Second Chance At Love (Ramesly Brothers #11)

Prologue Twenty years ago.

Classical music could be faintly heard as Henry leaned against the door, watching as everyone was waiting, seated in nice rows with tulle bows at the ends of the pews. Over a hundred people, all important to the Ramesly family, were here to witness the event.

There were only a few college friends on the bride’s side as Cora didn’t have any family. Her parents had passed away when she was young. She had been raised by an aunt who died just before she started college.

Henry liked to think he was on her side.

They had become friends in college after he had found her looking for coffee in the square before classes.

It had been April first and as an April Fools joke, he and some others had moved all the coffee carts on campus to other areas so students would be confused in the mornings.

He had seen Cora, with her big expressive eyes, golden hair, and slim frame.

He had felt an instant attraction. She was a couple of years younger than him.

Henry had offered to lead her to a coffee cart and the rest was history.

Only it wasn’t.

While he was finding out everything about Cora, working up the nerve to ask her out, she was simply viewing him as a friend. A good friend, to be sure, but a friend.

When he offered to take her home for a holiday weekend, seeing she didn’t have anyone to spend the long weekend with, he had thought it would be a good move, to show her that he was becoming serious about her.

Instead she met Nate.

Charming, charismatic, and confident Nate. For the first time in his life, Henry was jealous of his younger brother. Nate sparkled and shined. He swept a shy Cora off her feet and into his arms. Within hours, Nate was all she could talk about.

So Henry shoved his feelings down.

He watched as the minister came out of a side room, followed by Nate and Gerrit. They went to their arranged places at the front of the church.

It was his signal to do his assigned role.

Straightening, Henry turned to make his way down the small hallway to the room which had been set aside for Cora and Henry’s sister Addison. Cora had chosen his sister to be her maid of honor.

He knocked politely on the door and waited as Addison slipped out of the room.

“She’s ready,” grinned Ads.

“You look very pretty,” complimented Henry. She did. The pale mauve dress with a clip encrusted with opals in her dark locks suddenly made Addison look very grown up. Pretty soon his sister would be choosing her own way in the world.

“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself, second favorite brother,” she chirped at him and Henry smiled. He knew that Ben, the youngest of the family, was her favorite. They were closest in age so it was only natural in Henry’s opinion.

The wedding planner urged Addison to take her place as a bridesmaid, ready to precede Cora up the aisle. Henry hesitated only a moment before entering the room where Cora and Addison had prepared themselves for the ceremony.

He found Cora looking wistfully in the mirror. She was beautiful. Not that she wasn’t usually, but today especially with the sweetheart neckline, the floor length satin dress with a small train, and lace sleeves just off her shoulders, Cora was absolutely stunning.

For a moment Henry couldn’t breathe properly. It felt like his heart had stopped beating before suddenly remembering to beat hard and rapidly in his chest.

Cora turned to look at him, a smile gracing her lips. “It really is a shame that all of this is for only one day. I will never wear this beautiful dress again. Silly, isn’t it?”

Henry forced himself to smile, to act like he was just the friend of the bride, and the brother of the groom. If anyone had told him he was a good actor months ago when he had met Cora, he would have laughed at the absurdity of such a statement.

Now, he was an expert at acting like nothing was wrong, like his heart wasn’t cracking into pieces a little more each day.

“You look more beautiful than any bride,” he said softly. “Absolutely lovely.”

“Do you think Nate will like the dress?” she asked with a slight flush to her cheeks, eyes sparkling.

Henry shoved the pain away that her question gave him. He nodded. “He’s going to love the dress and you.”

Cora stepped forward, coming beside him before setting her hand in the crook of his offered arm. “Thank you for walking me down the aisle. I would have felt nervous going by myself.”

“If you’re getting cold feet, I have a car outside and we can flee to Canada,” he offered, pretending to joke. “Or Mexico since it’s warmer there.”

Cora laughed just as he intended. “Come on, I’m ready to get married!”

Henry smiled, basking for just a moment in her joy before leading them outside of the room where destiny awaited.

He listened as the music changed. He watched Addison straighten her back and posture to make their mother Mary proud as she walked down the aisle. He waited until given the signal from the wedding planner to proceed, then he walked, one foot in front of the other, heading towards his brother Nate.

He knew her smile, her bright eyes when she was excited, the way her nose wrinkled when she was confused. Henry knew the curve of her cheek and how she smelled like strawberries and vanilla. He knew what books she liked, how she was addicted to cheesy romance soap operas, and what she liked to eat.

Nate knew all of that too. And soon he would know everything there was to know about Cora. They were getting married, sharing their hopes, dreams, and their entire future together.

Henry kept his face impassive, his feelings to himself as they walked and people watched. Once at the front, he had the sudden wish to grab Cora, fling her over his shoulder and march out of the church. His car was outside. They could leave. They could go anywhere.

But she didn’t want to go anywhere. One look at her face told him that. She wasn’t looking at Henry like he hung the moon, she was looking at Nate that way. She loved him.

So he gave her hand a squeeze and stepped back, letting her go while feeling his heart fall to pieces.