Epilogue
HANNAH
Six Months Later
T he airport was chaos: screeching toddlers, beeping luggage carts, and that one guy yelling into his AirPods about “closing the deal.” But amidst it all, there I was, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet by the baggage carousel, grinning like a lunatic.
I couldn’t wait to see my friends. It had been forever. I missed them like crazy. It was next to impossible to get everyone in town at the same time. We all had busy lives.
I paced back and forth, waiting for them to emerge. Their plane landed five minutes ago. How long did it take to get from the jetway to baggage claim?
Finally, I saw the first familiar face in the crowd, and my heart soared. Maddie waved energetically as she spotted me. She practically sprinted over to me.
“Hannah!” she squealed, dropping her bag to wrap me in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you so much! ”
“Me too.” I laughed, squeezing her back. “It’s been too long!”
As we pulled apart, Rachel walked up. I pulled her in for a big hug. Tara pushed Rachel away and took her hug.
“I’m so glad you guys are here!” I clapped my hands, my excitement was pouring out of me.
“Hannah, if you don’t calm down, someone’s going to call security,” Maddie teased as she grabbed her suitcase.
“Sorry, I’m just excited!” I practically tackled her in a hug before doing the same to Rachel and Tara.
“We’ve been here for five minutes, and she’s already causing a scene,” Rachel said, laughing as she adjusted her purse.
“That’s my Hannah,” Tara chimed in, giving me a playful shove.
My exuberant greeting was earning glares from a group of weary travelers who looked like they hadn’t seen a bed—or joy—in a decade.
“We should probably get out of here before someone tries to suffocate us with their neck pillow,” Rachel said, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.
“Agreed,” Maddie added, waving off a man who was glaring daggers at us. “Lead the way, Hannah Banana.”
I led them out to my newish car waiting in short-term parking. I might have gotten to the airport a little early. I didn’t want to risk their flight being delayed and my car getting towed. And I was definitely not going to move my car.
“Pile in,” I said.
The drive from the airport was filled with an endless stream of chatter, laughter, and the occasional burst of singing to the songs that popped up on the radio. Our reunion had energized us all, the months apart melting away as if they were just brief pauses in our friendship. It wasn’t like we didn’t talk every day, but it was different having them there in person.
As we pulled into my driveway, I realized how much I had missed these moments. The kind of connection that didn’t weaken with distance or time. My heart felt full .
At Nikko’s—our place, though it still felt weird saying that—I led my friends on a grand tour, starting with the guest room.
“Okay, two of you can crash here,” I said, flinging open the door to reveal a cozy setup with soft blue bedding and some twinkling fairy lights I’d strung up last week.
“Love the lights,” Rachel said, dropping her bag on the bed. “Very ‘Pinterest meets chill zone.’”
“Exactly the vibe I was going for,” I said with a mock hair flip. “And Maddie, you get the pull-out couch in the living room.”
“Perfect,” Maddie said, plopping onto the couch and testing its bounce.
“And this,” I said, walking them over to the fish tank. “Is Franklin.”
Tara squinted at the lone fish, who was lazily swimming in circles. “Why is his tank so fancy? Is he, like, a millionaire fish?”
“Excuse you, Franklin deserves luxury,” I said, hands on my hips. “But don’t get too attached—he’s just a placeholder until Nikko caves and lets me get a puppy.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “You? With a puppy?”
“Why not?”
“Because you named a fish Franklin and treat him like royalty. You’re going to be insufferable with a dog. It’s going to end up with the dog condo that Paris Hilton’s pups live in.”
“True, but with working from home, I could use the company.”
Tara smirked. “Speaking of work, how’s the marketing biz going?”
“Oh my god, it’s amazing.” I grabbed a bottle of wine from the counter and poured four glasses. “I never thought I’d love coaching so much. Helping people find their footing and land at companies that actually value them? It’s the best feeling.”
“And you don’t miss the corporate grind?” Rachel asked.
“Not at all. Plus, working from home means I get to travel with Nikko when he goes for tattoo conventions or business stuff. We’ve been seeing so much of the world lately.”
“You’re living the dream,” Maddie said, raising her glass. “Cheers to that. ”
“Cheers!” we all echoed, clinking glasses.
Later, Tara nudged me as I was cleaning up the wine glasses. “So, when do we get to see this famous tattoo shop you keep talking about?”
“Yeah,” Maddie said from the couch. “I want to see where Nikko works his magic.”
“You’ll love it,” I said.
“How’s business?” Rachel asked.
“It’s amazing,” I said, enthusiasm bubbling over. “Nikko’s really hit his stride. You should see his work now; it’s seriously mind-blowing.”
Tara, always the adventurous one, perked up. “I’ve been thinking about getting a new tattoo.”
“I’m surprised you’re not sporting full sleeves by now,” Maddie teased. “You’re not a very good advertisement for your tattoo artist boyfriend. What must people think when they see his girlfriend with virgin skin?”
I held up my arm. “Hello? Not total virgin. I have a tattoo.”
“That you need a magnifying glass to see.” Tara snorted.
“Come on, let’s see the shop,” Maddie said.
I grabbed my keys. “Let’s go.”
The drive over was quick. I was practically bouncing with excitement as we pulled up out front. I couldn’t wait to show them what Nikko accomplished. I was so proud of him.
I looked at the store front and immediately noticed the lights were off. “Well, that’s weird,” I murmured.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked.
“It’s dark. I hope everything is okay.”
We climbed out of the car and walked up to the door. To my surprise, it was locked, which was definitely not normal. A shiver of fear washed over me. I wondered if there had been an emergency. Did more of his father’s debts come knocking at the door?
I fished my keys out and unlocked it.
“Let’s get these lights on,” I muttered, flicking the switch.
Nothing .
My heart skipped a beat. “Nikko? You here?”
Before I could take another step, the lights snapped on, and a chorus of voices shouted, “Surprise!”
I screamed like someone had just told me Franklin had been eaten by a shark. Tara was doubled over laughing, and Rachel and Maddie weren’t much better.
“What the hell?” I stammered, clutching my chest.
But then I saw Nikko standing in the center of the room, dressed in his usual black jeans and a fitted T-shirt but with an extra glint in his eyes. And he was down on one knee.
My heart stopped.
“Nikko… what?” I whispered, my hands flying to my mouth.
One of my friends shoved me. I turned to scowl at them as I stepped closer to Nikko.
“Hannah,” he said, his voice steady but his smile soft. “You’ve turned my world upside down since the day you walked into it. You’ve shown me what it means to live, to love, and to laugh so hard I choke on my coffee.”
I smiled, my eyes already misting.
“You’re my best friend, my partner, and the only person I’d ever trust to nag me about getting a puppy,” he continued, pulling out a small velvet box. “You are easily one of the worst singers I’ve ever met but by far the most beautiful woman on this planet. Sorry, ladies.”
There were soft giggles from behind me, but I didn’t turn to look at them. I could barely see anything. There were tears in my eyes as I looked at the man I loved.
“I love the way you challenge me and constantly push me,” he went on. “Before you walked into my life, I just assumed I was destined to end up like my old man. You changed that. You changed me. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life letting you make me even better. I’m putty in your hands. Mold me. Marry me.”
I nodded furiously, the words catching in my throat. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
The room erupted in cheers. He slipped the ring onto my finger and stood, pulling me into a kiss .
When I pulled back, I finally noticed the crowd around us—my parents, my sister, Nikko’s friends from the shop and some of the people we had met over the last few months.
“What are you guys doing here?” I gasped.
My parents looked at Nikko. “We were invited,” Mom said.
“You planned this?” I asked Nikko.
“Not alone,” he said with a laugh. “She helped.”
He pointed to Rachel, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Rachel!”
“They helped,” Rachel said.
“Surprise!” Tara said, throwing her hands in the air.
“This is too perfect,” I whispered, looking around at everyone.
Nikko wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning in close. “Nothing’s too perfect for you, babe.”
“Bust out the champagne!” Tara exclaimed.
The sound of popping corks and laughter filled the air as champagne was poured and glasses were handed out. Everyone congregated around us, offering their heartfelt congratulations and cheers.
As the glasses clinked, Nikko leaned close. “I love you.”
“I love you,” I said. “I can’t believe you managed to pull this off. I was wondering why my friends kept stalling for this visit.”
The celebration rolled on into the night. Rachel snagged me by the arm, pulling me away for a moment. “You should have seen your face when you walked in!”
“I thought something terrible had happened,” I admitted, shaking my head at the memory. “You guys really got me good.”
“We figured it was about time you had a surprise as big as your heart.” Rachel winked. “Nikko has been planning this for months. He wanted everything to be perfect.”
Maddie joined us, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “Plus, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see you totally blindsided. Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day.”
I held out my hand and looked at the ring. I knew it set him back quite a bit. I wasn’t thrilled with the expense, but it was special. And that was all that mattered .
Tara nudged me, bringing me back to the moment. “Hey, let’s get some music going. It’s not a celebration without some good tunes!”
Rachel darted over to the shop’s sound system and quickly put on our favorite playlist, a mix of upbeat tracks and love songs that we’d danced to countless times in our college days.
Nikko grabbed my hand, pulling me close for a dance. I could feel all eyes on us. It was overwhelming but in the most beautiful way imaginable.
***
If you loved this book, don’t miss out on Weston’s fan favorite …
Check out book 1 in A Wedding Bells Alpha Novel called Say You Do .
My brother is an idiot—he’s getting married.
And I’m in charge of getting things together since our folks are gone.
Lucky me. The guy who thinks love is for the birds and worn-out 80s songs.
I honestly don’t have time for this drama. I run a billion-dollar company, have women to entertain, and am working on my plans to rule the world.
No, seriously.
And yet, when you least expect it, life kicks you in the balls.
The beautiful, snarky woman that runs the flower shop is perfect to help me pull off this wedding.
Just seeing her sends my head spinning with possibilities.
She’s perfect. To play my fake wife for an event I have coming up as a side deal.
My ex-wife will be at the event, and I sure could use someone to show her how well I’ve done since she ripped out my soul.
So my curvy new friend gets my ring and a chunk of my wallet before agreeing to the deal.
Funny thing is, I’m not so interested in taking it back by the end of the adventure.
I’m willing to go all in on what might be the best decision of my life.
And I’m demanding the same of her. No maybes. No I-don’t-knows.
No fear of what might be or might not be.
Open your pretty pink lips and utter the words.
Say you do.
I gotta have THIS .