* * *
“Are you decent?” her cousin asked through the door of Ellie’s room.
“Come on in. You have great timing,” Ellie said when Sadie walked into the room, turning to point at her back. “I need help with my zipper.”
“I love that dress,” Sadie said, closing the door behind her.
“Really? I wasn’t sure if I should wear it, but Nate practically insisted that I did.” She glanced over her shoulder at her cousin as she zipped her up. “Don’t you find that a bit odd?”
“No. Why?”
“I wore it for my tour of Main Street with Spencer. I didn’t think Nate would want a reminder of that day.”
“Yes, but don’t forget your romantic dance with Nate. Every woman in the bar that night was practically swooning.”
“Have you forgotten how our dance ended?”
“No, but I have a theory that’s when Nate finally realized he was head over heels in love with you.”
Ellie laughed. “And ran terrified into the night. After he gave Spencer the all clear to date me.”
Sadie grinned. “That’ll be a story to tell your kids.”
“Don’t say that to Nate. He’d probably have a panic attack thinking I was trying to tie him down.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t seen the plaque over your door,” Sadie said.
Ellie opened the door and stepped into the hall. Over the door to her room was a wooden plaque that read Ellie and Nate. Ellie pressed her hands to her chest, incredibly touched. For a man who was allergic to commitment, that sign said a lot. “So that was his surprise.” Except she found it a little odd that he didn’t want to do the reveal himself. “He was honestly ticked that Spencer and I finished higher in the most romantic couple contest than Nate and I did.”
Sadie and Chase had actually won and had their own guest room named after them down the hall, but Spencer and Ellie had come a close second. She and Nate had finished seventh.
Sadie laughed. “I know. Chase told me he grumbled about it for a week. Oh well, he got his revenge. He got you.”
“He did. And speaking of Nate, have you seen him? I haven’t seen him since he rowed over earlier.” She went to the window and searched the gathering crowd. “There’s no way I’ll be able to spot him. He’s probably with his family, Ryder, and Gina.”
“We should get going anyway. You know what a stickler Spencer is for being on time,” her cousin said.
As they walked down the stairs to the reception area, Ellie came to a standstill. “Sadie, look.”
The dining room had been transformed. The tables were dressed with pink linen tablecloths and gorgeous floral displays graced each one while fairy lights lit up the entire room.
“Wow. It looks like love really is in bloom at Mirror Lake Inn. The Happy Ever After set designers are amazing. I’m totally stealing this idea,” Ellie said.
“If you think this is amazing, wait until you see what they’ve done outside.”
Sadie was right. The set designers had outdone themselves. “I don’t want them to take any of this down. It’s so romantic.”
“I think that’s the point. This is the big romantic scene. The one where the couple finally realizes that they can’t live without each other.”
“I hope Nate doesn’t laugh. You know how he is about love and romance. Spencer wants to wrap this up in one take.”
“Places, people!” Spencer yelled.
“He’s wearing his white suit. The one he wore with me on the tour.” Ellie spun around. “I have to change.”
“You’re not going anywhere, beautiful. I love you in that dress,” Nate said from behind her.
Ellie turned and he held out his hand. “Are you sure, Nate? It’ll just take me a couple minutes to change. There’s so many people, no one will even notice.”
“Never been surer of anything in my life.” He walked her to the dance floor.
She tugged on his hand. “Nate, you’re going to ruin Dallas and Deena’s big moment.”
“Relax, babe. Spencer wants the couples who finaled in the Highland Falls contest to dance with them.”
Ellie bit back a laugh. “Honey, I hate to tell you, but I don’t think seventh place equates to finaling.”
“We got robbed. You and Spencer weren’t even a couple,” he said as he took her into his arms.
“But we have a room named after us and that’s all that counts, right?” She looped her arms around his neck and stretched up on her toes to kiss him. “I loved my surprise. Thank you.”
“I hope you do,” he said, his eyes amused.
She was about to ask him what he was up to when Spencer called for quiet and then laid out what he expected from the extras. He directed the couples to move toward the edges of the dance floor once the song began. He looked at Ellie and Nate and said, “I think you two will love our song.”
“Three, two, one,” he said, and then he led his leading lady onto the dance floor to the first strains of Aloe Blacc and LeAnn Rimes’s “I Do” coming over the speakers.
“He stole our song,” Nate muttered.
“Shh,” Ellie whispered, struggling not to laugh. “Move toward the side. You’re blocking the camera’s view of them.”
“Good,” Nate said. Then his eyes went wide. “And now he’s stealing my move!”
Spencer had bent his leading lady over his arm, staring lovingly into her eyes.
“Honey, it’s not exactly your move,” Ellie said. “I must have seen it in at least five movies.”
“I’d never let you fall, Deena,” Spencer said.
Deena cupped the side of his face. “I already have.”
Ellie looked from the couple to Nate. “They totally stole our lines!”
Spencer and his leading lady straightened, and arm in arm they bowed to the audience. “Since we took some creative liberties with one of Highland Falls’ couples’ most romantic moments, we thought it only fair we play their song for them again.” Spencer motioned to his sound woman. “You’ve got the floor, Ellie and Nate,” he said as “I Do” began to play.
“There’s a reason I wanted you to wear that dress again, Ellie. I wanted a do-over. I messed up that night. I wanted a second chance to make it right,” Nate said, looking into her eyes as they swayed to the music in the middle of the dance floor.
“You don’t have anything to make up for, Nate. But I love that you wanted to do this for me. It’s very romantic and a memory I’ll cherish.”
“I hope so.” He stopped dancing and removed her hand from around his neck, holding it as he went down on one knee in front of her.
A sob escaped from between her parted lips and she covered her mouth as he removed a blue velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a gorgeous engagement ring.
“Ellie MacLeod, I promise to cherish you and to do everything in my power to make you happy. I promise to love you for the rest of your life. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
“Oh, Nate, nothing would make me happier than marrying you,” Ellie said, smiling through her tears.