Page 149 of Take This Heart
But first, at breakfast, once everyone is in the dining room, including Milo, I take the opportunity to lift my hand up for everyone to behold my ring’s beauty.
“Milo and I have something to tell you,” I sing.
I don’t even know who shouts first or who hugs me first because there’s a roar and Milo and I are bombarded with hugs. I laugh and cry because that seems to be my default lately, feeling all the things, all the time.
Mostly I feel so loved and so grateful.
Milo got ready before I did so I could have the bathroom to myself. He groans when he sees me in my dress. It’s black with long sleeves and a low neckline…and hits me mid-thigh.
“You look hot asfuck,” he says. “And elegant. And so unbelievably sexy.” His hand goes to the back of his neck while he looks me up and down. “We have a few minutes before we have to go, right?”
I move toward him, and my five-inch heels put me closer to his height, but I still have to look up. He’s in a black three-piece suit and looks absolutely delicious. I smooth his lapel and straighten his tie. And then I run the back of my hand over his smoothly shaven skin.
“Mmm, so soft. You look good enough to eat,” I tell him.
He leans in to kiss me, and I put my finger on his lips.
“We don’t have time now, but I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”
“You’re sure?” he asks.
His hands slide to my backside and I’m tempted, really tempted, to lift my dress and let him take me now, but sense prevails.
“I’m so sure,” I say.
He pouts and lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles.
“We might need to go to your place tonight, that’s how sure I am.”
His eyes light up at that because he knows we’re as loud as we want to be when we’re there.
“Let’s do this,” he says.
As we’re about to leave, Kevin trots out. Grandma Donna had come to get him while I was getting ready and now I see why. He’s wearing a little knitted sweater that looks like a tux. I have to say, it’s one of her cutest creations.
“Look at you!” I go on over him and he dances around my feet.
Grandma Donna looks so proud when we walk out.
“His sweater tux is so cute, Grandma!”
“Aw, thank you, dear. You look gorgeous!”
“Yes, you do,” Grandma Nancy adds.
“You both look lovely too!”
Milo kisses their cheeks and tells them how pretty they look and they preen under his attention. I swear, if they were younger, they’d be shooting their shot with my fiancé.
I probably think of the word fiancé every other second now.
Milo, Milo, Milo. Fiancé, fiancé, fiancé.
I haven’t even thought about a wedding yet. I don’t care what we do, I just want to be his wife.
We take his SUV since it’s a little trek from the house and he lets me, my grandmas, and Kevin out before going to park. Kevin’s just staying long enough for the fam to see him in hissweater tux and then Grandma Donna is driving him back to the house. I walk inside and glance around the room, so excited for everyone to experience Elm & Echo. The forty-foot windows are a showstopper in themselves, and the view will make it even better in the daytime. But it’s still stunning in here at night.
One of my favorite projects is the tree I created out of combining all different kinds of branches, and then I covered them with tiny lights. It’s standing in the back corner and is almost as tall as the ceiling. I had to put it together horizontally and then have five men help me stand it up. Hanging from the ceiling are thin branches with lights, and there’s a massive glam chandelier too, but with the tables made out of distressed wood, it’s the perfect juxtaposition of romantic, not too formal, and comfortable.
