Epilogue
Willa stood in the vestibule of the small church with Rocky beside her. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Devin had taken her at her word that she wanted a quick wedding and had everything done in a week. Jaxon was his best man, and Lucy was her matron of honor.
“Are you nervous?” Rocky asked her.
“A little… but so happy.”
“You look so beautiful, Willa,” Lucy said.
“Lucy, thank you so much for being my matron of honor.”
“I’m honored and welcome into this big, loving family. The Callahans are the best.”
She couldn’t agree more, especially Devin and Jaxon’s parents, Killian and Darcy. She adored them already. The best part was that no one in this big family made her feel uncomfortable about the age difference. However, her parents had. Her mother thought she was making a fool out of herself by marrying a man nine years her junior. Devin had been so angry with them, but Willa convinced him it didn’t matter. She was gaining a beautiful family in the Callahans. After meeting Roark and the uncles, she knew that all the Callahan men were gorgeous no matter what their age. They’d all teased her about marrying Devin, but she could tell they were all close.
Nothing surprised her more than to find out that Jaqueline Butler, who was Priscilla’s mother, was now dating Liam Callahan. It seems that Jacqueline had met Liam at her daughter’s wedding and the two began dating. The Callahan women welcomed Willa into the family and made her happy to be marrying into it. There was one thing that worried her—Jaxon. Did all of his cousins and now his twin brother getting married bother him? He seemed genuinely pleased for them, but she could see such sadness in his eyes. At times like this, he had to be thinking of his wife.
Devin had shown her pictures of Jaxon and Bethany’s wedding, and Willa could see how very much Jaxon loved her. In one photo, Bethany held a flower against Jaxon’s cheek, and Devin had told her that Bethany said it was her secret kiss to him. Willa had thought that was such a sweet memory and she told Devin that Jaxon probably missed it so much. Such a sad story.
When the music started, she came back to the present and took a deep breath then looped her arm through Rocky’s and walked down the aisle. Seeing Devin waiting for her, she thought him even more handsome in his western cut suit. He smiled at her when he saw her and winked. Smiling, Willa glided toward him and couldn’t be happier.
****
“Ready to do this, little brother?” Jaxon whispered to him.
“More than ready. I have a feeling life is never going to be boring with her.”
Jaxon chuckled. “Yeah, me too. I’m happy for both of you.”
“Thanks, Jax.”
“You know, you two can go on a honeymoon now. I can take care of the ranch.”
“We can wait another month. We’ll go when the ranch closes for the summer but it doesn’t mean we can’t have a hot wedding night.” Devin and Jaxon chuckled.
He turned to see Willa walking down the aisle with Rocky, and he clenched his jaw for a second thinking of her parents not attending, but then the smile on her face made him relax. She looked beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. Rocky stopped her at the altar and grinned up at him.
“Take care of my girl, Dev.”
“Consider it done, Rocky.”
Devin reached for her hand. “Come here, sweetheart. Let’s do this.” He squeezed her hands as she looked at him.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“Thank you. You look very handsome.”
“I’m going to enjoy taking that dress off you.” He chuckled when she blushed.
“Good luck with all the buttons.” She laughed when he groaned.
As soon as they had arrived back in town, she’d had him stop at Minnie’s to look for the dress she had seen there. At the time, she thought she’d never wear such a beautiful gown. When she showed it to Devin, he’d complained it would take him all night to get all the buttons undone.
Jaxon chuckled, along with Lucy and Willa. Then they turned their attention to the minister, and he performed the ceremony and pronounced them husband and wife.
He cupped her face in his hands then leaned down and kissed her.
“I love you. I always will, even after we’re both old and gray,” he promised.
“I know you will. I love you, too. Always.”
Devin grinned at her then they walked down the aisle, and out into the sunshine. This woman, who was now his wife, had his heart—a cowboy’s heart—for as long as he lived.
**The End**