Epilogue #2
Her gaze shifts to the roses behind me. “It’s a good thing what you did. For Mom and for them. They’ll be happy here.”
So there is a bit of kindness left in her from the first trimester of her pregnancy. Or maybe it was always there just hidden under her haughtiness.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll call you about coming over.”
I nod and she walks toward her little cherub as the nanny tucks him into the stroller.
“Do you think she’ll call?” Lachlan rubs my arms.
“Honestly? No. But I didn’t expect her to be nice just now either, so who knows.”
Lachlan bends to my ear. “Have I told you how incredible you look in this color.” The red doesn’t scream spring, but it has pink flowers.
I never wore red. Not because I didn’t like it.
Mom always had me dress in light or neutral colors, and I never thought to stray.
But I chose a red gown last December for a holiday party and Lachlan lost his mind.
He couldn’t keep his hands off me and bought a ridiculous amount of red lingerie for me for Christmas.
That was also the night he told me he loved me—finally giving me those three traditional words. Our wedding wasn’t until May, but he said them on that day too, and every day in between and after.
We’d hosted our first holiday ball at our new estate.
Mom helped me arrange the party so that it looked like a winter wonderland.
The mansion is too new to have a ballroom, but it has a gallery that is grand and large.
We use it for events. The holiday company party went off beautifully.
White and gold was the theme with accents of red—hence my gown.
Red silk fell to my feet. The top went to my neck, but the back was open to the crest of my butt.
Mom’s eyes almost popped out when she saw me, but she’s learned to keep her mouth closed when it comes to my appearance, especially with Lachlan complimenting me and touching me nonstop.
What could she possibly say? I was married, and my husband treated me like I was a goddess—his goddess.
The night had ended with Lachlan and me alone in the orangery he had built for me, connected to the house through an enclosed hallway.
He brought me here to show me something.
The roof is all glass on this one. I’d never seen a night sky so clear, especially in winter. The stars shone like diamonds, twinkling above us. With all the foliage the room was warm and humid, despite the frigid temperature outside.
“Dance with me?” he said and held out his arms.
“There’s no music.”
“Wait for it.” A moment later, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas drifted through the speakers, Michael Bublé’s voice soft and romantic.
I stepped into his arms, and he pulled me close, his warm hand low, heating the skin on my back. It was magical with the plants and the scent of citrus mixed with cinnamon for the holidays.
“This is our first Christmas as husband and wife.” He gazed into my eyes.
“It is.” I’d been so busy planning this I hadn’t even considered that. It wouldn’t officially be Christmas for five more days.
“I have something for you.”
“Is this something in your pants?” I teased.
He twirled me, drawing a squeal from my lips. “That’s for later.”
I giggled.
He pulled me close. “This has never been given to anyone else, and it never will go to anyone but you.”
“Okay.” I sobered at how serious he sounded. “Should I be scared?”
“I told you, you never have to fear anything when you’re with me.”
I waited, my gaze locked with his, as the stars twinkled above us and the music filled me in the warmest way.
“I love you,” he whispered, and my heart stopped.
“I never wanted to give my love to anyone or receive it, but you’ve made that impossible.
I can’t imagine my life without you, nor do I want to.
If saying this means I’ve cursed us, then I’ll have to protect you more fiercely.
I’ll do whatever I must so no one ever takes this away. ”
Tears filled my eyes. “I think you just freed yourself.”
“Do you?” He brushed his nose with mine.
“Yes,” I said our lips a breath apart. “And I think we’re going to live a long, beautiful life together.”
“Well, then, it must be true.” He pressed his mouth against mine in the commanding way he always kissed me.
Lachlan hugs me from behind, bringing me back to the present. “What are you thinking about my love?”
I smile. “Us and Christmas.”
“Future or past?”
I laugh. “Only you would ask a question like that.”
“What does that mean?”
I turn in his arms and face him, my hands going behind his neck. “It means you gather the facts before assuming anything, even when it comes to your wife.”
“Especially when it comes to my wife.”
“My wise husband.”
“My princess,” he murmurs in that deep voice and kisses me sensually.
I feel it everywhere. If we were here alone, I’d drag him inside or maybe just away from the rose garden and the spiritual audience, to have my way with him.
He breaks the kiss. “I need to excuse myself for a drink in private or else I’ll scare the guests away with the monster in my pants.”
I laugh again and release him. “I’ll go be a friendly host while you’re gone.”
He groans then smacks my ass and walks away.
I turn and catch my best friend watching us.
She looks stunning in her blue dress the same shade as her blueberry eyes.
She fans herself off, and I cover my face in embarrassment.
The party is on the other side of the yard near the dock in case they want to sit under the covered awning or use the bathroom in the boathouse.
Like my sister and mom, Adelaide knows where this garden is.
I showed it to her on one of her weekends here.
Both Kingston and Lachlan were traveling for work, so we planned a girl’s weekend at the house.
It was my turn. The time before that we stayed at Adelaide’s new home.
Lachlan insists I stay either here or with her, but nowhere else besides my mom’s—and I have no desire to return there.
Dad and I aren’t on the best terms—because I haven’t forgiven him for keeping my birth mom a secret, even though I know why he did.
I’ll come around eventually. It’s not like Dad and I were ever close, but he did give me Lachlan, which definitely works in his favor.
“I got my party gift.” Adelaide holds up a stuffed silver and black tote with the reader tarot card on the front.
“Ooh. What book did you choose?”
“The Duke’s Betrayal from the historical gilded age romance series.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “I love that one! I love all of them in that series, but that book suits you. It’s a loose Cinderella retelling. Wicked stepmom. Evil stepsisters. A sexy duke with tons of secrets.”
She lets out a soft laugh, and her cheeks turn pink. “More like a dark angel.”
“Are you guys leaving too?” I hadn’t realized the party was nearly over.
She tucks strands of her long wavy red hair behind her ear. “I have class tomorrow. A lab.”
“I miss college.”
“Honestly, if I didn’t need it to do what I want, I would have stopped by now and dedicated more time to the hotel. Thank God for Kingston. He handles everything for me and he’s taking his own classes, but he can do most of them remotely—so from anywhere. Home. The hotel. The castle.”
“How is that going?” They turned it into a museum open to the public.
She glances behind her at the dwindling crowd under the white tent, looking for Kingston, I’m sure. “It’s busier than I thought it’d be. Seasonal, like the hotel. But I love how the curator decorates it for Christmas. It actually draws in visitors.”
“I bet it’s pretty at Christmas. I’ll have to visit it during that time.”
The inside of the VonAston castle has lots of wood similar to Duhnill. It reminds me of my time there. Lachlan hasn’t wanted to return to Scotland for a visit. Things are going well so he doesn’t want to jinx anything.
With Angus’s stipulation for an American business gone, Lachlan could have moved to England instead of here. But he explained he’d never take me away from where he knows I want to be.
“Well, you’re in luck,” Addie says. “We set a date for the wedding.”
I squeal and clap my hands together, holding them by my chest.
“I talked Kingston into having it at the castle in the great hall around Christmas.”
“I love it. It’ll be beautiful.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah! That room is incredible.” Lachlan’s castle didn’t even have a room like that.
She grins with a look of nostalgia. “You know he doesn’t have good memories there from his childhood.
But when we stayed there, we made it different.
You know? We changed the vibe, and a lot of special moments happened there.
I feel like we happened there. The we we are now.
Younger us is tied to the hotel, but older us was made at the castle. ”
My eyes sting with understanding, especially now that I know her story with Kingston so thoroughly. I hug her, my face buried in her hair as I’m sure hers is in mine, considering we’re almost the same height.
We pull apart. “If you need any help, my mom and I are here for you. I know she can be a bit much, but she’s really good at parties.” I wave at the tent, cloth-covered tables, flowers, everything English and in pink to match the theme of the bookstore.”
“That would actually be wonderful.”
“For dress shopping too,” I add. She doesn’t have anyone with all her family dead. “But we’ll leave my opinionated mom at home for that.” I wave a hand. There’s no chance she’d be able to keep her mouth shut.
She giggles, and a sinfully handsome man walks up beside her. It’s hard not to stare at Kingston with his black hair, tan skin, and his near clear eyes that are like silver-gray mist.
He slips his arm around Adelaide’s waist and smiles down at her like she is the only thing that exists in the world. To be pinned by a gaze like that must be sweltering in a good way.
“Are you ready?” he asks her and plucks a strand of her hair from her long lashes.