Tempt (Cloverleigh Farms Next Generation Book 4)

MILLIE

“SHOOT!”

Winnie stopped her dramatic strutting on the rented catwalk and looked over at me. “What’s wrong?”

I stared at my cell phone in dismay. “Olivia, one of the models, just had to drop out. Her dad had some kind of health emergency, and she has to fly to Houston right away.”

“Oh no!” Winnie carefully hopped down from the three-foot-high runway that bisected the room full of tables for ten, all of which were sold out for this afternoon’s show.

“He’s going to be okay, but I’m down a model, and I can’t get ahold of the agency to find a replacement.” I set my phone on a table and rubbed my temples. “What am I going to do? It’s nine already, and the show starts at two!”

“Do you have any friends who’d fill in for you?”

“None that are the right size.”

“What size does the model need to be? Could you fill in?”

“Me?” I shrank back. “No way—I’m strictly behind the scenes.”

“But I’ll be here behind the scenes. And wouldn’t that be better than cutting dresses from the show?” Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. “Come on, it will be fun! Remember that fashion show you were in with Dad when you were a kid?”

I laughed. “When I forced him to wear the homemade T-shirt covered with glittery pink and red hearts?”

“Yes!”

“That was the extent of my modeling career, Winnie. I’d probably fall flat on my face walking this runway in wedding gowns.” I frowned and dropped into a chair. “Although I hate to think of those dresses not being in the show—they’re some of my favorite looks. I don’t understand why the agency isn’t getting back to me.” I reached for my phone to try them again, but Winnie took it away from me.

“I think the best plan is to do it yourself. The chances of finding the perfect model last-minute are slim to none, and at least if you fill in yourself, you might have time to do some quick alterations if necessary.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I can’t do them myself. I’d need Diane.”

“Get her on the phone right now.” Winnie handed my cell back to me.

“She’s at the shop,” I said, placing the call. “We’re fully booked with fittings. She might not answer.”

But she did, and she said if I hurried over to the store and put on the dresses in question, she’d see what could be done. She wasn’t sure she could rework all four of the dresses to fit me in time, but she thought at least one or two might be possible.

“Go,” said Winnie. “I’ve got things covered here.”

“Okay. I need to run home and grab some heels and undergarments.” I grabbed my bag and hurried for the door, waving at Winnie. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will!”

If I hadn’t been so distraught, I’d have noticed the sneaky, satisfied little smile on her face.

ZACH

My cell phone buzzed just after nine a.m., right on schedule. “Yeah?”

“Done,” Winnie said breathlessly. “She just left, and she’s headed over to the shop.”

“And she doesn’t suspect anything?”

“Not a thing. I was very good in my role.” She laughed. “Keeping this scheme a secret was much harder for me than convincing her!”

I laughed. “Thanks for your help.”

“My pleasure. Are things all set with my dad?”

“Yes. He’ll stay out of sight until Felicity gives him the cue. I’ll be the one to tell Felicity when to get him, which I’ll do after you give me the signal.”

“Got it.”

It had been Winnie and Felicity’s idea to involve Mack in the plan, and even though Millie’s dad still made me a little nervous, I went to him and asked if he’d like to take part. I knew how much it would mean to Millie.

It took some convincing from his younger daughters, but eventually he agreed. When he shook my hand that day, he said he was happy for me, and told me he knew his daughter would be in good hands—even if I was a Navy man and not a Marine. “I once told her she deserved the best,” he said, “and I think she found it.”

I’d never forget the morning I met him and Frannie for the first time. It was New Year’s Day, and Millie insisted we attend the usual January first gathering at her parents’ house. I tried not to show it, but I was terrified—this guy, a former Marine, was about to hear that his daughter had fallen for a man closer to his age than hers. How would he take it?

Luckily, after a few sidelong glances and some stiff conversation, he’d warmed up to me. I didn’t blame him for being wary—I wouldn’t trust my daughter to just anyone either, especially if she had a heart like Millie’s, huge and giving. Frannie had been welcoming from the moment we met, and her sisters were great too. Eventually, there was some teasing about the whole situation, but they always did it affectionately.

“Perfect.” Winnie squealed with delight. “I just cannot wait to see her face! This is the best plan ever, and we totally pulled it off!”

“Not yet we didn’t,” I reminded her. “This was only part one. You’re sure that dress she really loves can be done in time?”

“Diane has already been working on it. She pretended to have an issue with a seam the other day and asked Millie to put it on—she says it’s all under control.”

“Good.” I took a deep breath. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. And Zach?”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck.”

After we hung up, I went over to my leather laptop bag and pulled out the small hinged box, opening it up to reveal the ring I’d chosen—an Art Deco-inspired style with an emerald cut diamond in the center and two smaller ones on each side, set in shiny platinum. The stones caught the light coming in from the bedroom window and sparkled the way I hoped Millie’s eyes would when she saw it.

The last two months had been the happiest of my life. I’d moved in with her a couple weeks into January, and although I still traveled a lot for work, coming home to her was even better than I’d imagined.

Jackson had said there was no problem with me using Michigan as a home base. For now, I was keeping my job with Cole Security, but Millie and I talked a lot about the whiskey bar idea, and she’d introduced me to a family member of hers who’d opened up a microbrewery here in town. He was a great guy and offered to talk to me about business any time.

All of Millie’s extended family was great, actually—I’d met a ton of them by now, and they were a close, welcoming bunch. I saw Mason quite a bit too. Lori was due any day now, and the two of them were beside themselves with excitement. I was happy for them, even if I wasn’t thrilled about being a grandpa at my age.

But life was good.

And it was about to get better.

MILLIE

“You’re sure you can do it in time?” I fretted.

“I’m positive. It already fits you near perfectly.” Diane stuck one more pin in the dress I had on, a stunning gown that fit snugly over my upper body and flared out beneath the hips. It had long sleeves and an illusion bodice, and the lace was Chantilly. None of the other dresses Olivia had been slated to wear could be altered in time, but this one was my favorite, so I was really hoping it could be in the show. Diane stood up and patted my shoulder, checking my reflection in the mirror. “Gorgeous. I’m sorry none of the other dresses fit, but I promise this one will be done.”

“Okay. Thank you so much.” I stepped off the riser, holding the dress off the floor. “I’m just going to run home and do my hair. I’ll swing by to pick up the dress when I’m on my way back to the show.”

“Sounds good.” Diane smiled and followed me to the dressing room. “I’ll help you take it off.”

At home, I raced frantically up the stairs and jumped into the shower. Zach was already gone—he’d left about an hour ago for the airport to catch a flight to Denver. A job had cropped up last-minute, and he’d offered to turn it down so he could be at the show, but I’d told him it was okay. He was so supportive of me and my work in every possible way, from taking care of dinner on my late nights to maintenance work in the shop to giving the best foot rubs ever if I’d been standing all day.

I missed him when he was gone, but his homecomings were always a thrill. We’d been talking more often about the day when he might stop working for Cole Security and start a business around here, but I never put any pressure on him. Nor did I question when he might schedule his reversal surgery. We weren’t exactly taking things slowly (had we ever?), but he’d upended his life and moved across the country for me. It was enough for now.

After my shower, I blew out my hair, curled it, and pinned up the back, leaving some pieces in the front to frame my face. We had a makeup artist for the show, so I left my face bare, stuck my heels in my bag, and pulled on sweats and sneakers.

As I was tying my shoes, I caught a glimpse of my tattoo and smiled. It was an anchor, placed on my inner forearm so it would mirror the one Zach got for me. I liked looking at them side by side—the compass a symbol of guidance, the anchor a symbol of stability. Whenever I saw it, I was reminded of Zach, not just because he’d been a sailor, but because his presence in my life was solid, strong, and comforting.

When he held me, I was home.

Back at the venue, there was a surprise—Olivia, the model who’d texted me that she had to cancel her appearance, was there.

“My dad is doing much better,” she told me. “I ended up not having to leave town. I just texted you.”

“I’m so glad,” I said. “But shoot! I didn’t get your message in time and one of your dresses was altered to fit me.”

“No big deal.” She smiled and patted my arm. “You wear it. I’m sure it’s stunning on you. I’ll just model the other three looks.”

As the makeup artist was finishing with me, Winnie came over, a clipboard in her hand. “Couple things,” she said. “We switched the order of the show. You’re going to be last.”

“What?” My heart started to thud. I didn’t love last-minute changes, and I already felt like I had whiplash today. “Why?”

“It just works better.” She was already walking away from me. “But don’t worry, everything is going smoothly and there’s a packed house out there who can’t wait for the show. I’m going to get it started.”

Within a couple minutes, the music began, the announcer came on the mic, and the first model stepped in front of the curtain. The cheers that erupted from the audience nearly brought tears to my eyes. And I wasn’t the only one.

“I saw someone crying!” said one of the models as she hurried by to get into her next dress. “Like, in a good way!”

“Really?” My heart was pounding with joy and exhilaration. “That makes me so happy!”

But as we neared the end of the show, I began to get nervous. I was in my dress, which fit like a dream, and one of the assistants was pinning a veil to my hair. “You look beautiful,” she said. “You ready?”

“I think so.” But I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I turned around. “Dad?”

“Hi, sweetheart.” He came toward me dressed in a black tuxedo, his hair neatly combed, his blue eyes shining. Winnie was beside him.

“You look amazing,” I said, laughing in spite of my nerves—or maybe because of them. “But what are you doing here?”

“We thought it would be a nice touch,” Winnie said gleefully. “A little throwback to your first fashion show.”

“I like my outfit better in this one,” he said as he offered me his arm.

“Me too.” With my heart still jumping, I put my hand on the inside of his arm. “This is so sweet, Dad. Thank you. I’m less nervous with you at my side.”

He smiled. “I’ll always be here for you.”

A moment later, we were being ushered out onto the catwalk. The crowd cheered, and I squeezed my dad’s arm as we slowly made our way to the end of the runway, at which point we were supposed to pause, then turn around and walk back. I was wondering if anyone had explained that to him when suddenly I saw a familiar face at the back of the room.

My jaw dropped.

Zach was moving toward us, also dressed in black tie, his dark eyes locked on mine. The end of the runway had two steps, which he ascended without ever looking away from me. Beneath the music, I could hear the surprised whispers in the audience, who were watching the drama unfold with rapt attention.

My father nodded. “She’s all yours, Zach.”

“Thank you, sir.” They shook hands, and my father went down the steps and took a seat next to Frannie and the twins, who were all in the front row on the left side. Felicity was there too, her phone in front of her like she was recording this.

The volume of the music was lowered, and I looked at Zach. I could feel my heart in my throat. “What’s going on?”

But instead of answering, he went down on one knee.

The audience went wild, and Zach waited until the room quieted a little before speaking. “Millie MacAllister, you captured my heart the moment I saw you. And I never want it back.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box and opened it up. Within the black velvet interior, a ring sparkled and shone in the lights. “Will you marry me?”

For a couple seconds, I was too stunned to even answer. And when the word yes came out, it was only a whisper.

“Louder!” yelled Winnie.

“Yes!” I shouted to the ceiling. “Yes!”

The crowd erupted once more, and over the speakers, the DJ blasted “Beautiful Day” by U2. But I barely registered any of it because Zach was sliding that gorgeous ring onto my shaking finger. He squeezed my hand and stood up, and I lifted my face to him. When his lips rested lightly on mine, I swear I felt the earth move. When he took my hand and kissed my knuckles, my heart nearly burst. When I glanced down at the ring, it was blurry through my tears.

The other models returned to the runway for a final bow, and the audience members jumped to their feet, whistling and applauding. I looked at my family and touched my heart—they’d taught me to believe in myself. I looked at the man beside me and took his hand—he’d taught me to trust in love. And I looked around this room, where I’d run around as a child with a million dreams, so full today of joy and hope, and felt my bones reverberate with the celebration of life and love and possibility.

The future was bright.

THE END