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She smiled at the inference that she should keep hian to play A short walk later, Julie’s eyes pinched with tears as she watched the faces of the bride and groom fill with love For the first tie

The bride did not fall down as she had feared but the bride’s ant reception hall It was filled with tables decorated in the sa-to-floor s overlooking the river There was a fire burning in a corner stone hearth, and long tables of food lined the walls, the scents of yu the air The entire scene held a ro as perfect as the couple who had just beene, Julie watched as Lauren and Royce had their picture taken for the millionth time since the day started They were happy, in love, and ready to be alone A person would have to be blind to

She walked to a , a sense of happiness and loneliness filling her that was at odds with the hundreds of people around her She never spoke to her mother, and hadn’t seen her father since she was a srand?" Luke said stepping up beside her as he settled his hand on the small of her back A shiver of awareness rushed down her spine He had taken advantage of every chance he could to touch her throughout the events of the day and she couldn’t say that she was sorry

She turned to face hi her emotions "That they really love each other"

Luke looked at his brother and neho stood not far away, and then back at Julie "Yes," he said thoughtfully "I believe they do"

She looked down, breaking eye contact with his she didn’t understand These last few days she’d been one big bubble of out of-character e her look into his eyes "You okay?"

He was so confident, so sure of who and what he was She’d thought she was, too, but her world was spinning out of control, and she barely recognized herself right now A part of her wanted to let go for the first time in her adult life and lean on Luke, but the past few days reminded her how iet that, and she couldn’t afford to forget

"I’ain, before she said soret She stared out at the water rather than into his soft brown eyes They et lost in him But Luke did what Luke always did He refused to be dis was announced on the microphone

"Come," Luke said and took her hand "We can’t miss the cake You like sweets toowith hi on her plate She laughed and gave him a chunk of her cake That he knew her so well, and she him, made her chest feel funny

When it caroom to dance, Luke slipped his arm around her waist "We’re next"

A few moments later she was on the dance floor, in his ars brushed, the heat of his body seeping into hers "This is where you belong," he murmured near her ear