Ali took the offered hand, warm and solid, and stepped out of the limo onto the red carpet. Cameras clicked, flashes flickered, and journalists jostled for comments. Dressed in a deep red gown, she marveled at the difference a year makes.

Twelve months ago, she dreaded attending the Liberty For All Ball. Lonely and depressed, the event represented everything she hated about her hollow life. Her dress had been stark white, a reflection of the lack of anything to colour her world. On the outside, she was the envy of many, their assumption her life was perfect. Her walls kept her safe, but inside fear festered, her broken heart bleeding internally.

"Ali, Ali, over here," shouted a faceless voice in the crowd of paparazzi.

Fingers settled on the small of her back as Sam leaned in and whispered, "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

His presence, here, now and always stood as a beacon to remind Ali, she was no longer alone. A chance encounter, a flirtatious exchange, a spectacular kiss were all it took to shift her world from black and white to every colour under the sun. That and a few dollops of drama, a lot of hard work and a commitment to communication.

She'd spent most of her life locking up her emotions, never talking about them. Undoing that training took time. Time and effort. Ali Stinson wasn't perfect anymore. She made mistakes, she faltered, she failed. But with Sam Freemont Harrington, she knew she would always have someone to talk to, to support her dreams and to love. And man, did she love him.

"Well, you chose the dress, my love."

"But you make it come alive." Such a way with words, this man. From the beginning he'd shown her with words and actions that he loved her as well.

What a difference a year made indeed. Ali walked down the carpet, free of walls, her heart whole, beating with the flush of love in every pulse.

"Who are you wearing?"

Giving a twirl for the reporter and his photographers, the flowy material swirled around her like a thousand flames coming to life in a dark night. "Now Harry, you know I prefer to wear Jonathon Sparks custom designs."

Up ahead, Jonathon guided her mother past the catcalls from reporters. Inside, The Beetons were probably already seated at her table. She couldn't wait to see the pair of octogenarians, catch up on their lives. 

Emily and Finn had flown in for the week. The couple were staying with Ali at her mother's place. Finn had rented a boat yesterday and whisked Emily out onto the ocean for a romantic getaway. Then the two couples had spent the evening before together, talking and laughing into the wee hours of the night.

Leif and Charlie made the trip out to L. A. together with a stop on the way in Las Vegas. Ali didn't want to know what trouble the boys did or did not get themselves into. Knowing Leif, the trip would have been quiet–maybe golf and a show, but Charlie had a knack for getting himself and anyone in his nearby vicinity into all sorts of messy situations. There had been no call in the middle of the night to bail them out of jail–this time.

The boys were flying back tomorrow with Sam's parent's Christopher and Evelyn, who insisted on supporting Ali in her charity endeavours on the west coast. Sam's mother promised Ali it wasn't an imposition, and his father backed his wife up. Ali couldn't have asked for better in-laws.

Sometime tonight, Brenda and her husband would join the group. Brenda adhering to her always late for the ball tradition. A year ago Ali had trouble asking her friend for a ride and now the two were in business together, set to bring Stinson Studio designs to the world.

And beside her, looking resplendent in a silver suit, stood her personal knight in shining armour, the love of her life, her husband, Sam Harrington.

No, Ali Stinson was no longer alone. In fact, family surrounded her. The best family a girl could ask for. A family of her choice.

This time the journey down the red carpet was full of genuine smiles, true confidence, her ruby red lipstick a choice not a necessity. Even the site of Kate, her old nemesis, decked out in diamonds from wrist to neck, didn't bother her. Kate could have her diamonds, she could win the false rivalry that existed between them, Ali didn't care anymore. She had better things to concentrate on.

A server offered her a tall glass of champagne as they entered the throng of partygoers. The tiny bubbles tickled her tongue as they entered the throng of black tuxedos and fine silk. The ballroom's low lighting illuminated the ostentatious flower arrangements and white tablecloths. Sam and Ali circled the room, stopping to chat with donors and guests. Familiar faces in fancy dress greeted them as they approached their table.

"Your design is a big hit." Ali informed Jonathon as she sat beside him.

"I have a great muse." Jonathon kissed her on the cheek as Ali felt her cheeks heat.

Leif seemed to be talking Finn's ear off, and the ex-military man, looking out of his depths, shifted in his seat. Emily, who was deep in conversation with Mrs. Beeton, snaked her hand down Finn's arm and entwined their fingers. At the contact, Ali watched Finn visibly relax, taking a moment to rub his thumb across his fiancée's ivory skin.

She caught Emily's eye, and the two nodded at each other. In recognition of their similar pasts–living a half-life, devoid of emotion and the obstacles they've overcome to find themselves again. Ali couldn't be happier for her friend and her reunion with the love of her life.

"My love." The combination of Sam's low whisper in her ear and his hot breath tickling her neck sent shivers through her body. "Would you dance with me?"

She couldn't resist gracing him with a grin. "Yes."

Out on the dance floor, Sam placed a hand at her waist and clasped the other in his. As they moved to the music, she couldn't help but think of doing this on her wedding day. Emily would be there, holding her bouquet as maid of honour. Charlie will stand up for Sam as his best man. And in front of family and friends, she'd get to pronounce her love for Sam for all the world to hear.

True, it won't be their first wedding day. Yet that won't make it any less special. They didn't need a piece of paper or a vast ceremony to cement their love. They only needed each other.

Finding Lynn in the sea of people, Ali spotted her talking to a gentleman by the bar. This was the first time her mother had supported one of Ali's causes, and her presence represented the new direction their relationship was heading. Lynn raised a martini to her lips. Seems some things never change. Her mother smiled at the gentlemen. Or flirted? The thought caused Ali to giggle.

"What are you thinking about?" asks Sam.

She met his jade eyes, sparkling in the light of the dance floor. "How lucky I am."

"Oh really? Do enlighten me."

"Well, Let's see." Ali playfully looked up at the ceiling. "I have this beautiful dress."

"You do look ravishing."

Even after a year together, Sam could make her stomach flip. "Thank you, Mr. Harrington. I'm friends with the designer, don't you know."

"You don't say?" Sam's dimple made an appearance.

"Yup. Oh and then there is the fact I just became the CEO of my first company."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "First?"

"Well, you never know."

"True. We can't tell what the future will bring."

"I know one thing for certain." She ran her hand along his shoulder, down his chest, and placed it over his heart. Even through the fine fabric of his suit jacket, she could feel the increase in his heartbeat.

"And what is that, my love?"

She leaned in and placed a light kiss on his luscious lips. "I will spend my future with you."

"Anything you want, my love."

Sam offered her the world. Ali needed just one thing. "I only want you."

Hi there! D. L. Croisette here. Can you believe we've come to the end of the third and final book? I can't. Although this is the end of the story (maybe) from Ali and Sam's point of view, it's not the end of their tale. They have already made an appearance in True Blue - the second chance romance featuring Emily and Finn. I'm sure they will pop up in other books as well. 

They say there's two sides to every story. So, are you interested in Jack Blackhorne's?  Can the villain be redeemed? Does he deserve a chance? Find out in the next book in the Ruby Red Romances Collection - Black Hearted. 

Jack Blackhorne never wants for anything. Or so he thinks. Money's not an issue, influence in the boardroom and the bedroom never a problem. But after losing (ouch!) to his ex-wife, something shifts in Jack's world. When he bumps into a firecracker of a woman in a club, his life erupts.

Solana Wilde has never met a situation she didn't have an opinion on or a bridge she didn't like to burn. But all that running is getting tiring. Will the man who lit her latest fire be the one to make her want to stay in one place for once?

Interested in Jack's story? Click on the link in the comment here to start reading --->