Epilogue
SAVANNAH
Six Months Later
The engagement party is perfect.
I stand in the doorway of our penthouse, watching guests arrive in elegant dresses and tailored suits.
My hand rests on my stomach—ten weeks pregnant now. Our second child. A daughter this time, according to the ultrasound we had last week. Ledger cried when the tech told us, the same way he cried when Dante was born.
Speaking of Dante.
“Mama!” My two-and-a-half-year-old comes running across the living room, his little legs pumping fast. “Mama, look!”
He’s holding a toy car, one of the hundreds he’s collected over the past six months since Ledger came home. His father spoils him terribly, making up for two years of missed birthdays and holidays.
“That’s great, baby. Now go play with your brother before the guests get here.”
“‘Kay!” He runs off toward the kitchen, where Alexi is probably panicking about the caterers.
“He has so much energy,” Elena says, appearing beside me. She’s wearing a blue dress that makes her look stunning, though she doesn’t know yet that in about an hour, Alexi is going to get down on one knee in front of everyone. “How do you keep up with him?”
“Lots of coffee. And knowing that soon I’ll have two of them.”
“You’re going to be amazing with two. You’ve been amazing with one while building a business empire.”
“I haven’t built anything. I’ve just been maintaining what Ledger created.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. The Rome property wouldn’t be profitable without your marketing strategy. And the Chicago expansion wouldn’t have happened without your negotiations with the city council.”
“You look beautiful,” Ledger says, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. His hands rest on my small bump, protective and possessive. “How are you feeling?”
“A bit tired if I’m being honest.”
“You should sit. Rest. I can handle the greeting.”
“I’m pregnant, not fragile.”
“I know. But I’m allowed to worry about you.”
I lean back against his chest. “You’re allowed. Just don’t go overboard.”
“Too late. I’ve been overboard since the day I met you on that plane.”
I turn in his arms and kiss him. “I love you,” I whisper against his mouth.
“I love you too. Both of you.” He touches my stomach.
“Don’t forget Dante.”
“Never. That boy is the center of my universe.”
As if summoned, Dante comes barreling back through the living room, now carrying three toy cars. “Dada! Dada, play!”
“After the party, buddy. Right now we have guests coming.”
“No guests. Play now.”
“Dante.” Ledger crouches down to his level. “Remember what we talked about? We’re having a special party tonight. And you’re going to be a very good boy and play quietly, right?”
Dante considers this. “Cake?”
“Yes. There will be cake.”
“Okay. I be good.” He runs off again, presumably to find more cars.
“He’s bribing our son with sugar,” I tell Elena.
“Whatever works.”
Guests start arriving around seven. Business associates from the hotels. Friends of Alexi and Elena from law school. A few family members from Elena’s side—her mother, her sister, and an aunt who keeps commenting on how beautiful the penthouse is.
Antoine has outdone himself with the food. Appetizers that disappear almost as fast as the servers can circulate them. A full bar in the corner manned by two bartenders.
This is what Ledger does now. Legitimate businessman. Hotel magnate. Real estate developer. Tech investor.
All the dark operations are gone. Shut down or transferred to other families during his two years in prison. The Bratva connections severed. The illegal shipments stopped.
We’re clean now. Completely, totally clean.
And the Kozlov threat? Ended. Dmitri disappeared after escaping that warehouse two and a half years ago. His organization crumbled without him. His remaining associates are either dead or scattered.
The war is over. We won.
“Speech time,” Alexi announces, tapping his glass with a fork.
The room quiets. Everyone turns toward where he’s standing in the center of the living room, Elena beside him, looking beautiful and completely unaware of what’s about to happen.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Alexi begins. His voice is steady, but I can see the nerves underneath. “I wanted to gather our closest friends and family to celebrate something important. Something that’s been a long time coming.”
Elena looks confused. “Alexi, what—”
He takes her hand. “Six months ago, my father came home. And in that time, I’ve watched him rebuild his life.
Rebuild his marriage. Become the father he always wanted to be.
” He glances at Ledger, who’s watching with pride.
“And I realized something. I realized that family isn’t just blood.
It’s the people you choose to stand beside.
The people who show up when life gets hard.
The people who make you want to be better. ”
“Alexi.”
“Elena, you’ve been that person for me. For over three years, you’ve stood beside me.
You became part of this family without hesitation.
You made me believe in the future.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
“So I’m asking you, in front of everyone who matters, to make that official. ” He drops to one knee.
Elena gasps, hands flying to her mouth.
“Elena Rodriguez—” Alexi opens the box, revealing a ring that catches the light beautifully. “Will you marry me?”
She stares for a moment, then she’s nodding, tears streaming down her face. “Yes. Yes, of course, yes! Oh my God, yes!”
Alexi slides the ring onto her finger and stands, pulling her into his arms. The room erupts in applause and cheers. Dante, not understanding what’s happening but sensing excitement, starts clapping too and shouting, “Yay!”
Ledger’s arm tightens around my waist. “That’s my boy.”
“He did well. That was a beautiful proposal.”
“He learned from the best.”
“You proposed to me drunk in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator.”
“And you said yes. So clearly it worked.”
I laugh and lean into him. Across the room, Alexi and Elena are surrounded by well-wishers, everyone wanting to see the ring and offer congratulations. Elena’s mother is crying. Her sister is taking photos.
“They’re going to be happy,” I say.
“They are. And so are we.”
“We are.”
Dante tugs on Ledger’s pants. “Dada, cake now?”
“Yes, buddy. Cake now.”
We move to the dining room where an enormous engagement cake sits on the table—three tiers with elegant frosting and flowers made of sugar. The caterers start cutting slices while champagne is poured for toasts.
I drink sparkling cider and watch my family celebrate
After cake, after toasts, after Dante falls asleep on the couch surrounded by toy cars, after the guests start leaving, and only close family remains, I find myself on the balcony looking out at the Las Vegas skyline.
The city glitters below. Somewhere down there is the Bellagio casino where Ledger and I met. The chapel where we got married. The warehouse where Dante was born.
All the places that shaped us. That broke us and rebuilt us into who we are now.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Ledger says, joining me at the railing.
“Just thinking about how far we’ve come. From that night in Vegas to now. All the chaos and pain and fear. And somehow we ended up here.”
“Somehow.” He pulls me against his chest. “Though I’d argue it wasn’t somehow. It was you. Your strength. Your refusal to give up.”
“You’re the one who burned down half the city to find me.”
“Because you’re worth burning cities for.”
“That’s either very romantic or slightly concerning.”
“Can’t it be both?”
I laugh and turn in his arms. “I’m glad you’re home. Glad our kids get to grow up with both parents.”
“Me too. Every single day, I’m grateful for this. For you. For them. For the life we built despite everything trying to destroy it.”
“I love you,” I tell Ledger. “I loved you that drunk night in Vegas, and I love you now. Through all of it—the good, the terrible, the impossible—I’ve loved you.”
“I know. I’ve always known.” He kisses me softly. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret that Vegas chapel and that Elvis impersonator.”
THE END
Dear precious reader, thank you for reading Accidental Mile High Vows!
When I finished writing the book, I couldn’t put down my pen yet… not until I wrote a little something extra special just for you. If you want more of Savannah and Ledger, click here to get your bonus epilogue.
P.S. If you enjoyed Accidental Mile High Vows, then I think you’ll enjoy Doctor Mile High! Swipe to the next page for a sneak peek…