Ever After Read online

  When Hallie knelt, they both hugged her. “Mom said we could stay only if you said it was okay,” Cory said.

  “More than okay. But you have to tell me who everyone in the wedding is. I don’t know anyone.”

  Adam and Ian had left, but Raine was still standing there smiling at her.

  “Some of the people we don’t know,” Cory said seriously. “Uncle Graydon is a Montgomery, but he doesn’t live in Maine.” She said this as though it were a very strange thing.

  Max leaned toward Hallie’s ear. “Jamie isn’t here,” he whispered.

  “Does that make you sad?” Hallie whispered back.

  “Yes. Our brother almost died. We saw him in the hospital and Mom and Dad cried a lot.”

  Cory stepped away and Hallie drew the little boy into her arms. “Jamie’s better now, isn’t he?”

  Max pulled away to look at Hallie, his little face close to hers. “My mom says you make Jamie laugh and she loves you for that.”

  “Does she?”

  “Max!” Cory yelled. “Dad sent cupcakes and he said not to tell Mom.” The two children went running.

  Hallie stood up and looked at Raine. “I lost out to chocolate sprinkles.”

  Raine leaned over and kissed her cheek. “All of us thank you,” he said softly, then stepped back. “Come on and let’s eat, then we’ll watch a Montgomery get married.”

  He sounded as if he couldn’t believe such a thing could happen. “Sometimes when you kiss a frog you actually do get a prince,” she said.

  Raine laughed. “I don’t know about the prince part, but you have the frogs right.”

  For the next hour everything was so busy that Hallie didn’t have time to think. Another Montgomery, named Tynan, and a Taggert named Roan showed up, both of them young and beautiful. Part of Hallie was annoyed that none of the women came.

  When she asked about them, Roan said, “I think they’re doing their nails and hair. We decided to leave them to it.”

  Adam leaned over and whispered, “He’s young. The women are doing shots of tequila and reading naughty books. They banished us. We can’t live up to their fantasies.”

  Hallie was still laughing at the image when Jilly came downstairs. “I think I’ll go to Kingsley House. My brothers set up a private screen for Kit and me and a few other quiet-loving people. You can go with me, if you want.”

  “No, I’ll stay,” Hallie said.

  Jilly looked at her hard. “If it’s Jamie you want, my guess is he won’t show up. There’s too much noise and too many people for him. You could go to where he’s staying, but you’d miss the wedding.”

  “I’d like to see it.”

  “Aunt Jilly!” Ian said, then picked her up and whirled her around. “Are you going to dance with me at your wedding?”

  “And me?” Adam said as soon as Ian set her down. He began to dance her around the room. He led her through the big pantry and into the tea room.

  Hallie followed behind them and was pleased to see that someone had cleaned up from last night’s dinner. The tables were pushed back against the wall.

  Raine took Hallie in his arms and began to dance her round and round. For someone so big, he was certainly light on his feet. Music came from somewhere and Hallie was passed from one man to another. She was laughing and enjoying every second of it!

  “The wedding’s about to start,” someone called and they all went to the living room—except for Jilly, who escaped out the side doors.

  Hallie was escorted to the sofa directly in front of the big-screen TV. Adam was about to sit on one side of her and Raine on the other, but the kids made a flying leap and took their places.

  “Brats!” Adam murmured. “Isn’t it your bedtime?”

  “It’s morning and I can outride you,” Cory said.

  “And I can outswim you,” Adam said as he sat down beside her. He kissed the top of her head—then wiped his mouth. “You have sand in your hair.”

  “Keeps the boys away,” Cory said.

  “I’ll have to remember that trick,” Hallie said.

  “Wouldn’t work for you,” Raine said softly, his eyes on the TV.

  “Roan!” Adam bellowed over the back of the couch. “Popcorn.” He looked at Hallie. “Only thing kids like him are good for.”

  “I can’t think of any other use for him,” she said.

  “Look! It’s Graydon,” Cory yelled, pointing.

  On the screen was a photo of two extraordinarily good-looking people. Graydon was tall and dark, while his bride, Toby, was tall and blonde.

  “They’re beautiful,” Hallie said.

  “He’s a Montgomery,” Ian said with pride.

  He got popcorn thrown at him.

  They spent nearly an hour watching guests arrive at the huge Lanconian cathedral where the wedding was being held. The announcer told the names of diplomats and ambassadors as they arrived. When there were personal guests, everyone made comments and explanations.

  “That’s Dr. Huntley!” Hallie said, then her eyes widened. “Who is the woman with him?!”

  “That’s his wife, Victoria,” Adam said in a low voice, and the room suddenly went silent.

  Victoria Huntley was a striking woman. She had on a green suit that hugged the fabulous curves of her body. A perfect little hat perched on top of her magnificent red hair.

  “She’s a knockout,” Hallie said. When no one commented, she looked around her. Every male in the room—including Max—was staring at the woman in wide-eyed, open-mouthed appreciation.

  Hallie and Cory exchanged a look of disgust. Cory picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “Oops.”

  When the men started yelling and racing to get the TV back on, Hallie and Cory high-fived each other.

  Beside them, Raine and Adam were silently laughing.

  Hallie saw Todd enter through the kitchen. He nodded at her, but he said nothing as he went to the back of the room and sat down on the old desk chair.

  When Hallie saw Jared and his wife on TV, she was shocked. Alix was pretty, but she also looked smart. Not what Hallie had thought a famous architect would have for a wife. When Alix turned sideways, Hallie saw that she was pregnant.

  “Another one,” Hallie said, mostly to herself.

  But Raine heard her and for a moment he looked at her as though trying to figure out what she meant. He looked back at the TV and just before he put a piece of popcorn in his mouth, he said, “Is Aunt Jilly feeling better?”

  “Yes, she is,” Hallie said.

  Raine didn’t look back at her, but from the way he smiled, she had an idea that he’d guessed about his aunt. She and Raine now shared a secret.

  When the guests were at last seated, the groom and his brother arrived. They were both wearing dark blue uniforms, resplendent with gold buttons and braid on their shoulders.

  “Men in uniform,” Hallie said with a sigh.

  “Jamie has a uniform,” Max said.

  “I guess he does,” Hallie answered, smiling at the image.

  Graydon and his brother, Rory, were joined by another man who was very tall, with skin the color of honey and thick black hair. He had a way of walking that was truly majestic.

  “That’s Daire,” Raine said. “He’s Lanconian.”

  “Beautiful country,” Hallie said in admiration.

  The three men walked down the long aisle to the front of the magnificent cathedral. The flowers were so abundant, Hallie could almost smell them. Next came the two bridesmaids, one a tall woman with long black hair, the other shorter and very pretty.

  “Lorcan and Lexie,” Adam said. “Lexie and Toby were roommates in the house at the end of the lane.”

  The camera panned to a tall, dark-haired man in the audience. He was so good-looking that Hallie drew in her breath. “Who is he?”

  For a moment, no one answered. “Lexie’s husband,” Adam said. “Roger Plymouth.”

  Hallie nudged Cory. “What do you think of him?”

  Cory shrugg