30
CORA SMOOTHED THE folds of her shimmering white gown, marveling at the twists and turns her life had taken over the past few months. Ever since Liam was released from the hospital, the two of them had been inseparable. From the Saturday afternoon when he’d knelt by the lake, held out a ring, and gave her what was—in his words—“a right proper proposal,” to the whirlwind preparations for their intimate backyard wedding, Cora felt as though she’d tumbled head over heart into a fairy tale.
After the ordeal at Providence Falls State Park, the town’s police officers had become a bit like local celebrities for a few weeks. When word got out that Liam and Cora, two of the same officers who helped bring down the corrupt police captain, were in love and getting married, it had stirred the local media into a frenzy. Though she could’ve done without the news interviews, the morning show appearances, and the various other town meet and greets, it had all been worth it because it led her here, to this moment.
She stood before the mirror in the master bedroom of her dream cottage, ready to marry the man she loved. It seemed almost too good to be true when the owner of the cottage turned out to be the spearhead of several community outreach programs, as well as one of the founders of the Teens in Action center. When the house went on the market and started a bidding war, the seller had chosen to let them have it at fair market value. Of course, Liam’s decision to secretly donate large sums of money to the teen center over the past few months might’ve helped their cause. Apparently, the seller found out Liam was the anonymous donor and—paired with his and Cora’s local celebrity status—it was a done deal.
“Just one more,” Suzette said, pinning a delicate white flower into Cora’s hair. Today she wore it loose, cascading in blond waves down her back, with the front section pulled back in soft curls to frame her face. A nature-inspired circlet of roses, leaves, and sprigs of fresh lavender sat lightly on the crown of her head.
Cora waited until Suzette put the final touches on her hair, then turned and gave her best friend an impulsive hug. “Thank you, Suze.”
“No hugging!” Suzette said in alarm. “You can’t touch anything or anyone until after the ceremony. We can’t risk putting any of this perfection at risk.” She waved both hands from the top of Cora’s head to the tips of her sparkly strappy sandals.
Cora spun back toward the mirror with a laugh. Her silk wedding dress had an overlay of shimmering chiffon that swirled around her like sparkling mist.
“Wow,” Suzette breathed, standing behind her in the sea green maid of honor dress they’d picked out together. “You’ve always been gorgeous, Cora, but today you are utterly divine.” She sighed happily, her autumn-bright hair gleaming in its tasteful updo. “You look like a cross between a fairy princess and a forest nymph. Every man out there is going to lose it when they see you like this.”
“Maybe noteveryman,” Cora said, nudging Suzette with a knowing grin. “Rob Hopper only has eyes for you. I could ride down the aisle on the back of a woolly mammoth, naked like Lady Godiva, and Rob would still be too busy staring at you to notice.”
“You might be right,” Suzette said with a laugh. Her freckled cheeks grew pink in an uncharacteristic blush that Cora found so endearing she risked another hug, in spite of her friend’s mumbled protests that she’d wrinkle her gown. Suzette and Rob were officially together now, and to Suzette’s continual amazement, Rob was proving to be a sensitive, caring boyfriend. Cora had never seen Suzette so content in a relationship, and she was infinitely grateful that her dearest friend was finally with a man who appreciated what a wonderful person she was.
“Hey, you girls ready?” Hugh McLeod, Cora’s father, knocked once on the door and poked his head in the room. His thick gray hair was combed neatly back from the stern face Cora knew and loved. “Holy smokes, hon,” he exclaimed with admiration and fatherly pride. “Lookat you. You are an absolute vision.” Her father was never comfortable with emotional declarations, but Cora could tell he was overcome with emotion when he cleared his throat and added gruffly, “I wish your mother could see you now.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She reached up to touch the gold necklace with the rose pendant she always wore. Even though her mother had been gone from their lives for a long time, Cora felt certain she was with them in spirit right now. “I have a feeling she does.”
Hugh’s expression softened, and he smiled at Cora with glittering blue eyes that mirrored her own. “I think you might be right.”
Cora followed Suzette and her father down the stairs to the backyard. Sweet, lilting music wafted through the air, melding with the rustle of leaves in the trees and the sound of the softly flowing brook that ran along the edge of the property. Rose petals were strewn over the grass leading toward an arched trellis bursting with a profusion of hothouse flowers and greenery. On either side of the aisle, chairs were filled with friends and loved ones who rose, beaming, when Cora appeared.
At the end of the aisle, Liam stood waiting for her. Tall and powerful, with broad shoulders and tousled dark hair, he was wickedly handsome in an exquisitely tailored suit and an open-collared shirt with no tie to hide the strong column of his neck. Cora gave him a tremulous smile when their gazes caught and held. He took one look at her, and his face momentarily blanked. Then a stunned smile played at the corners of his mouth, as if he couldn’t believe his luck. Cora knew exactly how he felt.
When she came to stand beside him, he reached for her hand and whispered, “Tell me this is real,macushla, and you’re truly mine.” His grip was firm and almost too strong, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let her go.
“It’s real. I’m yours,” she answered, smiling. “And you’remine.”
Impulsively, Liam pulled her close and sealed the declaration with a kiss. Neither of them noticed the whispered laughter of their friends and family, or the gentle throat clearing of the wedding officiator, who stood nervously by as the groom broke protocol and kissed the bridebeforethe wedding vows. Everything faded into the background because Cora and Liam were too caught up in the mysterious thrumming sensation that seemed to ricochet between them, tugging at their heartstrings and twining around their souls. Later, neither of them would be able to explain the momentous feeling in exact detail, only that they were overcome with the sheerrightnessof it—the glorious, bone-deep certainty that they were together now, where they belonged, with their lives stretching out before them, shiny and new and glowing with possibilities.
Far above in a celestial chamber, two angels stood watching through a wall of mist. One held a clipboard, and the other was holding a white cat. With reverence and joyful anticipation, they bore witness to the precise moment when the threads of Cora’s and Liam’s destinies snapped together, weaving into a single strand that glowed so brightly its light would shine for centuries.
The cat began to purr.
The angels began to smile.
And time marched on, proving once again that even in the face of all odds, love would prevail.
EPILOGUE
Fifteen years later...
“CAPTAIN CORA, we’re going to be late.” Liam dropped a kiss on his beautiful wife’s head as she tried to wrestle her curls into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.
Cora was seated at the large vanity table in the master bedroom of their home. They’d done some remodeling over the years, expanding one of the bedrooms into a nursery when their daughter was born—and later adding a playroom when their son came along. As the children grew, so did the floor plan, but Cora and Liam chose to keep the master bedroom exactly as it had been on the day they got married. With Cora’s promotion to police captain, and Liam’s successful launch of a nonprofit organization to help the poor, they’d had more than enough money to move into a bigger, newer house if they’d preferred. But the cottage on the edge of town had become a haven that defined them all, a place where love and happy traditions had seeped into the walls so deep none of them could imagine living anywhere else.
“It’s just so messy and wild,” Cora said, hastily dragging a comb through her mass of curls. Her golden hair was streaked with a few strands of silver now, and the corners of her blue eyes had faint smile lines from years filled with sunshine and laughter. To Liam O’Connor, she had never looked more beautiful.
“Mmm, I like it messy and wild.” He lowered his head to nuzzle the crook of her neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her skin with a sound of pure masculine appreciation that ended on a rumble like a great jungle cat, ready to pounce.
“Oh, no,” Cora said with a laugh, waving him away. “Don’t start with me, Mr. O’Connor, or we’ll never get out the door.” Liam didn’t see a problem with that, and opened his mouth to tell her so, when a holler came from downstairs.