Page 98 of The Baby-whisperer and the Brute
One of my favorite features of the home was its large central courtyard, and that was where I stood now with two of my fellow teachers from the preschool and one of my nanny friends.
“I can’t believe how many celebrities are here,” my friend Lorie said.
“I can’t believeI’mhere,” Katy, one of the teachers said. “I mean, this morning I was scrubbing Play Doh out of the story time rug, and now I’m looking at Adele sharing a plate of salt cod beignets with Mike Tyson. I feel like I’m gonna get arrested for trespassing and thrown out at any minute.”
“I wasreallyhoping that hot security guy would frisk me when I came in,” said Stef, the other nanny. “But he was just standing back and supervising. He’s beautiful enough to need his own bodyguard.”
“He’s single,” I offered. “And one of Sully’s best friends. His name’s Wilder. I could introduce you to him later if you want.”
Steph nodded vigorously while Lorie grabbed my arm. “Oh my God—is thatPrince Alexander?”
“That’s him,” I confirmed. “And that’s his wife Cinda—can you believe she just had twins? They’re our neighbors. They flew in especially for our wedding from Aubernesse.”
“You really are living a fairy tale,” Katy said. “I’m happy for you. And we’re so excited you’re coming back to the preschool next year. We’ve missed you there.”
I beamed. “I’ve missed being there. I can’t wait to work with the kids again.”
The teacher hired to replace me had recently announced her pregnancy and that she intended to stay home with her new baby starting in January. I had eagerly accepted an offer to teach there part-time while working toward an early childhood education degree.
Like my friends, I could hardly believe this was my life now.
I looked around the beautiful courtyard, where myriad strings of fairy lights cast a magical glow on the collection of actors, models, and professional athletes Sully knew and the regular folks who’d filled my side of the aisle.
The person Imostwanted to see though was headed my way. Sully reached me and swept me up in a full-body hug so strong I had no further fears about his full recovery from the title fight.
“Hey there Champ,” I said as he gently set me down again.
“I prefer the title Champ Emeritus,” Sully joked. “But my favorite title is ‘Husband.’”
My tone lowering and adopting a seductive note, I said, “Hey there… husband.”
Sully made a low growly noise and pulled me close, nuzzling my face with his. “I can’t believe you’re really mine.”
“Till death do us part,” I said.
“You won’t have to worry about that for a long, long time,” he assured me.
After I’d accepted his proposal, Sully had announced his decision to voluntarily relinquish his title and retire from boxing.
He said his longstanding goal of forty wins meant nothing compared to the life he now had with me and his kids, and he didn’t want to risk losing it.
After a lifetime of striving, he seemed completely at ease with his choice.
He would still be flying out occasionally to do color commentary on TV for boxing matches. His first one, in fact, would be in December, a title fight for the vacant championship between Travis Diggs and another fighter.
As for my own life-altering decision, I had zero regrets about passing up a life in the monastery in favor of life with this wonderful man and the little girls I’d come to love so dearly.
“And I won’t have to worry about anything else happening to this handsome face,” I said, sliding my hands up his tuxedo front and cupping his strong jaws in my fingers.
Sully looked down at me like I was more tempting than the frosting on our fabulous five-tiered wedding cake, which was decorated to resemble a vine-covered tower.
He’d instructed the cake designer to add a little surprise—a figurine of a bride with long blonde hair leaning out of the tower’s high window and a groom figure at the bottom, beginning to climb.
“You’re my real-life angel, you know that?” he said to me. “I thought you looked like one the first time I saw you, but that’s nothing compared to the goodness and light that’s inside of you.”
After pausing for a long kiss, he added, “You’re more beautiful than every actress and model and pop princess here.”
“Speaking of that…” I sneaked a glance at a late-arriving guest. “… is that…Jade?”
