“Like Cinderella arriving at the ball.” Madelyn finished his thought again. “Is that what you were thinking of?”

Ian breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, that’s it exactly. It’s almost uncanny how we’re thinking alike on this. I don’t have a particular color or style in mind, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

“And once again I think I’ve got the exact dress in mind,” she replied excitedly. “I’m going to have a wonderful time helping your Tessa with all of this, Ian. I told you when we met at Julia’s wedding how much I’d enjoy the opportunity to dress her sometime, so I’m pleased you thought of me. And your fiancée has the perfect sort of figure - tall, and with those long legs and all those curves. Dressing my two nieces usually provides more of a challenge, since they’re both so petite. Julia, at least, is easy to please and simply loves clothes in general. Lauren, on the other hand - well, you’ve met my very opinionated and stubborn niece, so you know exactly what I have to deal with.”

Ian chuckled. “I do, yes. And you have my sympathies, Madelyn. I assure you that Tessa will be much easier to please. Now, what day and time work best for you? We’ll be happy to work around your schedule.”

They agreed to meet two days before Thanksgiving towards late afternoon, and Madelyn jotted down the information in her bulging day planner, and then quickly sent Christina an instant message to add the appointment to the master calendar. It would mean juggling a couple of other things around, but Madelyn figured it was the least she could do to repay Ian for his part in bringing her and James back together.

She smiled briefly to herself as she thought what a very lucky woman Tessa Lockwood was to have a man like Ian as her future husband. He was handsome, charming, rich, obviously over-protective, and not in the least bit hesitant to exert control when it came to taking care of her.

He was, thought Madelyn with a rather dreamy smile, very much like her James.

Tessa was positive her eyes must be as round as saucers, the exact same expression she saw reflected on the animated features of the five year old girl seated to her right. And she honestly wasn’t sure at this point who was more excited - she or the little girl.

She turned to Ian for probably the twentieth time this morning, clutching his arm as she pointed to the enormous balloon being paraded along 34th Street. “Snoopy has always been my favorite, ever since I was a child. I looked forward every year to watching him on TV. I never thought I’d actually get to see him in person, though.” She reached over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here. This is so exciting, Ian!”

He grinned, giving her nose a playful tweak. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, love. Even though the temperature this morning is close to freezing.”

But Tessa barely felt the cold weather, bundled up as she was in woolly tights, boots, knit cap, and fleece lined gloves, plus the beautiful new coat of charcoal gray cashmere that Ian had bought her two days ago at Bergdorf’s. After they had met Julia’s aunt Madelyn to try on the evening gowns she’d set aside for Tessa, Ian had gone on a mini-shopping spree, choosing more than a dozen different items that had caught his eye - the coat, a pair of ruby earrings, a gorgeous sweater dress of forest green, plus several things for himself. Tessa had learned by now not to argue with him when he was in an impulsive mood, and was left more than a little in awe at the impeccable fashion sense he possessed.

Tessa rested her head on his shoulder as she gave his gloved hand a squeeze. “I guess I hadn’t noticed,” she confessed. “I’ve been too busy enjoying the parade. I think this is just about the best surprise you could have given me, Ian. I’m not sure I’ve ever missed a year watching the parade on TV.”

He kissed the top of her head tenderly. “Then I’m very glad I was able to get us tickets. Even if it will take me an hour or so to thaw out after this.”

She laughed happily, snuggling against him as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “It’s almost over, though. Snoopy is always one of the last balloons in the parade. Just a couple of more floats and then Santa Claus. We can head back to the hotel after that and warm up.”

“And I know just the way to do that,” he whispered suggestively in her ear.

She grinned at him teasingly. “Roaring fire? Hot cup of tea? Maybe a pitcher of mimosas?”

Ian shook his head, sliding his hand up beneath her skirt until he’d reached her thigh. “More like you and me. Naked. Big bed. Got the picture now, love?”

The shiver that rippled up her spine had nothing to do with the thirty-two degree temperature in Manhattan this morning. “Um, I think so. You, ah, might have to give me a hands-on demonstration, though.”

“If there weren’t so many people here, in particular small children, I’d be giving you a very hands-on demonstration right now,” he murmured suggestively. “Ah, speak of the old devil. Here’s Father Christmas now. Just in time, I’d say.”

But Ian didn’t argue when she wanted to stay and watch Santa Claus go by in his sleigh, and she couldn’t resist waving to him with the rest of the crowd. Surprising her with these front-row tickets to watch the famous parade had been just one of the many wonderful things he’d done for her this past week, and the holiday weekend was far from over.

They had arrived in New York City nearly a week ago, in the wee hours on Saturday morning. Ian had quite literally shown her the town last weekend, taking her to famous restaurants, the top of the Empire State Building (which had been an instrumental location in her favorite movie Sleepless in Seattle), to see a Broadway musical, and of course to shop at the famous department stores like Bloomingdales, Barneys, and Bergdorf’s.

There were three Gregson properties located in Manhattan - a beautifully decorated boutique hotel on the Upper East Side; a newer, trendier place in the SoHo district; and the grand, ultra-luxurious high-rise on Park Avenue. They had visited all three hotels this week, and were staying in the owner’s suite at the Park Avenue property, admittedly one of the most lavish she had seen so far. Their plans called for remaining in New York City until Sunday morning, during which time Ian was taking her to see another Broadway play, to have dinner with an old friend of his from Oxford who now lived in town, and to see the fabulous tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. It would be a whirlwind of a holiday weekend, but Tessa was looking forward to every minute of it.