Epilogue （Birdie）
“I’m so glad we decided to invite your family on our ski vacation,” I said, stepping outside our luxury cabin into that fresh white snow with the perfect wintry crunch. “Even Mortimer! What a great reward for how amazing their album did. Maybe it needs a sequel.”
Forrest snorted.
“I’m glad you invited them anyway. I think even Mortimer is warming to you.”
“Yes, well, I had a particular reason for doing so.”
“And what was that?”
Forrest knelt down in the snow and raised a box in the air, icy mountain wind whirling around his silvery hair.
“You idiot, I’ve already got the ring on,” I said, flashing the massive pink diamond at him.
“I know,” he said. “Open it up anyway.”
“My fingers can only fit so many rings,” I protested.
But I took the little black velvet box in my hands anyway and opened it. Inside, there was a piece of paper.
Unwrapping it, I scanned the words, then looked around in confusion.
“Is this some kind of joke?”
“It’s no joke.”
“Forrest, why am I holding the deed to this entire town?”
“Because I bought it. For you. As your wedding present.”
“Your wedding present slash bribe,” Lulabel called out, drawing up in a sleigh with Percy beside her and Hieronymus and Paige in the back.
“Marry me. Right here. Right now. I’ve got a Bishop that can do the service.”
“But—”
“Please, Birdie. I realized after what happened six months ago that I can’t go another day without you as my wife. I fucked up the first wedding so badly that I beg you will give me the indulgence of another one. I promise you won’t regret it.”
I looked out over the snowy landscape, the ski chalets, the insane amount of money Forrest would have had to put down for this.
The way he of course knew it was my favorite place in the world besides our home.
“Hmmm, I don’t know,” I said. “I like wearing this ring, of course, but marrying you? That’s kind of a tall order.”
He groaned, grabbing me around the thighs.
“Birdie, I’m begging. I’m begging on my goddamn knees.”
“I thought I’d never see Forrest Davies-Jones begging,” I said.
“I’ll do anything to make you Mrs. Forrest Davies-Jones instantly.”
“Hmm,” I said, but my lips were curving up. “I think I might hold out for someone richer.”
Forrest made a low, feral growl, and the next thing I knew he had staggered to his feet and thrown me over his shoulder, giving me a hearty slap on the ass.
“Well, the next step is kidnapping.”
“All right,” I laughed, feeling fizzy bubbles of joy bursting inside me. “I accept. And where is the prenup?”
“Damn the prenup!” he growled. “I’ll put you down if you agree to be good. Percy, start the service.”
“I’ll be good,” I laughed, and Percy got out of the sleigh and stood in front of us as Paige handed me a bouquet.
It was a beautiful arrangement of all my favorite flowers from our home garden and I gasped at the effort it must have taken to bring them all the way over to Switzerland and look as fresh as they did.
“Thank you so much, Paige. And all of you for being here.”
I was marrying him again, but this time I was truly marrying into a family.
When they got to the part of the service where Percy asked, “and does anyone here have any objections to this union?” Forrest gripped my fingers and glared fiercely around, but this time, there was only the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.
“Mother is still in jail,” Hieronymus said. “So don’t worry.”
And then Forrest was kissing me, saying “I do” before I was even done with my “I do,” his lips grasping and eager, his tongue tangling with mine as he clasped my face tightly between his hands.
“Fucking finally,” he groaned, and then he was commandeering the sleigh and we were off, cantering down the snowy lane as I squealed and clutched his arm.
I thought we were going back to the lodge, but before we got there, he turned off, down a lane so thick with greenery that we were hidden from sight.
“Shall we work on the play?” I suggested as he pulled the horses to a halt.
We’d been doing that for the last six months, collaborating on a new musical together, with many passionate late nights debating the chords and lyrics.
“Soon,” Forrest said, pulling me onto his lap. “Right now I want to ravish my new wife.”
He pulled me onto his lap and slid rough hands up my soft thighs, bunching up my woolly skirts until my soaked thong was bared to him, and I put eager hands on his broad chest and rubbed that big tip of his dick back and forth over my slick opening, then sunk down all the way to his thighs.
“Fuck, that feels amazing. God, Birdie, how I love you.”
His wedding band brushed by my cheek and I bent down to kiss him, let my tongue swirl teasingly into his mouth.
Matching bands with matching notes, matching passion and matching hearts. Back where we belonged.
“I love you too,” I said, and we clutched each other with eager, raw passion as crisp winter wind pulled us even closer together.