Shine Not Burn(99)

“Andie?” Bradley sounded vulnerable, which was a first in my experience. I looked at him, begging him with my eyes to let me go. He cast his eyes down, sighing heavily. “Go ahead. I know what you want.”

I looked at Angus and he just nodded, encouraging me.

Maeve was standing behind me, so I twisted around to see her. She nodded too, a tear slipping out of the corner of her eye.

I swallowed my fear and reached my trembling hand up out of my lap, putting it in Mack’s. The balm of love coated my heart with its healing magic when he closed his fingers around mine. He looked over at Bradley as he put his ice pack down. He held out his free hand. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to screw everything up for you. But she was mine first, and I’m not going to apologize for that.”

Bradley stared at Mack’s hand for a few seconds before taking it and shaking it hard. “The best man won. Nothing I can do about that.”

His words of defeat made my heart ache for what I’d done to him.

“I’m so sorry, Bradley. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I swear it.”

He stood, his chair scraping out behind him. “I know. Listen, I need to get going. I have a plane to catch.”

“You can stay here until tomorrow if you want,” offered Maeve.

“No, thanks. I don’t think that would be a good idea.” He waved at me with a weak flick of his hand and then he was gone.

After he left, Grandma Lettie came in and stood where he’d just been.

“So. We got things worked out?” She looked from Mack to me.

“No, not exactly,” Mack said, pulling his hand from mine.

My face went white as all the blood drained from my head and a wave of dizziness almost took me down. I saw it coming now. The big break up. The humiliation. The end. The end of me.

He reached into his front pocket and slid out of his chair at the same time. “I was going to wait and do this later, but I guess now’s as good a time as any.”

He went down onto his knees next to my chair and put his hand on the arm of it, pushing it out so that I was facing him.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, crying all over again. I was so confused I had no idea what was going to happen next.

He held up a small, black velvet box and smiled, his split lip starting to bleed again. I took a napkin from Maeve and dabbed at it, smiling through my tears as I tried to stave off the heart attack I could feel coming.

“Andie. Crazy girl. I met you two years ago and I fell in love with you. The minute you threw that drink on me, I knew I was done.” He opened up the box to reveal a sparkling square-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds that were all set in a band of diamonds. I’d never seen so much light flashing out of a piece of jewelry in my life.

“Wow, that’s a beaut,” said Grandma Lettie in a hushed voice.

He responded to her but his eyes never left mine. “I had to get her something that would remind her of where we met. All those lights … remember Andie?”

I nodded, unable to speak. Only sobs could come out.

“I thought we were already married, but it doesn’t matter to me that we’re not. I feel married to you and I want to be married to you. If you’ll do me the honor, I’ll take you to the courthouse on Monday and make it official.” He pulled the ring out of the box and held it up. “I bought this the other day when you came into town. I was going to give it to you since we never had a chance to get one before. But now, I guess it’s an engagement ring.”

He took my left hand in his, holding the ring right at the end of my finger. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me? Will you join Clan MacKenzie?”

“Shine not burn?” I managed to say.

He smiled, making his puffed up black eye look even worse. “Yes. Come with me so we can shine together.”





EPILOGUE





The musicians were playing the prelude to the wedding march, and I was poised at the end of the aisle, my arm wrapped tightly through Angus’s. My bouquet of white roses and baby’s breath trembled in my hand. A little tuft of purple troll-doll fluff stuck out from between some of the flowers.

“You okay there, sweetie pie?” he asked, looking splendid in his black tux.

I nodded, looking out over the small crowd of people seated in white chairs on either side of the aisle I was about to walk down. Most of them were still strangers, but I knew in time they’d be like family to me.

“I’m glad you agreed to let your mom come.” He looked pointedly at the left side of the aisle, near where Candice and Kelly were standing and holding their bridesmaid flowers.

I looked at the thin woman sitting in the front row wearing the purple dress. She was a stranger to me, but she didn’t want to be. She’d gotten healthy and was happily single, no longer looking for a man to guide her through life.

“It was Mack’s idea, not mine.” I still wasn’t sure it was possible for my mother and me to put the past behind us, but I was willing to try for Mack’s sake.

“He’s a good man. He’ll do right by you, I’ll see to it.”

I smiled. “I’m glad I’m getting you as my father-in-law. It’s like a special bonus package deal.”

He patted my hand that rested at his elbow. “We’re both kind of lucky, aren’t we?”