This was what it felt like to be in heaven, Lucy was sure.
She was breathing hard and fast now.
“Take it slow there, future wife. I need you to be around for a long time.”
Lucy tried to calm herself. This was all too much. Was she dreaming? Should she pinch herself?
“Sorry for the deception, by the way.”
“What deception?” she asked him after he placed the most gorgeous diamond wedding ring she’d ever seen on her finger. She didn’t even know a rock could be cut so huge and sit on a woman’s finger. The ring certainly must have added to her weight by just wearing it.
But it wasn’t the size of the ring.
It was about the size of Antonio’s heart. And his love for her was huge!
There she was doubting him all this time and he had this elaborate staging of events to get her to marry him.
“So you had all this planned?” she clarified.
“Of course. Well, some of it. This little fella here,” he said snuggling the spirited pooch, “was a gift to you from Shelly. So, I thought I’d bring him along.”
Lucy gushed. She looked lovingly from Antonio to the puppy and back to Antonio as she weaved her arm through his while they walked on the grass towards the parking area.
“This is one of the properties we own. I figured you wouldn’t know about it.”
“So the Smithsons…?”
“Sorry, those guys are great. They are married by the way and they were up to having a second ceremony if you had said no to my proposal,” he grinned, arching his sexy brow.
Lucy flushed sheepishly. “And you planned all this with Maxine, right?” Lucy grinned and shook her head. She thought no one really cared about her but Antonio cared. Maxine cared. She wasn’t alone.
“Pretty much.”
“You know I owe her a lot,” Lucy quipped.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make it up to her.” He flashed his boyish smile.
We’ll make it up to her.
Yes, Lucy loved the sound of “we.” Togetherness. Two souls in one. Yes, Maxine certainly deserved some honor in all of this. Lucy was glad she was handing over the agency to her. This was the ultimate planned wedding.
She had been betrayed by Mr. Wrong in her past but now she was with Mr. Right. And nothing could be more fulfilling.
“So I ended up planning my own wedding?”
“And what’s so wrong about that?”
“Nothing, except…when is the ceremony? The invitations have to go out.”
“Done. Maxine and I took care of all that, Lucy. You needn’t worry about a thing.”
“I’m speechless. So I got engaged and will get married in the same day? What about my gown?”
“Hey, people are doing it these days. Nothing wrong with that. Why waste time and headache with all that long-term planning? Besides, you already laid the groundwork. Maxine told me about the do-it-yourself wedding booth at the convention. And your gown was fitted when you tried on that dress at the same booth.”
“Maxine!” Lucy grinned, shaking her head.
“I thought it was a great idea. So she showed me the email and we took it from there making sure that you planned the Smithsons wedding how you would want your own wedding since they were leaving it up to you to design.”
“Thanks!” A warm feeling nestled in her heart.
“I’m in love with you, Antonio.”
“I love you, too, Lucy. I don’t know how I would manage to spend another day without you.”
When they arrived at their cars, Antonio firmly kissed Lucy and the puppy he had cradled in his arms planted a sloppy, wet one on her chin.
She laughed. “I think he’s trying to tell us something. Here, let me hold my little guy.” She carefully took the pup into her arms and cuddled him. “He’s so adorable. Maybe he could be the ring bearer.”
“I think that might be pressing it. He may run off with the wedding bands,” Antonio teased.
“No. We can’t have that now, can we?”
Later that evening…
The garden looked picture perfect.
The flowers decorated it in such an enchanted way that Lucy felt as if she was the princess from a castle wedding at sunset. The sky was turning a purple orangey hue. It was breathtaking. The blooms smelled of sweet perfume and filled the air with their fresh aroma.
Lucy walked down the aisle to the soft, sensuous ballad “Evergreen” by Barbra Streisand. It was perfect given the floral setting.
And what a sweet ambiance!
Though the day was turning to night, the trees all had the warm glow of the lights in the fairy lights that decorated them. Then the aisle was gorgeously lit with tea lights in safe glasses glowing in a warm orange. Gold and cream were the colors for the ceremony with a touch of emerald green.