My arms tighten around him. “I’d be honored to be your boyfriend.”
I really think I might expire with happiness, or at least take a turn at fainting from the joy of it all. This truly is the best day of my life.
Pink giggles happily. “So it’s official then?”
“Looks like it,” I reply.
I’ve never had a boyfriend before, so I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it seems likely that the rules are ours to make.
One day, if I get my way. Pink will be my fiance. Then, I will be his husband and he will be mine. Duke Consort Eastminster, is a title that will suit him greatly. I can’t wait to bestow it upon him.
There are obstacles to overcome, tricky paths to navigate, but I am sure it can be done.
But that is all in the future. The present is right here. And, ‘Pink’s Boyfriend’, is the best title I have ever had. Until it is beaten by, ‘Pink’s Husband’, it will remain my proudest accomplishment.
Chapter twenty-three
Pink
Atiny thrum of excitement pulses through me, gently tugging me from sleep. It starts before I am even fully awake, a flutter of anticipation that warms me from the inside. Today is a day I have been looking forward to, and now it is finally here.
The campervan is still and dark, cocooned in the soft hush of early morning. Monty’s arm is draped over me, holding me close as he breathes in the steady rhythm of sleep. His warmth seeps into me, a perfect anchor in the quiet. I close my eyes again for just a moment, savoring this, savoring us. Monty has been my boyfriend for three months. Twelve blissful, perfect weeks. I never thought I could feel this way about someone, but here I am, happier than I ever imagined I could be.
I should probably tell my friends about us. About what Monty and I mean to each other. But there is something special about keeping it just between us. This secret belongs to us alone, unshared and unspoiled. Besides, I’m pretty sure my friends already suspect the truth. Monty is no longer just the mage who… well, helps me. It is written in every glance we share, everysubtle touch. When the time comes to announce it, no one will be shocked.
Anyway, those are thoughts for another time. Today is not about relationships or revelations. Today is Ned’s one-hundredth birthday, and there are things to do!
Carefully, I start to slide out of bed, mindful not to wake Monty. The moment I move, though, he stirs, his arm tightening slightly before releasing me.
“Everything okay?” His voice is a soft, sleep-rough murmur.
“Yes,” I whisper back. “It’s Ned’s birthday. I need to get the kids ready for the party.”
His eyes snap open, bright with excitement. “Oh, yes! Wait for me!”
The grin that spreads across his face is boyish and full of delight, making my heart do a dizzy little flip. He’s out of bed in seconds, throwing on his pajamas as quickly as I am. There is something endearing about his enthusiasm, a childlike wonder that never fails to make me smile.
The garden is cool and dewy as we step outside, hand in hand. Together, we cross the yard and slip quietly into the house. Inside, it is peaceful. The kind of calm that belongs only to the earliest hours of the day. The faint creak of the floorboards beneath our feet feels almost too loud as we tiptoe through the house.
“We’re like burglars,” I whisper, a giggle bubbling up before I can stop it.
Monty flashes me a grin. “Best burglars ever,” he whispers back, giving my hand a playful squeeze.
We make it down the hallway to the kids’ bedroom. Having them live here is truly such a blessing. I think I was more excited than Ned when they, and Morgan, moved in.
I ease the door open. The room is dim, but the soft rise and fall of their little chests is visible in the faint glow from the curtains.Lottie, Oscar, and Noah lie sprawled in various poses of sleep, their faces peaceful and angelic.
Monty reaches for the baby monitor and turns it toward the wall while I cross to the window and pull the curtains open. A pale wash of light filters into the room, coaxing sleepy murmurs from the beds.
“Wakey, wakey, sleepyheads,” I say softly, my voice warm with affection.
The covers rustle as Lottie and Oscar blink up at me, their faces still half-dreaming.
“It’s party day,” I whisper, crouching down to their level.
Their eyes go wide with excitement. In an instant, Lottie is on her feet, doing a delighted little twirl that makes me laugh. Oscar scrambles out of bed just as Noah stirs, rubbing his eyes before he catches on. A sleepy grin spreads across his face, and he throws off his covers to join his siblings.
I hold out my hands. Oscar takes one, his small fingers wrapping around mine. Lottie and Noah, however, run straight to Monty, grabbing his hands instead. He looks down at them with an expression so full of love and delight that my heart nearly bursts.
