Page 34 of Sweet Obsession
Jillian felt her own smile tighten. “I’m sure you do.”
“The European tour is sold out,” Phil pressed, his voice taking on an urgent, pleading tone. “Months ago. We’re talking stadiums, Jillian. The kind of venues that can set a musician—and his family—up for life. He can’t just cancel. And no one,” Phil’s gaze flickered in Blake’s direction, “at least not in his right mind,” he turned back to her, “turns down a king.”
“The King?” Alice’s voice cut in, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Of England?”
“Of England,” Phil confirmed, then barreled on, his focus still on Jillian. “He’s a huge fan. It’s a massive charity event. The PR is priceless. You can’t let him back out of this. He’d be letting down millions of fans, not to mention the band, the crew…”
Jillian felt the weight of it all—the pressure, the fame, the world outside of Honeysuckle that Blake belonged to. A world she was now, inexplicably, a part of. But instead of feeling intimidated, a familiar Sweet stubbornness took root.
“Yeah, well, about that…” she began, an idea, crazy and brilliant, blooming in her mind. She looked from Phil’s frantic face to Blake’s, who was watching her with a look of amused curiosity. She then glanced at her siblings, their expressions a mix of support and intrigue.
Rachel, ever the quick one, caught on first, a slow, mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You know, Phil, this time of year, Europe can be a great place for a honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?” Phil’s face became a perfect mask of confusion.
The word hung in the air, electric. Jillian saw Kade and Garret exchange a look of dawning comprehension. Preston, ever the pragmatist, was already nodding slowly.
“That’s right.” Blake swung his arm around Jillian. “After the accident yesterday, and with Grams’ health in question, we decided,” he squeezed her a little more tightly, “that life’s too short to wait.” Now he straightened his spine and faced all the siblings, especially Jillian’s mother. “So, we stopped at the court house on the way home and got a marriage license.”
Phil’s jaw dropped. He stared at Blake, then at Jillian, then back again, utterly speechless.
“We can’t use it for three days,” Jillian spoke up. “But after the required waiting period, the plan is to get married right away.”
Phil nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Well, I have to say, this changes things. The press is going to eat this up. Rock star marries small-town hero. It’s perfect.”
“It’s not for the press,” Blake drilled him with a fierce glare. “It’s for us.”
Still pressed beside Blake, she shifted slightly and leveled her gaze with his. Hopeful he’d caught on to her idea, she whispered, “What do you think?”
“A honeymoon in England?” he said so softly she was sure only she could hear.
Shrugging, she smiled at him. “It could make everyone happy.”
A brighter smile took over his face. “It could. Are you sure?”
She nodded. The plan, so wild and spontaneous, settled over the house with an air of perfect, undeniable logic. It solved everything. Blake wouldn’t be letting anyone down, the ranch would get its trust payment, and their sudden marriage would have the most romantic, headline-worthy explanation imaginable. Not to mention, they’d make a king happy too.
“Then it looks like we have some packing to do.” Blake looked down at her, his eyes shining with a mixture of awe, amusement, and a love so profound it took her breath away.
“Not so fast.” Alice held her hands up. “I have it on good authority that if there’s a wedding in this family there will be a party, and if there’s a party, there are two women ready to have white doves and ice sculptures.”
The whole room—except Phil who had no idea what she was talking about—burst out in deep rolling laughter.
“Fair enough.” Blake nodded at his future mother-in-law then looked down at his fiancée, pulled her into his embrace, his mouth only inches from her, he again spoke so softly only she could hear. “As long as you’re mine for the rest of our lives, this crazy town can do whatever they want.”
“Ditto, Mr. Kirby. Ditto.”
Chapter Seventeen – Epilogue
Strung with what seemed like miles of twinkling fairy lights, the old barn was alive with the sound of laughter and music. Kade leaned against a thick support beam near the edge of the makeshift dance floor, a bottle of cold beer loose in his hand, he merely watched. Home for less than a week, everything still felt just a bit surreal. The peace. The sheer, unadulterated joy that radiated from every corner of the ranch. The complete and utter contrast to the world he normally lived in.
His mom had nailed it when she predicted that Iris Hathaway and Mildred McEntire would be eager to have a hand in the wedding celebration. No surprise to anyone who had heard the conversation in the diner just a few days ago, there were ice sculptures scattered about miraculously not melting in the oven-like temperatures so affectionately referred to as Texas heat. From acoustic guitars, to electric guitars, to twelve-string guitars, the music industry was well represented in ice.
Searching the crowds, Kade easily spotted the bride and groom. He’d known Blake Kirby most of his life. As kids there was no end to the mischief they’d get into. Sneaking out to go fishing when they should have been doing chores, dreaming about futures that seemed impossibly far away. He’d seen Blake perform for crowds of fifty to fifty thousand, and proudly watched his friend accept awards as if Kade had anything to dowith Blake’s talent and success. He’d also seen his friend with more women than Kade could count. Too many. But the rock star was gone. The kid he’d grown up with was gone, too. In their place was this man who looked at Kade’s little sister like she was the only song worth singing. They were in their own world, a perfect, quiet island in the middle of the happy chaos of their wedding reception.
When Blake dipped her low, making her laugh that bright, musical sound that carried over the music, the joy on both their faces was so genuine it almost hurt to watch. This wasn’t the business arrangement it had started as. This was the real thing. Never one to believe in love at first sight, with five siblings married and head over boot heels in love, he might be willing to change his mind… maybe… at least for other people.
“They look happy.” His mom appeared beside him sipping from a glass of champagne.
