Everyone was too shocked even to speak as they stared at both Killian and Hailey. The crowd seemed to hold its collective breath. Hailey tried to be as calm as possible and not show how nervous she was, but the weight of their eyes pressed hard on her shoulders.
Blake believed he heard wrong. He stared at the couple before him, eyes narrowing, bouncing between Killian's hand around Hailey's waist and their confidently linked arms.
"What sort of nonsense is this?" Blake asked, his voice a low growl. "Hailey, is this some kind of joke?"
"Not a joke at all," Hailey replied, her voice gentle but firm, her chin lifting ever so slightly. "I'm Mrs. Hailey Valtieri."
If silence had reigned earlier after Killian's announcement, now it was dead silent—like the air inside a tomb. Everyone stared, frozen, unsure whether to gasp or applaud.
