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).
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