Page 41 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

“She doesn’t know that she missed the best dance of her life.”

The smile returned to his face. He spun her around in a circle before drawing her back to him. He dipped her, and when she straightened, he was there to meet her with a kiss.

Her heart swooned. She would never get tired of kissing him. Each time felt like the first time.

He wasn’t into weddings.

In fact, he made a point of avoiding them at all costs.

So it came as a surprise when Logan found himself enjoying the wedding. He had a feeling it had a lot to do with his date rather than the event. In fact, he found himself smiling for much of the evening.

In the past, he’d have made an excuse to leave as soon as the dinner was over, but this evening the thought of leaving hadn’t even crossed his mind. Well…that wasn’t exactly true. He was looking forward to escorting Brooke home so they could have a little alone time. All evening, she’d been distracted with her bridesmaid duties.

Speaking of which, now was one of those times. She was pushing him over to stand with a group of guys to try to catch the garter. It was a silly tradition and nothing he wanted to take part in, but Brooke was insistent. And when she pouted, he’d caved.

So he stood at the back of the crowd. No way was he going to catch the garter. He glanced over at Brooke, who gestured for him to move up in the crowd, but he shook his head. It wasn’t going to happen. This was as good as it got.

He was so far back in the crowd of bachelors that he couldn’t see the groom take the garter from the bride’s leg, but he could tell what was happening just by the oohs and aahs of the crowd.

“Okay, guys. Are you ready?” the groom asked.

“Yes,” shouted everyone but Logan.

“Here it goes.”

The next thing Logan knew, something hit him in the forehead. Then the object landed in his hand. It was the garter. Seriously?

He inwardly sighed. How did that happen? He hadn’t even been trying to catch the thing. The guys around him slapped him on the back as they made their way back to their seats.

Now he had to wonder who he was supposed to put the garter on. Probably a total stranger. He didn’t like the idea at all. The only woman he wanted to put the garter on was Brooke.

As he moved back to the table, he caught sight of Brooke moving with all of the single ladies onto the dance floor to line up for the bridal bouquet. She wasn’t hesitant at all. In fact, she was in the second row.

He wondered what that meant. Was she anxious to get married? That couldn’t be the case, could it?

Suddenly, the image of Brooke in a wedding dress, pledging her heart and life to another man filled his mind. The look of love reflected in her green eyes made the breath catch in his lungs. He wanted to be the man she said her wedding vows to. He wanted to have her by his side for the rest of their lives.

As quickly as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. It wasn’t like they’d been together that long. Still, he’d dated Margie for three years before he’d proposed to her and look how that had turned out.

But he didn’t feel the need to wait with Brooke. There was this unmistakable feeling inside of him that they belonged together now and forever.

The thought of him asking Brooke to marry him shook him to his core.

Right after his divorce, he’d sworn he was never getting married again—never letting himself be that vulnerable again. Had he really healed enough to see a future with someone—well, not just anyone but with Brooke?

Yes.

Again he was shook by the certainty of his answer. Everyone that knew him also knew when he made his mind up about something, he didn’t need any further time to mull it over. It was time for action.

He gave himself a mental shake. It was this wedding. It was getting to him. He just needed to relax and hopefully get Brooke out of there sooner rather than later.

He focused back on the bridal bouquet toss just in time to see the flowers land in Brooke’s outstretched hands. Wow! Was this some sort of sign?

A cheer went up in the crowd. He received pats on the back as he was ushered to the center of the dance floor where a chair was provided for Brooke to sit on.

As she sat down, she glanced at him. Her cheeks had a rosy hue as she lifted the skirt of her dress so he could place the garter on her leg. He couldn’t blame her for being nervous. About a hundred or so people crowded around them, egging them on.

He knelt down in front of Brooke. He imagined that instead of a garter, he was holding a ring. The vision was so clear that the image stayed with him long after the garter was on her leg and the reception was over.

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