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“No?” My ire rose along with my eyebrow.
“Wasn’t giving you the chance to turn me down,” he said sheepishly.
I rolled my eyes to the heavens, then looked to his mother when I asked, “What’s his middle name?”
“Tomas,” she replied.
“Luciano Tomas del Toro. You’re lucky I love you so damn much.”
“Is that a yes?” He grinned.
“What was the question again?” I smiled back.
He leaned forward, placing each of his hands on either side of my head as he whispered against my lips, “Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me, Emory?”
I thought about making him wait, prolonging the inevitable, but I needed his mouth on mine.
“Yes.”
He did not disappoint. While our family and friends celebrated our engagement with cheers and clapping throughout my hospital room, he kissed the holy hell out of me.
My fiancé. My world.
My everything.
Epilogue
Emory
Three months later
IHAD GOODdays and bad, but I got through each of them with Luc by my side.
There was no formal funeral for Maxwell since my father was sitting in a posh, country club prison for the insanely rich, awaiting trial, and my mother had fled New York for God only knew where. However, my girls and I settled for a night of binge-watching old movies on Netflix while doing shots of Fireball. We invited Gigi to join us, but apparently, she had plans with Luc’s mom.
Gabriella del Toro and Imogene Stiles were two peas in a pod. Those two thought I didn’t know they were secretly planning my wedding behind my back, but I’d clocked them taste-testing cakes at the bakery one afternoon. I’d told Luc about it, and he was upset on my behalf, but honestly, I was more than happy to let them take the reins. It wasn’t like I’d had fancy dreams of my perfect wedding. Hell, I never even thought I’d get married. My only request was for it to happen soon.
“Hey, Bellezza.” Luc came up behind me. “Are you ready to go look at the house?”
He’d found a beautiful old farmhouse on two acres of land within a few miles of town and close to Quattro. We’d both fallen in love with it instantly over the internet, and now it was time to go see it in person.
“I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. It’ll be great.”
He kissed me on the cheek, then took my hand.
*****
THE HOUSE WASeverything I’d imagined and more. Six bedrooms, three and a half baths. A stone fireplace in the living room to combat the harsh mountain winters. The master bedroom even had a balcony with the perfect view of the sunrise, so I wouldn’t have to leave the house early each morning in order to see it from the school parking lot.
“This room is a little small, but we could turn it into an office maybe,” Luc suggested.
“Or a nursery?” I offered instead.
Pulling the test I’d taken yesterday from my pocket; I held it out between us. I’d been feeling a little queasy in the morning for several weeks, but I’d chalked it up to nerves. I’d decided to ask the prosecutor for leniency in the case against Martin Jacobs. He hadn’t always been a bad man, but grief had pushed him over the edge. After talking it over with Luc, we looked into several mental health programs for inmates, specifically ones which would counsel him on the loss of his wife as well as his alcoholism. While he would still be serving some time in jail, at least he could get the help he needed. Maybe then, he could be the father Seth deserved.
“Are you kidding me right now?” His wide eyes shot to mine.
