Page 68 of The Billionaire's Cinderella

I want to take a minute to absorb Bellamy’s words of wisdom, but I feel a disturbance in the Force. Something about that hand flap wasn’t quite right…

I take another look at Bellamy’s left hand and let loose with an unladylike shriek that, again, would displease the glamour girl in the mirror.

“Oh my God! Is that a ring? Did Griffin propose?”

The R-word gets Aunt Gilda’s attention. She’d been about to attack my dress with the steamer one final time, but now her head whips around and she freezes. She’s like a hunting dog pointing to a pheasant trapped in some bushes.

“Ring? Who’s got a ring? Let me see!”

Bellamy laughs and indulgently holds out her hand as we fall all over her and she tells us about Griffin’s proposal earlier this evening. We hug and kiss her while exclaiming over the ring as though we’re kindergarten girls who’ve stumbled onto a fluffy lamb frolicking on the playground during recess. It’s a real beauty and no less than she deserves.

She’s done it. I know they’re not married yet, but she deserves the happiness of being off the dating market and securely in love with her glorious future laid out in front of her. She and Griffin bring out the best in each other, and I’ve never seen her happier. I can’t wait to watch them ride off into the sunset together and show me how it’s done.

Wow. Bellamy. Engaged.

Talk about taming the Beast.

“So have you talked about having kids yet?” Aunt Gilda asks Bellamy, drilling down onto the only issue she really cares about.

“Umm…” Bellamy says, stifling a startled laugh.

“Let me handle this,” I tell Bellamy before facing Aunt Gilda. “Will you let this woman enjoy being engaged for ten seconds before you start in on babies? Is that too much to ask?”

“Yes!” Aunt Gilda says. “Think about how beautiful their kids are going to be! Inquiring minds want to know!”

I turn back to Bellamy. “I tried to help you,” I say sadly. “But she does raise an important point. You and Griffin are going to have gorgeous kids.”

“You think?” Bellamy asks, all her happiness shining in her eyes and glowing in her cheeks.

“I know,” I tell her, giving her another quick hug.

“I don’t know any details. Other than I want you to be my maid of honor.”

“As long as you don’t pick out some hideous pink dress with ruffles,” I warn her, dead serious.

“I’m offended that you would even suggest such a thing,” Bellamy says.

“You just never know,” I say. “Some people get engaged and lose their minds. Don’t let that be you.”

“I won’t,” she says solemnly.

“And I know what I want to give you for your gift,” I say, glancing around at Aunt Gilda to make sure she’s also listening. She went to get my dress, but now she comes back, looking bemused. “I want to make your wedding cake. And I want to expand Valentina’s into wedding cakes. I hope that’s okay with both of you.”

Bellamy squeals. “Okay? That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Thank you!”

“Aunt Gilda?” I ask warily. She’s far too quiet, and I can’t read her expression.

“I don’t know why you’re asking me,” she says, doing her best to look baffled and offended. The effect is ruined by her twinkling eyes. “We need to expand the bakery. I’ve been saying it for years. But nobody listens to me, sadly.”

“Riiight,” I say.

“Okay,” Bellamy says, standing and clapping her hands briskly. “We’ve procrastinated long enough. Time to get you in that dress. Let’s go.”

I gulp inwardly. My moment of truth has arrived, and the determined looks on the faces of my two co-conspirators tells me that I’m not going to be able to weasel out of it. Much as I’d like to hide out up here forever, it’s time for me to go get my man or die trying.

“Okay.” I stand, get rid of my robe and raise my hands over my head with grim determination as they approach me with the dress. My heart pumps into overdrive, and I resist the childish urge to run into the bathroom and lock the door. I have a wild flash of Ripley on the elevator prepping for her final confrontation with the Alien queen in Aliens as they suit me up. “O-kay.”

They slide the thing on me, threading my arms through the straps and adjusting it so that the whispery layers of the skirt ripple down around my feet. They zip me in and adjust my girls. Aunt Gilda futzes with the crystal beading she added for me at the base of the straps.“This dress needs some flair,” she pronounced when I first showed it to her. She can’t help herself when it comes to clothes and sparkles. They whisper amongst themselves, directing each other to tug this or smooth that before nodding with unmistakable satisfaction.

I hold my breath the whole time, until Aunt Gilda takes me by the shoulders and turns me to face the mirror, a cat that ate the canary smile dawning across her face as Bellamy claps and cheers and I gasp at my reflection. I clean up quite well, if I say so myself. I don’t plan to do it very often, mind you, but this one time? For Ryker? No problem.

“That boy is going to lose his mind when he sees you,” Aunt Gilda says, gleefully rubbing her hands together. “We’re going to have two proposals tonight, or my name isn’t Gilda Louise Richardson.”

“We can only hope,” I say.

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