His lips curled in a tender smile. “You must really love me.”
“I do.”
“Let’s make it official, then.” He reached in his pocket, took her hand, and slid a marquis-cut diamond ring on her finger.
She stared at it. “Oh, Ty, it’s so beautiful.”
He cradled her face with one hand and gazed into her eyes. “Saturday. All planned. You just show up with the dress. Zero stress for my woman.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Perfect.”
~ ~ ~
On Saturday Ty surprised her yet again. She thought for sure when he said he planned a wedding that he’d left it mostly to Hailey, which meant a wedding in Clover Park at Ludbury House, where Hailey hosted most weddings, but no. Not at all.
It was on a yacht tied to a dock right off of Connecticut’s shore. The very same boat they’d gotten stranded in the mud for their magical first date where they revealed so much of who they were on the inside. Except this time the captain, not Ty, the real captain, actor and comedian Will McKay, was in charge.
All of her friends were there, even Claire had flown in and brought her stylist to do everyone’s hair and makeup at Charlotte’s house. Hailey had taken care of the dress, taking Charlotte shopping in a boutique she knew well that gave them the red-carpet treatment. Her dress was a curve-hugging white satin with a straight strapless neckline and a small train. A long veil trailed down her back. She loved it. All of it.
Her friends downplayed their part in making Charlotte’s wedding so stress-free. In fact, the first thing Claire said upon arrival was, “Don’t blame me for your overbearing fiancé. He’s the one bossing everyone around, arranging for your bridal needs, your honeymoon, pulling strings to get appointments with the best doctors in the city.”
Charlotte had thanked both Claire and Hailey profusely anyway, knowing it was Claire’s pull as a celebrity and Hailey’s organized efficiency that made Ty’s plans come together.
Now it was near sunset and the wedding reception was still going strong. Claire checked in with Charlotte to make sure she was happy with everything. Hailey rushed over to repeat the question and reminded Charlotte the wedding cake was the healthy kind, carrot cake, and really not her fault. Ty insisted on it for the baby.
“It’s okay,” Charlotte said. “I love everything.” She took both of them in, emotion making her throat tight and her eyes water. “I love you, you’re my sisters.”
“Sisters from another mister,” Claire put in.
Hailey nodded vigorously, her own eyes watering.
“Hey, what are we, chopped worm guts?” Mad hollered.
“Get over here!” Charlotte hollered back.
Mad snagged Lauren by the arm, who snagged Carrie. Hailey hurried to gather up the rest of the Happy Endings Book Club ladies from where they mingled. A crazy commotion of hugging and exclaiming followed until Ty came over to make sure Charlotte wasn’t getting jostled.
“Easy, ladies,” Ty said. “Excuse us, it’s time for our slow dance. They’re playing our song.”
“‘SexyBack’ is our song?” Charlotte asked.
Ty quirked a brow. “You have to ask?”
“Bit on the nose, isn’t it?” Mad asked.
“Blame Charlotte,” Ty said. “This is her favorite song. She asked me to dance to it before she’d agree to go out with me.” He turned to Charlotte. “Own it, baby.”
“Ty!” Charlotte exclaimed. “It’s not my favorite.”
Ty kissed her. “It’s mine because it got me you.”
“Oh, Ty.” She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. He was so damn sweet. He returned the hug in a restrained gentle way before taking her hand and guiding her toward the large back deck. Her friends whistled and hollered, “Sexy, sexy!” behind her.
“You know I’m never going to live this down,” she told him, walking behind him on the narrow path to the back deck.
“I’m sure we’ll give them lots more stuff to talk about in the future,” he said, tossing a wicked grin over his shoulder. She shook her head at him, smiling.
Ty was still in the walking boot, so he couldn’t dance much at the reception, except for the slow dances, which he was happy about because he didn’t want her to dance. He was adamant that she not “shake things up in there.” She agreed as long as they could still have a honeymoon with full naked privileges. They would have it in the penthouse of a gorgeous exclusive hotel nearby in the city, where Claire had connections.
They arrived on the back deck and Ty pulled her into his arms, dancing cheek to cheek, barely moving despite the faster-paced song.
“Sure is a different sunset-cruise experience this time around,” she said.
“Smells a helluva lot better too,” he returned with a chuckle.
“And you’re fully dressed in a tux,” she said. “I think I liked the towel and flimsy robe look better. Such a shame to hide that gorgeous body.”
He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, “Won’t be hidden for long, baby. Can’t wait for our honeymoon.”
“Me too.”
His voice was a husky promise. “I’m gonna gently rock your world.”
She couldn’t help her smile. “You always do.”
They were the only people dancing, but she didn’t mind, completely comfortable with both the company and her man. Most of the playlist were low-key slow songs at Ty’s request. He was thorough in looking out for her and the baby, she’d give him that.
The guys—the Campbell brothers and friends—were nearby, talking up Will McKay for details on what the yacht could do. Except for Alex, who held Viv in a life jacket near the railing, where she pointed, oohing and aahing over the other boats in the water.
It was nothing like Charlotte ever thought her wedding would be—on a boat, pregnant with a groom who hosted a reality TV show—yet it was her perfect happy ending.
Epilogue
Charlotte’s pregnancy was rough. Not just for her, for Ty too. His empathy for her made him overbearing at times, but always with the best of intentions. At six months along, she was put on full bed rest. Ty arranged for a nurse for when he couldn’t be there and her friends rotated shifts visiting her. And while it was tough to remain resting, especially with her previously active lifestyle, she always reminded herself of the end goal—her little miracle.
But that wasn’t the only miracle. For her, it was also the unexpected closeness she found once she opened up to her friends. She could honestly say they were like family. And of course, Ty’s family was hers now too. Their refrigerator and freezer were stuffed with healthy meals either prepared by their family or brought over from Garner’s.
Hailey even arranged for the book club to meet in Charlotte’s bedroom, everyone piling on the bed with her or on folding chairs Ty had bought for visitors. Ty had sat in on the first meeting in a chair next to her side of the bed, anxious to be sure Charlotte wasn’t crowded or too tired or overly excited. He told everyone he was there because he was romance-curious and had even read the book Highlander’s Mission. He wasn’t shy about contributing to the discussion either.
“Do you think Brianna would’ve married the man picked for her at birth if Roan hadn’t survived the battle?” Ty asked right away.
The women were too busy giggling and whispering to answer. Charlotte nearly asked him to fetch her a snack or water or something, embarrassed on his behalf, but Ty was not at all embarrassed.
“Simmer down,” he said. “Guys like romance too. Why do you think I fell so hard for this beauty?” He took Charlotte’s hand and kissed the back of it, gazing into her eyes.
She sighed a swoony sigh. So did everyone else.
Soon they were all discussing the book, Ty included.
“What’s up with Fiona anyway?” he asked. “You think she’ll be with Brianna’s brother in the next book? Is there a next book?”
“Yes!” Hailey said excitedly from where she sat on Ty’s other side. “It’s a trilogy. I’
ll email you the link. It’s called Highlander’s Mate.”
“Is it Fiona?” Charlotte asked.
Hailey waved that away. “You’ll see when we get to it. Back to Highlander’s Mission.”
Ty was happy to do so. “Can you believe Roan just moved Brianna into his fortress? I mean, he’s clan leader, supposed to marry another who’s about to visit, and there she is.”
“Mistresses were quite common at the time,” Hailey replied. “I would never tolerate it, but those were different times.” She took in the group. “Dating and marriage are so much better nowadays, right, ladies?”
An animated debate over the topic ensued, which Ty listened to in rapt fascination. He’d probably never heard so many women speak so openly about the many ways men sucked. Not her man, of course, Charlotte was one of the lucky ones.
“That’s why I take my job as a love facilitator so seriously,” Hailey said. “Anyone tired of the dating scene—” she scanned the group “—please let me know and I’m happy to work my magic for your very own happy ending.”
“What kind of magic?” Ty wanted to know.
“Oh, I get couples together,” Hailey said.
“You do?” Ty asked, clearly surprised to hear this.
“Sure do!” Hailey beamed and then ticked them off on her fingers. “Julia and Angel, Claire and Jake, Mad and Park, and you and Charlotte.”
Not one of the ladies contradicted Hailey because, in her way, she had helped things along, even if she wasn’t directly responsible for the happy couplings.
“Me and Charlotte?” Ty echoed, his brows drawing together. “I think I had something to do with that.”
Charlotte hid a smile.
Hailey was too polite to argue, instead turning to Mad. “Tell him.”
Mad rolled her eyes and then said in a monotone, “She’s the love junkie. She makes love bloom.”
Charlotte patted Ty’s arm. “It’s on her professional wedding planner business card.”
Ty gave Hailey a slow devious smile. “Maybe you can work your magic on my beast of a brother. That scoundrel. That cad.” Those were Hailey’s preferred names for Josh. He always called her princess in return.
Hailey flushed pink, cleared her throat, and announced briskly, “Back to Roan and Brianna. Let’s stay on topic, people.”
Ty chuckled. The rest of them knew better than to laugh at Hailey’s expense. Hailey’s evil-genius abilities had recently become abundantly clear in her dealings with her arch nemesis. Josh must be planning something truly devious in return.
After that first meeting, Ty left the rest of the meetings to just the ladies, but he still read the books. He always wanted to talk to Charlotte about them and had a lot of new ideas for them in the bedroom too, once the baby was born.
Happily, Ty Jr. was born strong and healthy, only a month early. They called him T.J.
The doctor said Charlotte’s chances of getting pregnant again were still very small and the same high risk would apply. She and Ty decided to be content with the miracle they had. Neither of them wanted to risk not being there for T.J.
Ty jumped into fatherhood with both feet. It was the way he approached everything in life. Charlotte appreciated that about him and decided to apply the same gusto to her own life. As soon as T.J. was old enough, she was going to look for some studio space and open her own personal training business, working one-on-one with clients on her own schedule. For the first time in her life, she looked forward to the future with great hope and an open heart. Hard to believe it all started with a dance.
One missed dance.
One super-sexy dance.
One let’s hang out dance.
And one slow and tender wedding dance that promised forever.
~ ~ ~
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Dear Readers,
What do you think? Is Josh planning something devious for evil genius Hailey or is he too distracted watching her pretty behind for her? Maybe peacemaker Lauren can help smooth things out between the two. Or she might be too busy. After all, she’s recently agreed to let Hailey find her love. Of course, that will have to be a strictly weekend endeavor because there’s a tired single dad who needs her help with his little girl during the week. Would you like an exclusive sneak peek at my next release? Just click to sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive sneak peeks, excerpts, and subscriber-only giveaways. Next up is Alex and Lauren’s story, Formal Arrangement, book 4 in the Happy Endings Book Club series. Join the club and get your happy ending!
P.S. Accidentally Married to a Vampire (Hailey’s book club pick) is a real (hilarious) book by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. Check it out!
Formal Arrangement (Happy Endings Book Club #4)
Lauren Bishop has her whole summer planned out—working as a nanny for a desperate single dad and finding the elusive Mr. Right. She even signed up for the local matchmaking guru’s Make Love Bloom (TM) service, end of summer guarantee! But somehow her plans got derailed because now she finds herself longing for her emotionally unavailable employer.
When his two-year-old’s molars turn his little sunshine into a demon from hell, single dad Alex Campbell finds himself longing for the simpler days of teddy bear picnics. This is a parenting nightmare! Then sweet Lauren drops into their life like an angel sent from above. Alex doesn’t do relationships, which is why he turns down every woman who comes his way, but he can’t afford to lose this nanny. Can he convince her to stay even though she’s looking for the one thing he can’t give her?
Lauren gave Alex a few more directions and he parked in the lot in front of her building. “I'm just upstairs on the second floor,” she said. Before she could thank him for the ride he was already out the door, walking around to her side, and opening her door. The gentleman was back.
She stepped outside.
He shut the car door behind her. “I was raised to walk the woman to the door and make sure she gets in safe.” He grinned. “You can blame my dad for beating gentleman manners into me.”
She laughed and even to her ears it sounded nervous and high-pitched. The truth was she still wanted him and was very tempted to pull him inside her apartment. “Okay.”
He put a hand on the small of her back, singeing her bare skin with his touch. They headed upstairs.
“You have a roommate?” he asked.
Her brain translated that to I hope we can be alone, making her knees wobble and her heart race. “Yes. Me and my two cats.”
He flashed a smile. “Okay if I come in? It's my first Viv-free night and I'm not ready to turn in.”
Translation: let's fuck like animals.
Her stomach did a few flips. “Probably not a good idea.” It's a great idea! her orgasm-loving parts screamed at her, basically all of her minus the tiny still functioning part of her brain.
“Just to talk. Or we could watch a movie.”
Translation: I want you to feel comfortable before I fuck you.
She tried very hard to think it through, her brain still sluggish with the lust running high between them. She must've been thinking too long because he spoke in a much gentler tone.
“Did I come on too strong before?”
She was quiet for a moment because he had, but she'd liked it. “It's okay, really, I was just surprised.”
“I'm out of practice,” he said flatly.
“Mmm-hmm,” she said because she had no idea how to explain where she was at right now both wanting him and trying very hard to resist him. They reached her apartment. “I'm pretty tired so…” She let him fill in the blank and turned from him, facing the door and pulling out her key. “Good night.”
“Lauren.” His voice was low and deep, weakening her resolve. “Give me another chance to do this right.”
She swallowed, seriously torn.
She slowly turned to face him. His expression was clear in the light by her front
door—a dark hunger, ravenous. She shivered. “See you on Monday.”
She whirled and dropped her keys. He scooped them up, unlocked the door for her, placed the keys back in her hand, and held the door open. “See you Monday,” he said.
She rushed inside and leaned back against the door, feeling like she'd just run a marathon, breathing hard, shaky, and weak. She slowly sank to the floor. She did the right thing. She didn't want to be a late night booty call. She wanted to feel special. His words rang through her head, give me another chance to do this right.
She hadn't given him a chance.
It was either the smartest or stupidest thing she'd ever done in her life.
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You’ve just read book #3 in the Happy Endings Book Club series. The books in the series are Hidden Hollywood (Jake & Claire), Inviting Trouble (Parker & Mad), So Revealing (Ty & Charlotte), Formal Arrangement (Alex & Lauren), Bad Boy Done Wrong, and Mess With Me. I hope you enjoy them all!
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Other Books by Kylie Gilmore
The Clover Park Series
The Opposite of Wild (Book 1)
Daisy Does It All (Book 2)
Bad Taste in Men (Book 3)
Kissing Santa (Book 4)
Restless Harmony (Book 5)
Not My Romeo (Book 6)
Rev Me Up (Book 7)
An Ambitious Engagement (Book 8)
Clutch Player (Book 9)
A Tempting Friendship (Book 10)
The Clover Park STUDS Series
Almost in Love (Book 1)
Almost Married (Book 2)
Almost Over It (Book 3)
Almost Romance (Book 4)
Almost Hitched (Book 5)
Happy Endings Book Club Series
So Revealing (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 3) Page 18
