Lone Wolfe (30 page)

 
          
‘We’ve
both been blessed, haven’t we?’

 
          
‘And all your brothers too.’
For in the past year all the
Wolfe siblings had found love, and Mollie saw the peace and happiness in each
of their eyes. It was both a blessing and a bit of a miracle.

 
          
‘Jacob
sent this over,’ Annabelle told her, reaching for a white box. ‘I think it’s
your bouquet.’ Mollie lifted the simple arrangement of flame-coloured roses
from its nest of tissue paper. Annabelle made a small sound of admiration.
‘I’ve never seen roses like that before.’

 
          
‘No,’
Mollie agreed quietly as she lifted the blooms to her face and inhaled their
heady scent, ‘you wouldn’t have.’

 
          
Jacob
shifted from foot to foot as he stood at the front of several dozen rows of
white folding chairs set out on the estate’s grand lawn. He still wasn’t used
to being the centre of attention, the focus of so many pairs of eyes. He wanted
Mollie to make an appearance just so people would stop looking at him so much.

 
          
He
also wanted to see her. Touch her. Hold her in his arms and promise to make her
his for ever. The thought, even now, had the power to bring him to his knees,
so utterly thankful for the mercy that had been shown him.

 
          
From
his position beside Jacob, Lucas murmured out of the corner of his mouth,
‘Don’t break down yet. She hasn’t even made an appearance.’

 
          
Jacob
gave his best man a rather crooked smile. He knew Lucas understood how big a
day this was. All of his brothers knew, and his sister as well; they were all
married.
All in love.
All happy.

 
          
It
was more, so much more, than he’d ever dared to dream of. Hope for. He
straightened as the other groomsmen—Alex, Jack, Nathaniel, Sebastian, Rafael
and Annabelle’s husband, Stefano—joined him at the front, radiating out from
his side.

 
          
The
minister gave a tiny cough, and Jacob jerked his gaze to the back of the rows
of chairs. The first bridesmaid, Aneesa, Sebastian’s wife, was coming down the
aisle,
waddling
a little as her first baby was due any
day now.

 
          
Jacob’s
gaze followed each lovely woman as she came down the aisle, smiling with the
joy of the upcoming ceremony and the serenity of knowing she already had that
happiness and love for herself. After Aneesa, came Alex’s wife, Libby, and then
Nathaniel’s wife, Katie, now six months pregnant and utterly radiant. Jack’s
wife, Cara, followed, and then Grace, Lucas’s wife. Rafael’s gorgeous wife,
Leila, also very heavily pregnant with their precious twin babies, came
next—somewhat slowly—and lastly Annabelle, smiling, her scar barely noticeable.

 
          
And then Mollie.
Gorgeous, loving,
wonderful Mollie.
Jacob could see the sparkle in her pansy-brown eyes
from the front, felt the love radiating out from her in warm, giving rays. His
face broke into the widest, most ridiculous grin.

 
          
He
was so
happy
.

 
          
And
as Mollie joined his side, her smile matching his own, the minister gave
another little cough and said, ‘Shall we begin?’

 
          
Two
hours later Jacob was tired of smiling, yet somehow he still couldn’t stop.
They’d been taking photographs for hours, and even though they’d already agreed
on the deal to sell the snaps to a celebrity magazine for a huge sum, all of
which would go to a charity for the prevention of child abuse, he was ready to
be done with it. He wanted to eat. He wanted to dance. He wanted to go upstairs
and make love to his wife.

 
          
‘You’re
looking a little hot under the collar,’ Jack remarked as he came to stand
beside Jacob. Jacob smiled wryly.

 
          
‘Just
a bit tired of the photos.’ He glanced sideways at Jack, knowing that the rift
that had grown between them had not yet truly healed. He hadn’t had a chance to
speak privately with his brother, not since Jack had accused him of running
away a second time by selling Wolfe Manor. He glanced up at the stately house
he would always know as home.

 
          
He
was finished with running away. ‘Jack, I know the last time we spoke—’

 
          
Jack
shook his head. ‘I was angry….’

 
          
‘You
had good reason,’ Jacob said quietly. ‘I’ll never take lightly how much I hurt
you all by leaving.’

 
          
‘It’s
finished, Jacob.’

 
          
‘I
know it is.’ And he did, deep within.

 
          
Jack
gave him a crooked smile. ‘Look at us all now. We’ve made it through all right,
I’d say.’

 
          
‘Thanks
to some amazing women,’ Jacob half joked, although his eyes were on Mollie.

 
          
‘And
one amazing man. I’ve never seen Annabelle look so beautiful.’ Jack clapped his
brother on the shoulder. ‘The past really is finished.’

 
          
Jacob
nodded and pulled his brother into a quick, fierce hug before letting him go
and nodding towards Mollie. ‘And now it’s time I claim my bride.’

 
          
Jacob
pulled Mollie away from the circle of guests, leading towards the sheltered
privacy of the gardens.

 
          
‘Where
are you taking me?’ she asked, laughing a little. ‘Our guests, Jacob—’

 
          
‘I’m
taking you away,’ he told her.
‘Somewhere.
Anywhere.
I just want to be alone with you.’

 
          
Under
an oak tree, in a pool of dappled sunlight, he drew her into his arms and
kissed her thoroughly—although not as thoroughly as he wanted to, or as he
certainly would later.

 
          
Mollie
tipped her head up, smiling into his eyes. ‘This kind of happiness almost
doesn’t feel real. Like a dream.’

 
          
‘Not
a dream,’ he assured her, tucking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. ‘No
more dreams, no more regrets, no more looking back.’ He kissed her again,
filled with a deep sense of peace, overwhelmed with a lasting, buoyant
happiness. ‘This is real. This is our future, Mrs Wolfe.’

 
          
Share a secret about Jacob or Mollie?

 
          
I
think all the big secrets come out by the end of the book! But something that
didn’t make it into the actual story was that Mollie didn’t like her ginger
hair—I’ve always wanted wavy auburn hair myself, so I was quite jealous of her.

 
          
Who is the biggest, baddest Wolfe?

 
          
I’d
have to say William Wolfe, the father, is in many ways the real big bad wolf of
the story, but all the Wolfe brothers seem to have their own tortured secrets.

 
          
Which Wolfe brother did you most fancy?

 
          
Jacob,
of course! I explored his character so thoroughly that I fell in love with him
myself. But I’m sure all the heroes are just as wonderful, and also very
different from each other, which makes me look forward to reading all the
books.

 
          
Which is Jacob’s favourite room in Wolfe
Manor?

 
          
The
nursery on the top floor of Wolfe Manor figures in the story as a place where
Jacob and his siblings had some happy memories, and actually felt safe, so I
think that must be his favourite room.

 
          
How did Jacob pop the big question?

 
          
On
the penthouse terrace of a museum he designed in Paris, right at the end of the
story!

 
          
What do you enjoy most about writing as
part of
a continuity
series; how does it differ from
writing a single title?

 
          
I
enjoy writing continuity books because I get such a lovely sense of being part
of something bigger than just myself. Writing can often be a lonely enterprise,
and I love hearing from editors and authors about all the elements that go into
the continuity. And the moment when I crack open the “bible” that tells all the
back story of the characters and their world is very exciting—and then I get to
jump right into it!

 
          
What do you think makes a great
hero/heroine?

 
          
I
love heroes and heroines who are vulnerable in their weaknesses, and yet find
their hidden strengths through loving each other.

 
          
When you are writing, what is a typical
day?

 
          
After
the morning school rush I usually sit down with a cup of coffee and answer
e-mails and do more business-type things. Then I’m full on being a mum (my
children are in school, except for my youngest daughter who is two) until nap
time. When she goes down for a sleep, I grab the chance to write for a couple
of hours before the other children come home and all becomes happy chaos once
more.