Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 237 -

Весса.

It had happened. I'd done it. I was Mrs. James Valentino! My heart pounded so hard in my chest, I could hardly believe it.

Everything had happened in a blur. One minute, I'd been getting ready, along with the help of my stepmom and Sophia, as well as the stylists I'd hired. The next minute, I'd been standing next to James at the altar. I'd been so focused on him, I'd hardly heard a word of the ceremony, which was short and to the point.

He looked so handsome in his tuxedo, I couldn't pull my eyes away from him. James was such an amazing man in every way. We'd had our problems in the past, but I loved him with all of my heart. We were starting a new chapter of our lives together, and I was looking forward to spending every moment with him.

After the pictures, we went into the reception hall and greeted all of our guests. My father, who hadn't said much earlier, kissed my cheek. I was hoping he was starting come around. "Dance with me later?" I asked him. With tears in his eyes, he nodded. "Of course, baby girl. I'll always be here for you."

I smiled at him and then headed over to have my first dance with James. We'd picked out one of my favorite songs to share our first dance together. As the romantic music began to play, James took me in his arms, both of us swaying in time to the music.

"I can't believe you're my wife," he murmured in my ear. "I want to carry you right out of here and back to the nearest bedroom."

Giggling, I said, "I can't believe it either. But we can't leave just yet. We need to celebrate with all of our guests first."

He sighed as the song ended. "I suppose you're right. Okay. Let's have some fun then." Sweeping me into the air, he twirled me around before kissing me deeply again. One thing was for certain; now that I was James' wife, life would never be boring.

James POV.

With a twirl, I took Becca across the dance floor as she let out a joyous giggle. She radiated happiness as we danced in time to the music, which consisted of mostly classical songs. The guests surrounded us, dancing as we danced. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against Becca's. We shared a very long kiss, and Becca wrapped her arms around me to bring me closer as we continued to dance. My heart sang right along with the music. This was wonderful. Eventually, the dancing had to end, and we went off to the side to take a break. We'd been at it for a half hour, after all! Becca said, "This has already been so wonderful, James, and we're just getting started."

I reached over and grabbed her under her chin, just having to steal another kiss before replying. I said, "I agree with all of my heart, Becca. Tonight has been one of the best nights of my life, and I mean that. Now, we get to spend the rest of our lives together."

Becca nodded, her eyes sparkling as a tear glided down her cheek. "Oh James. The kids will have a big happy family and a wonderful life with us. I am so happy we finally get to be a family, with another one on the way."

I nodded, looking up as Giovani approached. He had a bright smile on his face, no doubt touched by how much Becca and I showed love for each other. He said, "It's cake time, and it looks delicious. Are you two ready to cut it?" Becca bounced in her chair a little before standing, squealing with excitement. "Yes!" she said. "Oh, the strawberry frosting looks so yummy, I can't wait to have some! I bet the kids are going to have a ball with it too! They're going to be off the wall."

"Like yourself, cousin-in-law," Giovani mused, just having to get a good-spirited jab in at Becca. My wife couldn't help but laugh and take him into a big hug, something which he returned. I smiled at this exchange, a warm feeling cascading through me.

We arrived at the towering cake, and I couldn't help but lick my lips. The frosting looked fluffy, and on top of the cake was a bride and groom figurine. Giovani handed me the knife, and I moved forward, going to cut the cake while onlookers cheered on in excitement.

First, I cut a piece for Becca and myself. We stood in front of the crowd and fed each other the first bites. I'd promised Becca I wouldn't smash it in her face, so I didn't, but I wasn't shocked at all when she did it to me. Everyone laughed, and we kissed with frosting all over our lips.

A new butler came up and took the knife from me, giving me a smile. "I got it from here, sir. Go sit down and enjoy your cake!" I blinked. This guy was different. Not that I was going to complain much.

I went to oblige, but suddenly, Becca moved closer to me with an evil grin. I widened my eyes, unable to dodge what came next. Suddenly, a second piece of cake was shoved into my face, followed by the cheers of Becca and the laughter of guests.

I burst into laughter myself, cursing myself inwardly for not paying attention. I grabbed a piece of cake and returned the favor, causing Becca to shriek and laugh even harder. This was war now. The kids hobbled over, led by Madeline, and they laughed too.

Alessandro said, "Cake! Me want cake!" He was talking more and more lately, which was wonderful to see. He and Dahlia were growing up so fast! Becca leaned down and smooshed his face with cake too, causing him to keel over with laughter.

Giovani shook his head, cackling like mad at this display as well. Thankfully, it didn't evolve into a food fight. The cake was good and needed to be eaten, after all! We made our way to the table, cleaning our faces off and still laughing. Becca said, "That was so much fun! I got you first, James." She laughed, causing me to beam at her and take a bite of my cake. As I suspected, it was delicious, with a creamy strawberry frosting that lit up my tastebuds with just the right amount of sweetness.

"You did. You also caused everyone to keel over with laughter. I'm so glad we can have fun like that, Becca. We've come a long way, and this wedding is beautiful. Thank you for trusting me, my love," I said, causing Becca to wave her hand and blush.

"Oh, stop it, James," she said softly, reaching over to cup my cheek and trying not to giggle as some crumbs fell onto my plate from this action. "We were always in this together. It took me a while to see it. I was lost for a bit, in my own misery. I'm so glad I woke up."

The smile I gave her lit up my eyes as I continued to eat the cake. Dinner would be following soon. Giovani thought it would be a good idea to have the cake first, as he said it was very delicious. He wasn't wrong.

I reached over and grabbed my cocktail, taking a sip and just relaxing. The guests were sitting around, chatting and eating, generally enjoying the wedding and all it had to offer. The kids were at our table, digging into their food as well. We were served some classic Italian dishes and could pick from a variety. The kids, naturally, went with pizza made from scratch that had fresh ingredients. At least it was as healthy as it could be.

I helped myself to some fresh spinach and radicchio salad, savoring the mix of flavors while chatting with Becca. I said, "I was thinking of building a playscape for the kids in the yard of the compound. They may have a ball with it when we're not able to make it to the park."

Becca nodded, taking a bite of her own salad and considering my words. "Good call, James." She looked over toward the kids and smiled, giving a little wave. Both Alessandro and Dahlia waved back, letting out happy giggles. They were behaving very well tonight.

Then, Becca said, "You come up with wonderful ideas. It will be nice if they want some 'quiet' together, but also to have fun. Or, if the adults want quiet. That's also a completely valid situation," she said, winking at me.

I chuckled and nodded in agreement. We finished up our salad, then were served four cheese lasagna. The savory scent of melting cheese caused me to lick my lips. The chef we hired was one of the top chefs in the area. I knew this was going to be good.

Cutting into my food, I took a deep breath as the cheese oozed onto the plate, mixed with the juicy meat and well-added spices. On the first bite, I knew I was right to be excited. I hummed with satisfaction as the rich taste practically sang with. my tongue.

The festivities continued after dinner on the dance floor. I took Becca into the center, engaging in a slow dance with her once again. We turned in time to the music, the moment completely magical. She pressed against me, resting her head against my chest as we danced.

I was filled with a sense of pure happiness as we danced together. Here I was, finally wed to a woman I loved with all my heart. The kids were dancing as well, not very coordinated, but watched over by Madeline. This caused my smile to widen. "Now for some more light-hearted, fun songs!" the DJ said into the microphone, causing me to chuckle. The music now belted out with a bit more energy, riling up the guests. Becca and I did some high-energy dancing for a while before having to go sit off to the side.

We'd been lost in the moment so much, I almost had to wipe some sweat away from my forehead. Becca beamed at me, pointing to the photo booth. "We should have Madeline bring the kids over there so we can take some silly pictures!" I nodded, waving Madeline over. She brought the kids, and off we went to the booth, entering it for some fun. Sure, we had the wedding photographer, but these pictures would be priceless as well. Not everything had to be perfect. Dahlia was squealing and squirming about, just happy to be here. She was grinning from ear to ear, keeling with laughter especially as I began to tickle her. That made for a very adorable picture, one that made my grin widen even further. Alessandro often took pictures with his tongue hanging out, mimicking Becca's silly looks. I couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking my head. I just had to take a picture where I was trying to pull off the most serious expression possible while everyone else looked goofy.

Becca tried to do the same as me, for a picture, but kept cracking, giving way to a smile. We were probably in that booth for a good fifteen minutes and had so many pictures for our memories. "You'll have to get a scrapbook," I said. "And decorate it with pink horses and roses!" Becca agreed, giving a chuckle. Soon, we left the booth, letting the kids go have their fun without us distracting them. Becca watched them go off to play with a huge smile before turning to hug

me.

I returned the hug, holding her close and resting my chin on the top of her head. "Tonight has been so perfect," Becca said, causing me to give a wide smile. I closed my eyes, letting a tear trickle down my face and just remaining silent in response for a moment.

Then, I said, "It is." My voice dripped with adoration for her. When the hug ended, I gave her a deep kiss, one she squealed happily over. We returned to the dance floor for a while until I went to sit off at the side, leaning back in the chair. Something caught my eye as I looked at the window. Was that someone peering into the hall? I furrowed my brow, not liking the spike of anxiety that suddenly rushed through me. There was something going on outside.

I stood up from my chair and stretched, starting to make my way toward the back door of the hall. However, Giovani intercepted me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I hope you're not worrying too much, James," he said, tilting his head. "I think something's going on outside," I said, shaking my head. "I saw someone looking in, and am concerned. I don't want this wedding, our perfect night, to be interrupted." Giovani gave me a serious nod, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, it won't be," he said. "Don't worry, James. I've gotten it taken care of."