The Teacher's Billionaire (25 page)

Callie remained silent, her sapphire eyes just studying his face.
What is she thinking?
He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her till she said something, anything. The silence was killing him.

He watched as Callie ran her tongue over her lips. “You still haven't answered my question, Dylan. You say you want a second chance. A second chance at what?” Her voice was laced with fear. He knew it had been hard for her to ask the question. If the tables were reversed, he wasn't sure he would be willing to give her a second chance.

He smoothed back a few strands of hair. “Do you really need to ask?” He studied her face for a moment. God, he hoped it wasn't to late. “I want another chance with you. I love you. And if I thought you'd agree, I would fly us out to Vegas tonight and marry you.”

Joy and loved bubbled up inside her. He loved her. Was it really possible? “Getting married by Elvis was never a dream of mine,” she said needing to lighten the atmosphere a little.

Did he just ask me to marry him?
If he had it was one strange proposal. Maybe the strangest ever uttered by a man. “Now if it can be Mickey Mouse I say get the plane ready.”

Dylan brushed her mouth with a feather light kiss. “No more joking right now,” he ordered. “Now isn't the time.”

She heard the uncertainty and worry in his voice. Two emotions she didn't know he was capable of. He always seemed in control of situations. Wrapping her arms around his waist she said, “I love you too.”

Crushing her against him he gave her a long tender kiss that she felt down to her very soul. Eventually he broke contact and took a few steps back so that he could see her. Pulling a small ring box from his pants pocket he asked, “Callie Taylor will you marry me.”

Oh my god!
He hadn't been joking around before. Happiness like she'd never known before overwhelmed her. “Yes,” she replied laughing and crying all at once. Something she hadn't thought possible to do.

Dylan slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. “I wasn't joking about Vegas tonight, but if you want to wait that's fine.” Pausing he gave her one of his lopsided boyish grins. “And if you want Mickey Mouse to marry us with Goofy as best man and Minnie as your maid of honor that's okay too. I don't care what kind of wedding we have as long as you're by my side.”

Callie laughed. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed joking with him. “What if I want the wedding cake made out of girl scout cookies? Got to keep those cookie pushers in business you know.”

He burst out laughing at her question. “Only if they're the ones filled with peanut butter.”

She pretended to think it over for a minute. Finally with a small sigh she said, “I guess I can live with that.” Callie stared down at the diamond and emerald ring on her finger.

“I would like to wait. I don't need a huge wedding, but I do want my family and friends there,” Callie said seriously thinking for the first time since her mom's death that she wasn't as alone as she'd thought. Perhaps her mom had finally told Warren the truth so that she wouldn't be so alone.

Dylan kissed her again. “Whatever you want. As long as I have you, I don't care.”

Epilogue

This is it.
Callie gazed at her reflection in the full length mirror. In less than an hour she would be Mrs. Dylan Talbot. She still found it hard to believe sometimes. It was like she was living in a dream and at some point she would hear her alarm go off and she'd wake up. But than again she'd been feeling a bit like that everyday since learning the truth about her father more than a year ago.

“You look gorgeous,” Lauren, her maid of honor, said coming up next to her. “He's going to be speechless when he sees you.”

“Dylan might be looking at me, but every other man here will be looking at you. You look fabulous.” Callie wasn't exaggerating either. The royal
blue gown looked as if it had been designed just for Lauren.

“I doubt that. Everyone is going to have their eyes on you.”

Fidgeting she tried to think about just Dylan and not the hundreds of guests waiting outside on the lawns of Cliff House. Though they'd tried to keep the guest list small, there had been too many people that they had to invite. In the end the list had maxed out at three hundred.

“Don't do that. You're going to spoil your lipstick,” Lauren scolded Callie has she began to chew on her bottom lip.

Smoothing out her dress she replied, “I can't help it. I'm so nervous. What if something goes wrong?”

Lauren was about to answer when there was a knock at the bedroom door. “Is it okay to come in?” Warren called from the other side.

“All clear Mr. President,” Lauren answered picking up her bouquet to leave. “Everything will be perfect. I'll meet you downstairs, Callie.” After giving her one last hug, Lauren left as Warren came into the room.

Warren didn't immediately say anything. Rather he looked at her with misty eyes. Then after clearing his throat he said, “Elizabeth and I are so happy you're part of our family, Callie. I know it was strained between the two of you at first but she has come to care for you like another daughter.”

Strained was one way of putting it. From the very beginning Callie's relationship with Elizabeth was awkward and it only became more so immediately after her and Dylan had announced their engagement. But slowly they had gotten to know each other and now she thought of Elizabeth as almost a second mother. She'd been especially helpful planning the wedding which had all of the paparazzi in the country interested.

“I just wish I'd learned about you sooner.” He paused as if over come with emotion. “I feel as though I missed out on so much with you.”

Callie choked back some tears of her own. Her father had been wonderful to her since their first meeting, and their relationship had only grown stronger since then. “Me too,” she admitted giving him a hug.

“We better get you downstairs.” His voice was thick with emotion. “There is a very anxious groom waiting for you. If I don't get you down there soon I think he'll come storming up here himself.”

Warren handed Callie her bouquet of roses and calla lilies. “The two of you are going to be very happy,” he predicted. “You won't find a better man.”

Callie linked her arm through her father's. “I know.”

Arm and arm they walked through the mansion and out onto the sprawling lawns. It was a picture perfect late May afternoon. Originally they'd wanted a fall wedding, but had decided it was a bad idea to have the wedding so close to the elections. And a winter wedding had been out because Callie really wanted the ceremony to be held at Cliff House, where their relationship had essentially began. So in the end they had settled on late spring.

As soon as Rachel, Ashley, and Sara, Callie's three bridesmaids, and Lauren reached the steps of the Tea House which was serving as the alter, the orchestra began to play the traditional bridal march. She asked Sara to be in the wedding not because the two had become friends but because she knew Dylan would want her there. Callie suspected that was the only reason she agreed.

All together the diverse group of guests stood to watch Callie proceed towards Dylan accompanied by her father. And it was possibly the most eclectic group to ever attend a wedding. School teachers, waitresses, and nurses sat along side secret service agents, English aristocrats, and multimillionaires. Callie didn't really see any of them though as she made her way down the aisle. She was solely focused on the tall handsome man waiting by the alter.

He couldn't take his eyes off the vision coming towards him. Callie was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen.

She's mine forever
. The single thought filled him with so much love and pride he thought his chest might burst.

Waiting for this day had been torturous. More than once he had to stop himself from trying to convince her to just elope. But he wanted everything to be perfect for her so he'd somehow restrained himself. For the most part he'd let her plan everything. The only aspect that had really been his idea was using the Tea House as the altar.

“I couldn't be happier for you two,” Warren said slipping Callie's hand into Dylan's. “I know you will take good care of each other.”

Dylan intertwined his fingers with hers. “You know it Mr. President.”

With that Warren took his seat with his wife and Supreme Court Justice Smith, who was an old friend of Warren's, began the ceremony.

In the blink of an eye Dylan slipped a simple white platinum wedding band onto her finger and kissed her. Turning together they faced the crowd of guests and began the walk to the gardens where the wedding photos would be taken. All around them cameras flashed as both guests and the few photographers who'd been given access took pictures.

“I love you Mrs. Talbot,” he said stopping at the last row of guests. “Why don't we give them a picture worth printing,” he continued nodding towards the professional photographers.

Without waiting for an answer, he scooped her up into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Everything around him disappeared, the only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms who was now his wife.

He had no idea how long they stayed like that. But when he felt a not to subtle nudge in his back, he dragged his lips away.

“Save it for later,” Jake, who was his best man, said jokingly. “Some of us want to eat.”

Slowly Dylan lowered Callie to her feet and began walking towards the garden.

“You've made me the happiest person alive today,” Dylan said leaning close to her ear.

Callie smiled at him
. “The feeling is mutual.”

Coming soon is Jake's story in Book 2 of the Sherbrooke's of Newport Series