Part 34 (2/2)
”Yeah, Pop, I'm very happy.”
Pop moved forward and shook Nick's hand. ”Welcome to the family. Rich, hurry down to the corner, buy champagne. We will celebrate.”
Rich grabbed his coat and ran out. Mama and Aunt Rose scurried off to get champagne gla.s.ses.
Nick pulled Rosalie closer to his side, nuzzled her ear, and whispered, ”So, are you still angry I spilled the beans?”
”Yes, no... I don't know. I thought Mama was going to have a coronary.”
”Your sister's a piece of work. And for the record, you're the pretty one.”
”Okay, you're forgiven. You don't need to suck up any more.”
”Oh, yeah, I do.”
”Why?”
”You'll see.”
Nick pulled the Tiffany box from his pocket, opened it, and slipped her engagement ring back onto her finger.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Rosalie answered the door, and Gina shot forward and hugged her. ”Rosalie, Nick, congratulations! I'm so happy for you.”
Nick hugged her. ”Thanks, Gina. How've you been?” ”Better than you.”
”Not now, you're not. It's good to see you again.”
Rosalie scoffed. ”Hold on, what's all this buddy, buddy stuff?”
Nick winked at Gina. ”We've met before. I knew you'd want Gina here to celebrate with everyone, so I gave her a call.”
Rosalie raised an eyebrow. There was something they weren't telling her-not that she cared too much. It was sweet of Nick to ask Gina to join them. Lord knew, she'd been nervous enough about bringing Nick to meet the parents. Why Nick had insisted on making the big announcement now was beyond her.
”Ma, Gina's here. We're going to need another plate at the table,” Rosalie called to the kitchen.
The front door opened and hit Gina in the back. Rich stuck his head in. ”What the... Gina?”
Gina's smile disappeared. ”Rich. What are you doing here? I thought you'd flown back to Maine or New Hamps.h.i.+re or wherever.”
Rich swallowed hard. ”No, I, um... changed my flight. I'm taking a few days to settle a couple of things in the city.”
”Here.” Gina handed Nick the bottle of champagne she'd brought. ”I can't stay. I wanted to stop by to say how happy I am for both of you. Rosalie, I'll see you in the office Monday. 'Bye.”
She blew by Rich and out the door. Rich shoved the champagne he'd bought into Rosalie's arms and took off after Gina.
Nick smiled. ”Do you think we'd get away with it if we took off, too?”
”Not a chance. Now that they've heard the news, they're going to want details. I told you we should have waited.”
Nick kissed her, and the bottles clinked together. ”I've waited long enough. No more. I want to get married right away.”
”Hold on. It takes a long time to plan a wedding, unless you want to run to Vegas. But if we did that, we'd have a very short marriage. Mama will kill both of us if we don't get married in the church.”
”So, we'll get married in the church. Soon.”
”Nick, you have to reserve a date, then there's a reception hall, catering, flowers, a dress. There's a lot more to it than walking down an aisle and saying 'I do.'”
”Annabelle's not getting married. She had a date reserved with the church, reception hall, everything, right?”
”Of course, but-”
”So, we'll have a wedding instead. It's perfect. You can keep what she has or change it to suit you. Lois will help plan everything. So, when are we getting married?”
”Two weeks from Sat.u.r.day?”
”That long, huh? Well, I guess I'll have to wait. See? You didn't think I could compromise.”
”You're crazy. I can't put together a wedding in less than three weeks-”
”No, but Lois can. Don't worry about it.”
”Don't worry about it? Don't worry about it? Are you crazy?”
”Not crazy, determined. And you know me; I always get what I want.”
Rosalie, not being much for weddings in the first place, had no problem handing over the reins to her mother and Aunt Rose along with Nick's mother and grandmother. All Rosalie and Lois were responsible for was picking out the wedding gown and bridesmaids' dresses. Rosalie figured the fact she had agreed to get married in the first place would have stopped her mother from complaining, but of course, she was wrong. Her mother was against her first choice, but Lois and Nick's mother and grandmother were able to calm her down. At any rate, Rosalie was happy that the women in both families got along well, which allowed her to concentrate on brokering the deal between Premier and Romeo's.
In the end, Nick paid a pretty penny for the dealers.h.i.+p of his dreams, but no more than Premier was worth. He seemed to get a kick out of hard-nosed negotiations with his fiancee-not that Rosalie didn't enjoy arguing for money and then going home and having make-up s.e.x every night, either.
Nineteen days, two hours, and thirty-six minutes later, not that she was counting, Rosalie walked down the white rose petal-scattered aisle of St. Joseph's on her father's arm. Nick looked shocked. She didn't know why. She'd told him she wasn't wearing white. She refused to spend her wedding day looking like the Michelin Man. She guessed he hadn't expected scarlet. What could she say? Scarlet was her color. With her dark hair and olive complexion, well, she looked amazing. At least she'd allowed her mother to talk her into a traditional bouquet of white roses and lilies, the only traditional thing about her ensemble. She could see Nick loved her dress. The mermaid cut hugged her curves. Subtle beading made the gown s.h.i.+mmer without looking too fussy. She still hadn't gained back all the weight she'd lost during the month they were apart, and she couldn't eat. For the first time in her life, she looked slim.
A smile spread across Nick's face-that special smile he saved for her, the one that made her breath catch.
Nick took her hand, and all her nerves disappeared. After promising to honor, cherish, and supply her with a lifetime of love and chocolate, Nick got what he wanted.
But then, so did she.
The End
Acknowledgments.
My love and eternal grat.i.tude go out to my husband and partner in crime, Stephen, and to my children-my cohorts and the best things I've ever had a hand in creating: Tony, Anna, and Isabelle.
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