Page 111 of Reluctantly His

“I’ll take that as a warm welcome to the family.” Chuckling, I hung up, sliding the phone into my back pocket as the nurses came out and let me in to see my wife.

CHAPTER 40

CHARLOTTE

“Are you sure?” Luc asked in his perfectly tailored suit, offering his arm for me to take. “This is your last chance to pull a runaway bride.”

I tapped my chin, careful not to touch my pinkish nude lipstick, and pretended to consider it.

There was no way I was leaving this building without a ring on my finger, and Luc knew it. That didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun.

“Well, the roads are covered in ice, and even the streetlamps are out. It might just be safer to cancel. Oh wait! I’m already married.”

The storm of the century raged outside.

Something about a freak blizzard on its way to blanket the city in a winter wonderland from hell.

It made sense. My father was one of the most powerful men in the city.

He acted as if he were God himself.

He did say that I would marry ‘the help,’ when hell froze over.

According to the weather man, we were well on our way.

The storm had picked up faster than we’d expected. Not even half of our last-minute guests were able to make it, but Reid and I refused to put off the ceremony.

We wanted to have a proper wedding no one would question before he brought me home to the new brownstone he’d bought for us.

Neither of us were willing to wait another day to start our life together.

Mother nature be damned.

“Well, as long as you have a good reason.” Luc winked, ready to walk me down the aisle “Are you ready to be Mrs. Taylor?”

“I’m already Mrs. Taylor, but let’s go tell the world.”

I took his arm, and he guided me to the aisle between the rows of seats at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts main stage.

When the storm picked up and the power went out an hour ago, I thought for sure we would have to cancel the ceremony, but Reid had refused.

He’d said he would fix it with a bit of help from my family and friends.

They’d lined the aisle with candles of all shapes and sizes. The stage was lit with a few hundred candles in the front corners and along the center, giving the room an almost ethereal glow.

Then the music started.

At first, a single cello, then another, and a few violins. It took me a moment to recognize the tune Perfect by Ed Sheeran.

It was breathtaking in its simplicity and so very touching. Ginnie played and other friends from different orchestras and ensembles I had played with over the years joined her.

I wasn’t even on the stage yet, standing in front of the man I loved, and I was already having to hold back tears of joy.

When I was still in the hospital, I told Reid I didn’t want to wait too long to have our formal wedding.

He’d agreed, and the next day, he had Olivia, Amelia, and Ginnie in the hospital room, helping me make plans while he and Luc went ring shopping.

Olivia even had designers bring dresses to the hospital room for fittings, which was really convenient since I wasn’t supposed to spend too much time on my feet.

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