Page 98 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

Her focus was on him alone.

‘Carmen,’ Elias greeted her. ‘You look wonderful.’

She wore a little bit of home—a modern ivory Flamenco dress and a shawl—because even if she’d rejected it out of hand flamenco was something she secretly loved too.

Elias looked incredibly handsome, in a charcoal-grey tailored suit and a silver tie, and she put her hand up to his freshly shaved chin and loved the way he captured her hand and held it there. That was all it took to know they were real.

It was gorgeous and low-key.

There was some beautiful music, and the celebrant told the congregation a little of their story.

‘Elias and Carmen didn’t actually meet here,’ she told everyone. ‘Carmen was waitressing...’

She spoke about those who were absent, about Joel and José, and Carmen looked up and saw the only tear she had ever seen in the darkness of his eyes.

‘Carmen and Elias miss them today and every day,’ the celebrant said on their behalf.

That would always be true.

‘And now they’ve written their own vows...’

Elias went first. ‘Carmen...’

He took her hands. He’d been thinking about what to say for four weeks. He’d spoken with his mother, her family, and he’d read books. He’d thought of the many weddings he’d been to and now he had quite a speech written in his head.

But then he looked at her waiting eyes and he thought of her standing in her crib as a baby, needing and demanding love...

‘Carmen, I love you,’ he told her. ‘I want to walk with you and our horses and I want to dance with you, and I can’t wait to go to Jerez and learn to love sherry...’ He saw her smile. ‘But first, last and always, I love you. That will never change.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Carmen?’ The celebrant prompted.

‘Elias...’ Carmen took a breath.‘Eres el amor de mi vida...’He squeezed her hand. ‘You are the love of my life. I’ve waited so long to meet you.’

Their rings were simple—Californian gold for Carmen and Spanish gold for Elias—and they slipped on easily. Then Elias took out another ring—the gorgeous orange sea glass he had found on the beach and had had set in delicate gold.

Well, it was more brown, although neither would ever actually admit it, and they would keep looking for a true orange one.

Elias didn’t wait to be told he could kiss his bride, and Carmen closed her eyes in bliss as his mouth came down on hers...

‘I don’t understand...’ Eleanor Henley was on her second glass of Romero sherry and trying to work out how Spanish surnames worked. ‘So you keep the father’s surname and drop...?’ She looked up as Carmen came and sat down. ‘So you’ll be Carmen Henley Romero?’

‘No.’ Carmen shook her head. ‘I’m going to be Carmen Henley, but professionally I will stay as Carmen Romero.’

Carmen was holding little Josefa, who was standing on her lap. She had grown so much in just a few weeks.

‘She’s trying to stand already.’

‘She’s making up for being early,’ Emily said and smiled.

‘Have a drink,’ Sebastián said.

But Carmen shook her head. ‘I’m sticking with water...’

‘No, look.’ Sebastián pushed the sherry bottle forward, and then looked at his sister. ‘Look at the bottle.’

‘What?’ Carmen said, and then shook her head. ‘Let’s not talk about the label today...’

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