Completely ignoring Noelle, she races forward and wraps herself around my legs.
“I’ve missed you, Oliver!”
“I saw you last night, kid,” I laugh, leaning down and scooping her into my arms.
Lucy’s going on five now. She’s growing every day and being able to watch her grow has been amazing. She’s getting bigger, smarter every day. I get a true sense of pride in watching her grow.
Noelle stands in the doorway of the room. Her dress is a periwinkle color, much more breathable than the tulle mess that Lucy is in.
“She was driving Cassidy insane, so I agreed to take her on a walk. Then she decided she wanted to come to see you and well, there was no point in stopping her,” she sighs.
Cassidy and I have decided that after today, we’ll tell Lucy that I’m her father. It’ll be left up to her whether or not she’s going to call me ‘dad’ or a variant of it. We want to make this adjustment easier for her.
“She’s fine. I’ve been ready for a bit now,” I tell Noelle, still holding Lucy. I turn so she can look out at the New York skyline. “Is Cassidy ready?”
Noelle laughs at that.
“She’s a nervous mess right now if that’s what you’re asking. I tried to convince her to sneak a shot with me before we go down to the courtyard, but she refuses.”
“Noelle, please don’t get Cassidy drunk yet!”
“You said ‘yet’, you’re telling me that I have that option later?”
I sigh, rubbing at my temples with the hand that isn’t keeping Lucy secure in my arms. Before I can fire back that I’d prefer she didn’t get Cassidy drunk today, there’s another presence in the room.
Allison is now standing next to Noelle in the same periwinkle dress that she is.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting anything, but Cassidy is ready.”
My heart is pounding in my chest. I didn’t think I would be nervous. I haven’t felt nervous all day, but now it’s getting closer to the moment of truth. I go to put Lucy down, but she clings tighter to me.
Noelle sighs, “Lucy, come here honey. Oliver has to go see your mama,” she opens her arms, but Lucy stays close to me.
“It’s fine. I can carry her down. She’s as much of a part of it as we are,” I tell her, adjusting Lucy in my arms.
Noelle gives me a look as if she’s double-checking but finally nods.
“Once we get downstairs, you have to come to me, Lucy. Deal?”
“Deal,” Lucy says smugly, proud that she got her way after all.
With a deep breath, I walk out of the suite with Noelle and Allison, Lucy securely in my arms. As we walk, Allison reaches over and squeezes my arm.
“You ready for this, Ollie?”
“I’ve never been more ready.”
“There’s no backing out now,” Noelle grins over to me.
“Don’t plan on it.”
Silence washes over us as we get to the elevator. As we descend, my heart rate speeds up once again. I’m doing this. I’m really doing this. I never imagined that I would be here, especially after everything we’ve been through. It seemed almost unfathomable to me.
We reach the first floor and get out of the elevator. Before we take another step forward, I put Lucy on the ground just like I said I would. She frowns up at me but reaches out and takes Noelle’s hand as we agreed upon.
Lucy’s well-behaved, and I’m proud of her. Maybe she just knows how important today is.
“Okay, okay! Gimme a second to make sure everything is ready!” Allison says, racing out to the courtyard, leaving Noelle, Lucy, and myself waiting.
When Allison returns, she reaches out and takes my elbow.
“Everything is ready,” she says as she pulls me to follow after her.
I stumble at first but follow as Allison drags me out to the courtyard of the hotel, Noelle and Lucy following behind us.
The courtyard is gorgeous, and that’s not an understatement. There’s a large circular pond in the center with flowers floating atop the water. Surrounding that is a jungle of greenery, giving the hotel that rustic countryside feels. That’s what Cassidy wanted. The greenery is wild, with blooming flowers and stretching vines.
Allison positions me right in front of the pond, on top of the white brick. She turns me to face the opposite side of the hotel than the one we entered the courtyard through.
“Is this right?” she asks, turning to face the photographer.
“Perfect,” she responds.
My heart is really hammering in my chest now. I’m staring straight ahead, unaware of what’s going on around me. I hear excited giggles and coos.
I hear Noelle whisper, “Look,” to Lucy.
Everything in me wants to turn around, but I don’t. My heart just hammers away. I feel a tap on my shoulder, the hammering picking up. Taking a breath to keep me steady, I turn around to see Cassidy standing behind me.
I’m speechless. Looking at her brings tears to my eyes, I’m unable to stop them from welling up. She’s gorgeous. There’s a single pearl barrette in hair, keeping it out of her face. Her dress is long and flowing, with off the shoulder long sleeves made of tulle. I’m blown away by how beautiful she looks.
Cassidy smiles up at me, causing my heart rate to speed up.
“You look breathtaking,” I finally get out.
She’s still smiling, and I can tell that she’s holding back her own tears. I don’t say anything else. I reach out and wrap my arms around her. I pull her to me and plant a kiss on her lips. When we part, I look at her again.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
“You’re going to make me cry my makeup off,” she laughs.
“I’ll pay them to redo it, I don’t care.”
She laughs again, a sound that makes everything feel right in the world. It’s one of my favorite sounds in the world, one that I’ll do anything to hear for the rest of my life.
She reaches out and wraps her arms around my neck, leaning in to kiss me. This time she stays, pressing her forehead against mine.
“Are you ready to do this?” she asks. “Because once you say ‘I do’ there’s no escaping. You’re stuck with me, Oliver.”
“Cassidy, I’m more than ready. I want to be stuck with you every day for the rest of my life. That's why we’re doing this.”
Her eyes are alight, her smile contagious.
“If you’re so sure, then let’s go get married, handsome.”
THE END
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Fake Love Rich Boss Series Page 45