Page 94 of Because You Loved Me

She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath. “No.”

When she opened her eyes again, her dad was watching her.

“Be happy, kiddo.” He reached into his breast pocket and handed her an envelope.

“What’s this?”

Her father waited while she slid her finger under the flap and pulled out the piece of paper. It was an itinerary for the round-the-world flights that was meant to be her and Ryan’s wedding gift. “But this is?—”

“We all agreed.” He stopped her. “Brad and Jeannie, your mother and me. And Ryan. That’s what he was going to tell you before Asher…well, before he stopped him.” Charles chuckled a little. “We want you to have them, Noa. Travel and take some time off. Figure out what you want. And now, well, it looks like you might have a travel companion, too.”

She turned, and her eyes immediately locked on Asher on the far side of the room talking with his siblings. As if he sensed her watching him, he turned and caught her gaze. He winked, and she laughed.

“Thank you, Dad.” Noa threw her arms around her father’s neck and squeezed. “For everything.”

* * *

“You two are so freakin’ cute.” Charli followed Asher’s gaze across the ballroom and giggled. “I’m so glad you both finally came to your senses.”

“What does that mean?” Reluctantly, he looked away from Noa and her father and focused on his siblings once again. The moment he was free, they’d cornered him, wanting to hear all the details.

“Only that we could all see it from the moment you walked into the big house on Christmas Eve, brother.” Craig shook his head. “Even Meri asked me if you two were going to get married.”

“She did not!”

“She did.”

Asher ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. Only a few short weeks ago, the mention of that word in any reference to him would have had him running back to the snowed-in cabin. Now, much to his surprise, he simply shrugged. “Let’s take it one step at a time, okay?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Chase said with a sly grin.

Asher knew how happy his oldest brother was for him, and he’d always be grateful for the way he’d hopped into the truck without hesitation to fetch him from the side of the road and take him to Noa.

“And it looks like it happened again,” Craig said. “Just as predicted, the will stipulation had you falling in love, just like the rest of us.”

Asher stared at his brother, but finally shook his head and looked away because he couldn’t deny it.

Next to him, Kat groaned. “Can it be my turn now?”

“Well…speaking of cute…” Charli nudged their littlest sister. “It looks like Ryan might be looking for a dance partner tonight.”

“He is cute,” Kat agreed. “But I don’t think big city lawyer is really my type.”

Charli looked like she was about to protest, but Kat smoothly changed the subject. “Asher, did you get a letter from Dad? I know it’s only been a few weeks since…well, but I’m dying to know.”

She looked so hopeful that Asher almost felt sorry for his little sister. They all knew how much Kat missed their father and how she wished it were her turn to see what his will had in store for her just so she would get a letter from him.

He offered Kat a small smile moments before she turned to wipe away a tear. “I did find a letter,” Asher said to Chase. “It was in the back of a notebook Dad kept in the shed.”

“It was in there!”

“Well, there was a mention of a box that had the letter.” Asher nodded. “And you were all right.” He looked at his siblings in turn. “Dad didn’t do any of this to punish me.”

“I’m glad you finally figured that out, brother.” Chase clasped his shoulder and squeezed. “And you know what, I think Mom and Dad would be pretty happy, too.”

There was a small catch in his throat as he swallowed. “I think you’re right,” he told his brother. “Dad had no way to know about Noa. But it’s almost like…” He wasn’t the type to believe in thewoo-woo.But with everything that had happened over the last few weeks, it was pretty hard not to believe at least a little bit. “It’s almost like he knew.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Craig shook his head a little and blew a kiss toward the dance floor where his fiancée Lucy was dancing with Annie.

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