He lowered his phone to his knee. His lips lifted into an irresistible smirk. “Do you really have to ask?”
She reached for his hand. “You can’t close your park. What about your mom? Your tribute to her? And your investors—what about Duncan?”
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a lasting kiss to her knuckles. The touch simmered in her stomach and curled her toes in her shoes.
He spoke against her hand. “I did it because I couldn’t think of any other way to tell you I love you.”
Adelie’s breath caught in her throat. She shifted to face him, eager for the closeness he offered.
Maddox laced his fingers with hers and put his free arm around her, drawing her to him. “I wanted to tell you I don’t care about the money or the brand, but how would you ever know with the park still running as it was? You need to know, none of it matters, not if it jeopardizes you. You’ve come to mean more to me than I ever thought you would, I want us to stay married. I want you to continue to be my wife, Adelie.”
With deliberation, Maddox shifted from the bench and knelt before her. Her heart pounded like a rabbit’s hind leg. Digging in his pocket, he retrieved something and offered it in his palm. Her ring glistened in the morning sunlight.
“Adelie Hatter, will you still be my wife?” Maddox asked. “Wear my ring, take my name, and share a life with me?”
Moments like this usually landed a spotlight on her and made her feel as though a thousand eyes were watching, made her feel as though anything she said would be the wrong thing. But that dormouse was gone, hidden in a teacup. This time, Adelie sat up straight, chest fairly bursting with assurance and confidence.
“No expiration date?”
Maddox chuckled. “No end in sight. I want you forever.”
She waited for a sign that this was the dream. This was the riddle, the confusing path leading only to more confusion. That any minute now she’d nibble and change size once more.
There was no shift. No confusion. No sudden change. This was reality, life outside of the rabbit hole. Maddox Hatter was kneeling before her, asking her to be his wife. Because he loved her. Because he’d gotten to know her and still wanted her.
Her response came so easily it was a wonder all of its own.
“Yes,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Yes.”
His mouth made the journey to hers with direct targeting, with deliberation and tentative slowness. The pressure was just enough. Once, twice, three times, each touch opened a new door within her, flipping on switches and creating light inside her. She mapped the way, matching his motion for motion. Resting a hand on his shoulder, his neck, weaving her fingers into his hair.
Maddox pulled away, allowing her time to absorb the sensations rippling through her. This was their land of wonder, a place only they could explore, where his touch and the gleam in his gaze belonged only to her, where she hoped he could read the devotion within her own gaze.
“I do,” she said softly.
“You do what?” His hand ran up and down her spine, making her tingle.
“That’s all,” she said. “I do. That should have been our wedding kiss, and so I’m making my vow to you again.”
Maddox’s lips quirked halfway, and, still kneeling before her, he guided her to them again. “Me too,” he finally said once they’d broken apart.
Even though this marriage had started out as a hoax, a cover for the protection he was offering her, it no longer was. In that moment, he was as much hers as she hoped to be his.
Epilogue
Wonderland was a veritable hive, buzzing and bustling with people. The streets were so tightly packed past the March Hare’s house, Adelie held onto Maddox’s hand just to make it through to the Red Queen’s castle.
“Glad to see you two came to your senses.” Duncan trudged behind, wearing a business suit with a blue shirt and tie. He continued staring at his phone, swiping through the numbers he hadn’t stopped commenting on since he’d arrived a half hour before.
“I don’t think Wonderland has ever had attendance like this,” Maddox said, rotating and taking in the crowds. Adelie sidled next to him.
“You know, much as I hate to admit it, Ruby had it right,” she said, smoothing a hand down the beading along her wedding dress—her dream dress. She and Suzie had gone to New York and met with a designer to ensure it had everything Adelie wanted. She thrilled at finally having the chance to wear it. “This really is the perfect marketing scheme for the park.”
It took a lot of arguments, but several weeks later, Adelie had managed to convince her husband he should reopen. Why not use their recent marriage to the park’s advantage?
She had nothing to hide, she told him. Not anymore. She was crazy in love with him and wanted to shout it on every rooftop. Adelie had never felt so happy, so completely contented, so thoroughly safe. This was home, where she belonged, and Maddox needed to know she would support him as much as he had supported her.
He loved his theme park. It meant so much to him, and she knew he’d been feeling its loss.
Finally, he’d agreed, and here they were. Adelie had convinced him to wear his tuxedo and though she’d nabbed the perfect dress, she’d had Suzie come over and help do her hair the same way it’d been done on their wedding day.
Suzie and Fletcher had taken off work. They stood near a collection of fiberglass mushrooms, chatting with Ella, Hawk, and Grammy Larsen. Adelie’s chest swelled as she caught their attention. She waved in their direction as though she was some kind of princess in a parade. In this dress and with Maddox at her side, she felt
