Only in Vegas (20 page)

Authors: Lindsey Brookes

That brought a smile to her face. “Why didn’t you just ask me instead of going through with this crazy engagement scheme of yours?”

He grinned. “Maybe I’ve been hanging around you too long.”

She slipped her arms around his neck with an exaggerated sigh. “I guess that means I’m going to have to become the practical one in our marriage.”

He drew her up against him. “Don’t even think about it, Angel. One of the reasons I fell in love with you is because of the excitement you bring to my life.”

“I’m going to be bringing more than excitement to your life when we get married. Hope you don’t mind a third mouth to feed.”

His eyes widened in stunned surprise. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? We’re going to have—”

“A puppy,” she finished for him, laughing softly.

“A puppy?” That wasn’t what he’d been thinking.

“His name is Jackpot,” she said, her face lighting up. “He’s an adorable little white mutt I adopted a little over a week ago from a woman at work.”

“Jackpot, huh?”

Oh, no!” she gasped, her bright smile fading.

“What’s wrong?”

“In all this excitement, I forgot. I can’t marry you today.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have almost two months left in Miami before I can transfer back to the Pittsburgh office.”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head, grinning. “Angel, Angel, Angel. Do you really think I would have gone to the lengths I did to set all of this up without taking that into consideration? Why do you think I took so long?”

She looked up at him. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Kathy is going to cover for you in Miami in exchange for you managing the Pittsburgh office until she gets back. And don’t worry, it’s all been approved. It’s her wedding gift to us.”

Tears shimmered in her dark eyes.

“And don’t worry about Jackpot. We’ll fly down, rent a U-Haul and move you both back home where you belong.”

Tears shimmered in her dark eyes. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“Including kissing you again.” He drew her to him, his long fingers sinking into her curls as he lowered his mouth to hers.

“I’m guessing this means she said yes.”

Chuckling, Trey turned to find his sister peeking around the open door of the Little White Chapel. “And she was still saying yes when you interrupted us.”

Angel gasped. “Kathy?”

“Hey, Ange!”

“What are you doing here?”

Kathy stepped outside. “Did you really expect us to miss yours and Trey’s wedding?”

“Us?” She looked up at Trey questioningly.

“Them,” he said, nodding toward his father and Cindy who had just followed Kathy outside, each and every one of them grinning from ear to ear.

“Cindy!” Angel exclaimed, and then looked to Trey’s father. “Mr. Landers! You’re here, too?”

He walked over to hug her. “You know it, kiddo. I’ve waited a long time for this day.”

Trey watched the scene, a knot of emotion forming in his throat. Angel looked so happy.

“I can’t believe you were all in on this!” Angel said when Mike Landers released her and stepped away.

“It was all in the name of true love,” Cindy explained. “How could we not help out?”

“So if you’re going to kill us, can you do it after the wedding?” her future sister-in-law said with a grin. “Cindy and I have already rented our bridesmaid gowns.”

“Kill you?” Angel replied. “If I do anything, it’s going to be hug you both.”

Mike Landers moved to stand beside his son as the three friends embraced. “She’s going to make a beautiful bride.”

“I know.” Trey glanced down at his watch. “Speaking of which, Angel and I need to make a run to the license bureau if we’re going to get married this evening.”

“The limo’s waiting,” his father said.

Part of the wedding package he’d purchased included limo service to the marriage bureau to get their license. Trey walked over to his the circle of giggling women and slipped his arm around his fiancée’s waist. “I hate to break up this happy reunion, but Angel and I have a license to get before we can get to the good part.”

“You need a license for sex?” Kathy called out as he led Angel away to the awaiting limo.

He rolled his eyes. “My sister and her one-track mind.” Then he leaned close to Angel to whisper, “Ever make love in the back of a limo before?”

She gave him a playful elbow to the ribs. “I can see one-track minds run in the family. Now how about that license? Someone has to make an honest man out of you.”

*
* *

Angie looked down at the elegant white wedding gown Trey had purchased for her at the bridal shop in the Little White Wedding Chapel. She had never felt so beautiful.

“My son is a very lucky man,” Mike Landers said as he slipped his arm through hers.

“No,” Angie replied, her voice catching. “I’m the lucky one. Not only am I going to marry the man that I love, I’m going to get a family that I love, too.”

“You’ve always had us,” he said, then leaned over to place a fatherly kiss on her cheek. “This just makes it official.”

She fought back tears of happiness as he led her into the chapel room where Trey stood waiting for her at the far end of the white satin runner. He smiled, and the intensity of the love she saw in his eyes made her legs weak.

Beside him, Kathy and Cindy stood in the body-hugging, pink bridesmaid gowns they had rented, bouquets in hand and tears in their eyes.

The silence in the room was broken as the Bridal March began to play.

“This is it, kiddo,” Trey’s father whispered. “You ready?”

She had never been more ready for anything in her life. She nodded, too overcome by emotion to speak, and together they made their way down the aisle.

Trey couldn’t take his eyes off of Angel as she moved toward him on his father’s arm. She had never looked so beautiful. It wasn’t the dress she’d chosen to wear for their wedding, or the crystal tiara nestled in her dark curls. It was the way her smile reached her eyes and lit her face.

She had always been a part of his life, but now she was so much more. Angel was his world. And she had taught him that some risks are worth taking. Especially those of the heart.

When they reached the altar, his father gave Angel over to him, and then stepped around his son to take his place next to him as his best man.

Trey took her hand, twining his fingers through hers as he mouthed the words, “I love you.”

Angel returned the endearment, then her teary gaze slid down to the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket, discovering the piece of silk he had tucked into it before entering the room to wait for her.

Grinning, he ran his hand over the silken remnant, the piece of scarf he had saved from their
walk on the wild side in Vegas. It was his way of telling her that he treasured every moment spent with her and that their
‘only in Vegas’
had gone far beyond. That what they had was and would always be an
always and forever
kind of love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Multi-published, award-winning romance author, Lindsey Brookes grew up reading romance novels. A member of Romance Writers of America, she has finalled in/or won more than 75 RWA chapter sponsored contests with over a dozen different manuscripts. She is also a four time RWA Golden Heart finalist as well as a past American Title III finalist and winner of Harlequin's Great American Romance Novel contest. Ms. Brookes is married to her childhood sweetheart, her very own hero, with whom she has two beautiful daughters.