Page 100 of The Baby-whisperer and the Brute
“Knew what?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just something Wilder and I were talking about one night at Padraig’s.”
Skyla and Claire entered the courtyard, running toward their father and me in their poofy white flower girl dresses.
“Hi Daddy! Hi Angelina! We went up on the roof and looked at the lights on the bridge,” Skyla said.
“I liketheselights,” Claire said, looking up at the strings of light spanning the courtyard as she turned in a circle.
Sully swept both girls up into his arms and greeted Anouk, who followed them. She’d brought a date to the wedding—her new boyfriend, a famous art gallery owner from New York. She was living there once again and seemed fairly happy.
“Our offer still stands to keep the girls while you’re on your honeymoon,” she said. “You can’t possibly want them tagging along with you all over Europe.”
“Nah, that’s okay. Thanks anyway,” Sully said.
“Two months is too long to be away from them,” I explained. “But we will leave them for a couple of weeks with the Wessexes in Aubernesse while we explore Italy and France on our own. That’ll give us some alone time. Thank you so much for keeping them tonight.”
We made conversation with Anouk and her boyfriend for a few more minutes until the band at one end of the courtyard announced they were going to take a short break and invited Jade up on stage.
She sang a love song she’d written especially for us. She said it was calledLet Down Your Hair.
It was one of the most beautiful songs I’d ever heard, and Sully and I slow-danced to it, gazing into each other’s eyes.
As the song ended, Sully bent down to whisper in my ear, “I can’t wait to pull out all those hairpins and let downyourhair. Too bad we have to hang around until midnight.”
“That’s a different fairy tale, Champ,” I whispered back. “As far as I’m concerned, we can leave right now.”
Without missing a beat, Sully grabbed my hand and pulled me from the dance floor, raising his other hand and saying, “Thanks for coming everybody. Good night.”
Laughing as I quick-stepped to keep up with his digging stride, I blew kisses at my friends and guests. “Thank you. I love you all.”
When we reached the waiting limousine and climbed into the back, I scolded my new husband gently. “Iwaskind of joking there. All our guests are going to stay for several more hours, you know.”
“Exactly. That’s why we’re leaving. I can’t wait any more. I’ve waited too long for this night already.”
“Notsolong—we’ve only known each other for five months.”
“That’s not what I mean, Angel. I’ve waited my whole life for you.”
A remark that sweet deserved a kiss, and I gave him a very thorough one. When our lips parted, I said, “Youlooklike a tough guy but really, you’ve got a soft, squishy heart of gold. I waited a long time for you, too. Did you know I used to watch you run on the Bluff Walk?”
His head jerked back, and he gave me a crinkly-eyed smile. “You did? Before we met?”
“Yep. I sat up in my tower window dreaming of a different life, one I never thought I’d have, and you ran by. I started looking for you every day.”
“That’s so weird. I used to look up at that tower every time I ran by, wondering if a princess lived in it. As it turns out, I was right.”
I laughed. “I’m no princess… but Iwasin need of rescue. It’s a good thing a handsome prince found me in my lonely tower.”
Sully grinned and pulled me tighter into his embrace. “And how does this fairy tale end?”
“Don’t you know? Youdohave two little girls who are extra-fond of bedtime stories.”
“I might have some idea. Tell me anyway.”
I smiled, knowingthiswas the beginning of the life story I truly wanted.
“They lived happily ever after, silly. Now kiss your wife and make all her dreams come true.”
