Since I Fell For You(50)

When Valentina appeared at the very edge of the beach looking like the most beautiful bride in the entire world in a simple floor-length sheath with a ten foot long mist of a veil lifting in the breeze so that the sun shone through it, the gasp that left Suzanne’s lips came at the same moment her first tear fell. And when she turned to see Smith’s reaction, she saw that she wasn’t the only one crying.

Smith was too. One of the world’s hugest movie stars was utterly undone by the woman who had captured his heart.

“Suzanne.” Roman’s low voice sounded in her left ear, his hand resting for the barest moment on her lower back. “Are you okay?”

More tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked up into his dark eyes. “I’m just so happy for them.”

He looked momentarily confused, as if he couldn’t reconcile the idea of tears ever going along with happiness, but then he nodded. “I am too. They’re good people.”

For a long moment, though Valentina was making her way up the grassy aisle that was strewn with rose petals of every color, Suzanne forgot to look back at the bride. All she could do was stare at Roman. And as he stared back at her, it was as though they were alone in the gazebo again, being drawn together by a force that was bigger and stronger than anything she’d ever known. It was only the oohs and aahs of the guests as Smith swept Valentina into his arms and kissed her that brought Suzanne back to reality.

A reality where she and Roman were anything but alone—and where she still had no idea how he really felt about her. To be fair, she wasn’t completely sure where she stood on things either. After all, she’d spent her entire adult life trying to make sure that her relationships met a very specific list of neat and tidy parameters that were the opposite of the way things had gone for her mother and father. She never let emotions get out of control. No one on either side was allowed to become obsessed with the other person. And both parties had to remain rational at all times.

The way she felt about Roman broke all three rules. Her emotions were a roller coaster. She was more than a little obsessed. And she was very much afraid that rational had gone out the window that first night, when she’d practically been yelling at him on the sidewalk.

She should know better.

She did know better, given that the horrible destruction of her parents’ relationship—and their lives—had remained big news in the art world for her entire life.

But knowing intellectually what she should and shouldn’t be doing didn’t make it any easier to get the message through to her heart.

“We’re all extremely happy and honored that all of you came to Summer Lake today to be a part of Smith and Valentina’s wedding,” Calvin said from beneath the gazebo, where as mayor, he was now standing to officiate. “Before they speak their vows to one another, they would like to say a few words to everyone gathered here today.” Moving against the back wall of the gazebo, Calvin gave the bride and groom the full stage.

Smith and Valentina were holding hands as they turned to face their family and friends. Both of them were smiling, neither one looking at all anxious or nervous about the vows they were about to make.

Suzanne’s heart fluttered in her chest, the way it always did when she was at a family wedding. What woman wouldn’t dream about being in Valentina’s shoes one day, standing hand in hand with the man she loved, ready to make promises of forever in front of the people who meant the most to her? Suzanne’s family history had definitely made her wary about all the ways love could go wrong—yet here at Summer Lake, beneath a bright blue sky with the sun sparkling on the lake beyond the gazebo, emotion swelled within her chest from witnessing love gone oh-so-right.

Smith lifted Valentina’s hand to his lips, their gazes holding as he kissed her skin. And when Valentina turned to speak to their guests a few moments later, Smith’s awestruck gaze remained on her.

“Smith and I will never be able to thank all of you enough for dropping everything to come to our spur-of-the-moment wedding.” Everyone laughed, including the bride and groom. “It truly means the world to us that you could be here with us today, to be a part of the most important day of our lives so fa—” When she choked up on the word far, Smith drew her closer and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

“We hope you know how thankful we are that you’ve made this trek to the Adirondacks so that we could be with everyone we love and appreciate most,” Smith said in his deep, mesmerizing voice. A voice most people would recognize with their eyes closed. “And now, I’m sure you’ll all understand that we’re going to keep our thank-yous short and sweet, because I’ve never wanted anything more than I want to marry Valentina.” He turned to his bride. “Shall we?”