The Dream Prep Epilogues

 

Welcome to the Dream Prep Academy Happily Ever After Afters

The one thing you can count on in a romance book is a happily ever after. I’m drawn to romance because of the predictability and the happy ending. I love knowing, even if there is drama and a third act breakup, there will be a happy ending to close the story. But what happens after the happy ending? Where will those characters be one, three, five, or more years down the line?

This collection is what happens to the Dream Prep Academy characters after their happy ending. Of course, their happily ever afters are going to continue. These epilogues are a thank you for being a a reader. There are also available as a download through BookFunnel. I may add on to these stories when inspiration strikes. If you’d like to know what happens to a pair of characters further down the line, let me know.

It’s not hard to predict what’s going to happen in these epilogues. That’s the point. In my fictional world, the characters get their happily ever after, with maybe a few bumps along the way. They fall in love while young, and many get married young. Afterall…it’s a dream world, and Dream Prep Academy is a place to fall into when you need to escape reality. Keep on dreaming and I hope you enjoy these happily ever after afters.

The Dream Job

Over 2 Years Later

Milo walks out of the ocean, droplets of water rolling off his bare chest, and I can’t stop staring at him. It reminds me of the first time we met, and he’s even more muscular with all the physical labor he does on the farm now. Milo walks across the sand and drops to the large towel I sit on as I hand him a dry one.

“You sure you don’t want to go in,” Milo asks with a cute grin. “It’s very invigorating.”

“I’m fine with getting my feet wet today,” I say and grab an edge of Milo’s towel to help him dry off his wet chest. It’s June in Oregon, and the Pacific Ocean isn’t very warm. “And you have goosebumps.” I run a finger over Milo’s collarbone.

“You’re the one who gives me goosebumps.” Milo leans in and gives me a kiss. “You were staring earlier. What were you thinking about?”

“When we first met,” I honestly reply. We’ve talked about it many times before. “I never dreamt this is what my life would be, but now I can’t imagine it any other way.”

“No second thoughts about today?” Milo asks, his lips a thin line.

I smile at him to ease his worry. “Never. You’re the one sure thing.”

“Are you sure about leaving school?” Milo’s face morphs into his concerned look, and while he’s gotten better at not going into a guilt cycle, big things still throw him off. And this is big.

“I have never been surer of anything,” I say and dig a toe into the sand.

“You dreamed of being an environmental scientist,” Milo says and draws his knees up to his chest and under the towel.

“Dreams change,” I say. “And for the better.” I grip Milo’s towel near his neck and give it a tiny tug to make him look at me. “You are my dream. And I can go back to school someday if I want to. Plus, working on the farm with you is all environmental stuff. I never imagined you’d own an organic farm at the age of twenty.”

“Me either,” Milo says.

We each took a gap year after high school and helped Milo’s aunt on her organic farm near Mount Hood. After the year, I went to college and Milo stayed on at the farm. We talked every night on the phone and visited when we could, but I hated being away from Milo.  When an old farm with fifty acres came up for sale near his aunt, Milo used his inheritance from his grandparents to buy it.

“Now if I can just convince you to get me some miniature goats,” I say in a teasing voice. “My dream will be complete.”

Milo’s concerned look softens, and his lips turn up in a grin. “I don’t think it will take much to convince me.”

I lean toward Milo and let my nose brush against his. “Will this do it?” I whisper before my lips touch his. I taste the salt from the ocean on Milo’s lips as he kisses me back and my fingers tangle in his wet locks.

It’s only when the happy squeal of a young child sounds in the distance we pull away. We’re no longer alone on the beach. It’s a Tuesday in early June and we took a daytrip for some personal business and a visit to the ocean.  

“Mini goats,” Milo says. “How many?”

I chuckle. “We could have someone lead goat yoga classes in the barn.”

“Goat yoga?” Milo scrunches his face up.

“I know there’s already farms who host weddings, but we could add your farm into the mix. We could rent it out for wedding receptions. We’ll get a practice run this weekend.”

“Our farm still needs a lot of work,” Milo replies. “But maybe.”

“And a farm store in the summer and early fall. I bet there are lots of high school students looking for seasonal jobs,” I say with excitement in my voice at all the ideas I have. “Oh, maybe we could get beehives on the farm! They’ll help with the orchard.”

“You have a lot of plans,” Milo comments.

“They’re just plans,” I say and weave my fingers with Milo’s. “You’re the only for sure thing in my life. All I need is you.”

“And all I need is you.” With his free hand Milo fingers the gold sea star charm hanging from a chain around my neck. He gave it to me as a graduation gift a couple of years ago.   

“Alright, Mrs. Whitaker,” Milo says and shakes his head. Water droplets fly from his hair, and I lean away with a squeal. “We have an appointment and I have a surprise for you.”

Milo jumps to his feet and holds his hand out to me. I let Milo pull me up.

“I’m not Mrs. Whitaker yet,” I say. “And that makes me sound so…old.”

Milo has the towel wrapped around him and pulls me into his chest, the towel now around both of us. “Then I’ll just call you my beautiful wife.” Milo places a tender kiss on my forehead, and I could forever melt into him. My hand rests on Milo’s cool, bare chest, and his heart beats hard beneath my palm. It’s the heart he entrusted to me, and I’ll take care of it forever. He has mine.

“I’m getting you all wet.” Milo tries to pull away and I hold him close.

“I don’t care,” I say and press my cheek against his shoulder. The feeling of his cool skin next to mine lets me know this isn’t a dream, but rather a dream come true.

***

An hour later we sit in the car in front of the courthouse, a marriage license in hand, and an appointment with the justice of the peace coming up.

“They’re nearly here,” Milo says after looking at his phone. His aunt and uncle agreed to be our witnesses at our private marriage ceremony. We’ll have a party this weekend with our families on our farm.

Our farm.

For the past year I’ve been calling it Milo’s farm, and he insisted on calling it our farm. But after today it’s official. We’re getting married on a Tuesday, just the two of us. We’ll be married and living on an organic farm. I can hardly wait. I never dreamed I’d be a farm girl, but once I got a taste of it, it’s all I could think about. And Milo shares the same dream, to live a quiet and happy life on a piece of land where we work with our hands. It’s more than a dream job, it’s a dream life.

“How do I look?” Milo runs his fingers through his salty hair.

I twist in the seat of the car, the same car I sat in with Milo when I first worked with him. I reach over to Milo and brush some strands of his hair with my fingers. It’s still long and has the beachy surfer look going on.

“You’re perfectly handsome,” I say.

“And you’re beautiful.” Milo leans in to kiss me. There’s a small remnant of salt still on his lips. He’s like a salty chip with an addicting taste, and you can’t have just one. A single kiss with Milo is never enough.

After the beach we took turns in the car shimming into our clothes for the private ceremony. I have a perfect flowy white dress I found at a thrift store, and I’ll wear it for the reception and photographs on Saturday. Today I wear a simple turquoise slip dress with the sea star necklace. My curls have taken on a life of their own with the humidity and I’m going with it. Milo wears khaki pants which remind me of Dream Prep Academy and a light blue shirt which highlights the blue in his hazel eyes.

Milo’s phone chimes and he looks at it. “They’re here.” He gets out of the car and runs around to my side before I can say anything.

“Someone’s excited,” I say with a grin.

Milo might be excited, but I don’t know if his level can match mine. My body is bursting with energy and everything in me knows this is right. This is where my life should be.

“I have a surprise for you,” Milo says after he pushes my car door shut. “You have to close your eyes.”

“Okay.” I shut my eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on my cheeks. The sound of car doors opening and closing hits my ears, along with what sounds like a whimper.

“Alright,” I hear Milo’s voice say. “Open your eyes.”

I open them and before me stands Milo, the guy who will soon be my husband. His arms cradle a tiny puppy, and if he isn’t the vision of happiness, I don’t know what is.

“It’s not a goat,” Milo says and passes the black and white dog to me. “But I know you’ve wanted one.”

“Oh, my goodness.” I cradle the puppy in my arms as it sniffs me. “She’s so precious.”

Milo beams as he watches me nuzzle the soft dog.

“What’re you going to name her?” Milo’s thirteen-year-old cousin, Anna, asks.

“What do you think we should name her?” I ask Anna. I got to know her when I lived on her farm for a year, and we’ll be neighbors now.

“I think you just said it,” Anna says. “Precious.”

“Precious,” I repeat as the puppy burrows its face into my arm. “Perfect.”

Precious is a word meaning of great value. It’s something to not be wasted or treated carelessly. It’s exactly how I feel about life with Milo. It’s precious.

I hand Precious to Anna, as she’ll watch the puppy while we have our short legal marriage ceremony with the justice of the peace.

“Are you ready?” Milo asks. He holds my hand, and we walk to the door of the building.

“Yes,” I reply confidently.

“Just in case…” Milo reaches into his pants pocket, pulls out something, and holds it out to me. “Want one?”

I chuckle at the sight of two sour gummy worms in his fingers. I pull one out and take a bite.

“I know they’re your favorite,” Milo says and then bites into his gummy worm.

I look at this man next to me with his dreamy eyes. This man who is about to become my husband. This man who I’ll share a puppy and farm with. This man who I’ll eventually have a family with. This man I’ll get to fall asleep with and wake up next to. This man who was my dream job and is now my dream life.  

“You’re my favorite,” I tell Milo. “My favorite everything.”

The Dream Crush

Over 3 Years Later

“Thank you,” I tell Landon. “All this website coding is like putting me in a cave without a light source. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You sure know how to screw things up,” Landon says as he types on my laptop. It’s the same one Case gave me back in high school. It still works, and I see no need to replace it until it decides to act up on me. Thankfully the computer has less antics than Case. He and Bianca are a perfect match for each other, and their antics are priceless.

“I’m the best at screwing things up,” I say and push my glasses up my face with a finger on the lens.

“At least your business is doing well,” Landon replies. I stand behind him and look over his shoulder as he messes around with the coding for my website. I have plans for sale for doghouses, treehouses, and sheds. I hope to expand my online store more.

“It’ll do better once you can get my online shop hooked back up for me,” I say, still dressed in the t-shirt and shorts I wore to bed.

Landon tilts his head back to look at me. He wears dress pants, a button-down shirt which he hasn’t tucked in yet, and a tie loose around his neck. His handsomeness is off the charts this morning.  

“Geez, Lizzie.” Landon spins in his stool, wraps his arms around me, pulls me on to his lap, and then takes my glasses off. “You know this drives me nuts.”

Landon takes the edge of his shirt and uses it to clean the lenses of my glasses. I place a hand on his stomach, still as taut as when he played basketball in high school.

“And you wonder why I always get fingerprints on them,” I say in a sultry voice. I lean in to place a small kiss on Landon’s lips.

Landon places my glasses back on my face, gently pushes my hand away from tickling his stomach, and turns back to the computer, all while I remain on his lap. “I have an interview soon. I don’t want to be late.”

I huff and watch Landon finish typing something on the website coding before he signs off. “I guess I should let you go.”

“Have you thought anymore about my proposal?” Landon gently helps me off his lap and stands. He still towers over me, and while he hasn’t changed much from high school, he now has a beard which gives him a rugged mountain man appearance. I don’t think about all the girls he must fight off at college.

“Landon.” I sigh, shut the laptop, and pick up my mug of coffee. I still live with my dad, and Landon has lived in an apartment near the university for the last year. I finished my tech classes a year ago and Landon has two more years to finish up a combined undergraduate and graduate degree in computer science. “I’m thinking about it.”

“I’m not pushing you to do anything,” Landon says and puts his mug in the sink. He knows I panic when pushed into an arrangement and I’ve done it before. “If not this summer, we could work together next summer. I can do a lot with helping you on your website and setting up an app. I can do the business side of things while you build and design plans.”

“I know,” I say and push my hair over my shoulder. I thought I’d grow it out, but now that it’s brushing my shoulders, it’s driving me nuts. I’ll probably end up cutting it in a week or two. “But I don’t know if us working together is a good idea.”    

“Alright.” Landon is the one to sigh now. “It’s your call.” He bends down and gives me a kiss. “I’ll see you around lunch.”

I’ve started making enough in the last year to support myself. This year I’m working to level up my business and hire help, and Landon wants to be the one to work with me. He’s a great help with the computer side of things, but the problem lies with me.

The problem always lies with me.

“Morning, Lizzie poo,” Dad says as he walks in the kitchen. He still calls me by that nickname. “You guys are up early this morning.”

“Landon has an interview,” I say and head over to make Dad a cup of coffee.

“Ah.” Dad smacks his lips. “He’s not working with you this summer? What’s your plan?”

“Eat a cheeseburger. A few fries might help me figure things out,” I reply. “But I’ll probably resort to screwing up what Landon fixed for me on the website. I need to upload a few more plans for sale, and then reassess my entire life plans.”

“Oh, boy.” Dad grits his teeth. “I swear, if you change course and break up with Landon again without warning me, I’m gonna have a breakdown.”

I pinch my eyes closed tight. If I ever regret anything, it will be breaking up with Landon right after he started college. I got scared with how serious we were and didn’t want to interrupt his college experience, and I did the only thing I could think of…break up with him. I not only crushed Landon, but I also crushed our families, and myself.

“No,” I say. “It’s just…” I groan.

“You’re scared working with Landon will wreck what you have.” Dad watches the coffee stream into the cup from the machine. “It’s the same reason you don’t want to work with me.”

Dad offered to let me apprentice with him, work toward a contractor license, and I could take over his business someday, but…

There’s always a but. And the but is me.

I don’t care what people think of me, but I care what I do to others. And I’m not the easiest to work with. I’m stubborn, get bored easily, seem insensitive, and I dislike commitment unless something is of interest to me. And Landon interests me, which also scares me.

“If you like hitting your head against the wall every day,” I say, “then you’ll love working with me. And I don’t want to be a contractor. I want to build.”

“I get it,” Dad says. “And you should build. And Landon wants to work with you.”

“I know,” I say. “I’m working on it.”

“You already broke up with the boy once…” Dad twists his lips. “Or was it twice?”

“Once for sure.” I twist my lips. “Maybe twice.”

I’m not even sure if the second one was an official breakup. It was me reacting on impulse to a situation, and again, it was all my fault. Somehow Landon and I got on the subject of kids, and I mentioned I didn’t want children. From the way Landon’s face dropped, I knew he thought we would have kids someday. My stupid reactionary impulses took over. I didn’t want to prevent Landon from having kids and without having a discussion with him, I told him we should break up. But Landon knows me better than anyone and waited me out until a clearer head prevailed. He said he wanted me more than he wanted children.

“He knows you,” Dad says. “He loves you and you love him. The guy knows what he’s getting into with you.”

“I know,” I say. I can always count on Dad to set me straight. “But I’m still worried something will happen.” Landon could decide the children issue is a big deal to him.

“Something will happen.” Dad grabs the mug now full of hot coffee. “If this coffee gets cold, I can always warm it back up or make a fresh cup. You just plot a fresh course.”

I roll my eyes at Dad. “You sound like Tessa.”

“Speaking of Tessa…” Dad sets his coffee mug on the counter. “You’ve inspired me.”

“Do I dare ask how?” I tilt my head towards the stairs when there’s a noise. One of my brothers must be up. “Have I inspired you to throw caution to the wind, buy a piece of property with a falling down house, and get married young?”

“I thought that was a classmate of yours who did that?” Dad grins.

“Yeah, there was. There must be something in the water at Dream Prep Academy,” I say. “It’s like a magic potion for young love.”

Dad chuckles. “I can’t argue with that. Your mom must have drank it.”

“They should put a warning or disclaimer in the school brochure,” I say. “Now what’s up with you and Tessa?”

“I’m going to ask her to marry me, but I wanted to run it by you and the boys first,” Dad replies.

My jaw drops. “That’s…that’s wonderful!” I give Dad a hug. “It’s about time.”

“Says the girl who’s been dating her boyfriend for longer.” Dad pats me on the back.

“We still have years ahead of us,” I say. “You’re getting up there with going to be an empty nester when Jack leaves for college in the fall. You’ll need someone here for you to make sure you don’t eat Cheetos for every meal.”

“You’re the one who eats all the Cheetos,” Dad says and lifts an eyebrow. “Plus, you’re still here.”

“Not for long if all goes according to plan.” I smirk at my dad. 

“My house is always open to you.” Dad jokes back. “I can be your backup plan.”

“And I don’t even want to think how this works with the family dynamics. Will this somehow make you Landon’s uncle?” I ask.

“Uh…” Dad again grits his teeth.

“Let me see.” I tap a finger to my chin. “If we all get married, your wife’s nephew will be married to your daughter. So, you’ll be both father-in-law and uncle to Landon?”  

Tessa is Julie’s younger sister. Dad and Tessa met at a Fourth of July BBQ party at the Smith’s house a year ago.

“I can’t even think about that,” Dad says.

“When are you asking?” I wiggle my eyebrows.

“Depends.” Dad repeats my gesture. “I was thinking at the Fourth of July BBQ.”

“Perfect,” I reply. “Is it a surprise?”

“Yes,” Dad says. “I just want to clear it with you and the boys. And maybe you’ll help me pick out a ring?”

“I think Julie would be a better one to ask,” I reply. “It is her sister. Does she know?”

“No,” Dad replies. “I could ask you the same thing. Does Julie know your plans?”

“Uh…” I glance at my phone. “No. She’s going to flip out with all this news.”

“She’ll be inviting us over for dinner as soon as she finds out,” Dad replies and takes a swig of his coffee. “I have to finish getting ready. Will I see you before I leave?”

“Yep,” I reply. “Landon and I aren’t leaving until after lunch.”

***

“Hey.” A hand snakes around my waist as I bend over a piece of wood.

I jump and then grip the hand sliding across my belly. “How many times have I told you to never sneak up on a woman with power tools?”

“Too many.” Landon places a kiss on my temple. “But you’re not working with power tools. You only have a pencil in your hand.”

“I’m dangerous with a pencil.” I grin, set the pencil down, remove my eye protection, and turn to Landon. “How was the interview?”

“I think the internship will be mine if I want it,” Landon replies with a shrug of his shoulders. He’s lost the tie and the top button of his shirt is undone.

“Holding out for something better?” I lift my arms and wrap them around Landon’s neck.

“It depends.” Landon dips his head to mine. “On what benefits I’m offered.”

“Hmm…” I mumble. “You mean something like this.” I extend on my toes to press my lips to Landon’s.

Just like a fully charged battery in a drill, Landon doesn’t disappoint. He deepens the kiss and presses me up against the worktable. My fingers push into the strong muscles of his upper back.

“Cut it out!” A door slams and Jack walks into the garage. “Go get a tent or something. I thought you two were supposed to leave to go camping for the weekend.”

I rub my lips together as Landon releases me. “Um, yeah. We’re leaving soon,” I tell my brother.

“We’re out of ice cream in the house.” Jack reaches into the deep freezer in the garage and pulls out a box of ice cream bars. He waves the box. “You two need one to cool down?”

Landon’s eyes rove over me before he turns to Jack. “I’ll take one.”

I smirk at my boyfriend. “You boys enjoy your ice cream. I’m gonna start packing up the truck.”

A few hours later I direct Landon down a gravel road as he drives his truck.

“You sure you know where you’re taking me?” Landon asks and leans forward to peer over the steering wheel. “We went past the campground we usually stay at, and I haven’t seen any signs for another campground.”

“It’s private,” I say and wipe my sweaty palms on the shorts covering my thighs. “I have special permission to be here this weekend.”

We headed north from Little Banks into the deep woods of Minnesota. It’s prime mosquito land and I packed lots of bug spray.

I pull a lip balm out of the bag at my feet and slather it on my lips while I try to keep my hands from shaking. I’m nervous. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous.

“Turn right, up ahead,” I say with a slight choke in my voice. “At the sign.” I cap my lip balm and use it to point out the windshield at the sign next to the road.

“At the for-sale sign?” Landon wrinkles his nose.

“Yep,” I reply.

Landon turns right into the gravel driveway along the road and follows it through an arch of trees. It’s like driving through a tunnel and the sun light becomes dappled. The sunshine returns as we pull into a clearing with a house up ahead.

“Where do I go?” Landon asks.

“Pull up in front of the house,” I say.

“This is where we’re camping?” Landon asks as he puts the truck in park and turns it off.

“Kind of,” I reply and push up the visor.

Landon comes around and opens my door for me. “What now?” Landon asks as he takes my hand.

“Come with me,” I say and relish the feel of his strong hand around my own.

I lead Landon up the pea gravel walk. It’s seen better days and weeds poke through. The house has also seen better days but is still livable. We walk up the wide steps and onto a large farmhouse style porch, which could use some new wood. A planter rests next to the front door and I lift it to find a key, right where I was told it would be. The owners are old-fashioned and trusting, and it gives me a sense of hope this house could be something good.

“What’re you doing?” Landon asks as I stick the key in the deadbolt.

“We’re going to camp here,” I reply as I push open the door. “There’s no furniture, so we’ll need to bring our cots in here. But there’s electricity and water, which will make it deluxe.”

“And why are we staying at a place that’s for sale?” Landon follows me in.

The front door opens to a dining room on the left and an office on the right. It’s an ideal place to run a business, and there’s a large barn outback perfect for woodworking.

I startle when Landon shuts the front door.

“Are you okay?” Landon asks. “You’re a little jumpy. This place isn’t haunted, is it?”

“That would be an adventure,” I say. “Actually…”

I swallow hard as Landon wraps his arms around my waist and looks down at me. He quirks his chin at me. “What’s going on?”

“I was thinking about your proposal.” I normally don’t have trouble talking about any subject, but this is huge. Life altering huge. A whole lot of money huge. A dream come true huge.

“Is that so?” A small smile builds on Landon’s face.

“I like your proposal-” I start.

“You’re going to let me work with you?” Landon interrupts and gives me his rare tooth baring smile.

“Yes,” I reply, “But-”

Again, Landon doesn’t let me finish and this time he interrupts by planting his lips on mine. His beard is softer than it appears, and I rather like the feel of it against my face. My fingers twine through Landon’s wavy hair and then I gently push him away.

“Let me finish,” I teasingly huff and place a hand on Landon’s muscular chest. “I have a proposal of my own.”  

Everything is quiet and I’m sure Landon can hear my heart pounding against my chest.

“Is this about the benefits I’ll get working for you?” Landon now gives me a closed mouth grin with a hint of a tease.

He’s hard to resist, and that’s why I need to get this out.

“I don’t want you working for me,” I say and look up into Landon’s dark eyes. “I want you to be an equal partner with me in business and in…” I take a deep breath. “Life.”

Landon’s eyes widen in surprise as I pinch my lips together and wait for him to talk. It seems like it takes him forever.

“Lizzie,” he whispers. Landon’s hand cups my face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” I gesture with a hand to the house. “I’m thinking of putting an offer on this house. I’ve talked with the owners and they’re letting us check it out this weekend. If you want, it can be ours.”

“Ours?” Landon repeats and his thumb rubs against my cheek. “Are you sure about this?”

I grab Landon’s hand from my face and hold it tight. “I have quite a bit of money saved up. You need to finish your degree and can work part-time for our business. Your degree gives us a backup if the business isn’t making enough. You can find other stuff on the side and work from home or commute. We can slowly work on fixing this place up and live near the university until you graduate. We have options. What do you think?”

I look up at Landon, eager for his response. I know this is what he wants, but he hasn’t pushed it because I was scared. And while I’m still scared, I want to be with Landon. He’s the one who comforts me when I’m scared of something.

“No.” Landon shakes his head.

“No?” The word emerges slowly from my mouth. I didn’t expect him to say no.

“I mean…” Landon drops my hand and holds his out in a stop motion. “Wait here.”

He hurriedly opens the door and I hear his feet slap across the porch. There’s no sound of the creaky stairs and he must have jumped over them. A few seconds later the truck door slams and then Landon bursts through the door breathing heavily.  

I stare at Landon, unsure what is going on. His reaction wasn’t quite what I expected.

“Yes,” Landon says as he exhales. He kicks the door closed with a foot and walks toward me. “I will do life with you, but now it’s my turn to propose.”

“What?” My eyes widen to the size of large saucers as Landon drops to a knee.

“Lizzie…” Landon pops open a ring box with his hands. “Will you marry me?”

My mouth drops open. I didn’t expect this either. I point at the ring Landon holds out. The diamond catches the light streaming in the window and sparkles.

“When? Why? How?”

Landon chuckles. He knows what I’m trying to ask. When did he get the ring? Why does he have it now? How long has he had it?

“Remember that cruise I went on with my parents the summer after my freshman year of college?” Landon asks and I nod. “The ring was a good price, and you know I can’t resist a deal. I had it appraised when I got back. I got a really good deal on it, and I’ve been holding it ever since.”

“You’ve had it two years?” I look down at Landon.

Landon smirks. “I figured it would come in handy with some girl at some point.”

“And you brought it camping?” I smirk back at him.

“I thew it in on a whim,” Landon replies. “Now are you going to answer my question, so I don’t have to keep killing my knee on this hard floor?”

“Oh, sorry.” I extend my hands out and help Landon up. “Yes.”

Landon pulls the ring out of the box and places it on my finger. “I know you won’t wear it when you’re working,” he says. “And I can order you some silicone ones if you prefer to wear those.”

I hold out my left hand with the ring on it. It’s a round solitaire diamond on a white gold band. Plain and simple. “It’s perfect,” I say and wrap my hand around Landon’s neck. “Would you like a tour of your engagement house?”

Landon looks down at me with eyes full of hunger. “After I kiss my fiancée.”

I grin back up at Landon. “You can kiss me in every room if you’d like.”

And he starts in the entry.

The Dream Christmas

4 Years Later

On Christmas Eve my phone chimes with a text at eleven at night. It's the same text I've gotten at this time for the past four years. And it makes me smile as much as it did the first time.

Jayden: Are you awake?

Me: No

I grin to myself. Even though this is our tradition, and the fifth time Jayden has texted me this, I can play with it. Traditions are meant to be tweaked.

Jayden: Should I send Kaden to wake you up?

Me: No!

Jayden: Are you awake?

Me: Yes

Jayden: Can you meet me outside in five minutes?

Me: Sure

I toss the blankets off, even though I've only been in bed for about ten minutes. Jayden is staying with my family for Christmas. His family moved to Florida this past year and we plan to visit them for New Years. Even though I spent the entire day with my family and Jayden, we headed to bed to keep up with tradition. My hair and makeup are still in place, but I have on the pajamas Mom gifted me. Since it's my senior year of college, Mom is replicating my senior year of high school and all the Christmas decor is pink. She bought everyone pink and white striped pajamas accented with green buttons and piping. She's lucky pink is still my favorite color.

I wait for another text from Jayden to tell me to dress warm, but it seems he's also tweaking tradition and gives me my line.

Jayden: CU soon

Since his parents no longer live down the street, Jayden can't surprise me with a quiet and peaceful setup in his backyard like he's done the past few years. It's not really a surprise anymore, but I love our silent night tradition. I'm curious how he's going to pull it off this year. I would have known if he was setting up something at my parent's house. I peek out my window and it's dark in the backyard.

Jayden didn't tell me to dress warm and I'll forgo the down coat tonight, but I grab my Jayden photo blanket off the bed. It's my comfort item and wraps around me when the real Jayden isn't around. The blanket is worn and ragged, unlike my real Jayden. My Jayden has only grown better with age, and I can't wait to be in his arms again.

The house is quiet and the only creature stirring is Double Scoop. I check on Mom's second mouse near her Christmas village as I walk by. Ice Cream went to the great sundae in heaven over a year ago and Double Scoop was a gift from Dad.

"Shh." I place a finger over my lips as I walk by the tiny white mouse. "I'll be back."

After I close the door behind me, I find Jayden at the bottom of the porch stairs. The Christmas lights are still on, and they make him glow. The joy filling my soul at this moment is immense and nothing can make me blue right now.

"There's my Linnie," Jayden says as his face breaks into a smile.

I rush to my boyfriend and the blanket billows behind me like a superhero cape.

"I like your pajamas." I lift my eyebrows up and down. "Very dashing." Jayden wears the same Christmas pajamas as the rest of my family.

Jayden chuckles. "You're the one who looks cute in pink." He engulfs me in his arms and tugs on the blanket wrapped around me. "I get jealous of this thing. I think it's with you more than I am."

"The blanket doesn't leave me," I say. "You're the one who leaves to go places."

Jayden's arms tighten around me. "I always come back."

"I know." I extend on my tiptoes and place a small kiss on Jayden's lips. "What are we doing tonight?"

"It's cloudy." Jayden lifts his chin to look at the dark sky. "There aren't any stars tonight."

I tilt my chin up also. "That's okay. It can't be starry every night, but they're still there. They'll be back another night."

"We may not have the stars to look at tonight, but I still have a surprise for you." Jayden takes my hand and leads me to his car which is running.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" I ask as he opens the car door for me.

"You need to be patient," Jayden says and grins before he closes me in.

"It looks like we have to go somewhere in the car," I say when Jayden slides in.

"And you need to cover your eyes." Jayden reaches to the back seat and grabs something. He pulls a pink scarf forward. "I'll tie it on you."

"Why do I need to cover my eyes?" I ask as I twist so Jayden can place the scarf over my eyes. It's soft on my skin, but it's Jayden’s fingers in my hair as he ties the scarf which causes my scalp to tingle. Ring a ling…this guy still makes every cell in my body sing a carol of bells.

"You can't see where we're going," Jayden says with a chuckle.

"Did you get to talk to your parents and Jordan yet?" I ask as Jayden backs out of the driveway.

"Not yet," Jayden answers. "They're busy. We'll talk later."

"I'm sorry this is your first Christmas away from them," I say. I can tell Jayden is driving out of Haven Heights as the car pauses to wait for the gate to open.

"Linnie, I can't miss Christmas with you," Jayden says. "They know that. Plus, we'll see them soon."

I lose track of where Jayden drives. I think he's purposely throwing in different turns to confuse me or I'm bad at directions. It's not a long trip and when we get wherever we are, Jayden comes around to help me out of the car.

"Do we have to walk far?" I ask as the cool night air nips at my skin through the fabric of my pajamas.

"Not too far," Jayden replies. "And you can't bring the blanket. I’m not sharing you tonight."

The blanket is pulled from my grip and Jayden's hand slips into my grasp.

"Is it snowing?" I ask. Small drops of moisture fall on my cheeks as I tip my face to the sky.

"It is." Jayden then grips my shoulders in his strong hands. He walks behind me and leads me somewhere.

There's a soft crunch under my feet as my boots traverse freshly fallen snow. We walk on hard ground, but I still have no idea where we are. I strain my ears for any noise, but it's the peaceful quiet of a snowy evening. The thick air muffles sound, but I still hear certain things.

"I can hear you smiling," I say as I blindly take steps with full trust in Jayden's guidance.

"I can't stop around you," Jayden replies.

"I know how to make you stop," I say in a sultry whisper.

Jayden's laugh is a low rumble. "Stop here."

I remain still. My back is to Jayden's chest, and he carefully unknots the scarf tied over my eyes. The soft fabric drops from my face, and I open my eyes to find a magical Christmas wonderland.

"Oh." The word barely leaves my mouth as everything in me stills.

Large snowflakes fall from the dark sky in a cascade of crystals. Everything is coated in a fresh layer of white powder and beauty. I stand in the middle of Main Street in Willow Banks. The trees lining the road are aglow with pink lights and the quaint storefronts are lined in white lights. With the snow falling, everything flickers as if endowed with Christmas magic.

"It's beautiful," I whisper and turn slowly to face the man responsible for this.

I spin to find him on a knee in the fresh snow. A hand flies to my gaping mouth as my heart flutters faster than a jingle bell rock.

"Linnie…" Jayden takes my left hand and looks up at me. Snowflakes dot his short black hair and his eyelashes, and I want to cement this moment in my brain like a snow angel in the snow. "I love you. I don't want to say I'll be back anymore, and I want to tell you I'm never leaving. Will you marry me?"

"Yes." The answer leaves me faster than I can rip into any Christmas gift. This is the best gift.

Jayden pulls a ring from a box. My hand jitters in excitement as he slides it on the ring finger of my hand, but I don't look at it as I pull him to his feet.

"I love you," I say as snow falls and glistens around us. Our lips meet in our first kiss as an engaged couple. Jayden's fingers run along my jawline, and I don't notice the frosty air trying to nip at us. I don't need to dream of a white Christmas, because it's here and even better than I could have dreamed.

"You're freezing," Jayden says when our lips part.

"Your nose is cold," I say as the tip of his nose brushes against my cheek.

"I have one more surprise for you." Jayden's cheek grazes against mine and his stubble sparks every nerve receptor in me. "Come with me," Jayden says.

I notice my body chills as he removes his body from mine and takes my hand. Jayden types on his phone with his free hand and I lift my hand with the ring. It's a delicate and feminine ring with a floral design. A pink diamond center stone is surrounded by a cluster of petal-like white diamonds on a white gold diamond band.

"It's perfect," I say as I admire the ring sparkling in the glow of the lights strung around us.

"You like it?" Jayden pockets his phone in his pajama pants.

"I couldn't have picked out a better one myself," I say. "You know me so well."

"I hope you like the next surprise," Jayden says and I hear the grin on his face. "Come with me."

We leave the middle of the street and head to a shop we're both very familiar with. Scoop It Good is in front of us and as we approach the sidewalk, lights flicker on in the store. A Christmas tree adorned in pink lights shines from the large front window and backlit by lights strewn throughout the store, I see people. All the people I love.

"Oh my gosh." Tears spring to my eyes. "Best Christmas ever."

Jayden wraps an arm around my shoulders and draws me in to him. "They helped set this up and wanted to celebrate with us."

"Your parents and Jordan are here," I say as I spot them near my parents in the store. It's hard not to smile when I notice they all wear pajamas identical to ours.

"Let's go in and have some ice cream to celebrate." Jayden pulls the door open and holds it for me.

We step into the warm store to be greeted by the scent of pine and chocolate, and the embrace of family who congratulate us. There are hugs all around, scoops of Second Chance and Soulmate Spark ice cream, hot chocolate and champagne, and exclamations over the ring Jayden chose for me. As snow falls outside and doesn't show signs of stopping, Christmas Eve turns into Christmas Day.

As the late party winds down, Jayden escorts me into the quiet workroom. I muffle a chuckle at Ernest the elf. He sits on the table, dressed in a tuxedo with dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Is he going to be our ring bearer?" I ask with a side eye at the elf who underwent a makeover.

"You can have whatever you want for a wedding," Jayden replies. "All I need is you."

Jayden's arms wrap around my waist. I look up into his dark eyes and behold the man who transformed my heart. "You're my favorite," I whisper. "I love you."

"Merry Christmas, Linnie. This is only the beginning." Jayden bends his face to mine and kisses me. The blazing emotion behind this kiss is not lost on me as this is where our second chance began. It's where our new beginning will start.

"I don't know if you can beat this next year," I say when our lips part.

"I'll try." Jayden smirks at me. His looks can still make me blush as pink as the stripes on my pajamas.

"Is it too late to text Bee?" I pull my phone from my pocket and look at the time. "It's two in the morning in New York."

"It's never too late to text your best friend," Jayden replies.

I playfully swat Jayden. "You're my best friend, she's only runner up."

"She hates to be runner up," Jayden says as he stands behind me and again wraps me up in his arms.

"She deals with it," I say as I pull up my private texting string with Bianca.

Jayden watches over my shoulder as I text her.

Me: We're engaged!! Jayden asked me to marry him!

Jayden feathers soft kisses on my cheek which keep the sparks flaring. I nearly drop my phone when it chimes.

Bianca: Congratulations! It's about time! You two are perfect together. We'll talk wedding details soon. I expect I'm your matron of honor.

Jayden and I both chuckle at Bianca's message. She always goes after what she wants and lets you know. Of course, she'll be my matron of honor.

Bianca: Merry Christmas

Me: Merry Christmas to you and Case

 

The Sweet Dream

Just over 4 Years Later

“And that’s sweet everythings for today,” Cody says and smiles at the camera aimed at us.

“Thanks for joining us,” I add. “And have a sweet day until we see you next time.” I join Cody in smiling at the camera and waving.

“Fantastic,” Cassidy says and gives us two thumbs up over the camera.

“Got it,” Nick says and reaches over to shut off a light. “Plus, more bloopers than normal.”

Cody points his finger at Nick. “Which you will not do anything with for two weeks. Vacation, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nick shuts off another light and collapses the stand. “Then it’ll be more work in two weeks because I’ll forget everything and have to review the shots.”

“Vacation, buddy,” Cody repeats. “Enjoy it.”

“Work is a vacation for him,” Cassidy teases. “He’s not going to know what to do if he can’t edit footage.”

“He’s going to watch other shows to get ideas for camera angles and shots,” I say.

Nick shakes his black hair and shoves a tripod into a bag. “Sometimes I hate how well you all know me.”

Nick and Cassidy started working for us a little over a year ago when our YouTube channel blew up. After Cody and I got engaged two years ago and published a photo of ourselves to our Instagram account, Sweet Everythings took off. We started a channel with the same name on YouTube where Cody and I bake together. In the beginning, we managed everything ourselves. We did the filming, editing, uploading, and social media. The channel grew and a network offered us our own show. We ultimately declined the network and chose to keep our channel on YouTube. It leaves us in control, and we can limit the number of cameras and people involved.

We hired Cassidy and Nick over a year ago to help with the show. We now film ourselves in Willow Banks from my parent’s house or Cody’s loft. It’s been the best compromise for us. We release photos and videos on our terms, which helps to keep the paparazzi down. We still deal with them in California, which is why we now spend more time in Willow Banks. Cody takes the modeling jobs he wants and limits them to spend time with me. The only time I get in front of the camera is for Cassidy and Nick when we film Sweet Everythings. Plus, Cody and I have a deal to publish our first cookbook, but we have another big event tomorrow.

“You each have to take a pie with you,” I say and point to Cody’s famous pie. We baked some ahead of time for completed shots and made one during the filming. “And here’s some little vacation gifts.”

I hand Cassidy and Nick gift bags with some items I know they’ll use during the two weeks off.

“You’re the sweetest.” Cassidy gives me a hug. “But won’t we see you at your party tomorrow night?”

“I hope you’ll be there,” I reply with a quick glance at Cody. He’s busy helping Nick pack up the rest of the equipment. “It should be fun.”

“Think they’ll be mad we didn’t tell them?” Cody asks after Cassidy and Nick leave. He approaches me from behind and wraps his arms around my waist. His hold on me is more fulfilling than any sweet he’s ever made.

“They’ll understand,” I reply as Cody places soft kisses on my neck, and I close my eyes.

“Is the coast clear?” Mom walks in and I blush as Cody stops kissing me.

“Just us,” I reply.

“Alright.” Mom claps her hands and smiles. “The groom can no longer see the blushing bride until tomorrow. She has things to do.”

“Dress fitting!” Olivia exclaims and rushes in.

“Bachelor party!” Uncle Ted exclaims and shakes Cody by the shoulders.

“Ah?” Cody gives me a questioning look. “What bachelor party?”

My family, Aunt Olivia, and Uncle Ted are the only ones who know we’re getting married tomorrow. Melody and her husband also know, but because she plays a part in the wedding. Our other friends and family think they’re coming for a belated college graduation party. Cody’s sisters and their families are coming, but only because Cody strongly hinted they won’t want to miss the party. Cody is still not on good terms with his mom but does talk to his dad occasionally. His parents were invited but declined to come, and Cody didn’t want to tell his mom we’re getting married for fear she’d spill the news to the media. She let our engagement leak and we decided to counter it by revealing ourselves on the Sweet Everythings page before paparazzi could descend on us to get the first photo.

“Oh, pie!” Dad walks in the kitchen with a huge smile on his face and reaches for the chocolate caramel pretzel pie.

“Not yours.” I bat his hand away. It’s not like he doesn’t get it at the Willow Banks restaurant when he’s there.

“Make sure you try your suit on, Cody,” Olivia says as she opens the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

“I’m sure it fits fine,” Cody says. “I don’t think I’ve changed that much.”

“You’ve changed all for the better,” I say and wrap an arm around Cody as I lean into his side. His hair is now short, and the large bald spot grew back, though he does still get small ones which come and go. Cody takes daily medication for his thyroid which helps his energy levels and hair loss.  

“And you’re still the sweetest,” Cody says and plants a tender kiss on my forehead.

Everyone talks over and with each other and it’s a sweet cacophony of familiar voices as my mom goes over the last-minute wedding details. It’s going to be a casual affair with a small group of guests, who have no idea they’re coming for a wedding. I grab my camera off the counter and snap a few photos of my family before I turn it to Cody.

“I’m pretty sure you have enough photos of me.” He grins and his tiny dimple emerges.

“I can never have enough of you.” I lower the camera so he can see my smirk.

“Good thing you’re marrying me tomorrow.” Cody grabs the pie off the counter. “One more night.”

“One more night,” I repeat as I set the camera down. “It’s hard for me to stay away from you.”

“We’ll share this tomorrow night at my place.” Cody holds up the pie container. “I mean, our place.”

Cody leans in and places a soft kiss on my lips before he leaves with my dad, brother, and Uncle Ted. I don’t even want to know what they’re going to do tonight, but I’m sure Cody will fill me in later on our nightly phone call.

“Girl time!” Mom exclaims.

“Yay!” Erica shouts. At four years old, she’s happy because there’s cupcakes involved.

And I’m happy because everything has sweetly fallen into place.

***

“Am I dreaming?” I ask.

We dance in the dark under twinkling lights strewn throughout a huge white tent in the backyard at my parent’s house. Cody holds me in his arms, and he kisses me slow as Melody sings. She holds our dragon, Sweetie. Cody’s strong body next to mine and the warmth of his embrace fills me to my very core. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this man.

“Did that feel like a dream?” Cody asks after our lips part.

“Everything with you feels like a dream.” My fingers dance along Cody’s neckline and I look up into his ice blue eyes. He is a sweet dream.

We sway to Melody’s ethereal voice and the song she wrote for our wedding.  

“I am the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife,” Cody whispers in my ear.

We’re surrounded by our family and friends who either dance along with the song or mingle in the seating area. Rivers, Milo, and Lizzie are here. Grace couldn’t get away from her duties. Cassidy and Nick weren’t disappointed we didn’t tell them the secret, though Cassidy admitted she knew something was up.

The moment of surprise on everyone’s faces as they caught the first glimpse of me in a wedding dress and realized what was happening is unforgettable. But the most memorable part was the look on Cody’s face. The glimmer in his eyes and the love in his smile were contagious. I wanted to run down the aisle to him, but my parents were holding my arms. Cody couldn’t even wait at the front and after our eyes locked, he nearly danced down the aisle and met me halfway. And that’s what we do, we always support each other and meet the other where we can.

I smile up at my husband and run a hand over the back of his short hair as we continue to dance to the song.  “I love you so much,” I say.

This guy, this man, my high school love, is the sweetest thing in my life. He’s my sweet everything. My love for him is unconditional.

“Ready for dessert?” Cody’s breath tickles my ear and my body shivers. There’s still a strong charge between us at our touch, and I don’t think it will ever disappear.

“If you are,” I say as fluttery sensations invade my chest and stomach.

“You know I always love to end my day with something sweet,” Cody says, and his lips heat my neck with a kiss. “We have a pie back at our place.”

“I thought you were thinking of something other than pie,” I say in a low voice as my hand dips under Cody’s shirt where he’s undone the top button. The fluttery sensations in my body amplify.

“I was. The pie can wait,” Cody says with a soft chuckle and his hands on my lower back pull me in closer. “Now, how do we sneak away from here without being noticed?”

“We bring out the table with the sweets,” I say. “They’ll never know we’re gone.”

Cody looks down at me and his eyes gaze at me with such depth. “I love you,” he says as Melody croons the last line of the song.

Love is a sweet, sweet dream.

The Royal Dream

7 years later

Queen Eloise stands before me with a smile on her face. The lines next to her eyes are deeper with the passing time, but in a way, they’ve softened more as she’s softened to my place in her family. Her eyes reflect light from the nearby hospital window.

“Hello, Princess,” she says in the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard from her. “I know you will make the most royal queen someday.”

She’s not speaking to me, but to the baby in my arms.

“Would you like to hold her?” I ask, not taking my eyes off the tiny baby in my arms. I can’t believe she’s finally here and the amount of love radiating throughout me is wholly unexpected and most welcome.

“Yes, please,” Queen Eloise replies and settles herself into a chair near my hospital bed. I thought Queen Eloise was happy the day Matty and I married three years ago in a lavish royal wedding, but this happiness exceeds that.

Matty places a soft kiss on my forehead. “How are you doing?”

“Tired,” I admit, “but wonderful.”

Matty must be as tired as me, as he hasn’t left my side since I gave birth in the royal hospital last night. Queen Eloise is our first visitor this morning. I could stay another night or two in the hospital, but I’m eager to return to our home in the castle of Alstrasia, and have tried to push the schedule. I’m rather good at trying to change royal protocol. While certain family expectations must be met, Matty and I tend to test others. And the royal protocol of a princess or queen staying in the hospital for a few days after a birth and then presenting the baby to public is not one I’m eager to keep. I want to get home. I’ll do the public presentation, but it will be on our time.

“Come here, my little flower.” Matty gently takes the sleeping baby from my arms. We both fell more in love with her the instant we saw her. She has Matty’s dark hair and quite a bit of it for a newborn. It sticks out in all directions, and I can’t help cupping her head in my palm as her daddy takes her.

“This is your great granddaughter, Matilda Grace,” Matty says as he places the newborn into her great grandmother’s arms.

“Oh, my sweet,” Queen Eloise coos in an unusual display of affection and cradles the baby in her arms as if she’s the most precious thing in the world. I swear the queen even has a tear in the corner of her eye. “Princess Matilda.”

“We wanted to name her after two of the most important women in her life,” Matty says. “The two woman who are a part of her.”

I smile demurely. Matilda is Queen Eloise’s middle name and the name of her mother. We never had a second option. When Matilda was born, we knew she was Matilda. As far as her middle name, it’s royal expectation a middle name will be the same as a parent, and Matty insisted on Grace. I wasn’t going to fight the expectation. It sounds better than Matilda Mathias.

“You are a most cherished baby,” Queen Eloise says. She strokes Matilda’s cheek with a bent finger. “And I know your mother will raise you to be the most compassionate, fair, and independent woman who will hopefully choose to someday take her rightful place as queen.”

“She will learn from the best queen around,” I say from my hospital bed while Matty snaps photos with his phone.

“She will follow in her father’s footsteps and watch your lead,” Queen Eloise says with a glance at her grandson.

“I hope you’re on the throne for many more years, Grandmother,” Matty says and sits next to me.

“I was thinking of stepping down, but…” Queen now runs her hand over Matilda’s bushy hair. “But I understand what you mean about wanting time with your family before you take on more duties with the people of this country. I never got that, and maybe that’s where things went wrong. I want Matilda to have a better start than your father or uncle had.”

“Thank you, Grandmother,” Matty says. “That means a lot to me. And I’d be the first to tell you if I thought you weren’t up to keeping up the royal duties, but it seems everyone has a hard time keeping up with you.”

“Well…” The queen strokes Matilda’s tiny hand. “This little princess will keep me feeling young. I’m looking forward to having little ones in the castle again. It’ll be different than when your dad was little. I promise. I just wish your grandfather were here to see this.”

“I’m sure he’s here,” Matty says, and his lips pinch together.

Queen Eloise quickly dabs an errant tear on her cheek. I’m not sure if it’s from Matilda or Prince Oscar. We lost Matty’s grandfather not long after our wedding. It was a difficult time, but we all clung to each other. Grief softened Queen Eloise, and while she put on a brave face in public, in private we knew she had lost a part of herself with Prince Oscar.

“You enjoy your family,” Queen Eloise says with a new determination. “We’ll come up with a timeline together. Perhaps your next baby will be born to a king and queen.”

“We’ll take it one day at a time,” Matty says with a soft smile turned my direction.

I smile back at him. Everything about my life is nothing I could have ever dreamed, and it’s better than a dream. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being a princess hasn’t meant my life is perfect or I’m immune to challenges, and I have much respect for the position I hold. The people of Alstrasia welcomed me with open arms, and I do my best to work for them. I completed a degree in international relations and loved nearly every minute of it.

Matty glances at his phone. “We have a lot of impatient family waiting their turn to see Matilda.”

I look at my phone and chuckle. “And my mother already has a hairstylist and makeup person ready to go.”

“For her or you?” Matty smirks at me. “Are you sure you want to do this today?”

“Yes.” I nod decisively. “It’ll only be fifteen minutes and then I want to get home. We can shut ourselves away for a month.”

“Alright,” Matty agrees.

We decided to do the public presentation as soon as possible to keep speculation down and not have it hanging over our heads. In most instances, we’re very forthcoming with the people of Alstrasia and release information on our terms. Even difficult news, like when Prince Oscar passed away unexpectedly, and our first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage, we saw with the people before it becomes gossip.

We’re fortunate the people of Alstrasia respect our privacy. They protect the royal family as well as a mother would her newborn baby. I once had private citizens shield me from paparazzi when I was in the royal gardens and broke down in tears while dealing with grief.

“We’ll do whatever you’re comfortable with,” Matty says. He sits on the edge of my bed and leans in to kiss me again. “I love you.”

Seven years with this man and I’m only getting a glimpse of the depth of love. There’s still a deep well to explore.

I take Matty’s hand and squeeze it. “I love you.”

“Who do we let in next?” Matty asks with a grimace. I know he’s imagining a fight between my mother and his to hold Matilda first, but somehow, they’ve unexpectedly come to be cordial with each other. That’s what a first grandkid will do.

“Let in the grandparents and aunts together,” I reply. “It’ll be entertainment to see what they do.”

“Does that include Teddy and Arabella?” Matty asks. He sets his phone down and steps over to his grandmother. “Because they’re in the waiting room too.”

I chuckle. In a twist of fate, and a joy to his parents, Teddy and Princess Arabella hit it off when we introduced them six years ago and they’re getting married next month. They will be Uncle Teddy and Aunt Arabella to Matilda.

“Let them all in,” I say. “Seven is a lucky number.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Queen Eloise says and hands Matilda back to her daddy. “This little one is a gift. She fills a part of the emptiness in me since Oscar left. I can see a bit of him in her.”

Now I’m the one pinching away tears. She is a gift. Life is a gift. And I’m going to cherish each moment.

“I’m the lucky one,” Matty says as he cradles his newborn daughter and sits down next to me again. “I don’t have one beautiful princess, but two.” 

The Dream Summer

Six months later (Did you catch the hint in “The Dream Christmas” epilogue of where Bianca and Case might be four years later?)

“Are you sure this is what you want to be doing for spring break?” Case asks me.

“I’ve never been surer about anything,” I reply. We stand on the second story deck of our island house and look out to the lake.

“You could be in the Maldives or at your dad’s house in the Caribbean,” Case reminds me. “You could be on a cruise ship to Greenland.”

“Stop it.” I grin and give Case a playful shove. “Just go down the slide before I push you down it.”

“I like when you push me around.” Case smirks at me.

I smirk back at him and give him a playful push.

Case goes down the spiral slide I had installed for him and I follow. Case catches me at the bottom and pulls me close to his body with his strong arms.

“Are you always going to be here to catch me?” I ask. Case’s hold on me makes me feel safe and loved. I’d give up all my fancy vacations to only be in his arms. This is all I need.

It’s amazing how a prank backfiring changed the course of my life and me.

“As long as you let me,” Case replies.

He draws me in even closer, pushes my bangs away from my eyes, and gives me a sultry smile before he presses his lips to mine. And hot sticks of cinnamon…this is better than a trip to the Maldives, a day in the spa, a cruise on a ship, or really…anything.

This jester has become my prince, my king, my everything.

I keep my eyes closed after our lips part and take a deep breath. I want to hold on to this. I want things to stay the same, but I’m also ready to continue jumping in feet first with Case. He takes my hand and we walk toward the water.

“How about we move in together at college?” I ask. I’m about to make a big feet first splash in life.

Case squeezes my hands. “Your parents will freak.”

“We have a house together,” I say, “and lived here all summer. It won’t be any different at college. You can move into my apartment.”

“You really think your parents will pay for your apartment rent if I’m living with you?” Case asks. “They made us buy this place.”

The lake shimmers with the sun shining on it, and I bask in the early spring rays. It’s going to rain again later.

“Do you regret buying it?” I ask.

“Never,” Case says. “It got me you.”

I smile. This guy can get me to smile like no other. “I can’t be bought.”

“Then I’m a lucky man,” Case replies as we each take a seat in a chair by the firepit.

“You are,” I say. “And if my parents don’t like you living with me, we can just sneak you in.”

“Not going to work,” Case says. “Imagine how angry your parents would be if they found out I was living there without telling them.”

“You’re over all the time anyways,” I say, “it wouldn’t be any different.”

“You know it would be different,” Case says. “And you’d have to tell them. Your lease probably says only one occupant.”

“Fine,” I say. “Maybe we can room in a dorm together next school year.”

“That’s not the best solution either,” Case says. “Though I’m not going to argue against it, but I can guarantee you’ll hate the dorms.”

“I would not,” I say and start to fiddle with my pendant. “I visit you at yours, and I got used to living here.”

“Bee…” Case arches an eyebrow at me. “What is going on?”

“I talked with my parents before we came here. They have some concerns. They’re pretty sure we’re going to break up,” I say. “And I don’t know…I kinda wanted to prove to them we’re not going to.”

“Why do they think we’re going to break up?” Case’s face now turns pensive.

“Past history,” I reply. “They think we’re both too impulsive and this won’t work long term.”

“We can be impulsive,” Case says, “but I think we’re showing we’re in this for the long haul. We own a house together.”

“That what worries them,” I say. “They think we’re going to break up and then we have this house to deal with. They think I made a mistake adding you to the deed.”

“Come here.” Case takes my hand and tugs me out of my chair and into his lap. He rests his chin on my shoulder and his breath is light on my cheek. “Do you want to break up?”

“No,” I reply as I relish the feeling of Case next to me. I sink into him. It feels good to talk to Case and not keep things from him. “I don’t want to break up with you.”

“Marry me,” Case whispers.

I still as those two words sink into me. Those two words he’s said in the past and I never had a second thought about. But now…now I’m thinking about them.

Marry me.

Marry Case.

Me married to Case.

He could be asking me to marry him as a prank. He could be pranking me or thinking of pranking our parents, but I’ve learned when Case is serious and when he’s not. And right now, he’s being serious. I know he is, which makes me pause.

“Bianca?” Case questions softly with a twinge of worry.

I spin around in Case’s arms and smile at him. “Yes.”

“Yes?” Now Case seems stunned. “You’ll marry me?”

I place a kiss on Case’s lips. “Yes.”

“You’re not joking with me, are you?” Case asks. I used to be the one to ask if he was joking, but I know he’s not now. He doesn’t have his phone or camera out.

“I’m not,” I reply. “I’ll marry you.”

“Are you saying yes because you want to spite your parents for thinking we’ll break up?” Case asks.

“You asked me to marry you and I said yes,” I say. “This has nothing to do with my parents.”

I wasn’t thinking of them when I said yes. I was only thinking of what it would be like to be married to Case. It’s everything we are now and so much more. It’s a lifetime.

Case’s face lights up in a wide smile. “I love you.”

I know he does. He loved me first, and I’ve fallen for him, and I know he’ll never leave.

“I want to spend a lifetime falling more in love with you, Case Palmer,” I tell him.

“Mrs. Palmer,” Case says. “I like the sound of it.”

“I might keep my own name,” I say with a tilt of my lips.

“Whatever you want. We can get married whenever and however you want,” Case says. “I only know I want to be with you. I want to spend my life with you and you alone. I don’t care if it’s in a tiny apartment, a small guest house, or a house on an island. I want home to be where you are.”

“We can get married now?” I suggest as a thrill runs through me.         

“Now?” Case stares hard at me. “Are you sure?”

“You’re the only thing I’m sure about,” I reply with a huge smile of my red lips. “I want to marry you now.”

“If you want,” Case says. “We can go to a chapel and get married. I’ll fly us to Vegas tonight.”

“It’s crazy, right?” I ask, liking this idea more and more. “Crazy to get married now?”

“I don’t think it is,” Case says. “But I’m sure others will think we’re crazy.”

“They’ll say we’re young.”

“We are,” Case replies. “But it only gives us more time together.”

“They’ll say we’re impulsive.”

Case chuckles. “As impulsive as buying a house on an island together?”

“They’ll say we won’t last.”

“We’ll show them,” Case says.

And I know we will.

 

I think there might be more to this epilogue. Let me know if you want more. Vegas story, anyone?

You can join my private reader group on FB and let me know if you want a Vegas story. The reader club will get exclusive firsts and bonuses. I’ve been known to write things from reader suggestions (Taylor’s novella, the Love is a Triathlon epilogue, and Grandmas on a Road Trip).