EPILOGUE
Two years later . . .
“They really do tours here?” I asked as we stepped out of our rental car in front of the Monterran royal palace.
Max proposed to me three months after I came back to New York City. He’d had the ring with him the day we worked things out and got back together, but he wanted to wait for a perfect moment.
That perfect moment never came because we were both so busy. We were at a bridal shower in Central Park, where he had volunteered to help out with the heavy lifting. While everyone was eating, he took me into a wooded area and said, “You need to plan your own bridal shower.”
“What? Why?”
Then he got down on one knee and I knew why.
We were married six months later because neither one of us saw the point in a long engagement. It was relatively easy to organize everything quickly because I was the best client I had ever worked with. I went along with every decision I made.
Vella had agreed to be my bridesmaid but only if I let her wear black. Which I was fine with.
Max’s mother? Not so much.
Sunny, however, thought it was a lot of fun to wear black as a bridesmaid and made many funeral jokes throughout the reception. Her little girl was officially our flower girl, even though she couldn’t walk yet.
My mom and Meemaw adored Max and spent more time talking to him on the phone than they did to me. Max’s father and stepmother were friendly, while his mother was more polite but reserved. They were going to be tough nuts to crack, but I figured, given enough time, I could do it.
We’d had to wait more than a year to go on our honeymoon. I had apologized so many times to him, but he said he didn’t care and only wanted me to be happy. My business took off so quickly and there was such a high demand for my services that I was booked solid for months and months. I currently had six full-time employees and was thinking about taking on more.
Aprile’s Showers had succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.
When Max had told me that we could honeymoon anywhere in the world, there was only one place I wanted to go.
Monterra.
And now we were here at the royal palace. It had snowed several days in a row, which was fine by us—we had an excellent hotel suite and lots to keep us busy—but the roads had cleared and Max said that he’d gotten us tickets to do a public tour of the palace.
The palace was just the way I’d imagined it, only better, because it was real. Snow glistened off turrets and slanted roofs. It looked like something out of a book, with its high walls made out of gray, sparkling stone. I reached out to touch one of the stones, just to reassure myself that I wasn’t imagining it.
“This way,” Max said.
“Have I told you lately that you’re the best husband in the whole world?” I asked him, snuggling against his arm. This was so exciting. I knew we would only be in the parts of the palace that were public, but I’d never gone inside an actual castle before.
“You have, and that’s high praise coming from the best wife in the world,” Max replied, kissing the top of my head.
Being married to him was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. I felt like I should kneel in prayer every night to thank whatever heavenly being had sent him my way. He was still too good to be true, in every way imaginable.
We walked across a courtyard, past some guards, and over a drawbridge. We passed through twenty-foot-high doors and then down a long hallway that contained actual suits of armor. The ceilings had to be like, thirty feet high, and there were flags and tapestries draped along the walls.
A group had gathered and Max and I joined them. A woman was speaking in Italian and English, welcoming us to the tour and to the palace. “Please stay with the group and follow me!”
While I’d seen every image that the royal family had let be published of the castle, it was even better in person. It was just like I’d pictured. Stately and important while still having a magical charm and family feel to it.
We walked through several receiving rooms and a ballroom where King Dominic and Queen Katerina had had their wedding reception. I took way too many pictures of that room.
We had just entered a parlor when Max tugged on my hand. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, giggling as I followed him. I imagined he’d found some secret alcove and was going to kiss me senseless and then we’d rejoin the tour.
But he didn’t lead me to an alcove. Instead he was walking through rooms and down hallways.
“Max!” I protested. “Is Monterran prison bad? Are we going to be locked up for trespassing? Oh! Or beheaded? What do they do to people who wander through palaces in this country?”
“La mia lei, you don’t need to worry. Have I ever gotten you arrested?”
“It only takes one time,” I said.
“I have something I want to show you.” He was trying to reassure me, but it wasn’t working.
“Just so you know, I am not standing on any glass ledges.”
“You’ll like it.”
We walked into a room decorated in dark reds and gold, and I saw a short, bald man in a very expensive suit waiting for us. Oh no. My stomach dropped down to my feet. Was he the head of security? Was this it?
Max and the man spoke in Italian, too fast for me to understand. I’d been trying to use an app to learn the language, but so far all I knew how to say was “Where is the bathroom?” and “Can I have more pizza?”
The man turned to face me. “Buongiorno. My name is Giacomo Rossi and I’m going to give you a private tour of the palace.”
“Private tour?” I nudged Max. “You really are the best husband ever.”
He grinned at me. “I told you I’d do anything for you.” Then he kissed me breathless. It was over far too quickly because despite his stature, Giacomo was fast and we had to run to catch up with him.
More hallways, up two flights of stairs, and then we were standing in front of another set of massive doors.
“Right in here,” Giacomo said, opening the door for us.
Max let me walk in first.
“Is this ...” The words died in my mouth.
Sitting on a couch, looking at me, were King Dominic and Queen Katerina.
Nico and Kat.
Oh . . . my . . .
Max walked over and shook their hands, and introductions were made. I stayed where I was, not able to process what was happening.
Nico and Kat?
What?
Kat came over to me with a big smile. “You must be Everly.”
“I’m Kat. I mean, you’re Kat and I’m Everly.”
“I’m glad we figured that out,” she said with a wink that put me at ease. She was tall, in her early thirties, with long dark hair that fell in perfect waves past her shoulders.
Okay, I was absolutely going to gush. “You must get this all the time, but I am such a big fan of yours. Right after I met my husband for the first time, I realized I was messing up my life and so I made this list of how to be more like you. I called it What Would Kat Do?”
Why was I saying these things?
And why was Max letting me? He knew better.
Kat was still smiling, so I figured that was good. “I am such a mess you should never pattern your life after me.”
Her handsome husband, who just like Max had black hair and light blue eyes, joined us and put his arms around her shoulders. “Nonsense. You are utter perfection, cuore mio. The world would be a better place if everyone tried to be like you.”
“He’s biased,” she stage-whispered to me, and I laughed. I’d never really seen them be affectionate in pictures or when they were being filmed, and it was both a bit weird and profoundly sweet to see how much they loved each other.
“I’m sorry, but can I get a picture with you?” I asked.
“Of course!” Kat said.
Giacomo materialized, reaching for my camera.
“Max, come here,” I said, beaming at him. He had been standing back, letting me have my moment, taking it all in. It didn’t seem like he cared much about meeting heads of state—he was far more interested in how excited I was.
“How did you do this?” I asked him as he slid his arm around my waist.
“My dad made some phone calls. I knew you would love this.”
“I do. And I love you.”
Kat stood on my right and I realized that I didn’t know if it was okay to touch her. “Should I ...”
She put her arm around me first while also holding on to Nico. “This one can be stiff and formal, but despite his and Giacomo’s best efforts, I’m still a regular person.”
Giacomo held up my phone and said, “Di cheese!”
We all said cheese and he took several photos before returning my phone to me. “Thank you,” I said.
I scrolled through the photos and sent one to my mom. Despite the time difference, she responded immediately.
WHAT? TELL THEM I’M THEIR BIGGEST FAN! MOM SEND
She attached a photo that she’d taken last year of her wearing all of her Monterra gear, including her sweatshirt with Kat and Nico’s picture on it, surrounded by her pillows and commemorative plates.
I showed Kat the text. “My mom wants me to let you know that she’s actually your biggest fan.”
Kat laughed and then showed the photo to Nico, who grinned.
“Please tell your mother that she is welcome to visit us anytime,” he said.
“Absolutely,” Kat agreed, nodding.
My mother was going to have an actual heart attack.
Giacomo made an angry sound and we all looked over at him. He was glaring at his phone.
“Are you watching the game?” Nico asked, and the shorter man nodded. Nico went over to see Giacomo’s screen.
“What’s the score?” Max joined the other two men, peering over Giacomo’s shoulder.
“I will never understand the appeal of soccer,” Kat said.
“Me neither. But I still can’t believe I’m meeting you. This probably sounds cheesy, but like I said, I have looked up to you for such a long time. I wanted a marriage just like yours. And while he’s not royalty ...” I glanced over at my husband, who seemed to sense that I was watching him. He shot me a secret smile and went back to his game. “He’s the most amazing man I’ve ever known, and I didn’t know that I could be happy like this.”
I had put my hand over my stomach and Kat understood what this meant. “Are you pregnant?”
I shushed her. I was shushing a queen. “I am. But I haven’t told Max yet. He’s going to be so excited, though. He really wants to be a dad, but we only just started trying. I haven’t been able to decide on the best way to tell him.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” When I nodded, Kat said, “I’m pregnant, too. Three months along.”
“Congratulations!” I said to her.
“And to you! I tried to be creative this time when I told Nico. I wrote it on these little flags that I put on top of cupcakes, but he just yanked the toothpicks out without even looking at the notes and just mindlessly ate everything I put in front of him! I finally had to tell him to read them. He was so happy.”
My first inclination was to find the nearest bakery and do the same thing for Max. He did love sweet things.
But no, I was going to find my own way to tell him, and it would be perfect for us.
I didn’t need to copy anyone else.
Kat reached over to me and grabbed my hands. “Would you like to stay and have dinner with the whole family?”
“The whole family?” I almost choked on my own saliva. “As in, everybody?”
“Serafina’s not home from university yet, but I think everyone else is here. It’s almost Christmas and they all come back for the holidays. Christmas is a big deal in Monterra.”
“We would love that,” I told her, feeling like I might pass out.
“Let me go to tell Giacomo to set a couple additional plates,” she said with a smile.
Max came over and I threw myself into his arms. “They invited us for dinner! This is so exciting.”
He kissed me and then said, “I’m so glad that you’re happy.”
This was it. The moment when I could make him as happy as I was. Our proposal had been impromptu, so why not this? And was there a better place than to tell him in the private family rooms of the Monterran royal palace? “Maybe I should tell Kat to set three places at the table for us.”
“Three? Why would she set three ...” His voice trailed off and I saw on his face the moment he connected the dots. “Are you telling me that you’re pregnant?”
I nodded and he picked me up and hugged me tightly.
“You already made me the happiest man alive when you married me, but somehow you just made it even better,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to burst.”
“After dinner we should call our families and let them know.”
“Let’s tell them when we get back,” he said as he nuzzled my cheek. “For now, this will be just for us.”
Well, and the queen of Monterra, but I didn’t think this was the right time to tell him that.
A woman came into the room carrying a tray of champagne flutes. Kat took two and handed me one. “Apple cider,” she said quietly. Nico had handed the extra one to Max so that we all had one in our hands.
Nico held his drink aloft. “To Max and Everly, thank you for joining us today and congratulations on your wedding and your honeymoon. Kat and I wish you all the happiness in the world. For a hundred years! Per cent’anni!”
It was the toast we had done at our own reception. “Per cent’anni!” everyone responded, clinking our glasses together.
After we took a drink, I slid my hand into Max’s and led him away from the others.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” I said. “But I’m certainly going to try later on.”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. “I don’t know, this may be your last chance to try and land one of the king’s cousins and wind up with an actual prince.”
“I don’t need a prince because I’ve got something even better.”
“How did I ever get so lucky?” he asked, smiling at me.
“You better get used to it. Because I’m yours. For a hundred years,” I promised him.
“And I’m yours. For a hundred years,” he agreed, and then he kissed me.