Page 46

“Of course I’ll marry you,” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Eli’s neck, causing him to lose his balance and they both tumbled to the ground. Somehow Eli managed to break her fall, taking the brunt of the impact, and it just made her love him even more.

“Yes? You're saying yes?” Eli wrapped his arms around her and stood, bringing her up with him. He held her feet off the ground and spun around in circles, dancing about the alley as though they were at a fancy dress ball.

“You thought I'd say no?” she asked, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

“I didn't think you'd say no, I thought you'd say it was too soon.”

“I don’t care. I love you, and we’re living together anyway, I want to marry you, I want to officially start our lives together.”

“Am I going to be pushing my luck if I ask you to marry me today?”

“Today?” she squeaked. “How can we get married today? It’s already after seven, and I don’t have a dress or an appointment to get my hair and makeup done. My brother isn’t here, neither are your friends. And we don’t have a venue or a caterer, how could you possibly think we could pull that off?”

“Are you doubting me?” he teased.

“No, but how do you think we can pull together a wedding tonight?”

“Oh, you of little faith.” He set her on her feet but kept an arm around her waist, then called over his shoulder, “You guys can come out now.”

Florence looked in surprise as her brother and the Blacks—who she’d really connected with over the last two weeks—Jake and his wife and baby, Elliot and Susannah with Bessie and Jake, some of her friends from work and the gym, and some people she didn't know but assumed were Eli’s friends, and his nephew Joey whom she’d met last week, all suddenly appeared in the alley.

“How did…where were…how did you do all this? Where were they? Were they waiting in the alley until I said yes?” Then she broke into a grin. “What would you have done if I'd said no?”

“I knew you weren't going to say no.”

She shook her head. Eli’s level of cockiness never failed to amaze or amuse her. “And what if I say no to getting married today? You’d have gotten everyone here for nothing.”

“ Are you saying no to marrying me tonight?” Eli asked with an arched brow.

“Nope.”

“See, told you I know you better than you know yourself.” Eli shot her a smug smile before dragging her in for a kiss.

A chorus of congratulations sang out around them as their family and friends came to offer hugs and slaps on the back. Florence had never felt so surrounded by love and support in her life.

So much had changed over the last month.

Not just herself, although she had been learning to trust and open herself up to someone, letting go of her preconceived notions that people—men specifically—couldn’t be trusted.

She’d also come to know what it was like to have a support system, people who cared about how she was, and what she was feeling.

She and Susannah had become particularly close.

They’d gone out for coffee a few times, usually accompanied by the adorable Jake, and Tatiana and Patrick Black had stepped up.

They were becoming almost like surrogate parents to her.

The couple had always been there for her brother, and although she hadn't let them she was sure they would have been there for her too.

Back then, she hadn't been ready to let anyone in, she couldn’t handle being disappointed and let down again, but she was ready now.

She was ready to have friends.

She was ready to have a family.

She was ready to get married.

“We’re really doing this tonight?” she asked Eli. “What about a dress?”

“Got one.” He nodded to Susannah who held up a stunning white halter-neck ball gown with delicate lace across the bodice.

“Hair and makeup?”

“Joey’s grandmother was a hairdresser for thirty years before she retired, she’s volunteered for hair and makeup duty. Fletcher will give you away, Elliot is my best man, Joey will be the ring bearer, and Bessie has been practicing being a flower girl.”

“You’ve thought of everything.” If there was one thing that she loved the most about Eli, it was the fact that he cared about making her happy.

He paid attention to everything she said, stored away pieces of information she hadn't even realized she’d given him, and then pulled them out and surprised her with something thoughtful.

“Pretty much,” he said with that cocky smile of his.

“So where are we getting married? You flying us all to Florence or something?” she asked, thinking that would be exactly the kind of thing he would do since that was where they’d had their first date.

“I thought about that, but to be honest, I can't wait another ten plus hours to make you my wife, it’s been hell waiting a month to marry you.”

“So, where are we getting married then?”

“You’ll see.”

“Eli,” she groaned.

“Don’t worry, princess, you won’t have long to wait. I'm going to leave you in the very capable hands of Christine and Susannah, and I’ll see you soon. Very soon.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before disappearing with most of the people who’d been hiding in the alley.

While this was definitely a quirky proposal and unusual wedding, Florence couldn’t be happier.

She and Eli didn't do anything traditionally, and that suited them just fine. Most people didn't get engaged in an alley—even if it was where they had met, and where one had saved the other’s life—one month after meeting and then proceed to go straight to the wedding, but that was how Eli lived his life, he went after what he wanted, and he wasn't known for being patient. While she’d always been the opposite, Eli’s impulsiveness was washing off on her.

Susannah and Joey’s grandmother ushered her into a car and took her to Susannah’s place where she put on the dress that fit her perfectly, and made her look like a princess.

Christine did her hair, twisting it up so it sat piled elegantly on top of her head with a few gentle waves hanging free, Susannah applied her makeup.

By the time they were finished, she didn't just look like a princess she felt like one too.

“You going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked as they headed downstairs to find a white limousine waiting for them.

“Eli would kill me if I ruined the surprise, you’ll see when we get there,” Susannah answered.

“Spoilsport,” she muttered.

Susannah just laughed, and the three of them got into the back of the limo as they drove through the city. When the limo came to a stop, she scrunched her brow in surprise, this was not where she had expected them to be going.

“This is where Eli planned for us to get married?” she asked, gesturing at his building.

“This is where he told us to come,” Susannah replied, but the twinkle in her eyes said there was more to it than that.

Inside the building, Florence headed to the elevator that went to the penthouse, but Susannah herded her toward a different lift, and when they got off on the top floor, she knew what Eli had planned.

The roof.

They’d sat up there a couple of weeks ago, and he’d told her about his mother and how they’d watched the stars together, then asked her to move in with him.

Since that night, they’d often come up here to lie on a blanket, and he’d taught her about all the constellations.

She shouldn’t have been surprised that this was where he would choose for them to get married.

When she stepped out onto the roof her hands flew to mouth and tears blurred her vision.

It was beautiful.

Who knew an apartment building roof could look so gorgeous.

Eli had strung fairy lights up everywhere, there were dozens of bouquets of cherry blossoms spread about, and wooden benches lined up either side of a white carpet.

The millions of lights of the city sparkled around them, the stars looked down upon them, and Eli stood waiting for her under an arch of cherry blossoms.

He was dressed in a tuxedo, and the look on his face had her tears brimming over.

Love.

He was looking at her with love in his eyes.

Florence had never thought she’d have anyone look at her that way, she’d been resigned to living alone or having a loveless marriage with someone she felt was safe.

Instead, she’d found true love.

The kind of love that would last a lifetime.

She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

9:46 P.M.

Exactly one month to the minute from when he had run across the road to tackle Florence out of the way of the oncoming car, she stepped out onto the roof, looking like a princess in the wedding dress he’d chosen for her, and he knew his life was complete.

She looked around, taking in everything he’d had their friends and family set up today while they’d been at the aquarium and flying in a hot air balloon. Eli knew the exact second her eyes found him because her face lit up, her eyes grew watery, and she smiled at him.

He loved her smile.

Loved the way her eyes crinkled at the edges, the little dimple she got above the left corner of her mouth, the way the smile seemed to reach deep down inside her, coming from her heart—her soul.

That was how she was smiling at him now.

Fletcher walked over, hugged her hard, then took her hand and placed it on his arm. The music started, and Bessie and Joey walked down the aisle, Bessie happily tossing rose petals and Joey concentrating on carrying the rings.

Then it was Florence’s turn.

She walked down the aisle toward him. Cold feet wasn't even something that crossed his mind, this was what he wanted, what he’d always wanted.

A partner, someone to share his life with, the struggles and the good times, the struggles would be made easier by having Florence by his side and the good times made better because of her.