Levi ran his hands down his dark gray jacket, hoping he didn’t look as awkward as he felt. After six months of traveling around America, he wasn’t used to wearing anything other than jeans.
Caleb met him at the church door. “Good grief. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
A smile pulled at the corners of Levi’s mouth. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Megan? I thought you were walking her down the aisle.”
“I still am, but I was banned from the house an hour ago. I guess being an older brother doesn’t have as many privileges as I thought it would.” Caleb smiled at someone walking past them. “Megan doesn’t want me to see her before the wedding. Don’t ask me why. It doesn’t make sense.”
Levi could sympathize with him. He was discovering lots of things that didn’t make sense with Brooke, too.
“I’ll introduce you to Megan’s Auntie Carol. We’ll be sitting at the same table as her during the wedding reception.” Caleb pointed toward the front of the church. “She’s found a seat close to where the bride and groom will be standing. Don’t be surprised if she pulls out her cell phone and starts recording the wedding.”
“As long as she doesn’t give a running commentary about what’s happening, I don’t mind.”
“Knowing Carol, anything is possible.” Caleb stopped beside a woman wearing an enormous blue hat. “Hi, Carol. This is Levi Montgomery. He’s Brooke’s date for the wedding.”
Carol looked up and smiled. “Come and sit beside me. We can keep each other company while Caleb does his brotherly duties.”
“Talking about brotherly duties,” Caleb pulled out his cell phone. “Megan and her bridesmaids have arrived.”
Carol checked her watch. “They’re early. Where’s William and his groomsmen?”
“I have no idea, but I’ll text Megan and tell her to wait outside.” Caleb scanned the church. “I thought I’d be looking for a runaway bride, not a runaway groom.”
Levi turned around. Pastor John was heading toward them. “Do you want us to check the other rooms in the building?”
“Let’s wait to hear what John says. We might be worrying about nothing.”
The somber expression on John’s face didn’t bode well for a stress-free wedding. As soon as he reached them, he pulled Caleb to one side and spoke quietly to him.
By the time Caleb returned, Levi had a fairly good idea of what he was going to say.
“No one knows where William has gone. John’s tried calling him, but his cell phone is going straight to voicemail.”
Levi checked his watch. “There’s still time to look for him. Do you want me to drive to William’s house and see if he’s there?”
“Of course he does,” Carol said as she hauled herself to her feet. “You can’t have a marriage without a groom. Come on. We’ll take my car.”
“Text me if he’s there,” Caleb said quickly. “Carol’s got my number.”
“We won’t be long,” Carol said as she pulled Levi toward the back of the church.
It wasn’t until he saw the bridal car that Levi realized the enormity of what had happened. He just hoped William was all right. Because, from what he knew about the groom, he was the most reliable person anyone knew.
Something out of the ordinary must have happened. He only hoped William and his groomsmen hadn’t had an accident on their way to the church.
Brooke fanned Megan’s hot face with a magazine. As soon as they’d arrived at the church, Megan wanted to go inside. But Caleb was insisting she stay in the driveway. So here they were, standing beside their limousine, getting more stressed by the minute.
“William has to be here somewhere,” Megan said as she nibbled her thumbnail. “He wouldn’t have changed his mind without talking to me first.”
Brooke put down the magazine and flicked through the multiple emails Caleb and Levi had sent her. So far, they hadn’t been able to find William or any of his groomsmen.
Megan was already stressed before she arrived at the church. If her husband-to-be didn’t make an appearance soon, the whole marriage could be off.
“Maybe William went to the Princess Castle at the library,” Nora said. “We read books there all the time.”
Megan wrapped her arm around Nora’s shoulders. “I don’t think he would have gone to the library, but it’s a good idea.”
A crowd of people gathered on the street, watching what was going on with interest. Brooke was sure they’d come to see Megan walk into the church, but that was twenty minutes ago and the bride was still standing outside.
Sam walked toward them. After waiting for Caleb to give them the all clear, she’d taken matters into her own hands. Leaving her high heels in the car, she’d marched down the street looking for any sign of the missing groom. “Word must have gotten out that William isn’t here. More people are arriving to see what’s going on.”
Megan rubbed her forehead. “That’s all we need. Before you know it, Mabel will arrive with her camera to take photos.”
“And then she’ll post them on Facebook,” Sam muttered. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit inside the limousine?”
Megan shook her head. “I’ve got a better idea. We’re going into the church.”
“But William isn’t there,” Sam said. “And Caleb wants us to stay outside.”
“Where is Caleb?” Brooke asked. “He hasn’t sent me any updates for at least five minutes.”
Sam grabbed her shoes from the back seat of the limousine. “That’s all we need—a missing groom, two missing groomsmen, and now the brother of the bride. I thought this sort of thing only happened in the movies.” With a determined look on her face, Sam lifted the skirt of her long dress and strode toward the church.
“Where are you going?” Brooke asked.
“I’m doing what any self-respecting security specialist would do. I’m going to find William.”
Brooke wasn’t arguing with her. Sam had a black belt in karate, regularly carried a loaded gun, and had taken down men who were in more trouble than the runaway groom.
Megan hitched up the skirt of her Cinderella wedding gown. “Wait for me! When you find William, I want to ask him some questions.”
Brooke looked down at Nora. “It looks like it’s just you and me.”
“That’s okay. I like spending time with you. Where do you think William has gone?”
“I don’t know, but it must be important.” Brooke looked at the growing crowd on the sidewalk. “How about we go inside? Pastor John has a nice café. We could wait there until William arrives.”
“Can we have a milkshake?”
Brooke held out her hand. “As long as someone’s working in the kitchen, we can.”
Nora took her hand and happily walked inside. They hadn’t gone far when Caleb came to a screeching halt in front of them.
“He’s here. Where’s Sam and Megan?”
“They came inside a few minutes ago. Where were William and his groomsmen?”
“Looking for rose petals for Nora’s basket. William forgot to pick them up from the florist. By the time they arrived at the store, it was closed.”
“So they don’t have any rose petals?”
“They have plenty,” Caleb said quickly. “They went to the park and picked some roses. They would have arrived on time, but their car broke down.”
“Why didn’t they call someone?” Brooke asked. William should have known Megan would be worried.
Caleb pulled her toward a meeting room. “They left their phones at the bed and breakfast where William stayed last night.”
Brooke’s eyebrows rose. “Are you kidding?”
“I wish I was. Wait here. I’ll find Megan and Sam and bring them back to you.”
“And the rose petals,” Brooke reminded him.
“My basket, too,” Nora said. “I left it in the back of the big car.”
Caleb gave a dramatic sigh. “I hope Sam and I don’t have the same drama when we get married. I don’t think my heart could take it.”
Brooke sent him an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry. There are worse things that could happen.”
“Try telling that to William. He’s a nervous wreck.”
After Caleb left, Nora peered around the doorframe, watching what was happening in the foyer. “I think the café is open,” she said excitedly. “I saw someone with a milkshake.”
Brooke looked around the room. Picking up one of the whiteboard markers, she wrote a big message on the board. It would only take a few minutes to buy Nora a milkshake. And after everything that had happened, she might order one herself, as well.
Levi sat in the chair beside Carol. Thanks to her eagle eye and perseverance, they’d found William and his groomsmen running down Main Street.
After searching William’s house, Carol had insisted they drive toward Flathead Lake, looking for the missing groom. After fifteen minutes of exploring every out-of-the-way place they could find, they’d decided to go back to the church, hoping someone had located him.
Halfway down Main Street, Carol had screamed, “That’s him. I see William.”
They’d pulled into a parking space and jumped out of the car.
William and his two friends were running down the street, holding plastic bags full of roses. They’d thrown themselves into the back seat of Carol’s car, hoping they got to the church before Megan left.
Ten minutes after they’d rushed through the front door, the organist began playing the Bridal March. Everyone stood and looked over their shoulder to the back of the church.
Nora was walking down the aisle, throwing rose petals high into the air. Her pale pink dress looked like a miniature Cinderella ball gown. With a wide white ribbon tied around her waist and sparkly beads around the neckline, she looked like she’d stepped out of a fairytale.
Sam came next, followed by Brooke.
Everything in the church faded into the background. Levi’s heart pounded against his chest. Brooke was stunning. As she walked down the aisle, her strapless dress brushed against the floor. The only time she wore her hair down was in the mornings, before she started work. But today, her dark hair fell against her shoulders in soft waves, caught at one side with a wide, sparkly comb.
As she walked past him, she smiled.
Levi couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t loved Brooke. His life before he met her was a blur of choices that led him into one of the most dangerous places on earth. By the time he arrived home, he was an emotional wreck. She’d helped him reconnect with the world, with himself, and with the people he loved.
She’d given him her unconditional love, until she needed to leave.
By the time Megan joined William at the front of the church, Carol was dabbing her eyes. “Oh, my. They look so wonderful together.”
Whatever William had said to his fiancée must have calmed her nerves. They looked happy, in love, and excited about becoming husband and wife.
There was a part of Levi that wanted the same sense of destiny, the knowledge that he was loved no matter what was thrown his way. But there was a bigger part that realized true love didn’t just happen. Two people needed to be committed to each other and to the promise of what they could be.
He wanted Brooke to be the person he could love for the rest of his life. But after what had happened in their lives, that level of commitment wasn’t something he took for granted. It took time to trust someone. Time to understand what the other person needed in a relationship. But most of all, time to understand yourself.
And Levi wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere.
Brooke held onto Levi as they moved around the dance floor. The large meeting room at the church made a wonderful reception area. With sheer fabric draped over the walls and flowers everywhere, it looked like an expensive hotel instead of the main hub of the church.
“Have I told you how handsome you look?”
“Only about ten times,” Levi laughed. “You can thank the suit rental store in Polson. While I was collecting the light fittings for the attic, I stopped by to see if they had anything in my size.”
“I wish our dress fittings had been as easy as your suit hire.”
Levi spun her in a circle. “It was worth every appointment. You look amazing.”
Brooke smiled. “Thank you. What did you think of the wedding?”
“I was surprised it went so smoothly.”
So was Brooke. After William and his groomsmen finally arrived at the church, everyone had taken a deep breath and focused on why they were there. “Nora enjoyed throwing the rose petals down the aisle.”
Levi’s arm tightened around her waist. “She’s a happy little girl. It must have been horrible when her mom and grandparents died.”
“I imagine it was, but Megan is an amazing aunt. I’m glad she met William.”
“It just goes to show that true love is waiting for everyone.”
“You sound like Shrek.”
Levi smiled. “Except I’m not a green ogre.”
“And you don’t have a sexy Scottish accent.”
“I could work on it.”
She rested her head on Levi’s shoulder. “You have other qualities that make you more attractive than Shrek.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I was beginning to get worried.”
Brooke sighed. Levi didn’t have anything to worry about. “Maybe it’s Sapphire Bay. Everyone seems so happy. It makes it easy to work out what’s important in your life.”
“What’s important to you?”
Brooke smiled at Megan and William as they passed them on the dance floor. She thought about Levi’s question, the answers that were never far from her mind. “It’s important that I’ve got a warm house to come home to each night. I like to know I can pay my bills and afford a vacation every now and again.”
“You like stability and consistency.”
“I guess I do.” For most of her life, Brooke thought she’d done things to make her parents happy. But she was wrong. Until she’d decided to make candy, the choices she’d made had all been low-risk options. Stability and consistency. They were comfortable words that didn’t push her comfort zone, and there was nothing wrong with that—until it wasn’t enough.
She ran her hand across Levi’s back. “I like to know I’m making a difference, too. What about you?”
“Apart from knowing I’m loved, the next most important thing is family. Mom and Dad gave up a lot for Peter and me. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be today.”
Brooke had seen Levi with his mom and dad. It was obvious they loved each other. “Do you still want to get married one day and have a house full of children?”
“Would you be surprised if I said yes?”
“I’d be more surprised if you said no. You’d make a great dad.”
“I hope so. How are your parents?”
Brooke sighed. “They’re okay. Dad invited me back to Phoenix for a vacation.”
“That sounds like a good idea. You’ve been working long hours.”
“Unless I find someone to manage the store, I won’t be going anywhere for a long time.”
“Could Kathleen and Daniella look after everything for a few days?”
Brooke had never considered asking them. “I’m not sure.”
“If they can’t, you could show me what needs to happen. I’m happy to help.”
As strange as it sounded, Brooke could see Levi working in the candy store. “I promise to think about it. But in the meantime, can I ask you a personal question?”
Levi’s muscles tensed. “That sounds serious.”
Brooke hesitated. Thinking about Levi’s personal life was bad enough, but asking him about it was worse. “Did you date anyone after I left Phoenix?”
“No. What about you?”
Brooke shook her head. “Not me, either.”
Levi pulled her closer. “What’s wrong with the men of Sapphire Bay? Don’t they know how amazing you are?”
“It wasn’t their fault. I was a hermit when I first arrived. And when I started making fudge, I was too busy to go out with anyone.”
“You might not like this, but I’m glad you were busy.”
Brooke kissed Levi’s cheek. “So am I.”
Sam and Caleb passed them on the dance floor.
“No canoodling,” Sam said with a grin. “Megan’s going to throw her bouquet to all the single women in a few minutes.”
Brooke dropped her head onto Levi’s shoulder. “Why do perfectly sane women want to catch a bunch of flowers? It’s so archaic.”
“It’s tradition,” he said with a smile. “But we could always find something else to do.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “We’re at Megan and William’s wedding. We can’t go anywhere.”
“What if it was only for fifteen minutes?” Levi leaned forward and whispered, “You wouldn’t have to stand in the middle of the room with all the single women.”
Brooke was tempted. Really tempted. “We’d only be gone for fifteen minutes?”
“On the dot.”
It didn’t take long for her to make up her mind. “In that case, I’m all yours.”
Levi held onto her hand. “Your chariot awaits.” And with an exaggerated sweep of his arm, he escorted her off the dance floor and into the cool night air.