Page 94 of His Innocent for One Spanish Night

He’d had surgery the very night Alejandro and Emily had gone to his hospital suite to inform him they were engaged.

‘We all know how Maria loves to upstage a bride...’ he’d told him, as he’d kissed the top of Emily’s head. ‘Not that she’ll be able to on this occasion.’ Then he’d looked right at his father. ‘It is something to look forward to, yes?’

José had frowned. This was not what he had intended for his middle child, nor the future of the business, and he had begun telling Alejandro so when Maria had walked in on them.

‘Leave them alone,’ Maria had said. ‘I have never seen my son so happy.’

‘You’ve not exactly been around to do so,’ Alejandro had pointed out, but he’d been pleased to have his mother’s support, for once.

‘How long till the wedding?’ Maria had asked.

‘Four weeks.’

‘Is that long enough for you to recover from surgery?’ Maria had said to José. ‘Or will the happy couple have to drop by the hospice?’

‘Madre...’Alejandro had warned.

But, used to his wife’s rather dark humour, surprisingly José had laughed. A wedding! Now thatwassomething to look forward to.

‘You can tell them,’ Emily had said then, and Alejandro had gone over and sat on the bed, grateful to be able give his father their news.

‘This is to go no further,’ he warned, ‘but Emily and I are expecting a baby in November.’

He’d watched his father start to cry, and Maria, who was the least maternal person he knew, had embraced his future bride.

A wedding and a baby!

There really were a lot of reasons for José to try and live...

Emily’sdama de honorwas, of course, Anna.

Little Willow had been unable to fly, because of her ears, but Anna’s parents had come around somewhat, at least where their granddaughter was concerned, and she was spending her first weekend with them.

She’d come online now, and squealed when she saw Emily in her wedding dress.

‘It’s so pretty!’

‘Thank you.’

It was pretty, and feminine, and actually quite bold for Emily, in the softest shade of magnolia. There were shoestring shoulder straps, and the fitted bodice hugged her curves and then flared into a gorgeous lace skirt, which would be perfect for dancing the night away!

‘The flowers in your hair are so cute,’ Willow said, as Emily lowered her head so that her goddaughter could see the delicate orange blossom tied through her hair. And when she looked at the screen Willow complimented her on one more thing. ‘You’re smiling.’

‘I am.’

Despite her nerves, Emily smiled more readily these days although nerves caught up with her now, as they waited to head out of the boutique hotel where she had readied herself for the big day.

It was thedama de honor’s job to ensure that the bride and groom did not set eyes on each other until the bride’s arrival at the church, and Anna was taking it seriously.

‘You have to be late...’

‘He’ll surely be there by now.’

‘Perhaps, but I have to be certain...’

Finally, Sebastián called and said they were safely in the church.

‘Gracias,’Anna said, and rolled her eyes at Sebastián’s sparse tones. ‘He makes it sound as if the hearse has arrived.’

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