Our first month in the house was rocky. Going from an eight-hundred-square-foot apartment to an eight-thousand-square-foot house took a lot of adjusting for Rand. He questioned what the hell we were going to do with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms…until we christened them all. We also found out that we still had a lot to learn about each other. He didn’t count on me being a neat freak. I didn’t know he likes to play video games when he suffers from insomnia. But we’ve adjusted to one another’s quirks. He showed me the joys of skinny-dipping at midnight. I tried to teach him to cook, which we both decided is a lost cause. But it’s fine since I love being in the kitchen. And he loves eating…then having me for dessert.
For me, it’s been unusual to be in one place for weeks on end. Not bad, just different—especially after the new album dropped. I did far fewer public appearances in support, and those I did, I found myself flanked by Rand or Rob, sometimes both. The success of the album exceeded my wildest expectations, and the pressure to tour and do the late-night circuit was enormous. But I finally sat David down and told him this album would be my last for a while, maybe even forever.
“So…” I look up at him, trying to tamp my nerves down. “We’re really doing this?”
“We really are,” he assures. “Unless you’re having second thoughts?”
“Never.”
The doorbell rings, and he glances at his watch. “Right on time. I’ll get the door.”
“I’ll meet you in the dining room in a few. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I can’t wait.” He kisses me one more time, then leaves our bedroom, looking incredibly swoon-worthy in his black suit. I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I turn and shimmy into my dress.
As I’m struggling with the fastening at the back, David walks in. “Wow. You look incredible. Do you need help with that?”
“Please.”
With a smile, he walks behind me. “You’re lucky I’m good with a corset.”
This tidbit somehow escaped me until now. “Because?”
His low laugh is familiar and warm as I feel him thread and tug on the silk ribbons at my back. “Let’s just say I led a colorful life before Allen.” He tightens the strings and ties them off. “There. Now turn.”
I comply. “Good?”
“Perfect.” His smile is almost fatherly. “Thank you for asking me to be with you tonight. It’s an honor.”
“We’re in business together, but your support the last few months has shown me that we’re family, too. Thank you for being here.”
He brings me in for a hug, then eases away. “I promised Allen I wouldn’t cry tonight. And you better not, either. You’ll ruin your makeup, and you look too stunning for tears, darling.”
“Can’t have that...”
“Exactly. Now, come on. You have a New Year’s party to hostess.” He winks.
I wink back. “I do.”
He leads me into the hall, where my best friend, Kristi, is already waiting, in a gorgeous red dress that shows off her killer curves and a giant smile. “You look amazing. I’m so happy for you, girl.”
“I’m happy for me, too. Maybe for the first time in my life.”
She sighs wistfully. “I wish I could be half as lucky.”
“You will be.” I squeeze her hands. “Let’s put it out into the universe. I know there’s a man out there who will love you unconditionally forever. We just have to find him.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” she quips. “But today is about you. Ready to make your grand entrance?”
“Beyond.”
She turns to a niche in the hallway and hands me a cluster of roses. “You’ll need this.”
We share a last smile, and the music starts. Kristi walks down the hall and into the dining room in time with the music, catching the eye of more than one of Rand’s single officers. Then the music changes, David squeezes my hand, and it’s time.
Suddenly, the small crowd stands and I walk past a lot of familiar faces—Rob, my mother and her husband, two of Rand’s brothers, and their parents—all wearing beaming smiles.
At the end of the room, my gorgeous hunk of a bodyguard-turned-boyfriend waits for me with his heart in his eyes. His older brother, Ransom, stands beside him, looking handsome and a bit mysterious in a charcoal suit.
“So I take it this isn’t actually a New Year’s Eve party?” Rand’s brother, Rush, calls out, clearly catching on.
“No, it’s a wedding. Surprise!” I call over my shoulder.
Everyone chuckles as the minister smiles and asks, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
“I do.” David pats my hand softly before placing my palm in Rand’s and dropping a tender kiss on my cheek.
Ten minutes later, our previously stunned guests are still grinning or conspicuously sniffling as the minister pronounces us man and wife.