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/>Her foot faltered on the stone path and he steadied her by pulling her against hirassy area where white chairs had been arranged for the cerehtly bloo

“This

Men and woroups between the house and the cerenized a few staffwashed over her Should she be here?

“So?” Ryan asked, as they arden

He always seemed to knohen she was disturbed She pulled away froht me? These are the people you ith and I’m not one of them”

“Look at aze was intense “I wanted you here with me” He took her hand “I want to introduce you to some people I ith”

With Ryan beside her she was capable of facing anything Phoebe had no doubt that he would remain beside her She could rely on him What it all came back to was that she could trust him He would be there for her This was the kind of relationship she’d been looking for, drealanced at his profile, and smiled

Phoebe recognized a nuuests from their pictures on the wall of the clinic but there was no reason that they would know her She had only been a patient of Sophia, and now Ryan Still, were they surprised to see hinant date?

She pulled on Ryan’s hand, bringing him to a stop “In that case, we both need to look our best Let hten your tie”

“What’s wrong with my tie?”

“It just needs an adjustainst him as she reached up to move his tie a centiazes met

“No, you’re perfect” She blinked His low raspy voice sent a ripple of awareness through her

“Thank you,” she said softly, “and thanks for this evening It’s already been wonderful” She meant that with all her heart

His brow arched “We haven’t done anything yet”

“I know, but it was nice just to be invited out” And to be treated as someone special

The group opened up as they approached to include the everyone His hand came to rest on the curve of her back “And this is my friend, Phoebe Taylor”

She noticed that Ryan had presented her as a friend when he’d only introduced the people he worked with as his colleagues It seemed as if he didn’t have many people he considered friends Yet he and she had formed what she would call a friendship Why didn’t he have more of them?

Ryan was acting nothing like he had the day she hadfrom the world for some reason? What had happened?

She smiled and listened to the conversation and banter between the roup Ryan wasn’t left out He was obviously liked so why didn’t he consider any of them his friends?

A few minutes later the notes from a harp sounded to announce it was ti their seats

“Sophia has pulled out all the stops for this wedding I don’t believe I’ve ever been to one with so the harp,” Ryan whispered His breath brushed her neck as they stood in line, waiting for the usher to seat them

Shivers ran down her spine Thankfully her reaction went unnoticed because a tuxedo-wearing groomsman approached He offered his ar

As they took their seats Ryan spoke to a couple of wo behind them One he introduced as Isla, the head midwife in the maternity unit, and her husband, Dr Alessandro Manos, as one of the doctors there Phoebe recognized Isla from visits to the clinic A number of times Phoebe had seen her in the hallway She was also very familiar with the proes She and Isla had sonant as well but not as far along as she was The other wo obstetrician from London but she didn’t catch her date’s name

After they were settled in their chairs she glanced at Ryan He wore a stoic look She leaned toward hi to do, is it?”

His shoulder touched hers TheyWhat would it be like to be loved by Ryan? Auess She’d sworn to herself she wouldn’t cross the line, had e the saer

“Do you know a man that enjoys this?”

She paused “No, I guess not We don’t have to stay”

“I pro and I don’t plan to disappoint you” Ryanhis roar women”

Was he looking forward to dancing with her astian to sing a hy Phoebe noRyan hold her She wasn’t sure she could have commented if she’d had a chance Minutes later the parents of the bride and grooroomsmen stepped to the altar, which was defined by a white metal arch

Phoebe straightened her back as far as she could to see over the heads of those sitting in front of the thelanced at Ryan and iined what he would look like in a tux Very handsome, no doubt She could only see the top of the best man’s head He was in a wheelchair

Ryan put his arm across the back of her chair and whispered, “That’s Aiden’s brother, Nathan, in the chair”

Phoebe nodded

The harpist continued to play as the bridesht yellow knee-length dresses of various styles Each carried a bouquet of white daisies As they joined the ainst the backdrop of trees and plants