Page 155 of Trouble from Abroad
“Slutty, you mean?” I’d be giving Calista hell if Liam weren’t already securing Lily in the booster seat and buckling her in. “Sure.” She shrugs, then squeals, “But it’sVegas, baby.I’m wearing that sequined mini. And if the”—she air-quotes—“‘priest’ is cute enough, I might get on my knees and beg absolution for my future sins.”
I shake my head as all three ladies cackle and make even dirtier innuendos.
“Passports,” April suddenly calls, back in admin mode. “Don’t forget your passports.”
We split for cars, and my chest expands at the sound of the people I love most laughing as they run. When we reach the limo, I stop short at the sight of a string of cans tied to the bumper. Above them, in minty block letters, it reads:Soon to Be Wedded.
My faith in us was always enough. But knowing everyone around us saw it coming too… that’s just proof that timing, odds, or rules never stood a chance against us. True love was always meant to rise above it all.
THE END
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Now let’s carry on to the Epilogue. >>>
epilogue
Mia.
I don’t care for superstitions. A second after I put on my wedding dress, I run straight into my fiancé’s arms. Yes, I’m calling Preston my fiancé for the few hours he’ll be one, and I’m making the absolute most of it.
It’s a Vera Wang in silk Mikado with a square neckline and a single strap crowned by a sculptural bow. The skirt is all architectural drape that parts high up my thigh, flashing a leg when I move. Oh, and it has pockets.
This gown doesn’t float; it sculpts. It makes every princess—Disney or otherwise—look underdressed. I decide it only comes off when we’re back in our honeymoon suite. I’m already the luckiest woman alive. I don’t care if Pres sees me like this before the ceremony. And, it’s Vegas, so no one will look twice at a bride walking down the street. Well, maybe they will, because this is the mostbeautiful dress ever. Anyway, I don’t care. It’s not coming off.
We slip into the limousine Liam rented and head for the Marriage License Bureau on Clark Avenue, just the two of us. The rest of the party is staying at the hotel to get ready. We’ll be back for the final touches after we sign the paperwork, and head for the chapel all together. I’m last for hair and makeup, so I’ll be fresh for the, ahem, altar.
“Are you sure?” Pres asks for the hundredth time, which is wild, because usually I’m the one who needs steadying.
“About marrying you or doing it in Vegas?” I grin.
“Don’t give this old man a heart attack, Trouble.” His laugh is tight. “I promised you the world. Giving you your dream wedding would be a good start.”
I turn him toward me and hold his face, my thumbs firm in his beard. “Pres, before you, I didn’t make space for dreams. Life boiled down to work. Paying the bills my family dropped at my doorstep. I simply marched forward, head down, career-focused.” He tries to smile, but instead, the muscles in his jaw jump. I brush my nose against his, then tip his chin down so he’s looking right at me. “Then I met the man who loves hard, who earns his daughter’s pride every day, who waited me out without faltering.”
His big smile reassures me all over again.
“What started as a wild, off-limits crush became real. I denied it until denial started sounding like a lie. I tried to treat this as temporary. But you kept treating me like the only possible choice.” I lean in until our foreheads touch. “You, Dr. Preston, make me dream in real time.” I tighten my fingers on his jaw and whisper fiercely, “This is what I want.”
The green in his eyes softens, and I know he feels my certainty. It doesn’t stop me, though. “I never planned on loving a child this much, and now the simple thought of going a day without Lily in my life gives me crippling anxiety. She’s become part of me. If someone ever asks if I have kids, I’ll say I have the best one.”
His gaze drops to my mouth, then snaps back to my eyes, shining.
“I never, ever dreamed of marriage,” I admit. “Then you dropped to one knee and planted that in my mind. Two minutes later, I’m in Vegas getting a license in the most beautiful dress I never would’ve let myself want. But hey, apparently Prince Charming exists, and he’s inconveniently hot.” I kick my feet under a cloud of white fabric and throw my legs over his lap.
“Don’t you get it?” I say, smiling. “You’re the dream, Pres.”
The limo hums beneath us. I kiss the corner of his mouth, then press my lips to his ear. “Yes,” I say, because he needs to hear it. “Yes to Vegas. Yes to now.”
He exhales like I opened a valve. Then, he says, “I need to tell you something before we step out.”
“You can tell me anything, fiancé,” I say, giving him what I think is a sexy wink.
“I called my lawyer.” His voice drops, steady. “When we get home, we’ll sign a postnuptial. What’s mine becomes ours. No more using my card to buy things for our home and pretending it’s a company card. It’ll be our name on the card. From our joint account. And your name on the deed. I want you untouchable. You will never worry about money again.”
I sit up straighter. “Pres, that’s…” I swallow, searching for a word better than mad or irrational. “A lot.”
“I’m in, Mia. I’m all in.”
