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“Hey,” Eric says, stepping up to the other side of Julianna’s bed. “What’s going on over here? Those better be happy tears.”
Julianna turns to look at her husband, beaming so brightly I feel a warmth wash over me. “Don’t worry, they are.”
“Congratulations, you guys,” Spencer says over my shoulder, bringing their attention back to us.
“Yes, yes. Salutations all around, but we didn’t come here to see the two of you. Call the nurse and ask her to bring my nephew in here, I can’t wait to get my hands on him.”
Julianna laughs, rolling her eyes. “In a minute, isn’t there something you want to tell me first?”
My eyes widen as I look over my shoulder at Spencer. “I thought we agreed to wait to tell them?”
“He didn’t tell us,” Julianna says as my gaze lands on her again.
“I read it in the paper.”
“The paper?”
“Yes…that tends to be where they post the bestseller list.”
My body relaxes as I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, right, of course.”
Illusions of Ash has been a much bigger success than I ever could have imagined. Becoming a bestselling author is something I always thought would only be a dream, but it turns out some dreams do come true. Even the ones you’re too afraid to let yourself hope for.
“Wait a minute, what did you think I was talking about? If you have news, I want you to share it with me now, don’t wait. Screw waiting.”
I look back at Spencer again, and he gives me an “I told you so” smirk. “You already know how I feel. There’s no time like the present.”
“Fine,” I relent.
My eyes return to Julianna, and I pull my left hand out of my pocket, lifting it to reveal the diamond on my ring finger.
Julianna squeals with excitement. “Oh my god, you got engaged.”
Spencer
Lori looks back at me, a wide smile on her face, as Julianna examines her engagement ring. The gold vintage-style ring has a round one-carat diamond with a starburst of smaller diamonds around it. Or at least that’s how the jeweler described it. I spent weeks looking for the right ring. Lori mentioned several times how much she liked the vintage look of Julianna’s ring, but I knew her well enough to know I needed to get something that was more one of a kind.
Once I had the ideal ring, I waited for months trying to find the perfect moment and come up with a flawless plan. Lori isn’t the type of woman who would appreciate a public proposal, that much I knew. It needed to include something meaningful. She can be a little high maintenance at times, but that’s part of what I love about her. She never settles.
When she got the news about becoming a bestseller, I decided to turn a great night into an epic one. It was simple, but perfect. Peonies, Thai food, champagne, and a well-trained dog helped me pull off the perfect proposal.
Of course, my Gram was thrilled when we told her the news. The woman has been pushing for the two of us from the beginning. Gram adores her, and Lori loves Gram. After my grandmother was released from the rehab center, I convinced her to stay with me, and Lori has stepped in doing everything she can to help. Her assistance lightens my load tremendously, and she never once tried to talk me into placing Gram in a nursing home. In fact, I think she’d kicked my ass if I tried it. We’re already the perfect team, and I’m so glad I have her in my court. When the time comes for me to say goodbye to my grandmother, I know I’ll be able to handle it a lot easier with Lori at my side.
Lori is possibly the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s a rock. Sometimes that means she needs someone to keep her from sinking. But when they need something sturdy to cling onto, she’ll be there.
“Oh my gosh,” Julianna coos. “It’s so beautiful. You did an excellent job, Spencer.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t easy. You know how your sister can be.”
Lori elbows me, laughing. “Hey, I know what I like and what I don’t. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I kiss her creased forehead. “No, there’s not. It certainly worked out in my favor.”
“You got lucky,” she teases.
I don’t think it was luck at all—it was fate. As much as I hate the way things went down with Cat, I know that was fate’s way of bringing us together. Lori never would’ve let me in if I hadn’t been in a relationship with Cat. It gave her a sense of security, and she let her guard down. Besides, all’s well that ends well. Cat and Lori are closer than ever now. They’ve had a lot of long talks, and Lori has finally stopped trying to hide from the people who love her.
“Nope, you were my destiny.”
Her eyes roll as she drops her head, shaking it. “You’re the worst.” When she lifts it again, she’s smirking, a little pink on her cheeks. Even after all these months, I can still make her blush, and it always gives me a sense of pride.
The love I share with Lori isn’t the love I thought I wanted, it’s the love I needed. Our journey has included some wrong turns and bumps along the way, but it only makes getting to the destination that much sweeter. Your life is what you make it, and I plan to build an amazing one with Lori.
