I'm Not Charlotte Lucas(83)
His cheeks went pink, and his mouth turned into a boyish smile. “I watched the movie this week. The shorter one.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. I wanted to know why you loved it so much. I mean, I didn’t understand everything, but it was a cute movie. And when Mr. Darcy was proposing in the rain, I realized it looked familiar because I’d seen the painting you did of that scene. So I got the idea and had Spike help me recruit Mariah. She got all the right paintings out of the house for me. I never could have done it on my own. I mean, I only watched it once.”
That little—Mariah was going to answer for her part in this.
“Don’t be mad at your sister,” he said. “She hesitated at first . . . but she really loves you.”
I gave him a playful glare. “Just promise you’ll never do something like that without my permission ever again.”
“I promise.” He leaned down and sealed it with a kiss. “Now, tell me what Vera said about me.”
I chuckled. “I’m not telling. Honestly, there is so much to fill you in on.”
He slipped his fingers around mine and tugged me toward Vera’s house. “Yeah? Busy week?”
“Oh, where do I begin?”
Epilogue
One year later
The bright lights above us shone over my left hand, and I tilted it, admiring the way the diamond glimmered in the light. The wedding had been months ago, but I had a feeling I would never quit appreciating my ring.
Liam stepped around the tall brick pillar and slid his arm around my waist, dropping a kiss on my cheek.
“Who called?” I asked.
His mouth slipped into a grimace. “Spike. He’s not jiving with his roommate. I told him we could look at different dorms next semester, but he has to stay where he’s at for now.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Will I ever think I’m making the right choices when it comes to parenting Spike?”
“I don’t know.” I slid my hands around his waist and rested my head on his chest, careful not to mess up my perfectly styled hair. Beth had taken care to make it look incredible for my debut, and I didn’t want one hair out of place. “I kind of wonder if that’s all parenting is: doing the best you can and crossing your fingers you made the right decision.”
Liam’s hand came down to my stomach, pressing the small bump that was barely visible now. He grinned. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Are you ready to tell everyone?”
I leaned back, peeking around the brick column at the group gathered in the center of the gallery. My closest family and friends were all together, chatting lightly, surrounded by my most recent paintings. We were here for a soft launch of my official debut with Roseria Gallery, and my hands were shaking from the excitement.
Liam and I also chose this moment to announce our pregnancy. Liam had wanted me to paint us holding a baby and slyly hang it amongst the real paintings, but I wanted to wait for that until I knew what this little guy was going to look like. So I opted for a boring, plain announcement.
“I’m ready,” I said.
Liam took my hand and brought it up to his lips. “Okay, Mrs. Connell. Let’s go share the news.”
I let him lead me out of my hiding place to applause from my family and friends, and the smile on my mouth stretched wider. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought: I was happy. I was loved. I was enough.
About the Author
Kasey Stockton is a staunch lover of all things romantic. She doesn’t discriminate between genres and enjoys a wide variety of happily ever afters. Drawn to the Regency period at a young age when gifted a copy of Sense and Sensibility by her grandmother, Kasey initially began writing Regency romances. She has since written in a variety of genres, but all of her titles fall under clean romance. A native of Northern California, she now resides in Texas with her own prince charming and their three children. When not reading, writing, or binge-watching sappy chick flicks, she enjoys running, cutting hair, and anything chocolate.