LEAD ME ON Julie Ortolon (mind reading books .TXT) 📖

She dug in her heels. “What, start a family?”

“No, get married. You’re even dressed already.” He frowned at her dress. “Although why are you wearing that dress and carrying a bride’s bouquet?”

She looked down and laughed, since she’d forgotten she was holding the bouquet. “Rory and Chance renewed their vows this morning and I was her bridesmaid.”

“Oh, that explains it. I thought I was hallucinating. But as long as you’re dressed and have the flowers, let’s go find a judge.”

“No.”

“No?” He paled.

“We need a license, silly.”

“Oh, license. Right. I knew that.”

“And”—she cupped his face—“I want the whole family here, so we have to wait until Rory and Chance get back from their honeymoon. If I’m only going to marry once, I want to do it right.”

He pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand. “Just as long as you don’t change your mind.”

“I won’t.” She smiled. “I love you.”

“Thank God. And thank you, Marguerite,” he called to the house. Alli frowned in confusion and he smiled. “For making me the luckiest man alive.”

Epilogue

“Oh man, I forgot to tell you something!” Scott sat upright in bed.

“Hmm?” Alli murmured sleepily, her body exhausted from a day of packing boxes.

Scott turned toward her, propping his weight on one elbow. “I can’t believe I didn’t tell you this, but with everything that’s been going on, I flat forgot.”

“Well, we have been rather busy lately.” She smiled as she ran a fingertip over his bare chest. They’d been together constantly for the two weeks since he’d proposed. Once he’d calmed down, Scott had decided he wanted to give her time to get to know him and be completely sure about marrying him, but not too much time, since he was more than ready to tie the knot.

She was eager as well, and her certainty grew with each passing day. The more sure he became of her love, the more he relaxed his guard, showing her how much he needed that kind of total acceptance. She’d always had that with her siblings, but watching him experience a family’s love for the first time made her appreciate it even more.

So, they’d set the wedding date for New Year’s Day, thinking it an appropriate time to start a new life together, and were currently in the process of moving Scott into the Bouchard Cottage—an irony since the Bouchard descendants now lived in the mansion. Aunt Viv might be thinking of retiring, but she wasn’t ready to leave New York just yet. She’d offered to let them live there until more permanent plans could be made. Alli wouldn’t officially move in until after the wedding, though so far they hadn’t spent a night apart.

A week after Rory and Chance returned, she and Scott headed for New Orleans to pack up his things. He planned to keep the townhouse, for all of them to use as they wanted, but his official residence would be Galveston so Allison could be with her family and continue to work at the inn.

It was at the townhouse that Alli met his mother for the first time. She and Chloe had been packing up Scott’s office when DeeDee LeRoche came by, full of complaints and hurt feelings that Scott hadn’t so much as called to let her know he was back in town. He was such a horrible son, she told Allison, he never thought of anyone but himself. And if he was moving to Galveston, what was wrong with living at the beach house? she wanted to know.

After half an hour with the woman, Alli decided DeeDee wasn’t intentionally cruel, she was simply self-absorbed and a bit of an airhead. A very stunning and surgically well-preserved airhead. When Scott introduced Allison as his fiancée, his mother didn’t recognize the name until he explained the St. Claires were the new owners of Pearl Island. Then she’d just looked horrified and asked why in God’s name anyone would want to buy that derelict old pile of stones. When Scott finally walked her to the door, Alli overheard the woman tell him, “Divorces are so messy, why don’t you just live together?”

Unfortunately, Alli had still been standing in the middle of the office with her mouth open when he returned. He’d taken one look at her expression, cringed and said, “Okay, I know you love me, I’ve got that part down, but are you sure you can handle my family?”

Laughing, she’d opened her arms, hugged him close, and assured him she wasn’t going to call off the wedding just because his mother was a rude ditz.

That had been hours ago. Now the boxes were packed and ready for the movers. Beyond the French doors to the balcony, night had fallen. Only an occasional shout or rowdy laugh could be heard in Scott’s quiet corner of the French Quarter. She snuggled closer to him in the big sleigh bed and suppressed a yawn. “What did you forget to tell me?”

“That I found Lafitte’s treasure.”

She pulled back, her eyes wide as sleepiness vanished. “What?”

“Well, not found it literally, but found out what it is.”

Sitting up, Alli gathered the covers over her naked breasts. “Well? Tell me.”

“Bobby’s friend, Jackie Taylor, in Corpus Christi—”

“The one who owns the Pirate’s Pleasure.”

“Yes, her. She’s a descendant of Jack Kingsley.”

“You’re kidding.” Alli’s eyes widened. “I knew she was named after him, but I didn’t know she was related. I wonder why she didn’t say anything when she came to Pearl Island last year.”

“Because Bobby was right when he said her father’s treasure hunts are a sore spot with her.” Scott scooted up to lean against the headboard. “In fact, I had a hard time getting her to talk to me at all. I called her purely on a hunch after reading Marguerite’s diary. At first, she denied any connection. Then she admitted to being a descendant but told me quite bluntly that there was no treasure,