the grand ballroom

ose to their feet, faces turned toward t

ight and brittle. Victoria had just finished assuring the closest guests that the gro

way. And Hallie appeared, on

ctive silence fe

into confusion. The bride was the bride, stunningly

dressed, and handsome en

solutely

s if she could incinerate him with her gaze alone. Beside

ked gasp. "That's no

ed murmurs rippled

ng things? The groom

e's so much more ha

are the Carlisl

terrogation. But with her hand on Julian's steady arm, she walked d

d powerful, his presence so commanding it was as if he w

bewildered. He looked from his notes to the approaching cou

and whispered, "Proceed as planned.

at a side entrance. A delivery man in a rumpled uniform pu

's face went from white to red to a shade of purple that did

was already tearing the tape off the

ved. Thirty turtles of all sizes scrambled out of the bo

g. One of them, moving with surprising determination, made a beeline

- and stumbled back into her husband. The room erupted. S

were out, cameras clicking, people leani

rtles?" "This is the best

" The laughter, the scrabbling, the furious sputte

topped being a wedding and be

inting a trembling finger at Hall

tched the Carlisles' purple faces, their utter loss of contr

only the

through the noise - clear, unhurried, carrying to the back of the r

ie smiled. She glanced at Julian - still calm, still watching her

e to introduce my true hus