Page 1 of Marry Me

Prologue

Wakeup. You’re dreaming.But she wasn’t.

It was the kind of moment that didn’t feel real, when reality suspended itself. Ally felt like she was looking in on her own life from a safe distance. She stared up at the colorful fireworks exploding in the sky all for her, the cascading hues and the loud bangs overwhelming her senses. Her family and friends applauded, stealing glances at her to reassure themselves of her joy, and to absorb all they could secondhand. She knew this moment meant just as much to them as it did to her. Brent, at her side, clasped her hand tightly and, every once in a while, gave it a little squeeze.

They were engaged.

He’d asked her to marry him just five minutes ago, and yet she still didn’t feel any different. Still just Allison Hale, fourth-grade teacher, but maybe with a little more behind her. She was going to be a Carmichael, for God’s sake. That would take some getting used to. As a girl from humble beginnings, marrying into one of the richest families in Dallas hadn’t really been an option on her radar. She was just…her.

They’d discussed marriage after dating for close to a year, but for some strange reason she never actually imagined it would be her reality. Why was that? Yet following a candlelit dinner at the rooftop restaurant in Dalliance, one of Dallas’s upscale hotels, Brent had suggested they take a stroll around the deck and take in the view. Hand in hand, they’d walked along the railing, all the twinkling lights of the city glistening back at them. Brent had given her hand a tug, bringing them to a pause just as Allison was explaining that their dessert had been clearly sent from God because of the quality of the whipped cream. Ally quirkedher head because Brent seemed distracted, like he had something on his mind more important than whipped cream, and honestly, what could be more important than that? His dark eyes met hers, and she stared up at his six-four frame that often made her feel smaller than she was.

“I think we’re meant to be, Ally.”

“You do, huh? I think the whipped cream was meant to be part of our lives as well,” she said with a lighthearted grin, oblivious at the time. But he wasn’t smiling back. Weird. He had perfected the thoughtful smolder, and it was on display now. God, look at him. How did someone like him end up interested in her? She was pretty enough, but no huge head turner, especially compared to the women who ran in Brent’s circles. She was self-aware enough to get that.

He ignored the whipped cream reference and pressed on. Almost as if he had a script. “We fit together, and you’re everything I’m looking for in a partner, someone to share my life with. You’re beautiful, kind, and you put up with my idiot ideas, at least long enough to explain to me that buying a six-pack of huskies is maybe not the best plan for the long term.”

“Maybe just start with one,” she said gently.

“See? That’s exactly it. You level me out. You’re what I need, and I love you so much.” He was beaming, on some sort of high.

“I love you, too,” Allison said. “Wait, what’s going on?” To her left, she became aware of someone snapping a photograph of them. That was odd. She raised an eyebrow. Another click of the shutter. “Why is he doing that?” she asked Brent, slightly concerned by the photo stalker.

Brent grinned at her, proud and unwavering. His confident gaze then swept the terrace, and out of thin air, her parents approached, clutching each other. What in the world? Then came her older sister, Betsy, looking gorgeous with her blond hair, the same shade as Allison’s own, swept up, walking alongside her husband, Dell. On the other side of them stood Brent’s parents and his younger brother, Jeff. Okay, so this was not a coincidence. This was an actual event, and now her hands were numb and her mind was on fast-forward, trying to catch up. Understanding dawned just as Brent sank to one knee and pulled a velvet box from the pocket of his blazer. Oh God. Shove the whipped cream to the side. This was happening. And it was happening in front of everyone, thirty-two stories in the air.

“Yes,” she said, without even giving it any thought, and here they stood, staring up at the fireworks as a happy group, only she was watching from somewhere nearby, unable to fully absorb the turning of the wheels already in motion. But there was nothing to be afraid of. This was Brent and her. They got along great. He was tons of fun, better looking than she ever would have hoped for in a husband, relaxed, easy to get along with, and richer than God. And somehow, Brent saw something in her that appealed to him. As of this moment, her life was figured out and all right there in front of her. Laid out with certainty. That counted for a ton, and she should be flying high. Instead, she watched the gleeful scene from a measured distance. That was strange, right? She swallowed the question and tried to focus.

Ally exchanged a smile with her sister and beamed up at the fireworks that were commissioned for the occasion of her very own engagement. Surreal. She tried not to think about what would have happened if she’d said no. This whole setup must have cost a ton, and everyone had dressed up and driven over, given up their whole evening.

She tried to anchor herself in the moment and shut down her racing brain. She took in the familiar scent of Brent’s cologne and forced herself to absorb every detail, as it would surely be one of her fondest memories when she looked back over her life, years from now.

“Are you happy?” Brent asked quietly.

“Yes,” she said automatically. “Are you?”

“I’m the luckiest guy alive. Are you kidding? And everything went like clockwork.” He chuckled quietly. “I love it when that happens. All for you. Well,us.”

They were anusnow, always and forever. Whoa. The world was a crazy place.

When the fireworks reached their crescendo, an amazing spectacle of a colorful finale, a server appeared with a large bucket with two sweating bottles of champagne and glasses. They all gathered together on the terrace for a bubbly toast given by Brent’s father, Dalton Carmichael. “I toast to my eldest son, his future wife, and the joining of two families. Today is a special day.” Allison watched as her parents practically vibrated with joy, their smiles bigger than she’d ever seen them. Her mother had clearly had her hair done into a fancy updo and wore a new dress that looked more expensive than anything she’d ever seen her in. Seeing her glow more than warmed her heart. A union withthe Carmichaels was good for her family in more ways than one, and now it was all happening. She beamed back at them, pleased to have been the one to make them proud, a spot usually reserved for her older sister. But tonight washers. Her father had his arm tightly around her mother as if he was the luckiest guy on Earth.

They sipped and stared and sipped some more. “Now what?” she asked the group, who answered with laughter.

Brent raised a victorious eyebrow and lifted his glass. “Now is the fun part. We get to plan a wedding.”

Chapter One

From the boardroom on the fourteenth floor of the Wilton Office Suites, Megan Kinkaid studied her bulleted notes, her dark hair pulled into what she called her smooth-serious-business ponytail. “Where are we on the Adams wedding?” she asked her team. “Someone update me.”

Kelsey, her right hand at work and closest friend, jumped on the question. “Bride is pivoting from the interlocking hearts ice sculpture. She’s worried it’s gaudy and cliché.”

“She wouldn’t be wrong,” Miranda, another employee, murmured from her spot next to Kelsey. She was never one to hold back her snark.

Kelsey continued, “I’ve tried to direct her to something classic, timeless, or even memorable. But what she wants, she gets.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Megan said. “Good. Any fires I should know about?”

“Not today. She’s surprisingly calm.” Kelsey checked her watch. “Give her time.”

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