Ever After Read online

  Hallie realized what he was saying. “I’d prefer that you didn’t do any business today. They’re nice people, not clients to be won.” When she looked at Braden, his eyes seemed to be glazed. “There’s Uncle Kit. I have to talk to him. Why don’t you…?” Kit was walking away. “I’ll see you inside,” she said to Braden and left him as she hurried to the church.

  “Hallie, my dear, you look quite lovely,” Kit said.

  “Thank you. I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “Anything.” They started up the church steps.

  “Would you please find Raine and ask him to stay with Jamie today? Jamie’s in a bad mood and I’m afraid the noise will cause him some problems.”

  “And our strong young Raine can get Jamie out before he is embarrassed?”

  “Yes,” Hallie said, grateful for his understanding.

  “How very kind of you, especially since it’s my guess that Jamie’s agitation is caused by the rather remarkable ring you have on.”

  Hallie held up her hand. “Awful, isn’t it? It’s not mine, but I can’t get it off.”

  “The question is how it got on your finger in the first place.”

  “I accepted a marriage proposal, but it wasn’t real.” She nodded toward Braden, who was earnestly talking to Jamie’s father—who was scowling. “Oh, no. I have to rescue Braden before a Taggert steps on him.”

  Kit laughed. “I am assuming that he’s your fiancé. What I’d really like to know is why you don’t tell Raine yourself. Has something happened between you two?”

  Hallie’s smile disappeared. “Let’s just say that someone thinks I’m too friendly with Raine.”

  “And of course that would be Todd. You are having some problems, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  Kit tucked her arm into his. “Why don’t you sit by me? I’ll be sure young James is taken care of and I will do my best to see that no one grabs your fiancé by the collar and throws him out.”

  “Thank you,” Hallie said, and truly meant it.

  Once they were inside the beautiful old church, Kit stepped aside for a moment to talk to an older man Hallie’d never seen before. “It’s all been taken care of,” Kit said when he returned. “And now we may enjoy Jilly’s beautiful wedding.”

  Kit led her to a third-row bench. He sat on the aisle, with Hallie beside him. The church was filled with roses of pale colors: cream, pink, yellow. There were tall vases of more roses in the front, all of them making the church smell divine.

  Braden slipped into the pew beside her. “I met all three of them,” he said under his breath as he pretended to read the wedding program. “I don’t think they’re going to move their business to my firm, at least not yet. But I’ve made a connection.” He turned to look at her. “Hallie, I had no idea you knew people like this.”

  She had to work to keep from frowning at Braden.

  As the guests arrived, she said hello to everyone she’d met. Lainey and Paige told her the dress looked great on her. Adam asked her to save a dance for him. Ian said he wanted to introduce her to his parents. Raine looked at her and gave a little nod, letting her know he’d received her message, but he said nothing.

  Twice Hallie turned around to see if Jamie was there, but he wasn’t. Kit patted her hand. “Jamie is staying away until everyone is in their seats. He’s taken care of, so you can quit worrying.”

  Hallie fiddled with the ring, pulling at it, but it still didn’t budge. Beside her, Braden was twisting around to look at the guests.

  “May I?” Kit asked and lifted Hallie’s left hand. He examined her finger, massaging it a bit. He pulled on the ring once, but it didn’t move. “If I believed in such things, I’d say it was witchcraft.”

  “I agree,” Hallie said. “But I don’t understand why. Am I supposed to marry Braden?” She glanced at him. He was turned half around as he watched Kane and Cale walk down the aisle to their seats.

  Kit bent toward her. “The family gossip is that you’ve been in love with this young man since you were a child.”

  “And I’ll bet that gossip came from Todd. I’d like to—” She gritted her teeth, unable to finish.

  “Would you like me to give you some boxing lessons?” Kit was teasing.

  “Oh, yes,” Hallie said. “I’d like to be strong enough to—Oh, well. What about you? Done any searching?”

  He reached inside his suit jacket and withdrew the card they’d found behind the dresser, the one that read FIND THEM in the same old-fashioned writing she’d seen on the envelope. “The only question remains who I am to find,” Kit said.

  When the music began to play, Kit put the card back in his pocket and Hallie sat up straight.

  Braden turned toward the front. “Who’s the old guy next to you?” he whispered to Hallie.

  “He’s the man Ian Fleming modeled James Bond on and he can kill with a single blow, so behave yourself.”

  Braden looked shocked at her words. “Who are you?” He was looking at her as though he’d never seen her before.

  “I think the genuine me is coming out,” Hallie said, then turned her attention to the front of the church where a woman had started singing.

  There was a bit of a lapse when the solo was finished, before the choir began. A man, tall, with brown hair and blue eyes, stopped by the pew.

  “Are you Hallie?” he asked softly. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m—”

  “Leland,” she said. “You look like my dad. Please sit with us.” She motioned for Braden to move aside, but he protested.

  “Leland is my cousin,” Hallie said, and reluctantly, Braden moved so Leland could sit by Hallie. She couldn’t help staring at him.

  “And you look like my dad’s sister,” he said. He saw the ring on her finger. “You’re engaged.”

  “Wow. More family. But, no, I’m not engaged,” Hallie said.

  “Yes, she is,” Braden said from the other side of him.

  Leland looked over her head to Kit.

  “Our Hallie is a very popular young lady,” Kit said.

  The music began again and there was no more talk.

  Minutes later, the groom and Jared came from the side to stand at the front. As Jared looked around the audience, he smiled at Hallie.

  Braden leaned across Leland. “You know the famous architect too? Who’s next? The president?”

  “Shhhh,” Hallie said and leaned back against the pew.

  Leland was looking at her questioningly, but Hallie just shrugged. Kit’s eyes were sparkling in amusement.

  When the music for the bride began, everyone stood up. Jilly’s dress was extremely simple: high necked, long sleeves. But the fabric was embellished with long rows of tiny silvery sequins. As she passed by, people gasped when they saw the back of the gown. It was covered with a transparent mesh and showed off Jilly’s beautiful, toned back to well below her waist.

  “Now, that’s a gown!” Hallie said.

  Kit smiled. “Our Jilly has always had a bit of fire in her.”

  “When I—” Hallie cut herself off. She had an idea that if she even mentioned marriage, Braden would comment on it. What in the world was wrong with her?! Everything she’d ever dreamed of was happening, but all she felt was a sense of gloom.

  She couldn’t help it, but she yet again looked toward the back of the church. Sitting in the last pew, near the aisle, with Raine beside him, was Jamie. He was staring at her and frowning, but Hallie smiled at him, glad that he was safe. Suddenly, her feeling that something was missing disappeared.

  She turned back to the front and looked up at Leland. When he smiled at her, it felt good. He was her family. All around were Jamie’s relatives, but this man, Leland Hartley, was related to her.

  He seemed to understand what she was thinking. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a card. It was an old photograph, probably early 1900s, of a pretty woman wearing a costume with a tall lace collar. It looked like something Elizabeth I wo