“It’s Easton?” the three yelled in unison.
“Ivy Ingles,” came a voice over the chopper’s speaker—the pilot, she guessed. “Please step out of the limo and join Mr. Sparks on the flatbed.”
A rush of chills rippled up her arms at the sound of his name—a confirmation that it was, in fact, Easton.
“Oh my gosh!” Taya squealed.
“He is gorgeous,” Joelle breathed.
Jackie moved to push open the door. “You better hurry and get out there!”
A great breeze tossed Ivy’s hair as she stepped onto the interstate. The surrounding cars had rolled down their windows. An old couple in a convertible two lanes over gave her a wave.
Ivy flattened a hand over her gown; its fabric, caught between silver and white, looked like diamonds in the light. She spun to face the open door where her sisters watched with wide eyes. “How’s my hair? And my dress?”
Her heart thundered heavy within her chest.
“Perfect,” Taya and Jackie said at the same time.
Joelle nodded. “They’re right. You look incredible. This is your night, Cinderella. Go get your prince!”
Ivy bit her lip and spun back around. She knew Easton would be waiting for her there, but the knowledge hadn’t prepared her for the sight as he met her gaze. The tux made him look like he’d just stepped off the red carpet. He stood, tall and heroic on the edge of the flatbed, hand extended, eyes fixed right on her.
“Hi,” he mouthed as she walked toward him.
“Hi,” Ivy mouthed back, careful not to catch her gown on her heels. She reached up, placed her hand in his, and reveled in the wave of warmth and relief that rushed through her at his firm grip.
“Put your foot on the towing hitch there,” he instructed with a nod.
She fisted her gown, lifted her foot, and balanced the flat part of her heel on the bar. Yet as Ivy moved to lift her other foot, her gown found its limits.
“I’m pretty sure my dress is going to rip if I move,” she said through a nervous laugh.
“Here…” Easton let go of her hand and grabbed hold of her waist. In one quick move, he hoisted her up and onto the flatbed with him, steadying her as she found her footing.
“You look incredible,” he breathed.
The light from the camera was aimed right on them, a fact that made her realize what was happening here. This must be part of tonight’s live pre-show.
“Thanks,” she said, a new rush of nerves coming on. “You, um…look good in a tux.” That was an understatement. She forced out a slow breath through pursed lips. Calm, Ivy. Calm. For all the years she’d spent working for Channel 13, she never imagined being on TV herself.
The thought made her realize what a big deal this was for Easton, someone whose aversion to the cameras was even greater than her own. Yet here he was, holding onto her hands, assuring her with that heroic, save-the-day look in his eyes. Like he had it all under control.
“Ivy,” he said as the camera neared. “When I first met you, it was plain to see that you were beautiful, ambitious, and determined. I feared that stubborn determination of yours would make you a real pain in the butt. I was actually terrified to be stuck in the same place with you for even ten minutes.”
He chuckled, and so did she.
“But those three days—where we were stuck in that blizzard together—were some of the best days of my life. I saw that you were adaptable, optimistic, funny, bright, and even more beautiful than I’d been able to appreciate before.”
Elation washed over her at his words in a warm, glorious wave. A sensation that made her smile broaden even still.
The camera’s bright light reflected in Easton’s gorgeous brown eyes as he continued, a wry sort of smile forming at his lips. “You’re a lightweight when it comes to moonshine, you’re an excellent storyteller, and you know almost as many geeky fun facts as I do.”
“I think I know more,” she corrected with a laugh.
Easton laughed too and gave her hands a squeeze. “I love that about you.” He gulped, searched her face for a blink, his head shaking absently.
“I’ve been so set on staying single, devoting myself only to the rehab center and my small inner circle, that I never imagined anyone could come in and change that. But you did. For the first time ever, while we were up late talking, making ornaments together, and dancing in the firelight, I pictured doing those things with my wife one day. I pictured you being my wife one day, and I liked it.” Another wave of appreciation and bliss pushed through her.
Easton wiped a hand over his brow and let out a paced breath. It was the first time Ivy detected hints of nervousness. She squeezed his hands reassuringly.
“When we said goodbye at the airport, I said that I wasn’t sure how we were going to make a relationship work, with you in one state and me in another, but that I wanted to at least try.
“Well, I’m still not sure exactly how we’re going to do it, but I’m more determined than ever to make it work. Because I want more of you, Ivy. I want to take you on dates, hear more about your past. Get to know your family and have you meet mine. I want to be a part of your life, and hopefully a part of your future too.”
He rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hands, tipped his chin down, and looked up at her through his lashes. “I am falling in love with you. Please say you’ll forgive me for taking off, and that you’ll give me a second chance.”
Ivy fought back the squeal of joy that threatened to sound in her throat. Her sisters, on the other hand, let those squeals loose from the limo, a fact that reminded her that they, along with all of America, were watching. The bliss in her body swelled. The sensation so tingly warm and filling, she mused it could lift her feet right off the ground.
The camera man stepped closer.
Ivy licked her lips. “Of course I will, Easton. I’m falling in love with you too.”
Crammed cars along the interstate began to honk. Drivers and passengers began to cheer. The lights on the helicopter flashed, and a chain reaction picked up in both directions as far as the eye could see.
Ivy giggled. “This is amazing,” she breathed.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” the pilot asked through the speaker. “Go ahead and kiss the girl.”
Easton grinned as his face flushed red. He pulled her into him then, his smile fading as his expression turned serious. “I don’t mind if I do.” He pressed his full, wonderful lips to hers then, thrilling her with a sensation Ivy had feared she might never feel again.
More cheers came as she wrapped her arms around him and reveled in his kiss.
She pulled back slightly, looked into his eyes once more, and smiled.
It was then that Marsha stepped out of the helicopter, a wide grin on her face, and waved the cameraman out of her way. And were those tears she was wiping from her eyes? The cameraman turned the lens on Marsha, leaving Ivy and Easton with some off-camera time to themselves. Well, and the hundreds of people surrounding them on the interstate.
“Is Marsha letting you off the hook?” Ivy asked.
He nodded. “She’s even raising money for the center right now, during the live broadcast.”
Wow, the woman really was a romantic, wasn’t she? “Is she the one responsible for the tux? If so, I’ll have to thank her.”