Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 138526 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138526 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
I can’t breathe.
I freeze. Unable to move.
That wasn’t there before.
I remove it from the thread, hook my ornament on the tree, wish that I’ll have another year of happiness and good health for the family I’ve acquired, then I turn.
I look for him and my eyes drop down to where he’s waiting on one knee. Charming smile on his face. Vulnerable gaze in his gray eyes. Love oozing from him in waves.
“Absolutely,” I say, nodding my head like a crazy person.
“I haven’t asked you yet,” he jokes, taking my hand and the ring.
He slides it onto my finger as I try not to cry. It fits perfectly and it is so beautiful and unique to me. I love it.
“Ask her then,” Erika urges, and when I look at her, she’s blotting tissue under her eyes. Izabella smacks her arm, she too is blotting tears away.
“So… I have a theory,” he tells me, looking confident. “I’ve been married already—”
There’s a collective groan from everyone but me. I press my lips together, so I don’t laugh as he shoots them a look.
“But I figured, we’ve got that on our side. Because it’s my second wedding, and two is a multiple of six—”
“So is three,” I point out and he blanches adorably.
“Whatever… my point is, I love you, Rose Sinclair, soon to be Rose Conti, and I have never been so sure about anybody in my entire life. There’s not a single moment that I wonder if this is the right thing because—”
“It’s always felt right.”
“Exactly,” he whispers. “Marry me. Stay mine forever. I can’t promise that I’ll never upset you. But I can promise that I’ll always try to never disappoint you.”
Grinning, I admire the ring for a moment longer and throw my arms around his neck. He falls back a step. “Yes, six million percent yes.” I lean back, tears in my eyes, then I kiss him, firmly but briefly because his family are watching. “Best Christmas ever.”
“Agreed.”
“I wish Maria had been here to see this.”
“Over here!” comes her crackly voice from Steven’s phone screen. He’s holding it up so Maria could see.
I laugh and take it from him. “Merry Christmas, Maria.”
“I’m so glad it’s you, my best friend Janie’s stepmom is a massive douche, but I still think you can be worked around about the horse thing.”
Erika takes the phone before Ezra can admonish her for the use of the word douche. I’m just happy that everyone was here. Everyone but Laurie, but she has her own family now.
But then… Mario shows me his phone and I see Laurie’s face, she’s crying but the phone has been muted.
“She kept having her outbursts,” he explains with a sheepish smile, “I had to mute her.”
Laughing, I unmute it and they cover their ears as we scream together.
“LET ME SEE IT!” she demands and I hold it up to the camera. “Oh my God, that’s divine. I think I prefer it to mine.”
“Hey,” Kyle whines, but he’s used to her humor by now I just know it has rolled right off him.
“ROSE RINGS IN YOUR BUTTHOLE, MR. CUNTYFLAPS!”
“I sure hope not,” both Ezra and Mario chorus making the rest of us howl with laughter.
I say my goodbyes to my best friend and hold the arm that Ezra has banded around my middle. He rests his chin on my shoulder and kisses my temple.
“I adore you,” I whisper, closing my eyes as we share a private moment in this busy room.
“I adore you too.”
Then I’m ripped away, only to be hugged by Izabella who whispers, “Welcome to the family, Rose."
Then she swiftly pulls away, likely so we both don’t sob.
I have a family. For the first time in my entire life, I have a family.
“Who wants dessert?” Izabella asks, and the crowd roars.
My stomach grumbles as it always does at the mention of treats and I follow them into the kitchen where a selection of cakes and other snacks wait on platters on the counter.
I grab a bowl but really there’s only one thing I want right now.
Feeling comfortable in a home that isn’t mine and a little buzzed from the two glasses of wine I had with my dinner, I search through cupboards until I find what I’m looking for. A small tub of crunchy peanut butter.
I stuff a spoonful into a profiterole and layer it with chocolate and a piece of banana. Then I bite into it and moan. “God, that is so good. I just love peanut butter and bananas at the moment.”
Izabella drops the empty dish in her hands, it bounces on the floor but doesn’t crack. Mario stares at me. Erika lets out a happy squeal and Ezra chokes on the food in his mouth.
Steven pats him on the back but I’m too weirded out to be concerned about him dying right now.