Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 1) (47 page)

Even as her heart continued to pound, warmth spread throughout her entire body. What was that feeling? She’d felt it before…. When she’d married Tom. When her girls were born…
Joy
.

He smiled, his dimples deep and his eyes bright with hope, reaching out to brush a tear off her cheek. “So now, will you marry me?”

She grinned. “Well… I don’t know. Let me look at that ring first.”

He laughed, holding the ring case above his head, just out of her reach. “Trade ya.”

“For what?”

“I’ll let you have the ring, if you agree to marry me next Saturday.”

“There’s no way. Why the rush?”

“Because,” he said, stretching out on the limousine seat and pulled her on top of him. “I don’t want to
wait
. I don’t think I
can
wait any longer than that. One more week,
tops
. I think I’ve shown a great deal of self-restraint with you, but I have my limits.”

She felt his hard body pressed against the length of her, and she felt a now-familiar tingle deep inside. His hands edged up the outside of her thighs, pushing her dress hem out of the way. But before his fingers reached her hips his hands flew to her waist. Now his hands caressed their way up her sides, his thumbs rubbing on the sheer silk panels. She gasped for air. Had she been holding her breath?

Now he shifted beneath her and his mouth nuzzled her neck, sending chills down her spine. He flexed his muscles and pressed against her, igniting a fire in her center.

“Yes!” she said, breathing rapidly. “A week sounds great. Plenty of time. Maybe we shouldn’t wait so long.”

She moved her lips to his and kissed him. This time she was not tentative and shy. Her mouth was hungry and her lips couldn’t get enough of him. She stroked her tongue against his and groaned with pleasure. Her body ground against him as if she could somehow get closer. Suddenly, he pushed her off and sat up, depositing her beside him.

“Whoa! I don’t think you’ve forgotten much, after all. But I’m never going to make it a week if we keep doing that.”

They sat alongside each other, dazed and panting, waiting for their hearts to slow.

Finally Anne said, “But what will Gram say?”

He laughed. “Gram? I imagine Gram is busy patting herself on the back right now. She knew I’d hurry up when she threw Evan into the mix.”

“Gram wanted you to marry me? I don’t believe that. She would never try to trick me like that.”

“Sweetheart, you’re so gullible, that’s not a very difficult proposition. And you haven’t known Gram as long as I have.”

“What about my dad and the girls? I can’t throw this at them in a week’s time.”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I talked to them on Monday. Emily took the computer to the hospital so I could Skype with your dad.” He gave a lopsided grin. “I was so nervous. I’m glad he couldn’t see me sweating.”

She giggled at the thought. “And Dad said okay?”

“Actually he made me tell him all about myself for about ten minutes before he said yes,” he said with an astonished laugh. “It turns out your dad has never heard of Gherring Inc. either.”

He continued, tapping off points on his fingers. “So, Charlie’s got a flight booked. Emily says the Fort Worth Arboretum would be a good place for the wedding—”

“Wait… Wait a minute. You planned the whole wedding on Monday? With my daughters? Before you even asked me? I was still dating Henri.”

“I know. I appreciate you finally broke up. Saved me from having to kill the guy. Murder can be so messy.”

He pantomimed wringing Henri’s neck, and she began to chuckle, laughing until she had to suppress a snort.

“Where is this limo going?” she asked.

“Nowhere. I told him to drive in circles until we decided.”

This time both of them started chuckling.

“But what about work? What will people say?” Anne imagined facing all her co-workers after denying their relationship with such vehemence.

“Soon
everyone
will know… You’re sleeping with the boss.”

“Mom,” said Emily. “You can’t wear gloves and a coat over your wedding dress.”

“Why would you plan an outdoor wedding for me in December when you know how cold-natured I am?”

“Sorry, I didn’t get to consult with you. But Steven gave us strict instructions not to say anything.”

“Do you know how hard it was to keep it a secret? Well, it was hard for me. Maybe Miss Perfect didn’t have any trouble,” Charlie complained.

“What would you have done if I’d turned him down?”

“Mom, we knew you were in love with him.” Emily exchanged a glance with her sister.

“Really, Mom,” said Charlie. “It was so obvious. I think you were the only person who didn’t know.”

“That’s not true.”

“Well, what did the people at work say when you told them?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, Mom. Were they shocked?”

“I’m sure some of them were shocked…” She racked her brain. Surely she could think of someone who hadn’t suspected.

“Sam!” she proclaimed. “Sam was surprised. She thought Steven was dating Ellen.”

“What do you expect from a girl who uses a boy’s name?” Emily teased.

“Hey!” Charlie aimed a shoe at her sister.

“Anyway,” said Emily, “the point is we knew you’d say yes. But poor Steven… I think he was planning on asking you Monday night. And then at lunch you pulled that stunt with Ellen, and messed everything up. I think he cut it kind of close, waiting until last Saturday.”

Charlie said, “Mom, I think maybe there’s a lot of stuff you never told us. Care to fill us in on a few details? Like, hmmm, was last Saturday the first time he ever kissed you?”

“Oh… Look at the time,” Anne said. “We’d better finish getting ready.”

“Eventually, we’ll find out what really happened.” Charlie grinned.

There was a knock on the door, and they heard a man’s muffled voice. “Time to go!”

“Coming, Dad,” said Anne.

It all felt a bit surreal after they arrived at the Arboretum Japanese Garden. She could see people sitting in white chairs and hear the light melodies of classical music. When the cello started playing Bach’s Prelude in C, her dad said, “That’s our cue. Are you ready, Annie?”

Anne took her father’s arm, the unbroken one, and they started down the hill toward the small gathering.

“You look very beautiful, you know,” he said, his voice cracking a little.

“Thanks, Daddy. You look so handsome in your tuxedo.” She grinned up at him. “You know, maybe we should find a wife for you, too. You’ve been alone an awfully long time.”

He chuckled. “I’m an old dog—too old. No new tricks for me.”

“We’ll see.”

“You’re shaking. Are you cold or nervous?”

“Just cold.”

Her words were a lie. She was scared out of her wits. What on earth was she doing? She couldn’t get married at her age. How could she get used to living with someone when she’d been alone for so long? What would they do during holidays? What if he lost interest after a few months?

Then she saw him. Steven Gherring was standing at the front, waiting. He had eyes for no one but her. And she could see it in his expression—he treasured her. This was a man she could trust. He would take care of her. He would lay down his life for her. The closer she got, the safer she felt. And when her dad deposited her on Steven's arm, she knew. This was where she belonged.

“You look amazing,” he whispered in her ear, brushing her cheek with his lips.

“It’s not time for that yet.” Charlie’s words sent a ripple of laughter through the crowd.

The pastor spoke. It must have been eloquent and meaningful, but she’d have to watch the video to find out. Anne was only aware of Steven. His hand was caressing hers where it rested on his arm. The flex of his muscles against her. The adoration and promise in his eyes. Sometimes he would squeeze her hand or lean over to kiss her head. She couldn’t get close enough to him. How had they managed to stay apart for so long?

He had to nudge her every time she needed to respond, and she hoped she answered correctly. He slipped a ring on her finger, and she placed one on his. They promised to love each other until death parted them. Her heart turned over in her chest at that thought. She prayed it would be a long time before that happened.

But then, her face was in his hands. And he kissed her. And she lost herself in his kiss. At first his lips caressed hers gently, and then he couldn’t seem to stop. He kissed her harder, and his mouth was demanding. He staked his claim on her, and his intent made her insides quiver.

“Ah-hem!” Emily cleared her throat. “Could y’all wait an hour, please? You’re still my mom.”

The preacher announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Steven Gherring. When they turned to face the crowd, Steven smiled and waved at a group of people standing a distance away, behind the bridge.

“Who’s that?” asked Anne.

“That’s the reporters. Let’s give ‘em a good picture.” She squealed as he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her full on the lips, to the delight and applause of the guests and other observers, alike. And then he carried her down the aisle.

*****

“Are you sure you didn’t ask her to marry you after midnight?” Katie asked Steven. “I was so close to winning the pool!”

“What pool?” asked Anne.

“The company pool on when you guys would get engaged,” answered Jared. “I started it and today was my day—I should win something for picking the wedding day.”

“Well, you were no help to me at all,” complained Sam to Anne. “I was trying to get some inside information so I’d have a better chance of winning. And all you did was pass out on me.”

“That’s right,” Tanner agreed. “And I made the mistake of listening to Sam. My day is still another month off.”

Sam said, “And then Mr. Gherring got his picture in the social column with that actress. That really threw me off.”

But Anne’s mouth was still hanging open in shock. “There was an office pool on our engagement?” She turned to Steven. “Did you tell everybody except me?”

Katie said, “Are you kidding? I knew way before he did. The man is clueless.” She chuckled. “Well, not nearly as clueless as you.”

“Even
I
knew,” said Gary, squeezing Katie’s hand. “That night you brought her to climb with Steven. He’s never been so interested in belaying before. And I’ve never seen him show off quite as much, either. You know he doesn’t usually climb without a shirt on.”

Jared chimed in. “I suspected even before we went to Switzerland. Sorry boss, but it was obvious.”

Steven laughed good-naturedly. “At least I wasn’t the last to know. That would be Anne, for sure.”

“Well it all seems pretty surreal to me,” Anne exclaimed. “It’s a miracle I ever got the job.”

“You’re right, Anne, I can’t even believe he hired you. But I really thought it was funny when you didn’t know who he was.” Katie turned to Gary. “You should have seen his face.”

“Yeah, that was the best part,” Gary said to Steven. “The great Steven Gherring having to work to impress a girl.”

“I was impressed. He didn’t really have to work hard.” Anne squeezed his hand.

“I just thank God you somehow ended up in that group of interviews,” said Steven.

Katie raised her eyebrows. “Well, God might have had a little help. You should talk to Gram…”

Anne and Steven found Gram and Mr. Hamilton talking to Mr. Greenly and Minnie.

“Minnie,” said Anne as she hugged her. “Thanks for coming. And I don’t think I’ve even thanked you for taking care of Gandalf.”

“Oh sweetie, you know how much I love that dog. And we wouldn’t have missed your wedding for anything.”

“So you’ve met Mrs. Gherring?” asked Anne.

“We met a long time ago,” said Gram, with a chuckle.

“You know each other?”

Minnie smiled. “Of course. This is my Aunt Margaret. I think I’ve mentioned her to you before.”

Anne’s eyes grew large as she gawked at Gram. “
You’re
Minnie’s Aunt Margaret? Gram? That’s incredible! I wish I’d known you were Minnie’s aunt! She always talked about you. In fact, she used to tell me you wanted to fix me up with your…” the words died on her lips as she recognized the truth.

Gram’s expression was quite smug. “You’re absolutely right. That’s why I got Minnie to ask for a copy of your resume.”

“Yes,” Minnie laughed. “I think I gave you some story about sending your resume to a friend in Fort Worth.”

Gram continued, “And then I just had to convince Katie to give your resume to the recruiter and make arrangements for your interview.”

“But…” Anne’s brain couldn’t form a complete sentence.

Steven asked, “What made you think she’d even agree to go to New York for the interview, Gram?”

“Minnie encouraged me to go,” said Anne with an eyebrow raised at Minnie. “She said I should go for sure since Gherring Inc. was paying for the interview trip.”

“Gherring Inc. doesn’t pay for interview trips for executive assistants,” said Steven. He turned narrowed eyes to Gram.

“I did what I had to do.” Her smile was benign.

Anne began to fit the pieces of the puzzle together in her head. “You were behind it all? You knew who I was that first day? You lied to me the whole time?”

“I never lied to you, dear. You just assumed I had no idea who you were. I never said that.”

“But you said we were plotting together to find a wife for Steven.”

“And we did plot together.”

“But Gram, weren’t you trying to fix me up with Evan? You never suggested anything about Steven…”

“No, I never intended for you to end up with Evan, dear. It was always Steven. I tried subtle suggestions, but you were all fired up about finding a
different
wife for him. I had to be creative to pull it off.”

“And when you bought me that dress and invited Evan to the Christmas party?”

“Humph! I just needed to light a fire under Steven to get him moving.”

“Well your little fire almost got Evan killed,” Steven said. “I can’t believe you let Anne wear a dress like that around him.”

“The dress was for
you
, Steven. And it worked quite well. You can’t blame me for Evan’s behavior. I didn’t tell him what to do. He did that all on his own.”

“And when you kept saying you didn’t like Henri? Was that part of your plan?” asked Anne.

“No,” chuckled Gram. “I really don’t like him.”

“At least we’re in agreement on that, Gram,” Steven grinned. “That’s why I sent Michelle over there during the Thanksgiving holidays. I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone, if they got back together.”

Anne looked at her husband in shock. “You never told me you sent Michelle to be with Henri.”

“Sorry honey,” he said, without a hint of sincerity. “But you forgive me, right?” He planted a firm kiss on her lips.

“I don’t know. But I like the way you apologize.”

She asked Mr. Hamilton. “And were you in on the plot, too?”

“Well, Margaret tried to explain it to me, but I don’t quite understand how women think,” he said with a perplexed smile. “You had me pretty confused when you dropped by the shop on Saturday morning.”

“Not nearly as confused as
I
was.”

Mr. Hamilton handed Anne a gift bag. “I know you don’t usually open presents at the wedding reception, but I’d like to explain this one.”

Anne was delighted. “It’s heavy… Did you carve something for me?” She dug into the large bag and pulled out a beautiful pair of carved wood figures.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, as tears sprung to her eyes. “I can’t accept this, Mr. Hamilton. This is ‘Inseparable Love’. You said you were going to give it to your granddaughter.”

“Well,” he said with a sly wink, “soon, that’ll be true.” He put his arm around Gram and gave her a little squeeze.

“Ohmygosh! Y’all are getting married?” cried Anne, and she hugged first Gram and then Mr. Hamilton. Steven picked his Gram up by the waist and twirled her around.

“Put me down this instant,” fussed Gram. But she was laughing in spite of herself.

“When?” asked Anne. “When are you getting married?”

“We’ve got to get married pretty quickly,” said Gram with a straight face. “Before I start showing… People will talk.”

At this, the entire group fell into hysteria.

The wedding couple found Ellen and Ben. Ellen gave Anne a sheepish grin.

“Have you forgiven me, yet?”

“I don’t know…” Anne teased.

“I hated doing it. It was the hardest acting job I’ve ever had.”

“Wow,” Steven chuckled. “I didn’t know I was that bad.”

“You know what I mean,” said Ellen. “She just looked so hurt. I felt awful. No offense, Anne, but you’d make a terrible actress. You couldn’t hide your emotions at all.”