Her Silver Fox Mountain Men (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Epilogue I

Elise

Eighteen months later

“Did you hear?” Janice asks.

I’m staring at myself in front of a mirror, unable to believe my eyes. My wedding day has finally come. My dress hugs my post-pregnancy figure in all the right places. Kara had a team come in from Chicago to make sure I look like a queen for my special day, bless her heart.

“Hear what?” I reply, admiring the white lace and pearl work on my intricately detailed bodice, layers of tulle and delicate silk falling all around me.

“The diner is up for sale.”

“Huh?”

“The diner.”

“My diner?”

Janice smiles as she joins me in the mirror. I’ve never felt more beautiful, not even the day I married Igor, a day that lingers in the back of my head with a bitter aftertaste.

“Gosh, you’re the queen of this mountain,” she says. “And your hair…”

“It’s that argan oil you suggested. It did wonders.” It makes my blonde curls shine in an embellished braided bun on the top of my head while tendrils graciously framing my face and neckline.

“You look wonderful, too,” I tell her. Indeed, the dark blue dress she’s wearing adds a feminine touch to her curvy frame, bringing new light to her eyes.

“But did you hear me about the diner?” Janice asks.

“Yeah, I heard you. It’s for sale. I don’t know if anybody’s going to buy it right away; the manager hasn’t mentioned anything yet.”

“It’s worth thinking about it. You’ve talked about opening up your own place someday. This could be your opportunity.”

I turn around and give Janice a big hug. “I have sassy girls and two rowdy little boys. I’m getting married in about ten minutes, and I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do once we get back from the honeymoon.”

“Well, I just thought you should know. Maybe you can think about it while you lounge in the sun and sip on those pina coladas.”

“We’ll see. Gosh, I’m going to miss Jonas, Leo, the girls, you.”

“Elise, you’ll be sunbathing in Hawaii with your three husbands. The kids will be fine with me; Jonas and Leo are old enough to comfortably chill with Auntie Janice and their sisters for a week or so.”

“A week is more than enough,” I giggle.

I look around, gathering my thoughts. So much has happened in such a short period of time.

One minute, I’m saying yes to marriage over a Thanksgiving dinner. The next, I’m giving birth to our beautiful baby boys, Jonas and Leo. And what feels like three minutes later, I’m standing in my room, while a handful of close friends and family wait for us downstairs to witness a private ceremony in the backyard of our home.

“I think I’m ready,” I say, suddenly trembling.

Janice hands me my bouquet. “Michael’s going to give you away, right?”

I sigh deeply and say, “The Konstantinovs never confirmed if they were coming. Kara sent me so many gifts and treats for today but… I guess it’s their way of making sure I get a second chance at a real, happy marriage.”

Lev was kind enough to have his lawyers get the divorce expedited; everything was done quickly and smoothly with zero issues. I guess each of them helped make today possible in one way or another.

“Come on, let’s do this,” Janice says and opens the door.

I walk out with my head held high, a bouquet of white roses and lily-of-the-valley adding a natural touch to my bridal ensemble. I feel beautiful and empowered, happy, excited, and at peace.

We did everything right, and we made it here to this precious moment.

As I walk out into the garden, full of flowers and colorful ribbons to celebrate our special occasion, I realize there are more guests present than I had originally anticipated.

“Surprise,” Janice whispers as she darts past me and walks over to where Michael, with Jonas and Leo in his arms, is seated patiently waiting.

“What the…” I mumble as I try to take it all in.

A beautiful archway made of white-washed wood and decorated with roses and lilies sits at the end of a white silk pathway. Beneath it, a pastor awaits—a close friend of James’s from his time in the service. My grooms are with him, standing tall and devastatingly handsome, their tuxedos perfectly tailored to dress their massive, muscular frames. Their eyes sparkle with love and joy at the sight of me.

Knowing that I’m going to be theirs for the rest of my life is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

I soon realize that it’s not just Michael who’s present from my side of the family. Kara and Andrei come up behind me, fancily dressed and glowing, smiling while I stare at them like a dumbfounded idiot.

“You never RSVP’d,” I mumble.

Kara sighs, hands on her hips. “Oh, come on, did you really think we’d miss this?”

“You said you might be out of town,” I reply.

James and the guys laugh lightly. “I told you she wouldn’t see this coming.”

“And we’ve got just the right guy to give you away, too,” Andrei says as he and Kara take their seats beside Michael.

I turn my head, and for a moment time stops, my breath catching.

Lev stands there quietly, looking proud as a peacock.

Clad in a dark grey suit adorned with a pale blue pocket square and wearing a warm and reassuring smile, he steps closer, offering me his arm with the certainty of a father who’s been waiting a long time to do this.

“Maybe we’ll get it right this time,” he says.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I whisper.

“Love is love, Elise. That’s the one thing I know not to mess with. You are lucky to be able to feel this, to live this, and it would be my pleasure, and my honor, if you would let me give you away as my daughter.”

“You were the best father you could’ve possibly been under those circumstances,” I tell him. “For what it’s worth, I do forgive you, and I do love you, Papa.”

Tears form in his eyes. “Will you let me give you away, then?”

“I would be honored.”

As he walks me down the aisle and surrounded by those I love the most, I see a future I’ve always dreamed about.

It cannot get any better than this.