Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
As the audience reacted to that news with mostly cheers, my heart pitter-pattered.
“I love them both more than words or music could ever express,” Atticus went on to say. “I’m just so freaking happy, and I wanted you all to know about it. Because if you’ve been a fan of the band for any amount of time, you’ve seen me at my worst, even if you didn’t realize it.” He smiled. “This is me at my best. I can honestly say I’ve never been happier.”
He climbed down from the stage, coming over to where I was standing in the front row. I covered my mouth in disbelief.
“I wasn’t sure if I was gonna do this tonight, but I can’t wait any longer.” He breathed into the mic. “Nicole, being your husband was the greatest honor of my life. The only thing greater is getting to be the father of your baby. Of our baby. I love you so much. And even though I never stopped calling you my wife, I hope you’ll give me the honor of making it official again.” He got down on one knee and opened a ring box, revealing a diamond ring even bigger than the one he’d given me years back to replace the original. “Please say you’ll marry me…again. Forever.”
“Yes!” I jumped up and down and wrapped my arms around him. “I can’t believe you did this.”
As a continuous symphony of cheers erupted all around us, and amid the flashes of many cameras, he spoke into the mic again. “She said yes, by the way, for the people in the back!”
Then he put the microphone in front of me. “Anything you wanna say, baby?”
This wasn’t how I’d envisioned it, but I couldn’t pass up my chance. I spoke into the mic but looked straight at him. “It’s a girl.”
EPILOGUE
ATTICUS
The envelope had just arrived at our house in Monksville. Doug had overnighted us a copy of the magazine. We were the cover story this month for one of the biggest music periodicals, except by we, I don’t mean just us guys. It was all six of us.
The title on the cover read, Deliriously in Love: The women behind the men of Delirious Jones
After my very public proposal during the tour last year, the press had gone crazy trying to learn more about Nicole. They also soon got wind of Kenzie’s relationship with Ronan. And suddenly, the women in our lives became prime press targets.
We’d figured rather than deal with the press stalking us all the time, we’d beat them to the punch. Our manager had struck a deal with the magazine for this feature to set the record straight and hopefully give us some semblance of privacy after. Even if it didn’t work, it was worth a shot.
I looked down at the cover photo, which had been taken by a world-famous photographer. It had been shot a year ago, and Nicole was eight months pregnant at the time, wearing a form-fitting white dress that showcased her navel popping out. We’d done a separate pregnancy shoot, but I’d always cherish this snapshot in time of one of the happiest periods of my life. In the photo, the three guys were seated, Tristan in the middle, with Ronan and me on either side of him. Off to the left, Nicole was lying on the ground by my feet, her long, raven hair wild and beautiful as she placed her hand above her stomach. Emily, who had also been visibly pregnant at the time, chose not to have her stomach on display, so she was standing behind Tristan with her arms around his neck, her long brown hair cascading over his chest. And to the right was Ronan with a laughing Kenzie on his lap.
I brought the magazine to the kitchen to show my wife. Well, she still wasn’t legally my wife. The huge wedding we were planning was set to take place later this year. We wanted to be settled first and had just moved.
“Look what arrived this morning.” I put the magazine on the counter.
“Oh my gosh.” She smiled as she looked down at the cover. “I do not miss being that pregnant, but it came out so good. It seems like forever since we posed for that.”
I kissed her neck. “You were the sexiest pregnant woman alive.”
“I’d much rather have her on my back.”
I kissed the top of our baby girl’s head. Little Adele was asleep in the carrier Nicole had strapped to her back. Carrying her like this was the only way Nicole could get anything done on days that Adele wouldn’t go down for her nap.
We had moved to Monksville at the end of May and planned to permanently relocate to New York City, keeping this house for occasional weekends and summers. We were in the process of closing on an Upper West Side brownstone.