Grant stepped closer and gave her a fast hug. “I’m glad, Mom. I really am.”
The door flew open and Fontaine burst into the room like a bottle rocket. His dark hair was slicked back and his goatee artfully carved. He clapped his hands. “Lickety-split, Connelly people. What’s taking you all so long? If you don’t hurry up, I will be forced to notify the pa-pa-paparazzi and your secret wedding won’t be so secret after all.”
Grant turned toward the wedding planner and smiled again. He had a feeling he’d be doing a lot of that today. Smiling. In fact, it seemed like that’s all he’d done for the past six weeks, ever since proposing to Lane on the peak of Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora. Asking her to marry him had been a spontaneous gesture, but there was no doubt in his mind it was the right decision. Every instinct told him so. She made him happy in a way no one else ever had, and no one else ever could. He intended to spend the rest of his life trying to return that favor. Starting now.
“I’m ready, Fontaine,” Grant said.
Tyler handed him the tuxedo jacket and he put it on.
“Oh, aren’t you fabulous?” Fontaine said with a sigh. “You look like a superhero.”
Grant grinned into the mirror and tweaked his bow tie. “Do I?”
Fontaine nodded. “Absolutely. So come on, Matrimony Man. Time to fly off to your next adventure.”
“I always knew you’d make a beautiful bride.” Delaney’s mother blinked away a perfectly timed tear. Even without cameras present, she knew how to work a moment. “This would have made an amazing episode of Pop Rocks, wouldn’t it have?”
Delaney chuckled and shook her head. Her hair was styled back from her face and was still her natural brown shade. Grant liked it that way, and she’d never gotten around to redoing her blonde highlights. She’d been too busy traveling around the world and falling deeply, madly in love.
She looked into the mirror and adjusted her simple but elegant veil. It was the perfect complement to her white satin dress. She may have left her life as a stylist behind, but she still knew when something looked good. And this looked good. Or maybe she just thought so because everything seemed to make her happy these days.
Even pressure from her mom to turn this wedding into a public spectacle didn’t bother her. “Really, Mom? It’s my wedding day and you’re still thinking about ratings?”
“She’s always thinking about ratings.” Melody was sitting on a beige velvet chair in the church’s bridal dressing room where the Masterson family waited. “But she’s right about the bride thing. You do look amazing. If you ever decide to go back to being a stylist, you should do weddings. And I could do bridal makeup. We could have our own show.” Melody was teasing. Mostly.
Roxanne did a little twirl in the mirror, making her swishy, plum-colored dress even swishier. “You should do weddings, Lane. These bridesmaid dresses are not half bad.”
“Thanks, Rox. That means a lot, coming from you. It’s nearly a compliment.”
“I’m not always thinking about ratings,” Nicole continued on as if her daughters hadn’t tried to change the subject. “I just think our fans would be thrilled to see you so happy. But honestly, having a secret wedding in Bell Harbor is going to make for fabulous headlines. It’s quite brilliant, really. You do have a flair for the dramatic, darling.” She leaned over and air-kissed Delaney’s cheek.
“This marriage isn’t a publicity stunt, Nic.” Delaney’s father stepped forward and took his daughter by the shoulders. He smiled down at her, the famous Masterson smile, and she felt her eyes start to puddle up. He’d cut off that ponytail of his at last and looked pretty stylin’ in his tux. Her father was finally moving into the next phase of his life, just as she was moving on into hers.
“It’s the real deal, right, kid?” he asked. “You’re doing this for all the right reasons?”
Delaney nodded, and sniffled. “It is, and I am.”
“Good for you. I’m so proud of you.”
Fontaine popped his head inside the room after a quick rap on the door. “OK, Masterson folk, the Connelly people are all in their places. Mommy of the bride, the usher is waiting to take you to your seat. Chop, chop. Let’s get these beautiful people married, shall we?”
Delaney’s mother hugged her close. “Oh, Lane, it seems like I should have some profound words of wisdom to share with my daughter on her wedding day, but all I can think of to say is how much I love you.”
“That’s perfect, Mom. It’s all you need to say.” Delaney’s heart was bursting with joy, and if her mother said more, they’d all start to cry and ruin Melody’s meticulous makeup jobs. Paparazzi or no paparazzi, she didn’t want to get married with mascara running down her face.