Epilogue
HUDSON
Summer
Istepped aboard the beautiful yacht. It was a bit of a surprise when Natalie brought me the brochure.
She happened to know the guy that owned the yacht.
It was rented out for parties and weddings on a regular basis.
I never imagined we would be married on a yacht.
I had this idea of a church wedding. But my girl liked to keep things spicy. She liked to keep everyone guessing.
“Right this way,” one of the deckhands said.
I was escorted below deck to a room with a plaque that said groom on a shiny cherrywood door.
I walked inside to find Hux sitting on an opulent black velvet couch.
The entire room was decked out in black and white.
There was a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice.
A bar was setup in a corner of the room, which Hux had clearly helped himself to.
“This is pretty sweet,” he said. “I could get used to being rich.”
“Me too,” I said with a laugh. “I think we’ll have to settle for renting rich people’s things for now.”
“Are you just getting on board?” he asked.
“Yep. Have you seen her?”
“Am I supposed to tell you?” he questioned.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “You’re not supposed to see the bride.”
“I’m not seeing her,” I corrected. “I’m asking if you have.”
“I have.”
“And?” I prompted. “How is she? Nervous? Any chance she’s going to jump overboard?”
“Not a chance in hell,” he said, laughing. “She’s ready. She’s hyped. She’s acting like this is just another day.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” I said.
“She’s not going anywhere. She wants this.”
I adjusted the bowtie. It felt like it was choking me.
The tuxedo was her request. Hux and I were both decked out in matching tuxes.
He was acting as best man and man of honor.
The wedding was going to be small and intimate.
We considered having something a little bigger on land, but ultimately, it was our day and it just seemed fitting to have it on the water.
It was really where we first truly connected.
I had been counting down the days until I could call her my wife.
We had moved into our house on the beach about three months ago.
We waited until the right one came on the market.
We knew what we were looking for. The poor realtor had grown frustrated by our unhurried approach.
We wanted the beach and we wanted a porch.
Those were two elements we were not willing to give up.
But now that we had it, we were madly in love with our home.
She had applied her design and engineering skills to come up with some basic renovations we could do on our own.
We spent our weekends painting, ripping out flooring, and even redoing one of the two bathrooms. The projects brought us closer together. I loved her more every day.
“I’m going to check and make sure everyone is here,” Hux said.
“Should I go with you?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, nodding. “You are free to roam about. It’s the bride that has to stay hidden.”
“I’m so glad you read up on this stuff,” I said, laughing. “You’re quite the expert at wedding etiquette.”
“You guys are making me pull double duty. I had to know both jobs.”
We left the state room and went up to the main deck.
There were already a few long tables set up with beautiful centerpieces and flameless candles.
A few of our guests were milling about, drinking champagne and chatting with each other.
I spotted Bernie and Gus talking and waved. “You guys made it,” I said.
We shook hands and went through the usual greeting. “How are you feeling?” Gus asked.
“Good,” I said, nodding. “Ready. Hell, I’ve been ready for ten months.”
We talked for a few minutes before Hux and I went to the top deck. There was an arch at one end decorated with pretty white flowers, rows of white folding chairs, and a white runner going down the center. Everything looked exactly like the pictures we had seen in the brochure.
“Has she seen any of this?” I asked Hux.
He shook his head. “She wanted to be surprised. Teresa and her mother are in with her right now. They’ve assured her everything is perfect.”
“I can’t wait to see her,” I said. “My heart is going to pound out of my chest.”
He pointed to the framed picture of her father on a pedestal.
I smiled at the man who had given me the best gift anyone could give a person—his daughter.
She was a beautiful soul. “That’s beautiful,” I said.
“Has she seen that? I don’t want her walking down the aisle and seeing that for the first time. ”
“Her mom brought it for her to see. They had a good cry and now it’s here.”
“What about the boyfriend?” I asked. “Is he here?”
“Evelyn’s boyfriend?”
“Yes, I didn’t see him,” I said.
“He ran out to get some clear nail polish or something for the girls.”
“Ah, glad he’s here,” I said. “Evelyn deserves happiness. Natalie would be worried if her mom was alone again. She is thrilled her mom finally has someone. She predicts a wedding within a year.”
The boat captain joined us. We went over some key details for the ceremony and declared everything ready.
Hux went downstairs to check in with Natalie.
I stood at the arch, watching our friends and family take their seats.
Her Aunt Linda sat in the front row. Evelyn and her boyfriend joined her a moment later.
As more people sat down, I realized the moment was coming.
It felt like I had been working toward this one moment my entire life.
She was the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
Our ceremony was very different than the traditional.
We didn’t have a flower girl or ring bearer.
We didn’t have a wedding party. We had Hux.
He was it. The music changed and my heart started pounding harder.
Hux appeared at the end of the runner. My goofy-ass brother danced his way down the aisle.
He stood beside me and we both waited for the moment Natalie would appear.
The music changed again. Everyone stood while I held my breath.
She emerged like a vision dropped from heaven in a sea of white.
I didn’t cry. I never cried. But in that moment, I was nearly taken to my knees. She was so beautiful and so mine.
She was mine.
She glided down the aisle with a bright smile on her face. I saw her pause and look at her father’s picture. I noticed the tears glistening in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. She quickly regained her composure and stepped up to stand beside me. I could hardly take my eyes off her.
After the ceremony, she and I got a moment alone in her state room. “We did it,” she breathed.
“Damn straight we did,” I said. “I put a ring on it. It was definitely the smartest decision I ever made. I can’t say I’ve done a lot of smart things, but marrying you was one of them.”
We shared an intimate kiss. I helped her pull up the train on the dress and hook it in the belt. I would have loved to spend more time alone with her, but we only had a short five-minute window until the DJ announced us.
I held her hand as we waited for our moment to enter the party. “Everyone, please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Steele!”
I had never been so proud to be Mr. Steele. We walked into the ballroom area with our hands clasped and raised together. “Who’s ready to party?” I shouted loud enough for the people on shore to hear.
There was a round of applause. We walked into the center of the room before taking our seats at the designated table. Food and drinks were served right away.
Hux stood to give his toast. “Everyone, can I have a minute of your time?”
The room grew quiet. “As you all know, I’m the guy lucky enough to be the best man and the man of honor for this amazing couple.
Nat and I have been best friends forever.
When my big brother came back to town, I never would have imagined these two looking at each other and thinking that was a good idea. ”
“Hey,” I protested while the crowd laughed.
“Honestly, this is about the most unlikely pairing I’ve ever seen,” he went on.
“But I guess they say opposites attract. They have found a way to prove me wrong. Not just wrong, but very wrong. They are the happiest, most dedicated couple I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing come together.
Hudson, I’m giving you my best friend in the world.
Natalie, I’m giving you my big brother, who just happens to be my hero.
I’m trusting the two of you to take care of each other.
Everyone, please raise a glass and celebrate this awesome couple! ”
“He’s good,” Natalie whispered in my ear.
“He is,” I said, nodding.
There were a couple more toasts before I got to have my first dance with my new wife. I welcomed her into my arms. After a few dances, she pulled me away from the dance floor. “I want to change into my other dress,” she said.
“I’m all too happy to help you strip this off,” I said.
We snuck away to her room. She immediately went into my arms. “Unzip me,” she whispered.
I carefully slid the zipper down her back. I helped her step out of the gown but noticed something stuck in the garter belt she was wearing. “What’s that?” I asked.
She stood before me in the white lace corset-style bra and matching panties. She smiled and pulled the stick from the garter. “This?” she asked with a grin.
“Yeah, that. What’s that?”
She turned it and kept smiling. I stared at it. “I don’t get it.”
“You’re ruining this,” she said, sighing. “Look!”
I looked closer. Then it hit. I realized what it was. “Um, why do you have that?” I asked. “And is it yours?”
She giggled and shook her head. “This is not the reaction I was expecting. Yes, it’s mine. It’s ours.”
“It’s a pregnancy test, right?” I asked before I got too far ahead of myself. My voice was shaky as I tried to get out the words. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. My blood pressure was spiking.
“It is a pregnancy test,” she said, nodding. “A positive pregnancy test. We’re having a baby.”
“I have a lot of words,” I said. “I just can’t get them out.”
“Are you happy?” she asked.
I bobbed my head up and down. “I am so fucking happy. How? I mean, I know how, but I thought you—we—were waiting until after the wedding.”
“Well, I didn’t want to waste too much more time,” she said. “I’m not getting any younger. I wanted to make sure we could hit the ground running. Turns out, your swimmers were just as eager as I was. So, here we are—knocked up on our wedding day.”
I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms. I spun her around and held her close. “I can’t believe this. This is the best day ever. I don’t know how I can fit any more happiness in my soul. I feel like I could burst!”
“I’m so glad you’re happy about this,” she said.
“I just know you are going to be an amazing father. You have made all my dreams come true. The day you came home, I felt a shift. I never would have imagined you and I would be here, but I would never have it any other way. The day you chased me to Montana, I knew. You told me you loved me, and I felt like a giant. I was so ready to conquer the world with you.”
“For me, it was the boat. You stood up on that boat and I was just absolutely impressed with your bravery. You stared down your fear and just kicked its ass. You are the woman I want at my side. You are the partner that a man dreams about. I just can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have you. I’m never letting you go. I love you.”
“I love you,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“We should get back to our guests,” I said. “Does anyone know?”
“Just my mom,” she said. “I thought you would want to tell your brother and sister.”
“I will tell them soon but for now, thank you. Thank you for being you.”