Confetti Hearts (Confetti Hitched, #1)(90)

“I am the next man.”

“But is there a reason for this?”

He grins at me. “I want to say our vows.”

“Didn’t we already do that? Twice. Any more must surely be overkill.”

“We should do it every Christmas, like I suggested in Scotland. It’ll be the first of our traditions.”

“I didn’t think you were serious.”

He kisses my nose. “I’m very serious about you.”

“I already know that, so why the repeat vows?”

“Because this marriage means everything to me, Joe. I’m never going to lose you again. A vow is just a promise, and that’s my promise to you. You come first above everything and everyone.”

“I know that,” I say softly and I do. It’s in everything he does. I never feel less than his equal now.

“Well, to keep us together, we should look on this as a yearly merger.”

“I knew it wouldn’t be long before you brought out the corporate love language. You know how hot it gets me. I hope you have your calculator hidden somewhere in those flares.”

“Don’t derail me with your wiles. I think we should do this every year at Christmas. We’ll say how much we mean to each other, and if we’re not doing something right, then we’ll address it, so it never becomes a problem.”

“Hey,” I say, suddenly serious. He’s actually worried about this. “Lachie, I love you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“You’re the same. So much that you don’t know.”

“But I do,” I say, touched. “And I actually think this is a good idea.”

“It’s one of mine. Please mark that down.”

“To be fair, the list is rather unbalanced.”

“That’s because the last idea you had was for me to learn to skateboard.”

“And you did look very fetching in the gear.”

“Less so in the Casualty department later that day.”

“I will always treasure the memory of the lecture the doctor gave you.” I snort. “Okay. Fair point. My ideas are sometimes a little wacky.” I hug him. “We can do this every year, if that’s what you want, but we must be hugging and dancing while we do it. No arm’s length mergers for us.”

“Did you mean that to sound rather lecherous?”

“I can’t help it,” I say apologetically. “It just happens.”

He hugs me close and the song changes to “Love Me Tender”. The fire crackles, illuminating the small frame on the mantlepiece. Inside it is a handful of paper hearts that are now faded pink and white. Lachlan saved them from our hotel room in Scotland and put them in the frame in pride of place. Whenever friends and visitors to the house ask what they are, he will always refuse to answer, and we’ll smile at each other, loving our tiny secret.

So, we’ll say our vows and they may change every year, but the love won’t. It’s there, steady and warm like the fires he built over that holiday when we got back together. And while we move on, building steadily on our love day by day, my thoughts often turn back to that holiday and the confetti.

“We’re not confetti hearts anymore,” I say softly.

He pulls back and looks down at me. His eyes are warm and bright, and he’s smiling.

“We never really were, love.”





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Acknowledgments



My husband, who happily is also my best friend and makes me laugh every day. I wouldn’t be half as calm without you.

My two boys. No matter how old you are or where you live, you will always stay my babies in my heart.

The members of my Facebook readers’ group, Lily’s Snark Squad. You make my group such a friendly and lovely place.

To all the bloggers who spend their valuable time reading, reviewing, and promoting the books. Also, the readers who liven up my day with their messages and photos and book recommendations. I love being a part of this community, so thank you.

Lastly, thanks to you for taking a chance on this book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I never knew until I wrote my first book how important reviews are. So, if you have time, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads or any other review sites. I can promise you that I value all of them.