Chapter 9 - Planted in Sunlight
Six months later.
May had arrived, bringing warm sunshine and blooming flowers to the Hudson Valley.
The rose garden behind the Moretti estate was magnificent. Hundreds of red, white, and pink roses bloomed in neat, elegant rows around a grand marble fountain.
A long wooden dining table was set under a white canopy on the terrace.
Fifty guests were gathered: local townspeople, Gabriel’s legitimate business partners, Vincent and his new fiancee, my mother—who was currently shedding happy tears in a floral dress—and several nurses from Albany General who still couldn't believe Chloe Reed had married a handsome billionaire.
I stood near the edge of the garden wearing a simple, elegant white silk dress that hugged my curves, holding a glass of sparkling lemonade.
Gabriel walked up behind me.
He wasn't using crutches today.
He walked with a sleek, silver-topped wooden cane, his stride steady, strong, and confident. He looked devastatingly handsome in his dark blue linen suit, the afternoon sun catching the rich hazel tones in his eyes.
He slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me close against his side.
"What are you thinking about, my love?" he asked softly, kissing the top of my head.
I looked out over the blooming roses, listening to the laughter of our guests and the gentle splash of the fountain.
"I was thinking about my first day here," I admitted, looking up at him with a mischievous smile. "When I spilled an entire iced macchiato over your two-thousand-dollar shoes."
Gabriel let out a rich, warm laugh that echoed across the garden.
"Best cup of coffee I ever had," he murmured, leaning down to brush his lips against mine.
"You threatened to bury me under this garden ten minutes after I met you," I teased, running my fingers through his dark hair.
Gabriel looked down at the blooming red petals surrounding us, his eyes softening with a deep, boundless devotion.
"I was wrong," Gabriel whispered, wrapping both arms around me, pulling me flush against his heart. "I didn't bury you here, Chloe. You planted me back into the sun."
May you like
I smiled, lifting my face to his, and as our lips met under the warm May sky, surrounded by roses, laughter, and light, I knew that the clumsiness that had once brought me to his door had given me the greatest, most beautiful love story in the world.
And this time, nobody was going anywhere.
