by Haley Weir
“Never,” Tilly said reassuringly. “You practically raised Brock on your own and you never let his actions change your love for him. That makes you a good man, a strong man. You’re a protector and a naturally born caregiver. That’s nothing like your father.”
He dipped his head and kissed her lips without thinking and heard a chorus of oohs and aahs from nearby children. Michael blushed and Tilly looked away with a matching flush on her cheeks. The young boy he helped earlier shouted, “That means she likes him!” Which only added to Michael’s embarrassment.
A few little girls sighed with envy and it made him smile when they shot pointed looks at the boys they liked. It gave him an idea, one that would either get him killed or mind-blowing sex with the woman he loved for the rest of his life. Michael ran over to the man reading off the raffle winners and took the microphone from his hand.
“May I have your attention please?” he asked. The music cut off and everyone at the school all turned to stare at him at the same time. Michael thanked the gods that he had never been afraid to speak in front of a crowd. “There’s a special lady in this room that I am in love with. She makes my world brighter with her smile and makes me feel like I have sunshine in my heart.”
Parents chuckled and children whispered, “Aaaawww.”
Michael cleared his throat and continued. “She saved my life, battled monsters by my side, and always covers me in glitter. I’ve never known a love like this before, but I knew I couldn’t run away. She’s constantly teaching me new things and making me laugh until my cheeks hurt. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
He heard a few little girls wonder out loud whether the prince had found a princess and it nearly made him snort into the microphone. Michael dug into his pocket and took out the ring he had been saving for her birthday and walked over to the woman he loved. Dropping to one knee, Michael held her gaze with moisture prickling behind his eyelids. “Will you marry me, Miss Tilly?”
She crossed her arms and tapped her chin, looking as though she needed time to think. Those looking on laughed as he pouted at her. Tilly kissed his cheek and spoke loudly into the microphone. “Yes. I will marry you.” Applause rang through the room even while a few heartbroken boys glared at him like he had stolen their candy.
Tilly jumped into Michael’s arms as soon as he stood up. He spun her around and then set her on her feet, slipping the ring on her finger. “I love you,” Michael said. “And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Whether we’re on the island or here in Haden Springs, I want you as my wife.”
They separated long enough to turn their attention back to the children. The fundraiser was a huge success, mostly due to Michael’s sizeable donation. Michael ordered takeout on the way home and picked up a bottle of wine. By the time he arrived, Tilly also pulled into the driveway of their home. She unlocked the door and let him pass through the opening before she kissed him. “That was either the most romantic or the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.”
“I like to think of it as both. Believe me, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing,” he replied. “I told you I had perfect timing. It all seemed planned, but I was just winging it.” Michael carried Tilly to the couch and took her shoes off. He massaged her feet and kissed her sore ankles without complaint. Every sigh and soft little murmur from her luscious lips made it worth it.
“You only want me for my body.”
“That and everything that comes with it.”
“Good. I can’t wait until I’m barefoot and pregnant,” she chuckled. “Corey said we have to name our first child after him in some way. He’s taking full credit for us being together. I told him we’re naming our first son Garth and our first daughter Broomhilda. His expression was hilarious. You should have been there.”
“How often do you two talk about this sort of thing?”
“Well, I went over to Mitra’s house to complain about you walking around naked and not letting me touch you,” she said with a little eyebrow wiggle. “Corey just joined in the conversation by complaining that he didn’t want to hear about your junk.”
“Our friends are so strange.”
“Hey, I tried to find us a way out when we got into that argument with Brock and Destiny, but you had to be all righteous again and mess it all up.”
Michael kissed his way up her leg and brushed her inner thigh with his lips. He cursed aloud when the deliveryman rang the doorbell. The food was paid for in record time and ended up sitting on the coffee table until he finished what he started. Michael feasted on Tilly’s body until she nearly blacked out from the pleasure. When she came down from her sensual high, they relaxed on the couch with white wine, Chinese food, and The Marx Brothers comedies.
Tilly fell asleep around midnight and Michael carried her upstairs to bed before cleaning up the house. He showered and climbed in beside her, wrapping his large body around Tilly as she cuddled against him. She kissed his chest and neck before leaning whispering into his ear. “I don’t want you to get too excited, but my period is late. I have a doctor’s appointment next week. I thought you should know.”
Michael was so happy that he hid his burning cheeks in the dark. Tilly gripped his ears and pulled him into a kiss that tasted of happy tears and spearmint. She toyed with his hair until falling asleep again, but Michael remained awake for the night. He dreamed of the future and imagined what his child might look like.
EPILOGUE
One month later...
White silk draped to the floor and wrapped around her body like a second skin. Tilly looked at her reflection and dabbed away the tears from her eyes. Jenny fussed with her hair as Sapphire bounced the baby in her arms a foot away from the chaos. Destiny grabbed the veil and placed it upon her head. “Come on ladies, its almost time.”
“It’s Saph’s fault we’re moving so slow. It was her idea to have a bachelorette party even though two of us are pregnant,” Lori grumbled. Tilly looked around the room and tried to deduce which of her friends had gotten knocked up too. It didn’t take long to notice Mitra’s face looked as she sipped her sparkling water.
“Oh my god! Does Corey know?” Tilly asked. Mitra blushed wildly and shook her head. Destiny clapped her hands with glee and everyone congratulated the newest member of their strange little clan. Once Tilly was ready, her friends hurried out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts for a moment as she pulled herself together.
“You can do this,” she said. “You’re marrying the love of your life. He’s the father of your future child and the most amazing man you’ve ever met.” Tilly took a drink of water and stepped away from her reflection to push open the doors. She walked down a long corridor and came to a stop outside of the chapel.
Ushers opened the doors and Frank Sinatra’s “Too Romantic” began to play as she walked slowly down the aisle. Standing near the altar was Michael wearing a navy tux with a tartan bow tie that brought out the color of his eyes. He smiled from ear to ear as she approached. The pews of the church were filled with members of the community that still supported the great bears of Haden Springs. Tilly’s students were scattered through the audience with awestruck expressions on their little faces.
Tears spilled from Sapphire’s eyes and Jenny looked down at her flowers, pretending not to cry like the others. Tilly kept her gaze locked on Michael. It was as though that invisible force that existed between them kept her tethered to him, pulling her closer with each step until she stood before him. He mouthed the words “I love you” and the preacher read from the bible in his hands.
Michael surprised her with handwritten vows. He unfolded the crumpled paper in his hands and she smiled when she noticed how many times he crossed lines out. It spoke volumes of the man he was, that he had cared to make his words as close to perfect as he could manage. Michael swallowed and took a deep breath before he read from the paper. Tilly steeled herself and told herself not to cry.
“Matilda Jane Riker, you
are my best friend. You made a broken man whole the day you walked into my life. Holding you, caring for you, and loving you has been the greatest honor of my life. I can finally look toward the future with hope and know that you will be there by my side through the good and the bad.” Michael paused and cleared his throat when his voice broke on the last word. “You are the most beautiful and incredible soul I have ever known. If the rest of my days are to be filled with the sound of your rusty car sputtering into the driveway and swimming through a sea of noodle art, then so be it. I will never stop trying to prove that I am worthy of your love. I promise to cherish you with each breath I take, to replace your lucky bag and become the thing that you keep with you always. I strive to bring you unending happiness and unconditional affection from here until the day that I die. I love you.”
Tilly struggled to see through her tears and the ceremony had to pause as Michael wiped her tears away. She sniffled and apologized to those in attendance while waving the preacher on, encouraging him to hurry up. Michael quickly swiped his own tears away with the sleeve of his jacket and Tilly hear Corey whisper into his ear.
“I promise not to tell anyone you cried at your wedding if you promise not to blackmail me when I cry at mine.”
She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but she saw Michael’s shoulders quake subtly as he struggled to contain himself. Dorian threw his head back and barked out a few chuckles until Jenny silently threatened his manhood with a few hand gestures. The rest of the celebration went without a hiccup and Tilly sat alone at one of the tables, waiting for Michael to finish dancing with one of the little girls in Tilly’s class. She watched him with hearts in her eyes and knew that she never would have gotten her happily ever after if he hadn’t been in her life.
Now that she had set aside her foolishness, it was impossible to see herself with anyone except Michael. He swayed back and forth with a second grader standing on top of his expensive shoes, sweeping away Tilly’s heart each time he twirled the adorable child. Brock sat beside her at the table and put his arm around Tilly. “You know, he’s the best big brother anyone could ask for. I’m so happy he’s going to be a father.”
“He keeps talking like I changed him somehow, but all I did was got him to show what had already been there,” she replied. “The man you see now was buried deep beneath layers of self-loathing and a fear of failure. Michael changed me. I didn’t change him. And as much as he’s determined to prove his worth, I’m just as determined to prove my own. He deserves nothing but the best.”
Brock smiled over at her. “Welcome to the family, Tilly. I’ve always wanted a sister. And I’m glad it’s you even though you threatened my life more than once.”
*****
THE END
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About the Author
Haley Weir is an author from South New Jersey. Obsessed with all things romance, you can catch her over at FictionObsessed.com, where she one of the head writers.
Growing up near Philadelphia, she always loved taking trips into the city and felt magnetized by its culture and art. She recalls her first trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a young girl. The vast displays of skills and beauty left her in awe and she slowly developed an interest towards the creative side of life.
She began drawing and writing at 13 years old and graduated from Drexel University with as an English major in 2011.
You can find her outside reading at her local park in South Jersey, strolling through the streets of Philly, or awkwardly sipping a glass of wine at a nearby bar.
