The Rebel (The Millionaire Malones Book 3) (23 page)

‘That’s right. All you have to do is go shopping for a dress when we get to Sydney and everything else is done.’

‘You’ve done everything?’ she said incredulously.

‘Well, me and Serena.’ Cooper raised his eyebrows and laughed.

‘Shit,’ she chuckled. ‘Talk about blindsided.’

Evan tugged at her shirt. ‘Can I say “shit” now too, Mommy, since you just said it?’

‘No,’ Maggie said.

‘No,’ Cooper said.

Cooper went back inside to get the other bags and Maggie slid into the back seat and fastened her seat belt. When Evan clambered in, she checked he was buckled
up, too. She was in a daze. She’d settled down during the past five years into a life that was ordered, neat, exposed to as few risks as possible. Her life had been as meticulously organised as her spreadsheets. Today, it felt as if everything she knew had been thrown into the air and had landed where it shouldn’t. And it felt wonderful.

Serena gripped the steering wheel of her old sedan and
looked back at her daughter. ‘Happy, darling?’

‘You were in on this, too?’

‘Yes,’ and there were tears in her mother’s eyes. ‘I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.’

Cooper loaded the rest of the suitcases and slipped into the front passenger seat.

Cooper raised an eyebrow. ‘I think your mom officially likes me now, Maggie Mac.’

Serena started the car. ‘Just a little.’ She smiled in the
rear-view mirror and Maggie suddenly didn’t feel dizzy anymore. This was her family: Evan, her mom and Cooper. Cooper Malone. The one she thought had got away. Her friend. Her fiancé. Soon to be her husband. And together, they were heading down under for a wedding. Their wedding!

Cooper turned in his seat. ‘Everyone ready?’ He looked back at Maggie with a loving smile.

‘FIZZY!’ Evan shrieked.
Serena put the car back into park.

‘Where is he?’ Maggie said, reaching for her son.

‘He’s under my bed. He was hiding there because he was scared of the plane.’ Evan’s bottom lip began to quiver.

‘Hey, mate,’ Cooper reached over the back seat and patted his knee. ‘Quickly, let’s go get him.’

Evan nodded solemnly, unclipped his seat belt, opened his door and scampered up the path. Cooper hobbled
after him.

‘I can’t believe this is all happening, Mom.’

‘You deserve it all, Maggie.’

‘I’m so glad you’re coming with us. I can’t believe Cooper thought to ask you.’

‘He’s a keeper, that Australian,’ Serena said as she wiped her tears.

Cooper and Evan slipped back into their seats. Fizzy the beloved koala was tucked tightly under Evan’s arm.

‘Okay, family,’ Maggie announced with a little
drum roll on the back of the driver’s seat. ‘Can we go now?’

‘Back-seat driver,’ Cooper grinned.

‘When will we get there?’ Evan asked.

Maggie couldn’t wait for their new adventure to begin.

The End

If you enjoyed
The Rebel
, you’ll love the other Malone Millionaire stories!

Book 1:
The Millionaire

Buy Now!

Book 2:
The CEO

Buy Now!

Book 3:
The Rebel

Award-nominated and multi-published Australian contemporary romance author Victoria Purman loves books, wine, chocolate, sad country music, hard rock songs and stories with happy ever afters. Writing romance means she regularly gets to indulge in all those things – as well as being forced into online pictorial research for her emotional, funny and smart love stories. In 2014, Victoria was a finalist
in the RuBY Awards (the Romance Writers of Australia’s “Romantic Book of the Year” Awards) for the first book on her Boys of Summer series for Harlequin MIRA, Nobody But Him. That same year, she was named a finalist in the category “Favourite New Author 2013” by the Australian Romance Readers Association. Most days, she considers herself the luckiest woman in the world.

Visit her website at
VictoriaPurman.com

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Twitter@VictoriaPurman

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