Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(91)

I also wanted a family. I wanted Dex and Riley and I wanted them forever.

“Yes. I’ll marry you.” I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. “But you better be planning to put a ring on my finger.”

“Don’t worry, honey, I have it covered. It’s inside.” He kissed me again.

“Did you really book the venue already?”

“I did.”

“Does Riley know about all this?”

“Not yet. Should we tell her?”

With a smile, I nodded.

He took my hand and led me inside. He did indeed have a ring, hidden in a drawer in our bedroom. It was perfect—a classic emerald cut diamond with diamonds in the band.

“How long have you had this?” I asked.

“I bought it after the whole single dad article incident.” He slipped it on my finger, then lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

“You knew then?”

He met my eyes. “I think deep down, I knew the first time I saw you. I knew you were trouble. And now look at us.”

I held my hand out and admired the ring, not just for its beauty, but for what it represented. Nothing had ever felt so right.

We went downstairs and found Riley. She was in the front room, waiting for her friend Holly to arrive.

“Hey, kiddo,” Dex said. “We have something to tell you.”

I held up my hand so she could see the ring.

Her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. Is that real? Are you serious?”

I nodded. “We’re serious. We’re getting married. Is that okay with you?”

“Are you kidding? Of course it’s okay with me.” She rushed forward and we caught her in a three-way hug. “I wanted you to get married so bad.”

Her shoulders shook as she started to cry. Dex and I held her. He glanced at me with concern, but I shook my head. It was fine. Sometimes a girl just needed to feel her feelings.

She stepped back and wiped beneath her eyes. “Sorry. I’m just so happy.”

“I’m happy, too,” I said and it was the biggest understatement of my life. I’d never been so happy.

Once upon a time, I’d thought I’d be forever single. I hadn’t counted on the gruff, tattooed man next door breaking all my rules. But he had and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

We were a family and we were going to be together forever.





EPILOGUE: NORA





The woman in the mirror couldn’t have been me.

She wore a glorious form-fitting, floor-length gown with lace, a plunging V-neck, and a slight train. Her hair was in a chic up-do, showing off her neck and shoulders. No veil. Just a pearl clip with gold accents in her hair. Her makeup was soft and feminine, her nails manicured, and her gold heels positively fierce.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Everly handed me a bouquet and I held it in front of me.

“Now I really can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

“You’re the most beautiful bride,” she said.

Hazel appeared in the mirror next to me and fussed with a lock of my hair. “She is truly stunning, isn’t she?”

“So gorgeous,” Sophie said. “I’m getting teary.”

“Don’t you start,” I said. “If you start, then Everly will start, and the next thing we know, my mascara will be ruined.”

The girls and I had decided on wine-colored bridesmaid dresses, each cut to flatter their body type. Everly’s had spaghetti straps and we’d only had to have it altered slightly to accommodate her newly announced second pregnancy. Hazel had chosen a bold off the shoulder style that looked incredible on her. She’d been skeptical but I stood by my insistence that she try it on. Sophie’s had an A-line skirt that did wonderful things for her curvy post-baby body.

Dex really had booked our wedding venue. At Sophie’s wedding, I’d apparently told my friends that if I ever got married, I’d have it here, at Salishan Cellars, a winery in the Cascade mountains. I probably had said that—flippantly, since I’d been so convinced I was never getting married.

But Dex had broken my rules.

Now I was a bride. His bride.

Strangely, I wasn’t nervous. A profound sense of peace settled over me as I gazed at my reflection. I hadn’t seen this coming but sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.

Riley came into the bride’s room already smiling. Her dusty rose dress complimented the bridesmaid dresses while allowing her to stand out. The scoop neck and A-line skirt were adorable and she’d chosen to wear her hair down in loose waves. She looked like a sweet little angel.

Little being a relative term. She’d grown another inch since the start of her eighth-grade year, and in her heels, she was almost as tall as me.

I handed Everly my bouquet and reached out to clasp Riley’s hands. “Look at you.”

“Look at you,” she said. “Dad’s going to freak.”

Zoe Miles, the events manager, opened the door and came in. She had long, dark hair and wore a chic blouse and slacks. She’d married into the Miles family, who owned the winery, and had done an amazing job helping us plan the wedding. I’d liked her instantly.

“Are we ready, ladies?” Zoe asked.