Once Upon a Dream (25 page)

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Authors: Kate Perry

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BOOK: Once Upon a Dream
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Bea stiffened next to her.

She looked across the room to see what had caught Bea’s ire. Luca, of course. He stood with Merrick, Merrick’s friend Valerie, and a man she didn’t know. Vi could see Luca was pretending not to pay attention to Bea as much as he was pretending to flirt with Valerie, whose girlfriend held her hand next to her.

Bea growled deep in her throat. “I’ll get you a drink,” she said, eyes narrowed.

“Just make sure you don’t give me the one with poison,” Vi requested.

Her older sister just growled again, an extra slow sway to her hips as she walked to the bar.

Vi couldn’t help glancing at Luca. Bea’s seductive saunter didn’t go unnoticed. They needed to resolve whatever was going on between them before they combusted. Smiling, she turned to survey the room.

Portia and Jackson were standing to the side, speaking with Sebastian, the Earl of Amberlin. Jackson said something that made Portia flush and giggle. Sebastian rolled his eyes and lifted his drink, but he looked amused. It’d surprised Vi to hear that Sebastian was extending his stay with them. Portia said he wanted to learn more about their family history, but Vi had a feeling that wasn’t all he was after.

The drawling snap of a camera made her turn to see Titania in a corner, taking shot after shot of everyone and everything. Ian, her boyfriend, stood behind her. Tugging on her hair, he interrupted her picture taking.

Vi raised her brows. Bad decision, she told him mentally, waiting for her youngest sister to light into him. She blinked in shock when Titania just pursed her lips for a kiss and then took a picture of his bottom as he joined Rowdy and Chloe.

Fran bustled into the room, unbuttoning her coat. “Isn’t this beautiful?” she said with a gasp.

“Gigi’s flare is something, isn’t it?” Vi helped her out of the sleeves. “Did Mum and her new beau come with you?”

Just as she asked it, Jacqueline Summerhill swept into the room on the arm of a striking man with a mane of white hair. Declan Maxwell, the famous novelist.

Everyone in the room froze, silent.

Small wonder. They’d never seen their mother with anyone but their father, and even then it wasn’t as though they were ever really together.

Vi could tell right away that this was different. He had a hand on her back, and he stood close to her mother, protective. Declan Maxwell was tall and patrician in fine clothes, but it was his shoes that caught her notice the most. They were red.

Why didn’t she have red shoes?

Shaking her head, she returned her attention to her mother. Jacqueline had a happy flush to her cheeks and stars in her eyes.

Lovely. Vi’s heart melted, seeing the happiness lighting her mother’s face. She knew too well what her mother must have gone through—she’d gone through much of the same thing—so she’d be forever grateful to this man who made her mother incandescent. The everlasting love Summer believed in didn’t happened to everyone, but she hoped her mother and Declan would last.

She was the first to go to them. “Hello, Mother,” she said, kissing both her cheeks. She turned to Declan Maxwell and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Viola.”

He took her hand. His eyes were a stormy gray that looked into her. She shifted her weight, hoping he didn’t see too much.

Turning to her mother, he said, “Do they all take after you so much?”

“Yes,” Jacqueline said with a soft smile.

Declan seemed to relax, returning his attention to Vi. “You’re a lucky woman.”

She glanced at her mother. “I’d say Mum is the lucky one here.”

He flashed a wicked grin as he took Jacqueline’s hand. “I keep telling her that.”

Vi smiled. She liked him.

Rosalind strode into the room, wearing a beautiful rose-colored dress and a cat-who-ate-the-canary look. She came up to them, kissed their mother, and then embraced Declan. Holding him at arm’s length, she smiled warmly. “I’m happy to meet you, and I’m even more happy this is your first experience with us.”

Jacqueline tipped her head. “Should I be concerned, darling?”

Rosalind laughed. “Not at all.”

Vi was about to ask what was going on when Imogen swept into the room, pausing in the threshold for full effect. Not that she needed to—she was absolutely stunning in a mermaid style wedding dress.

“I made that,” Rosalind said proudly.

“Of course you did,” Vi said, not sure if she was more in awe of Gigi or Rosalind’s creation.

Gigi’s lips curved in her trademark smile that was famous worldwide. “I can’t thank you enough for being here for our wedding.”

“Wedding,” Jacqueline repeated under her breath.

Vi’s eyes misted when she saw Declan inch closer to her mother. Yes, he was welcome here.

Merrick stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m ready if you are.”

“Yes,” Gigi said with conviction. She strode to him, taking his hand and leading him to where the stranger stood by the new grand piano Gigi had given Merrick. Vi knew Merrick had another in his music room upstairs, but her sister had said this room needed an instrument.

Bea joined her, handing Vi her drink. “Leave it to Imogen.”

“Did you meet Mother’s date?” Vi asked under her breath.

Shaking her head, she linked arms and walked Vi toward Gigi and Merrick. “I’ll interrogate him after the sudden ceremony, but based on what I’ve seen so far, he can stay.”

“He’s lovely,” she whispered, glancing at her mother and Declan.

“No one deserves it more.” Bea glanced at her. “Except you.”

She shook her head. She didn’t want love. Maybe sex. Definitely a life, because she hadn’t accomplished anything so far.

She’d been trying to find something that fit her, but so far it’d been disastrous. She’d vetoed becoming a baker, opening a teahouse, and becoming a yoga instructor. She winced, remembering how she’d gotten stuck trying to twist her body in the unnatural positions.

“Dearly beloved,” the stranger in front of the piano said. “We’re gathered here to honor Imogen and Merrick’s commitment to each other.” He paused, smiling at everyone. “They’ve written their own vows, so I’ll give them the stage. Imogen, would you care to go first?”

Imogen turned around to beam at them all. When she faced Merrick, she took his face in both her hands. “Words are only words, so easily misconstrued and forgotten. So I give you my heart as my vow, because with every beat it’ll remind you that I’m yours, body and soul.”

Merrick leaned in and kissed Gigi.

“Hey,” Titania said as she took a picture. “You aren’t supposed to do that yet.”

Gigi smiled ruefully at her groom. “My heart comes with annoyances. Sorry about that.”

“I wouldn’t change a thing.” He cupped her face and kissed her again, slower. Then he faced the family and said, “My vows are a song,” before he went to sit behind the piano.

He ran his fingers over the keys, his gaze on Gigi. What seemed like a random progression of notes became a soft melody that rose into a joyous tune.

And then he joined in, his voice rich with love, his heart in his eyes as he sang to Gigi.

 

Stuck in the dark

I lost my way.

I never knew what life could be ~

When I saw you

I knew we’d misbehave.

Without you I’m in misery.

I promise you love.

For the rest of our lives

I’ll bathe you in moonlight

If I can call you mine.

Here’s to a new life …

Here’s to new adventures …

My endless love, my light, my wife.

 

The music trailed off. In the awed silence of the room, he smiled at Gigi. “I love you.”

Viola put a hand to her heart. It was touching, even if it wasn’t at all what she wanted for herself. Endless love she could do without. She’d tried for that and came out wanting.

But new adventures … A new life. She wanted those with clawing desperation.

If only she knew how to go about getting them.

***

Lose yourself in the next Summerhill novel,
How Sweet It Is

 

Viola Summerhill needs sex.

Her sisters say a rebound fling is just the thing to wash away the bad taste left from her recently crumbled marriage. But Viola knows she needs more than that. She has to reinvent herself, to regain the identity she lost being a wife and a mother. And she’s going to do it as an art gallery owner.

Stocking her new gallery with work worthy of the grand opening she desires isn’t easy, though. She needs a smashing piece—something that’ll steal everyone’s breath. And she finds the most amazing work she’s ever seen where she least expects it: in the home of what was supposed to be a one night stand.

 

Get
How Sweet It Is
now!

* * *

Don’t miss the rest of the Summerhill series!
Check out all of Kate’s books here.

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Kate’s Shelf

Summerhill

 

Say You Will

Lost in Love

Let’s Misbehave

Stay the Night

Once Upon a Dream

How Sweet It Is

Give a Little

 

The Laurel Heights Series

 

Perfect for You

Close to You

Return to You

Looking for You

Dream of You

Sweet on You

Tamed by You

Here with You

All for You (novelette)

Mad About You

Loved by You

 

Pillow Talk Novels

 

Playing Doctor

Playing for Keeps

Project Date

 

The Guardians of Destiny

 

Marked by Passion

Chosen by Desire

Tempted by Fate

 

Standalone

 

Project Daddy

Legend of Kate

Kate has tangoed at midnight with a man in blue, furry chaps, dueled with flaming swords in the desert, and strutted on bar tops across the world and back. She’s been kissed under the Eiffel Tower, had her butt pinched in Florence, and been serenaded in New Orleans. She found Happy Ever After in San Francisco with her Magic Man.

 

Kate’s the bestselling author of the Summerhill series and critically acclaimed Laurel Heights Novels, as well as the Pillow Talk and Guardians of Destiny series. She’s been translated into several languages and is quite proud to say she’s big Down Under. All her books are about strong, independent women and the sexy alpha heroes who love them.

 

Most days, you can find Kate in her favorite café, working on her latest novel. Sometimes she’s wearing a tutu. She may or may not have a jeweled dagger strapped to her thigh …

 

For more on Kate, visit:

www.kateperry.com

www.facebook.com/TutuKate

www.twitter.com/KatePerry

Table of Contents

Praise for Kate Perry’s Novels

Other Titles by Kate Perry

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Epilogue

Kate’s Shelf

Legend of Kate

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