Perfect Grump (Bad Chicago Bosses)

“Reese Halle, I love you with my whole soul,” he starts, his eyes all glinting emerald. “From the moment we met—”

I grin. “When you thought I was a frat boy, you mean?”

He lowers his face for a second and laughs.

“Yeah. You even had me then. I could always talk to you like no one else. That’s what made it impossible not to fall this hard. I’ve been hooked on you since the first time you shot me down. I kept coming back through the mistakes, the curses, the laughs, the passion, the agony, the love. You put us both on the right track. You steered me toward a life worth living. You’ll always be my driver, woman, in all the best ways. If you’re willing to have me, forever—big-ass ask, I know—you’re the only one I ever want to take the long road with.”

Holy Bejeezus.

The Brandt Charm has never been cranked up this high, and I’m a total sucker.

My heart jumps ahead of my body as I fall to the ground, into his embrace.

“I love you, Nicholas Brandt.”

“Is that a yes? You know I’m lovestruck with you,” he rumbles.

I nod so intently my hair lashes everywhere.

He slides the ring on my finger and helps me up, never letting go. Back on my feet, I throw my arms around him and kiss him like the Titanic’s band just started playing. Thankfully, we’re never going down.

As long as I have this man, we can only touch the sky, the light, the love he pulls out of me.

Loud applause breaks out behind us.

I pull away from Nick, confused. Abby and Millie stand at the other end of the bridge. Abby’s holding a phone, filming and rubbing her eyes. Millie’s bouncing away, holding the car’s remote.

Millie laughs. “I ran your foot over!”

I glance down to the limo at my feet and back at Millie. “That was you, munchkin?”

She laughs, nods, backs the limo up, and bumps it into me again.

“Okay, punk!”

Millie backs the limo up again before Abby swipes the remote away.

“Sorry. I got the whole thing on video, future brother-in-law.” She gives him a thumbs up.

He smiles at her. “You rock, lady. Thanks.”

Without another word, we all just melt into this big group hug, with my sister whispering “con-grat-ul-ations” over and over again like a mantra while we both happy cry our eyes out.

I don’t mind.

I need it to ground me, to remind me this is real and lasting.

This is the start of my life with Nick Brandt. Here on a bridge on a happy summer day, surrounded by entire family for the first time ever.

I’m not that scared orphan girl anymore.

I’m a sister, an aunt, a friend, and soon I’ll be the best freaking mom and wife to the man who showed me what I could be.

I just hope our wedding day is even half as perfect as this.

“Play,” Millie chirps. “Play outside!”

“I should probably let her run around. We couldn’t get out much the last few months,” Abby explains.

I look at my fiancè—a word I never expected to use in this lifetime.

“I think we can spare a few minutes.” I link my arm in his. “Shall we?”

Smiling, Nick leads, and we both follow Abby and Millie to the playground.

My sister takes the nearest park bench and Nick sits next to her. I plop down right in his lap, soaring but shy. It’s a little freaky meeting the man you’re marrying for the first time.

“You two are disgustingly cute,” Abby says with a snicker. “So, when and where are we doing this wedding, baby sister?”

“Well...that depends.” I shift in Nick’s lap so I can see his face. “Is really soon okay?”

“Tomorrow works for me,” he says, pausing as I laugh. He leans in. “Woman, I’m only half joking. Need you wearing both my rings the second you’re ready.”

We stop and kiss while Abby rolls her eyes right out of her head, hiding a giggle behind her hand.

“I already am!” I tell him. “I have no idea how. But I want to do it before I start to show...better dress options, I think.”

“Reesie, don’t even. You’ve got way better things to worry about, like keeping this hunk happy,” Abby whispers in my ear.

Later that night, it’s my turn for surprises. I tie a blindfold on Nick’s eyes and take him for a drive in the Maserati under a massive summer harvest moon.

“Where are we going?” he asks.

“You’ll see. Don’t you dare peek!”

When we enter a park near Winnetka, I say, “Okay, blindfold off.”

He removes the scarf I tied around his eyes and smiles. “Shit. It’s too perfect. Last time we were here, it was raining like buckets.”

“We fogged up the Lincoln. I had to get it cleaned before it could go back into commission...”

“The first time we made love,” he says, giving me a look that cuts right through me.