Laughing, Jackson passed him a beer. “It’s not champagne but it will numb the agony of witnessing true love. So now the excitement is over, can we get back to planning the winter? We have a ski season ahead and we need to do everything we can to make sure it’s the best it can be.”
Still holding Sean’s hand, Élise slid into her chair, knowing that for her, life was already the very best it could be.
She helped herself to a madeleine, thinking of her mother. For the first time ever, the memory made her smile.
Sean sat down next to her and took one, too. He bit into it and smiled. “It’s good.”
“Yes.”
His hand found hers under the table, his fingers strong and firm as he looked around at his family. “If you’re planning the winter season then you can count me in. I might be around a bit more.”
Jackson lifted an eyebrow. “Will you be providing your own shirts?”
“That depends. I quite like the ones Kayla buys for you. I might borrow those sometimes.”
Alice picked up her knitting. “Have you noticed that the scarf I’m knitting is exactly the same color as Élise’s ring?”
“These madeleines, or whatever you call them, are delicious.” Kayla reached for a second one. “You should definitely put them on the menu.”
Brenna smiled. “If you eat too many of those I’ll have to double the length of our morning run.”
The conversation bounced around the table, everyone talking at once, and Élise sat quietly, soaking it up.
The O’Neils. She loved each and every one of them. But most of all she loved the man sitting by her side, holding her hand, refusing to let her go. The man who had dropped everything and flown to Paris to be by her side. The man who had finished her deck so the Boathouse could open on time. The man who had made her see the truth about her mother and who had given her the courage to love again. And she knew love was a gift she would never, ever take for granted.
Unable to believe life could be this good, she turned her head to look at him, her heart overflowing, and then she reached for him and kissed him, ignoring their audience.
“I love you.”
Sean smiled at her. “I love you, too. Shall we get out of here and go home?”
Home. Home to Heron Lodge. “It’s family night.”
Tyler choked. “Go! For God’s sake, go and leave the rest of us to eat in peace. And don’t come back until you can be together for five minutes without touching.”
“In that case—” Élise stood up and Sean grabbed his coat and wrapped it around her.
“It’s still raining. We’ll make a run for it. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She was more than ready and she held his hand tightly as he opened the door, smiling as they stepped out into the rain together.
* * * * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Publishing a book is always a team effort and there are many people who deserve thanks. I’m always anxious I might miss someone so it sometimes takes me as long to write the acknowledgments as it would to write a whole chapter of a new story.
As always, my biggest thanks go to the readers who buy my books. I feel privileged that you choose to read my stories.
I’m grateful to my agent Susan Ginsburg, and to Susan Swinwood, Flo Nicoll and the team at Harlequin in the U.S. and U.K. who work so hard to make my book the best it can be and put it into the hands of readers across the globe.
I’m indebted to lovely Ele for helping with my French. Any mistakes are mine (blame it on the Pinot Noir consumed for research purposes).
Thanks to the fabulous Sharon Kendrick, who read the first sentence of this book over my shoulder on a flight and told me it was crap (thanks, Sharon, you’ll be relieved to hear I rewrote it). She then read out the first sentence of hers in a loud voice and we were subsequently banned from flying with that airline ever again. Just kidding. Or maybe not. I won’t know until I try and book my next flight.
As always, thanks to my family for their endless patience. Living with a writer isn’t easy and no amount of pizza and chocolate can compensate for those times when a book is going badly and I’m pulling my hair out. You make me happy and I’m lucky to have you.
Keep reading for an excerpt from SLEIGH BELLS IN THE SNOW by Sarah Morgan.