Page 32 of Landing Love

She gave him a withering glance. “You’d better not break her heart, Bill O’Donnell, or you’ll have me to reckon with.”

He had to laugh at that. It warmed his heart to know that after all Ann had been through, she had such powerful allies. “I would never.”

Evelyn dug her nails into his suit jacket, giving him a dazzling, threatening smile. “Good. Because she’s a lovely woman and has been through quite enough.”

Bill swallowed hard. Why was he afraid of this woman who was roughly half his size? And yet he was. “Yes, Miss Carnegie.”

They reached the back of the church. He expected her to relinquish his arm, but instead she turned to face him. “Don’t ‘Miss Carnegie’ me. I’m Evelyn, plain and simple. And I mean it about Ann. I know Rory and I aren’t supposed to have favorites amongst the women we offer to help, but we both adore her. There’s something special about her. We admire her grit.”

“So do I.” More than he dared let on in current company.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes, and Bill felt as if he were in grade school being scolded by Mrs. Putney for throwing paper airplanes again.

“What did O’Donnell do this time?” Ernie sidled up to them, looking back and forth between them.

“Nothing yet,” Evelyn answered without taking her narrowed eyes off Bill. “But I’m watching.” With that, she let go of his arm and sauntered away to talk to one of the other bridesmaids.

Ernie turned toward him, eyebrows raised. “You going to tell me what that was all about?”

Not likely. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Does it have to do with a certain Long Island widow with a penchant for strawberry cake?”

Dammit. Was he so transparent? “Fine. Yes. She warned me to watch myself with Ann, or she and Miss Belmont… Pardon me. Mrs. Hawley…would have words with me.”

Ernie chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Watch out, or you’re going to go the same way as Hawley.”

He should be so lucky! But he didn’t want his friends trying to matchmake at the reception. “The last thing Ann needs is another pilot husband. I won’t pretend I don’t care for her deeply⁠—”

“Mmm hmm.” Ernie crossed his arms.

“But she isn’t ready. She may never be ready. She’s still grieving her husband, and I will thank you to keep your smirks and your insinuations to yourself at the reception. The fact of the matter is I don’t deserve her.”

“Truer words have never been spoken, you old hound dog.”

And that was the problem. He wanted to be with her with all his heart. He was willing to wait as long as it took. But would he ever be worthy of her, no matter how patient he was?

Ernie let out a sigh. “Don’t look so sad. You think Hawley deserved Miss Belmont? I can see you’ve got it bad for Mrs. Prince. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d settle down, but you may surprise us all. Sometimes love comes when we least deserve it. And that’s the beautiful thing about it. You can’t earn it because it’s a gift.”

Shit. If Ernie Pritchard was lecturing him about love, he must have been even worse at hiding his feelings than he thought. What must Ann think of me?

The organ music stopped, and wedding guests began to flood the vestibule.

Quick. Think of a wisecrack, or Ernie will keep teasing all night. “Maybe you’re right.”

Good job, O’Donnell. That will definitely put him off the scent.

Ernie grinned and squeezed his shoulder again. “She’s coming this way. Good luck.”

With a little shove, he turned O’Donnell into the onslaught of wedding guests. Sure enough, the entire O’Donnell clan was making a beeline for him with Ann at the center.

Her gaze caught his. She smiled, and he forgot to breathe. Even with a bit of lingering redness around her eyes, she outshone everyone around her. And that dress… Dear Lord in heaven, that dress did things to him.

“Bill, wasn’t that the loveliest ceremony you’ve ever seen?” she asked as his family engulfed them.

Too bad he didn’t see half of it because he was too busy looking at her and thinking about her and imagining embarrassing happily-ever-afters with her. Did he have cherubs and hearts floating around his head like a newspaper cartoon? Because it certainly felt that way.

“Absolutely beautiful.” Whether he was talking about the ceremony or the woman in front of him, he wasn’t sure.