Page 66 of A Royal Arrangement
“I’m not sure any of us want you to finish that sentence,” Bridgette interrupted her, and they all laughed while Charlotte playfully rolled her eyes.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine, but I’m going to miss you so much.” Rosalie pulled them into a group hug.
“Ah.” Marco smiled. “I’m so glad I caught that moment on camera. I’m ready whenever you are.”
The photographer led them through the whole session, posing them together as a whole group and in duos for different pictures.
Luckily, the sun was hiding behind the clouds today, and there was a slight breeze providing a little bit of relief from the summer heat.
“All right, I think that was the last shot.” Marco thumbed through the photos on his camera. “These are great. I think you’ll love them.”
Rosalie thanked him, and that was when she noticed Colin and Addie standing off to the side. Addie jumped up and down, smiling at her.
She waved them over. When they were close enough to hear her, she said, “You can take your family pictures now.”
Rosalie stepped to the side under a canopy with her friends, and Colin’s brow furrowed.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m letting you take your family pictures, like we talked about.”
He extended his hand to her. “We can’t take them without you.”
Her heart stopped, and tears welled in her eyes. Colin considered her part of the family. She didn’t know when it had happened, but Rosalie wasn’t going to question it.
The smile that covered her face was so bright it rivaled the sun itself. She took his hand, and Addie grabbed her other as they walked closer to the water. Rosalie could hear the clicking sound of the camera as they walked. She already knew these were going to be photos she would cherish forever, and the photoshoot hadn’t even officially started.
“You are the most adorable family,” Marco said as the camera continued to click.
Rosalie turned and really took in Colin. He wore a light-blue button-down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with khakis. His handsomeness always hit her like a shock to her system. She never seemed to get used to the rippling muscles in his arms or the way his brown eyes softened when they looked at Addie—and now her. And the dimples in his cheeks? Those alone were enough to make a girl swoon.
Addie wrapped an arm around her leg, and Rosalie got down on her level to hug her. She wore a light-blue-and-white-striped dress that tied all their lookstogether perfectly. Her light brown curls were wild today, even bigger and bouncier with the humid ocean air.
Rosalie stood back up with Colin’s assistance, and they followed the photographer’s instructions, posing as directed. Her heart raced the whole time at all the physical touch she was getting from Colin. The feel of his hand on her waist. His abs against her back. The warm sensation of his hand wrapped around hers. And for the final pose, when Marco had Rosalie place her hands on Colin’s chest, she could feel that his pounding heartbeat matched her own. Rosalie rested her head by his shoulder, calming her breathing to sync with his.
“These are going to be perfect. I’ll have the edited photos to you within the next few days. Thank you so much for having me.” Marco walked over and shook their hands before packing up his equipment and leaving.
Colin leaned over and placed a hand on Rosalie’s waist. “Thanks for letting us join in on your fun,” he whispered into her ear, causing the hair on her neck to stand and goosebumps to cover her arms.
“Of course,” she croaked. “Is anyone else thirsty?” She stepped away, fanning herself. “I’m parched.”
“Yeah, she’s thirsty for something,” Charlotte whispered not so quietly, and all her friends burst into a fit of laughter.
Rosalie glanced at Colin out of the corner of her eye to find him still watching her. She didn’t know who this version of him was, but she really hoped he was here to stay.
At the start of their marriage, she’d questioned if they would ever work together. Now sheknewthey could work—it would just take some effort and time. But the real question was if this version of him would stay or if he would get scared and run away.
Chapter Twenty-One
Colin
Colin knelt and gave Addie a high five after she tiptoed out of Rosalie’s room. He had been having his daughter leave things on Rosalie’s bedside table for the past week. While her friends were here, it had been a cup of her favorite iced coffee and some flowers he’d picked himself. Today, he had stolen one of Gloria’s cinnamon rolls from her kitchen because he knew they were Rosalie’s favorite.
Even though they were all small things, he hoped his actions would add up over time. That she would notice he was going out of his way to do little things for her. That she would realize he was doing the best he could to care for her, even though he was still trying to figure out how exactly to care for himself.
“Your Majesty,” Hector said, approaching him and Addie in the hallway. “You may want to take Princess Addie and Her Majesty down to the palace entrance. You have some visitors.”
“Who’s here?”
