Page 25 of The Billionaire and His Forever

“Absolutely. I’ll even volunteer to taste test them first.” Esmeralda cracks a grin.

I smile back at them, gratitude washing over me. Their support means everything. Mary and Esmeralda have been with me longer than anyone else I’ve ever employed. They were here before Jude. They were here before Natasha. They’ve seen my highest highs and lowest lows. They’ve helped care for my daughter and run my house. Their opinions wouldn’t change the outcome of today, but it helps to know I have their support and that they are with me on this.

Suddenly, Natasha is nothing more than the ghost of lives past. I have my whole life ahead of me with the woman I love and the daughter who brings my life such deep meaning. Natasha doesn’t hold power over me anymore. She never will again.

“Let’s go, Daddy!” Jude tugs at my hand. “We have so much to do!”

“You heard the little lady.” Mary snaps her towel at us. “Go make the place beautiful for Abbie.”

We make our way to the stables, where Jude fills up boxes of lights and ribbons, going on about how perfect everything is going to be. As she picks through the decorations, I call a local florist and order enough flowers to open my own shop, paying an exorbitant fee to have them all delivered immediately. When I tell the florist what I need so many flowers for, she promises the most glorious blooms I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure I’ve cleaned out her entire inventory.

We take Lucy and Desi to Abbie’s favorite spot on the grounds, under the massive old tree by the creek. It holds so much significance for us that I cannot picture proposing anywhere else. This is one of the first places I took advantage of her ripe, willing body, where we slow danced under the stars, where our love was cemented. There is no place more perfect on the estate to ask Abbie to be my wife.

As we start decorating, my excitement grows. It’s almost a foreign feeling, this elation. I’m prone to brooding, an Englishman to the core. I do not get excited, I do not express my emotions, but Abbie makes me want to be more present, to allow myself to feel things. In a way, I feel like a child again. The child I was before my father taught me to repress myself and bury my emotions.Now, I’ll never look back.

“This is going to look like magic!” Jude crows as she wraps the tree trunk with ribbons. “The most magical place in the world!”

As I’m stringing the lights, the flowers arrive. Ronaldo must have jumped in the van with the delivery person to direct him here; once the van is parked, they get out and start unloading, Ronaldo winking at me all the while. There are hundreds, thousands of roses, lilies, and sunflowers, dahlias and hydrangeas and many more I can’t even name, an explosion of color and scent. Jude runs around happily, making bouquets. She even makes a crown for herself.

We spend what feels like hours getting everything ready. Eventually, it looks like a young girl’s fantasy has exploded across the grass. Jude is positively enamored by the entire thing, and I can’t help but feel a surging sense of pride. This place looks…truly enchanted.

My phone rings in my pocket, and suddenly my stomach drops. But it’s not the hospital calling about Natasha—it’s Esmeralda.

“Cassie just pulled in the driveway. Better get back!” she tells me.

I grab Jude and we race back to the house, stopping only to drop the horses at the stables. When we finally burst into the foyer, we find Esmeralda and Mary standing there chatting with Abbie and Cassie, clearly stalling to keep Abbie there. She and Cassie look perfectly sunbaked and relaxed after their beach date. Jude runs to Abbie, buzzing with excitement and energy.

“Hey, you,” Abbie says to Jude, wrapping her in a hug. “Where’d you just come from?”

Jude opens her mouth and I place my finger to my lips to remind her to keep everything a secret, and she grins widely, though I can tell it’s killing her not to say anything. “Nowhere.”

Abbie glances over at me and I walk over, cup Abbie’s face in my hands, and kiss her. She steps out of my grasp, her wide eyes flitting from person to person around us, knowing full well I’ve just tipped our hand. But I reassure her with a broad grin.

“It’s okay, Abbie. Everyone knows.”

“What? But why—”

“We have a surprise for you!” Jude blurts, unable to keep mum.

“Well, that secret lasted all of thirty seconds,” Mary says.

All I can do is laugh. I’m just as excited as my daughter is. I don’t want to wait any longer than necessary. I want this ring on Abbie’s finger, I want her committed to me.

“A surprise for me?” Abbie smiles, quelling the shock on her face.

“Yes!” Jude looks at me. “Can we now, Daddy?”

“Abbie just got home. Let’s let her have a few moments.”

Abbie gives me a questioning look before turning back to Jude. “Let me go upstairs and change real quick and then you can show me, okay?”

“Okay!” Jude nods.

“Is this…what I think it is?” Cassie asks the second Abbie is out of sight.

Jude goes over to her and whispers in her ear, and Cassie’s face splits into a huge grin.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Cassie tells me with a wink. “Good luck.”

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