I wished my mother were here for this.
I carried the dress back downstairs were Landon was waiting for me.
“You got it?” He placed his hands on my hips as he helped me to the ground. Then he pushed the door back into the ceiling.
“Here it is.” I held it out for him. “It’s beautiful, huh?”
“It’s definitely got a distinct style…”
My parents got married twenty-something years ago, so the style was much different then than it was now. “That’s what I like about it. It’s unique, special. And Mama looked so beautiful in it.”
My brother gave me an affectionate look. “You’ll look beautiful too.”
“Thanks, Landon.” I placed it on the couch and took a look around the house. “I’m selling the place. Not much reason to keep it anymore.”
“Makes sense. But I have a better idea.” He examined the living room and the kitchen before he turned back to me. “Give it to me. You’re going to be a billionaire tomorrow, so it’s not like you need the money. And the house stays in the family.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Plus, you don’t have to move all this stuff.”
“Well, you aren’t being hunted anymore, so you don’t have to lay low. You could get a better place.”
“But I don’t have a job.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So living somewhere for free would be ideal. And, more importantly, I bought you a house in France that you couldn’t stand for more than two months. So, you owe me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to guilt me. You know I want you to have it. Maybe you could meet a nice girl and shack up here.”
“Or many not so nice girls…”
I swatted his arm playfully. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Am I giving you away? Is there something I need to know?” He walked with me to the door.
“No. We’re just going to the town hall and signing the paperwork. Nothing fancy. We’ll have our fun afterward.”
“That doesn’t sound romantic.”
“But it will be—for us. Since I’m pregnant again, I don’t want to wait around until I’m huge again. Last time, I was so uncomfortable and so hideous. I want to get married while I can still see my feet.”
“Understandable.”
“Then we’re going to have dinner at our place.”
“Okay, that does sound boring.”
“But it’ll be a romantic evening under the stars in the backyard. We’ll enjoy the summer evening together. Trust me, it’ll be nice.”
“How nice can it be when your kid is in the house?” He walked out the front door with me, to where one of Cato’s cars was waiting.
“That makes it even better.”
He glanced at my old car off to the side, the thing I hardly ever drove anymore. “Can I have that too?”
“Geez, you’re cheap.”
He shrugged. “If you aren’t going to use it, why not? You’ll probably get a Ferrari or something.”
I laughed. “I can’t see myself in a Ferrari. Cato will probably never let me drive my own car again.”
“Then I should definitely take it.”
“It’s not really your style. It’s cheap and dusty.”
He examined the car, seeing the dirt covering the paint and the windows. “With a little attention, it’ll look brand new.”
“Alright, it’s yours. You want my old job too?”
“No,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll find something else. But for now, I don’t mind retirement.”
“When Cato opens a new business, I can get you a position there.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m not interested in a handout.”
I gave him an incredulous look then stared at the car and the house. “Really?”
“It’s different with you. You’re family.”
I headed to the car and watched one of Cato’s men open the back door. “After tomorrow, Cato will be family too.”
Our wedding day wasn’t traditional in any way whatsoever.
We decided to get married at the town hall with a few friends and family members before we returned to our house for a private dinner. It wasn’t fancy, but it was certainly special to us.
We agreed to see each other for the first time just before we left for the town hall. He would wait at the bottom of the stairs for me, and I would make my grand appearance walking down all those flights of stairs in my mama’s wedding dress.
I wore the bracelet Cato gave to me, along with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. My mother had been a classy woman, so her dress was classy too. I stepped out of my bedroom and reached the top stair, my eyes immediately looking for Cato at the bottom.
There he stood, in a deep blue suit with a matching tie. His eyes had been focused on my position because he’d been waiting for this moment for a long time. The second he saw at me, his eyes homed in further, and the corner of his mouth rose in a smile. Showing the boyish charm I loved, his eyes sparkled with love.