her arms and bend toward her, holding her hands between us. “I did! You sounded just like Ariel.”
The little joy blushes and turns her hips back and forth, and it’s the cutest thing.
“Charli-bear, come here,” Alexis says and winks to her daughter.
Will takes the puppies from Carly and hands me their leads. “Meet our babies.”
“What?” My mouth falls open, and I drop to my knees. “What are you talking about?” Both puppies wiggle around me, licking and pawing my face. I pick one up, and then the other. “Hi there.” They squirm like giant fluffy worms, and I have to put them down again for fear they’ll squirm right out of my hold.
Will squats and picks one up, letting it lick his entire face. “We can have babies, sweetheart. They just might have four legs, or scales, or feathers.”
“They’re just…. I’m just….” Tears stream down my face. I’m so overwhelmed I can’t even speak. “Are they … brother and sister?
He shakes his head and smiles. “No. Separate litters.”
“What are you going to name them?” Charlotte asks.
“I… I don’t know.”
She looks up at Alexis. “Mum, I want a puppy.”
Alexis’s eyes nearly grow wider than her face. “Nooo.”
“But—”
“No buts, ratbag.”
Bryce lifts Charlotte onto his shoulders, and I can’t help but laugh at what is simply a turtle on top of a frog.
I giggle. “You all look ridiculous.”
“We know,” Bryce says.
Continuing to laugh, I apologise for their misfortune. “I’m so sorry.”
He holds Charlotte firm with one arm then slaps Will on the back. “Well worth it, mate.”
Will tickles Charlotte’s leg, and she almost knees Bryce in the face. “Beats that time we performed ‘November Rain,’ huh?” He waggles his eyebrows at Bryce.
Bryce chuckles.
“Nothing beats ‘November Rain,’” Alexis says.
“Yeah. At least we didn’t have to wear godawful costumes when we performed that for Lexi.” Derek snaps his claw-like hands and frowns.
Carly bursts into laughter and points to Derek. “I’ve just realised… I’ve got crabs.”
We all facepalm.
After a change of clothes and a picnic lunch by the lake, we headed home and settled the pups, both of them sleeping on the floor beside our bed.
“So what do you want to call them?” Will asks, spooning me as we watch them snooze.
I wiggle back and snuggle against him. “I’m going to name the girl Snow White, and the boy Prince.”
He tightens his grip and nuzzles my ear. “I love the names, sweetheart. They’re perfect.”
Revelling in his warm body embracing mine, we fall asleep in each other’s arms until I’m woken by a puppy’s whimper sometime in the early hours of the morning.
“Hey, babies,” I whisper. “It’s okay.” I carefully lift Will’s python arm off my chest.
He grumbles and snorts but doesn’t wake up.
Reaching out to turn on the bedside lamp, I pat my fingers on the nightstand in search of the switch until I skate across it and press it down, a soft light illuminating the room and catching the glint of a diamond ring on my finger.
Blinking all the blinks, I shake my head, scrub my eyes, then hold out my hand before bringing it close to my face. “What. The. Fuck. Is. That?”
I scrub my eyes again, convinced I must be dreaming. I’m not.
“Holy shit!” I whisper.
“Will you marry me?”
Practically jumping out of my skin, I turn in Will’s direction. He’s lying on his side, head propped up by his hand, his eyes mischievous but timid as they search mine.
I snap my head to look at the ring again, then back at him, my mouth agape. “When did you—?”
His smug smile grows. “Well… will you?”
“Y-Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
Lunging into his arms, I sob as he catches me then rolls us until I’m on my back and he’s hovering over me, his eyes gleaming as they roam my face, his thumb playing with my bottom lip.
He looks hot as sin and teddy-bear cute all at once, and I can’t believe this is my life. That I’m happy and now engaged to the man of my dreams, dreams I never knew were possible.
“Yes, William,” I say, blinking back tears. “I’ll marry you.”
“I’m gonna spend every waking moment making you the happiest princess alive.”
I nod and blink again. “And what about the non-waking moments?”
“Those too. Every damn moment of every damn day, sweetheart. From here on in, it’s just you and me… and Snow White, Prince, Molly, Casper…”
Laughing, I skate my fingers down the sides of his face and grip his chin. “Kiss the girl, fiancé.”
Eyes glimmering, he slowly lowers his lips to mine,