Page 66 of Her Accidental Duke

"Cerberus!" Alistair growled, though his tone lacked true annoyance. "Must you interrupt every significant moment in my life?"

Cecilia knelt, scratching the dog's ears. "He's merely ensuring you do not grow too smug," she said, her laughter ringing out.

Cerberus had been another unexpected bridge between them. The massive dog, initially as intimidating as Alistair himself, had a personality that defied his imposing size. Where Alistair was controlled and strategic, Cerberus was all unbridled joy and spontaneity.

Alistair crouched beside her, his hand brushing hers as they both lavished attention on the overjoyed canine. Then, quietly, he said, "I love you, Cecilia."

She froze, her heart pounding, and met his gaze. The words were simple, but they carried the weight of everything they had overcome. Their journey from adversaries to lovers had been anything but conventional.

"And I love you, Alistair," she replied, her voice steady despite the emotion welling within her.

Cerberus barked again, as if approving, and Alistair laughed, his hand closing over hers. "Then let us not waste another moment," he said. "You and I have a great deal of living ahead of us."

As Cecilia gazed at Alistair, the garden fading into twilight around them, she felt, for the first time in months, entirely at peace. The future stretched before them —uncertain, vibrant, full of possibility.

Nathaniel and Evangeline's wedding celebration continued inside, the music and laughter a distant backdrop to this intimate moment. But here, in the quiet of the evening, Cecilia and Alistair had found something far more profound than any social celebration could capture.

A true meeting of souls. A love both unexpected and inevitable.

The End?