Her stomach contracted at the acknowledgment that she had loved him. Did he know she still did?
“Five years passed before our paths crossed again, more than long enough for me to know how empty all my achievements were without her at my side. I would have done anything to win her back and this was where Fate smiled kindly on me. Nicole needed help and I could give it. Which earned me time with her. Time enough to demonstrate I would not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
He was humbling himself in front of all these people, humbling himself to atone for the hurt he’d inflicted. Nicole would not have asked it of him. Yet she was totally captivated by the deeply personal confession.
“I learnt the importance of sharing. I learnt that open communication is the cornerstone for trust and understanding. I learnt that the gift of love is infinitely precious and must always be nurtured and cherished, never neglected.”
He paused, then fervently added, “I hope I can carry these lessons into the future that Nicole has granted me in becoming my wife today. I certainly aim to because I don’t want her to ever doubt how very much I do love her and will always love her.”
There it was! He’d said it! And there wasn’t a skerrick of doubt in her mind about it as he turned to her once more, smiling his love, shining it straight into her eyes, her soul.
“Nicole is more than the woman of my heart. She is the Queen of my heart,” he stated emphatically, then held out his hand to her. “Will you do me the honour of dancing with me, my love?”
An incandescent happiness was bursting through her. “Yes,” spilled joyfully from her lips as she took his hand and rose from her chair, wanting to be taken into his embrace, feel him close to her, pour out her own love for him.
All the guests stood up from their tables, wildly applauding them as Quin led her onto the small dance floor. The band began playing the sentimental evergreen tune of Moon River—and she and Quin were together again—truly, deeply together—as they waltzed around the floor in perfect unison, every step a harmony of the heart.
They were not aware of being watched by all the guests wearing benevolent smiles, some of them wiping emotional tears from their eyes. They were only aware of each other—the strong sexual chemistry they’d always had, now enhanced by the magical feeling of so much more bonding them for the rest of their lives.
“I love you, too, Quin,” she whispered, her eyes openly avowing what she had kept hidden in her heart, frightened of having it crushed again.
The fear was gone.
Quin had demolished it.
“Thank you for such a perfect day,” she added, loving him all the more for giving it to her.
“You make it so,” he murmured.
“I’ll treasure it in my memory for as long as I live.”
“We’ll build a treasure house of beautiful memories, Nicole.”
She smiled. “Like our very own butterfly tree.”
He smiled back. “Yes. Our very own.”
They danced on to the music of love in their hearts, knowing they would always dance together because the love would last forever.