by Sarah Curtis
In a daze, she looked up at him. He smiled down at her. She turned to Alexis. She was grinning from ear to ear as she raised her phone and clicked an app. The Wedding March blared somewhat distortedly from the back speaker.
Still too dumbfounded to resist, she unprotestingly allowed her dad to lead her down the aisle, her eyes on Max's, his eyes never leaving hers.
Her dad took her hand and placed it in Max's outstretched one, his warm, strong fingers entwining with hers. He pulled her in close and leaned in, whispering so only she would hear. "You can say no. This isn't me forcing you. It's me wanting something so damn much and not wanting to watch you agonize over a decision when I think deep down you want the same thing."
She raised a hand to his face, cupping his cheek. "Not so deep down. I'll admit the suddenness has left me a bit stunned, but the thought of marrying you," she shook her head, "doesn't scare me in the least."
He brushed her lips with his. "Come on. Let's make you Mrs. Vicente."
Grabbing his arm, she said, "Wait. Is this even legal? How did you get a license without me?"
He gave her a sly smile. "I have my ways."
Wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine, let him know he wasn't the only one keeping surprises, she said, "Then, let's get married. It would be a shame for your child to be born out of wedlock."
She giggled as his mouth drop open and his eyes grew wide. "We're...you're pregnant?"
"I was waiting to tell you until I knew for sure. I have a doctor's appointment on Friday."
His stunned expression turned into a big grin before he kissed her. Not a simple brush of his lips this time but the full shebang with tongue and everything. One of his arms circled her back, pulling her in close while the other cradled her head, tipping it back to deepen the kiss.
Clapping drew her attention back to the room and the occupants in it, reminding her they weren't alone. Bummer.
"I take it she said yes," Jack said.
Max looked over his shoulder, a smile in his voice as he said, "She said, yes."
Turning back to her, his eyes full of love, and the smile she'd heard in his voice still gracing his lips, Steph had no doubts she'd finally found her Prince Charming.
And they lived happily ever after.
Author's Note
To my readers,
There's a shit-ton of things I'd like to thank you for, taking a chance on an indie author and reading my books, leaving reviews, spreading the word about my books on social media and to your friends. But the biggest thanks of all is for caring about my characters enough to contact me, asking for their HEA. Without you, Steph's story might not have been written. So for those who asked, I hope you enjoyed reading Enchanting as much as I enjoyed writing it. Cinderella is one of my favorite stories—Ever After being my favorite rendition—and I wanted to give Steph that, a Cinderella story with her very own Prince Charming. I think Max filled those shoes, don't you?
To JR,
You've been with me from the beginning. You're the first to read my printed words. Thank you for slogging through the many typos and bad grammar to see the story beneath, sharing your honest opinions and advice, and for riding my ass when I goof-off too much. Please don't ever forget how much you mean to me.
To Layla and Brynne,
You're both my rock. From cock emergencies to comma catastrophes, you guys have my back, and I can't tell you how good it feels to have you there. Not a day goes by, we don't talk. Thank you for keeping me sane.
To ML Rodriguez,
Thank you for taking the time to help me with Max's Spanish. I'm sorry I only know one language and can't return the favor, but if you ever need to know how to remove a stain from something, I'm your girl.
And last but definitely not least, to my betas,
B, Nic, Nicole, Melisa, thank you for being my extra eyes, looking for typos and finding my inconsistencies. For the unselfish sharing of your time, I can never thank you enough.
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