Serena smiled as she stared out her bedroom window. She’d moved back home to spend time with her father before the wedding but last night was the last she’d spend under this roof as Serena Van Buren. By the end of the day she would be Serena Steele.
She leaned out of the window to get a better view of the south lawn. The decorators were already bustling about, making sure the trellis and its trimmings were in order. It would be a garden wedding right on the lawn where she used to play with her mother. Maybe her mother would look down on her today and send her wedding blessings on the breeze.
There was a knock at her door and Serena spun around to see her father peeping in. “Ready for your big day, Princess?”
“Oh, Daddy, it’s like I’ve been ready all my life.” She went to him and stepped into his arms. When he released her from the hug she saw that his eyes were shiny with unshed tears.
“Your mother would be so happy,” he said, looking down at her with a smile. “You made an excellent choice for a husband.”
Serena’s eyes widened. “I did? You sure you’re not upset?”
“Upset?” Richard laughed. “I couldn’t have made a better choice myself. In fact, there’s something I must tell you.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “I was hoping for this outcome all along. I knew if there was one man who could bring the woman out of my little girl, it was Roman Steele.”
“Daddy, did you set me up?” Serena pouted but a smile tickled her lips, making her mirth obvious.
“No, but I’d like to think your mother had a hand in this. Today more than ever I feel her presence and I think she’s smiling.”
Serena smiled up at her father and now it was her turn to blink back happy tears. “I feel her, too, Daddy. And I know today in the garden she’ll be right there with me as I take my big step.”
Then, as the birds whistled in the tree outside her window, Serena turned and looked out at the sun rising in the brilliant blue sky. “Thanks, Mom,” she whispered, “for finding me the best man I could ever want.”
THE END