“You’re a sly one, Chase Dupont,” Alice scolded him good-naturedly.
“What can I say, Alice, darling? This sweet, young thing came into my life and turned it upside down.”
He certainly is playing his part well.
Turning to her, he said, “Honey, after you finish your coffee, we need to get the children up and tell them the good news. After that, I believe you have phone calls to make.”
“Yes, Alice, you can call Alma if you want to. I know you’re dying to be the one to tell her.” Sunny laughed as she took another sip of coffee.
They went upstairs together a few minutes later. Sunny went into Ali’s room and gently woke her as Chase did the same with Brice.
They met in Chase’s bedroom. With the four of them sitting on Chase’s king-sized bed, Chase began, “Sunny and I have something to tell you. I hope you’re both going to approve.”
“What is it, Daddy?” Ali asked as she looked from her dad to Sunny.
“Well, last night I asked Sunny to marry me and she said yes. Is that all right with the two of you?”
Ali looked at them both and looked at Brice. For once, the little chatterbox was speechless.
Brice spoke first, “That means you’ll be my mommy forever and ever.”
“Yes, Brice, she will. Your other mommy will always be in your heart and she watches over you from Heaven everyday, like we’ve talked about. But Sunny will be your new mommy here.”
“Sunny, can I call you Mommy now?” Ali asked.
“After the wedding, sweetheart, if you want to. If you’d rather call me Sunny, that’s okay too.”
“Okay, do I get to be the flower girl?”
“Yes, if you want to and Brice can be the ring bearer.”
“What’s that?” Brice asked.
“Well, my little man, that is the person who carries the wedding rings. It’s a very important job. Do you think you can handle it?”
“Heck yes. I’m not a baby.”
They all laughed after that and hugged as one big happy family. It was almost too good to be true and Sunny almost pinched herself to make sure it was.
After Chase dressed the children and took them down for breakfast, Sunny called her mother.
“Mom, are you sitting down? I have some exciting news to share with you?”
“Sunny, what in the world is going on? You sound happy.”
“Chase asked me to marry him. And before you say anything, I know it’s sudden. I’m not pregnant. I love him and we don’t want to wait.”
“Okay, when?”
“In about a month, I’ll have to get back to you with the details. We’re getting married in a church here in Palm Beach. It will be very small, but of course, we want you to be here. And, Mom, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to ask Dr. Rose to walk me down the aisle.”
“I don’t mind, honey. I think he’ll be honored to do that.”
“You’re okay with this?”
“Sunny, if you’re okay with this, that’s all that matters. You’re taking on a lot, marrying a man with two small children. If you truly love him and he makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you when I know more.”
“Goodbye, Sunny Jo, and if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.”
“I will, bye, Mom.”
Feeling slightly sentimental after the phone call, she went downstairs to join her new family for breakfast.
“Call your mom?” Chase asked as she sat down and helped herself to fruit and toast.
“Yes, she’s fine with it.”
“Good. When I know the date, I’ll send her a plane ticket.”
“Have you called your mother?”
“No, not yet, I’ll call her after breakfast. She’ll probably be on the next plane down here to oversee the whole thing. I thought I’d warn you.”
“Don’t be scaring the poor girl, Chase. Sunny, Marty is wonderful and if she offers to help, you should take her up on it.” Alice added, “Alma sends her love, by the way.”
“You didn’t waste any time calling her, I see.” Sunny grinned affectionately at the housekeeper.
“No, ma’am, I didn’t.”
Chase threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Did you and Alma really think you were being inconspicuous with your matchmaking, Alice?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Sunny and I were onto you two, from the start.”
“You were?”
“Yes, we were, but that’s okay. Sunny and I thought it was cute, didn’t we, sweetheart?” He looked at Sunny lovingly. She could almost believe he really did love her.
“Yes, we did, we talked about it the night Chase took me to his restaurant for dinner, Alice.”
“Well, it worked, didn’t it?” Alma looked at the two of them.
“Yes, I guess it did. Now I need to call my mother and go see Reverend Key so we can get this show on the road.” Chase walked over to Sunny and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll catch up with you later, baby. We have things to talk about.”
“Okay. Finish your breakfast, kids and I’ll take you outside for a while while Daddy is busy.” Sweetheart …we may be laying it on a little thick.
She cleaned the children’s faces before she took them outside as promised. She let them play on the swing set as she kept a watchful eye on them.
She was joined by Chase after a little while and he handed her a glass of lemonade.
“Thank you,” she said as he sat down in the chair beside her.
“That went well, don’t you think?” he asked as he took a long drink of his lemonade.
“Yes, but we may be laying it on a little thick with all the terms of endearment, don’t you think?”
“No, baby, I don’t think that at all. You’d better get used to it. I intend to spoil you rotten.”
“But, Chase, you don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do. Just because this isn’t a traditional marriage doesn’t mean we can’t be affectionate with each other. You said yourself, you’re fond of me. And if you don’t know by now, the feeling is mutual, you must be blind, Sunny. Just because I’m affectionate, however, I meant what I said last night. I won’t rush you.”
“What did Marty say when you called her?”
“Just as I thought, she wants to fly down and meet you. She suggested your mother fly down at the same time. The week before the wedding, so they can both help with the arrangements. I guess that means we need to go see Reverend Key. How soon can you be ready?”
“I can be ready as soon as I ask Alice to watch the kids. You want me to go with you?”
“Yes, I think that would be best, don’t you?”
“All right, I’ll go talk to Alice. Are you finished with your lemonade? I’ll take your glass in. You watch the kids.”
“See, we sound like an old, married couple already. You’re giving me orders.”
“I’m sorry, Chase, I didn’t mean…”
“Baby, I’m playing with you. It’s okay. Stop apologizing.”
“I guess I’ll have to get used to this new arrangement.”
“Yes, you will, Sunny. Now scoot, we need to get going. I want you to sign some paperwork my attorney drew up, later. The paperwork adding your name to the company and the Board of Directors I told you about.”
“I’ll hurry.” She went into the house, cleared it with Alice about the children, and went upstairs to get her purse. She sat on the bed to get her bearings. I really have to get used to this new way of acting around Chase. I can’t give it away that we are anything but a couple in love. I love hearing him call me his baby…too bad it’s not for real.
Taking a deep breath, she walked back downstairs and informed her new fiancé she was ready to leave.
Chapter Twelve
The meeting with the minister went well. He seemed genuinely excited about the upcoming wedding.
“Chase, you don’t know how hap
py I am you’ve found someone to share your life with. I know the last two years can’t have been easy for you and the children. And Sunny, I’m delighted to meet you.”
“Thank you, Reverend Key. I’ve heard good things about you from Chase.”
“I’ve known Chase since he was a boy. He and his parents used to come here every summer.”
They chose August first as their wedding date. That would allow them a week for a wedding trip, before they had to get back home in time for Ali to start first grade. When everything had been arranged, Chase promised to be back in touch with details as the plans progressed.
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you,.” Reverend Key said as he walked them out.
Having set the date, phone calls were made to their mothers and Chase took care of sending them plane tickets to arrive the last week in July.
Sunny called Dr. Rose, who was happy for her. “I’d be proud to walk you down the aisle, Sunny.” He and his wife planned to fly down a few days before the ceremony.
Everything was coming together nicely. The next few weeks were a flurry of activity as they were all busy getting everything in order for the big day. Chase arranged for Alma and George to fly down a few days before the wedding, as well.
One day, in the middle of all the planning, Sunny caught a glimpse of a tall, classy, redhead dressed in an expensive business suit being escorted into Chase’s office. Not meaning to eavesdrop she heard Chase call her Lindy.
A short time later, John found Sunny in the kitchen and informed her Chase wished to see her in his office.
Steeling herself to meet the woman who was trying to seduce and destroy her fiancé, she walked toward the office. She stopped outside the door as she heard voices coming from within.
“I don’t understand, Chase. Why are you marrying your nanny? Did you get caught with your pants down again and knock her up, like you did your first wife?”
Brittney had been pregnant when Chase married her?
“No, Lindy. I’m marrying for love this time around,” was Chase’s reply.
Did he not love Brittney?
She entered the room and Chase immediately went to her. Putting his arm around her waist, he said, “Lindy, I’d like you to meet the future Mrs. Chase Dupont. This is Sunny Drake, and I’m sorry if you were under the mistaken impression that Sunny is the children’s nanny. She did accompany me to Florida to help care for the children. After all, she’s going to be their stepmother soon, but she’s not their nanny. She’s my fiancé, the love of my life.”
Sunny looked at him for a moment before turning to Lindy. She smiled and extended her hand. The redhead took her hand in a somewhat weak handshake and shrugged her shoulders.
Chase smiled at Sunny and said, “Sweetheart, I’ll wrap this meeting up as soon as I can and join you upstairs. I know you said you wanted to go over some last minute things with me for the ceremony while the children are napping.”
There was just a hint of suggestiveness in his tone, as if they really weren’t going to be discussing the ceremony at all. It was as if he wanted Lindy to think he was about to indulge in some afternoon delight with his beloved. If only...
Sunny was sitting on her bed reading when he entered her bedroom.
“She’s gone, thank God.” He sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with her, Chase, but we knew she’d make an appearance when the news of our engagement made the papers.”
“Sunny, I’m so proud of you. You handled yourself well down there this afternoon.” He kissed the top of her head.
“I heard some things before I came into the room, Chase. Tell me about you and Brittney. If I’m going to share your life, I should know about your past, shouldn’t I? I told you about Scott.”
“You’re right, Sunny, and I probably should have told you about Brittney sooner.”
“She was pregnant with Ali when you married her?”
“Yes, we met in college and dated off and on. We’d been in one of those on again periods when she became pregnant. I married her.”
“And did you love her?”
“In a way, yes, I did love her. But I probably would never have married her had she not been carrying my child. We were happy to a degree, but we weren’t a passionately, madly-in- love couple.”
“I see.”
“She was as good a wife as she knew how to be, and a wonderful mother. I was never unfaithful to her, and I would have stayed with her, had she not died. But it wasn’t a match made in heaven by any means. She had her own bedroom. There were nights she slept in there and there were nights she slept with me.”
“And yet, you want to enter into a marriage-of-convenience with me? Don’t you want a real marriage, Chase?”
“Yes, I do, Sunny. But I’m willing to wait until the time is right for us. I want a real marriage with you.”
“You do, really?”
“Sunny, I told you the marriage would come first for us and the courtship later. That’s just the way it has to be for now. We’ll have our time, but we can’t rush into it. I’m rushing you into marriage to save my company. I refuse to rush you into a relationship just because we’re man and wife.”
“You want things to evolve naturally between us?”
“Exactly, how do you feel about that?”
“I’d never have agreed to marry you so readily if I didn’t think there was a chance we could fall in love. After all, I agreed to a lifelong commitment.”
“I was hoping you would feel that way. I know I’m asking a lot of you, but let’s save our business first. The rest will come.”
“Oh, Chase…it won’t be hard at all to pretend at being your wife.” She looked up at him as he leaned down to kiss her. It won’t be hard at all.
Chapter Thirteen
The last week of July was upon them. Their mothers had arrived in Florida. The introductions had been made and the entire household was in a tizzy with last minute details.
The night before the wedding they all attended the rehearsal then Chase took them all to dinner afterward.
“I’d like to make a toast to the happy couple.” Dr. Rose stood and held his glass up. “May the two of you find the happiness that I’ve enjoyed with my wife of forty-five years.” Everyone raised his or her glass. Chase leaned over to kiss his fiancé and they all clapped.
When the evening had come to an end, he looked at Sunny and said, “I believe I’ll take my lady home. She needs her beauty sleep. After all, she has a big day and night ahead of her tomorrow.”
Everyone good-naturedly teased them as Sunny blushed appropriately.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go. Goodbye everyone. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” Sunny waved as Chase swept her away.
“Goodbye, behave you two. We’ll make sure the kiddos get to bed soon,” Chase’s mother said as they left.
Once they were in the car, he leaned over to kiss her.
“Chase, no one is watching. You don’t have to do that.”
“Maybe I wanted to. It was a wonderful evening, didn’t you think so?”
“Yes, it was. I enjoyed it.”
“I’ll get you home so you can get your beauty sleep. I wouldn’t want my bride to be tired on her wedding day.”
“Where are we going on our honeymoon?” she asked.
“Ah…ah…ah…that’s a surprise. I told you, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.”
“You act as though this is a real wedding, Chase.”
“Sunny, this is a real wedding. You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?”
“No, of course not, but you almost make me believe we’re a real couple.”
“Do you want to be a real couple? Are you ready for that, Sunny?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. Are you?”
He thought for a minute and answered slowly, “Sunny, I’m ready whenever you are. I’m going to leave that decision up to you. I told you
I wouldn’t rush you and I won’t. When you’re ready to come to my bed, I’ll be waiting there for you.”
“Let’s see how things go on our trip. I just don’t know how easy it will be, once we’re actually married, to pretend all the time. If we’re married and the whole world thinks we’re a normal, happily married, newlywed couple, then why shouldn’t we be just that? A normal, married couple,” she replied thoughtfully.”
“Sunny, I’d like nothing more than to take you to bed tomorrow night. I’ve told you I care about you. I never could have suggested this arrangement to you if I didn’t. It’s your decision to make. You’ll know when the time is right. But, if you really are seriously thinking about it, maybe we should discuss birth control. You surely aren’t ready for a baby yet, are you?”
“I’m on the pill.”
“You’re what?” He nearly ran off the road, clearly not expecting to hear that.
“I never went off them after Scott and I broke up.”
“I see. I guess it’s a green light whenever you say the word.”
“Chase, this is crazy. We’re about to be married, and listen to us, discussing whether or not we’re going to sleep together on our wedding night. I’ll bet not too many couples have that discussion the night before their wedding.”
“But we’re not an ordinary couple. Sunny, I said I wouldn’t rush you because I didn’t want to screw things up for us. I want everything to be perfect. As I told you, we’re in this for the long haul.”
“You needn’t worry about that. I don’t take commitment lightly and I told you I agreed to your terms. We’ll be married forever, Chase.”
When they arrived at the house, he walked around to her side of the car and helped her out. They walked silently up the stairs. When they reached her bedroom door, he hesitated for just a moment. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her passionately, no holds barred. He’d held himself in check until tonight, only giving her light kisses, occasionally.
Sunny responded to the kiss, unleashing her own passion, which she had kept hidden from him in the months she’d known him. As he pulled her closer, it was obvious to her that he was aroused.
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