Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Then I walked into the Seaside Grill one day, and a beautiful woman came up to our table. She had a smile I was positive could light up any room, and blue eyes so deep a person could get lost in them. But when she turned and saw Charlie, her smile brightened even more. It was then I knew why I was really drawn to Seaside. It wasn’t for all those reasons I mentioned earlier.
“It was fate. Fate brought us to Seaside.”
I felt a sob slip through my lips, and I covered my mouth with my free hand.
“I once swore I would never open my heart again unless I was a thousand percent sure that the person taking it wouldn’t hurt me or my son. It only took one smile from Palmer Bradley for that oath to crumble.”
A rush of aww and how sweet swept through the crowd. A few people looked at me and smiled.
Charlie tugged my hand again. We started to walk once more, and soon we were at the front of the stage, where Mason was looking down at me.
“I know that in you, Palmer, I’ve found my soul mate. The love of my life. And I know how much you love me and Charlie. And there’s a question we both want to ask you.”
Charlie pulled me toward the steps, while I franticly wiped at the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Charlie and I stopped in front of Mason, who was now facing us and not the crowd. Mason took a jewelry box out of his left pocket and handed it to Charlie.
“Can I go first, Daddy?” Charlie asked as the crowd laughed softly.
Mason looked at me, then down at Charlie. “Um, sure you can, buddy.”
Then, the one thing I wasn’t expecting happened.
Charlie got down on one knee and opened the box.
I gasped as I looked down at a silver necklace. It was a large circle intertwined with a smaller circle.
“Palmer?”
I jerked my gaze up to Charlie’s big blue eyes. “I was…well…I was hoping you would want to be my mommy? Daddy is going to ask you to marry him.”
I heard more laughter from the crowd as I looked at Mason and saw him slowly shaking his head while smiling. I focused back on Charlie, and he continued. “So if you say yes to me, you probably have to say yes to him too.”
I covered my mouth while I laughed and sobbed at the same time.
Bending down so I was eye level with him, I said, “Charlie, I would be so honored to be your mommy.”
Tears burst from his eyes as he wrapped his little arms around me. “I love you, Palmer. I love you so much!”
Holding him tightly, I tried to speak between gulps of air. “I…love you…too. So very much, Charlie.”
Charlie drew back and looked up at his father and smiled. “She has to say yes to you now!”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed, and so did Mason and the rest of the crowd.
Mason took my hand and helped me up, then he went down on his knee. He opened a different box, and I started to cry once again.
“Palmer, there is nothing in this life that I would rather do than spend it with you by my side. You have brought me so much happiness in the short amount time I’ve known you, and so much love. I can’t imagine living a single day without you. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” I said as I cupped his face in my hands and bent down to kiss him. He stood, pulled me into his arms, and held me tightly to him while cheers erupted.
Harlee walked back up to us. “Well, if you didn’t shed a tear during any of that, you are a lost cause.”
The crowd laughed again as Mason set me back down and I wiped at my tears. He slipped a beautiful oval diamond on my finger, then kissed the back of my hand.
“Mason would like to ask one more thing of you, Palmer,” Harlee said.
I looked at him with raised brows.
“Can I have this dance?” he said.
Placing my hand in his, I answered, “I would love that.”
Harlee was about to speak when Charlie yelled out, “Lily! Will you have this dance too? With me, not my daddy.”
A tiny voice from somewhere in the laughter of the crowd cried out, “Yes!”
The DJ took over and asked us to move to the dance floor. Lily’s mother brought her over to Charlie, and he mimicked what his father did with me and kissed the back of her hand.
“Look out there, Doc! You’ve got a little charmer,” Lily’s mom said.
Mason laughed as he looked down at Charlie. Lily’s mom wiped a tear away and then turned to Lily’s father. The moment the music started, I began to cry again.