Page 202 of Beat of Love
Brandy smiled faintly, then inhaled.
And caught it.
The soft, unmistakable scent of roses.
Not from her bouquet. There were no roses in it. It was something else. Faint but present, like a blessing carried in on the air.
She didn’t speak it aloud.
Just closed her eyes and held the feeling close as it settled in her soul.
*
The chairs were laid out in graceful semi-circles, rows curling inward, framing a wide aisle of grass and scattered petals. At the far end stood a pergola, thickly woven with wildflowers and eucalyptus, arching skyward like nature itself was bearing witness.
Tables stretched beneath the sprawling tree limbs, their branches bursting with the soft green of new leaves. Gauzy white fabric looped from trunk to trunk, catching the breeze and trailing like whispers. Lanterns swayed gently, the windchimes tinkled sweet tunes, and hanging baskets spilled over with flowers.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale. But not the kind he used to scoff at. The kind he’d never believed could be his.
Nine months ago, he’d stood here a ghost — haunted, unsure, a man with more scars than sense, with nothing but regret in his hands.
But today?
Today, he wasn’t an outsider.
Today, he wasn’t running.
Today, he belonged.
Completely.
To the woman who saw past the damage, who took hold of the broken pieces and didn’t flinch. Who looked at him like he was worth loving.
“I envy you,” Sully said, stepping up beside him.
Rafferty gave his twin a sideways glance. “Why?”
“My wedding next month — it’s a damned circus,” Sully muttered. “Broadcast across the world, over a thousand guests,pomp, ceremony. Don’t even get me started on the damn protocol.”
He smirked. “That’s what happens when you fall for a princess.”
“Didn’t exactly have a choice,” Sully grumped. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”
Rafferty’s smile faded into something quieter, more reflective. He couldn’t argue with that. Brandy-Lyn had lived inside his heart for twenty years before their time finally came.
Sullivan shifted beside him and reached into his jacket. “Before you make it official … I’ve got something for you.”
He arched a brow as Sully handed him an envelope — plain, unremarkable.
Inside he found a legal document. He scanned the pages.
His brother’s share of Blaze Canyon Stables. Signed over. No strings.
He blinked, heart lurching. “Sully — what is this?”
“A wedding gift,” Sullivan said, voice easy but eyes giving him away. “I can’t be Brandy’s business partner anymore. You can.”
Partnering with Brandy-Lyn. Building something lasting. They’d talked about it — expanding the stables, starting a program to rehabilitate horses. Taking over Sullivan’s share had been part of that plan. Someday.
