Page 142 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

As I gape at her, all the blood rushes to my head. I feel heavy. Like I might fall over.

Daire set this up?

Reached out to the store? Set up this appointment? And showed them my silly little sketch?

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

It might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.

“A sketch?” my mom asks me. “What is she talking about?”

“I… uh… I was going through a box of old things, and he saw a sketch of a dress I created when I was a teenager.”

My mom puts a hand to her heart, looking as touched as I feel. “It’s so sweet that he set all this stuff up.”

Taylor clears her throat and points behind her. “If you’re ready, we can head back and discuss what you want.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “That would be great.”

I enterthe house and follow the sound of the TV to the family room, where I find Daire and Sammy on the floorplaying. Daire is on his back, holding Sammy in the air. The sound of Sammy’s giggles warms me from the inside out and make it impossible not to smile from ear to ear. God, I missed them. It’s only been hours, but all day, I found myself wanting to be with them.

For a long moment, I stand in the doorway, just soaking it in. Happy. For the first time, I truly know what it means to feel that way.

All in all, I’ve led a great life, but I’ve never felt this content. Things have never been this right. This complete.

Clearing my throat, I step into the room and shuffle closer. When I plop down on the floor beside them, I smooth a hand over Sammy’s head. “How are my boys?”

Daire turns his head and gives me a panty-melting smile. “Having a little play time before this little guy’s bath.”

He sits up, hugging Sammy to his chest. The baby holds his arms out to me, and I gladly take him from his dad. With a deep inhale, I relish his sweet scent and snuggle him closer. Who would have thought that I would have a motherly bone in my body? I’d never put much thought into having kids before, but suddenly, all of me belongs to this little baby. He tugs on my hair, and I gently extract it from his hand. I kiss his pudgy fingers and then his cheeks. He’s perfect.

“How did it go?” Daire asks me.

“The last store was certainly a surprise.”

He grins, eyes crinkling. “A good surprise, I hope.”

I nod, fighting tears yet again. “It was the best surprise. I can’t believe that you thought to do something like that for me.”

Impossibly, his smile grows bigger. “I love you, Rosie, and I want you to have the dress of your dreams when you finally walk down the aisle to me.”

“Are we really doing this?” I whisper. “Are we really going to make this real?”

He cups my cheek and leans in until his lips gently brush mine. “It was always real. We just didn’t realize it yet.”

“My mom picked a venue and chose a date in September,” I warn him. “She told me over dinner. She’s already put a deposit down. Are you okay with that?”

He chuckles and sits straighter again, amusement sparkling in his blue eyes. “The better question is, are you okay with that? Do you like the location? Is it what you want? I only care about you being happy, not your mom.”

“It’s my dream location,” I admit. “A long time ago, I mentioned that I’d love to get married there. Apparently she never forgot. The day after we told her that we were married, she booked a date.”

“Your mom.” He shakes his head, laughing. “She’s something.”

“Tenacious, that’s for sure.”

“So what’s the location?”

With a smile so big it makes my cheeks ache, I launch into a lengthy explanation of the elegant gardens I visited before for a party my father attended. Daire would probably rather I shut up instead of talking about flowers and the best spots for photos, but he never once looks bored.

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