up. “We’ve built a business together, constructed an estate where people will vow to spend the rest of their lives together. Now,” I pull out the small, blue velvet box that’s been burning a hole in my pocket since early this morning, “it would make me the happiest man on the planet if you’d say yes and be my wife. I want to build a life together with you, if you’ll have me?”

Tears glisten in her eyes as her hand covers her mouth. A silent nod accompanies a single tear streaking down her cheek. She pulls me into her arms, saying over and over again, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Holding her hand out in front of her, she gazes at the ring gracing her finger. “It’s beautiful, Owen, absolutely beautiful.”

Sweeping her hair to the side, I whisper into her ear, “Not nearly as beautiful as you.”

Under the stars blanketing the sky above our vineyard, we hold each other tightly, thanking the heavens above for tangling our lives together.

I feel so honored to be able to be a part of this project. Being part of an anthology isn’t always easy. You have ten authors, ten ideas, ten opinions, ten creative voices all coming together to hopefully work together harmoniously. Working with this group has been a pleasure. So thank you to my fellow authors for including me and working toward the common goal of our charity. I’d also like to say thank you to my family, for putting up with me while I write and edit. Without your support, none of this would be possible.