Epilogue Last Queen Standing
EPILOGUE
LAST QUEEN STANDING
Braden and Poppy
One Year Later
Poppy adds the finishing touches to her makeup while getting ready for dinner with Braden.
She’s nervous since it’s their one-year anniversary.
They’ve talked about marrying, but she’s trying not to get her hopes up that he’ll propose tonight.
She’s already done that and learned her lesson the hard way.
If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t—she’s sure he’ll ask her eventually. But the clock is ticking. Mia’s pregnant and Cici and Lily are hoping to be soon. She’d love to be alongside them, starting her own family.
The last twelve months have been quite the roller-coaster.
After Braden won her back, they continued their long-distance relationship for six months while taking turns visiting each other.
Soon, Poppy found herself wanting to be in San Diego, instead of the other way around so she could see her friends there.
Though she loved having Grayson home and will always be close with Matt, the minute those two became buddies, she often felt like the third wheel. Talk about wingmen—they must have gone through every woman in Bozeman by now.
So, when Braden suggested they take the next step and move in together, there was no question where Poppy’s heart was and where she wanted to be.
It’s been six months of true bliss, and the only thing that would complete the picture is a ring on her finger.
Well, and a bun in the oven. But first things first.
Braden stops dead in his tracks when she turns the corner. On nights out like this, he still pauses to appreciate her in all her glory. She’s always beautiful in his eyes of course, but when she does herself up, she’s a sight to behold.
The long, fitted dress accentuates her curves in all the right places, and her gorgeous red locks pinned up on one side allows for the perfect view of her delicious neck he loves to devour.
“You look incredible, Mouse. I swear, I’m the luckiest guy alive.”
“You’re not too shabby yourself, Suits.” She still likes to tease him with the nickname she gave him when spotting him for the first time, while he secretly thinks those characters don’t do him justice. She would agree.
They’re dressed to the nines for their one-year celebration, although Braden has kept the evening a secret. After helping her into a light jacket, Braden grabs their overnight bag and leads her outside to the car waiting at the curb.
Once they’re settled, Poppy can’t help but ask, “So, where are we headed?”
“Nice try, Mouse. You’ll see soon enough. But we should make use of the time on the way,” he says cheekily as he squeezes her exposed thigh from the slit at her leg.
“Don’t you dare. I’m not messing up this dress. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of that later.”
Poppy knows there will be, because that’s the part she has her own special surprise for, and another reason he’ll have to wait.
“You’re denying me? Since when does that happen?” he asks incredulously.
“Since you won’t tell me where we’re going. Fair is fair.”
“How does one have to do with the other?”
“So how is your new case going?” She ignores the question, changing the subject instead.
She’s well acquainted with Braden’s tactics, and it wouldn’t surprise her if he were able to persuade her to do something on the way. She’s also aware that it wouldn’t take much to convince her. Better to play it safe.
“We’ve almost nailed down where the money’s been siphoned, so we can retrieve her share of the assets. Hopefully, she’ll end up with more now that we have proof of his indiscretions.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t believe the amount of cheating and money laundering that goes on with that level of wealth. It’s crazy to me.”
Braden shrugs. “It’s not just the rich—it’s everyone. People in all walks of life are dirtbags, but the wealthy are the ones who can afford to prove it, so that’s what we hear about.”
She nods her head, silently contemplating. She’s proud of Braden and his high morals regarding whom he takes on as a client. It’s something she’s always admired about him. It’s no wonder he’s taking so long to propose, seeing broken marriages and unfaithful spouses day in and day out.
Braden understands more than anyone how marriage can end badly, but witnessing his friends find their wives and how happy they are has helped him realize it’s possible.
He wants that with Poppy—has for a while now—but he was waiting for the ideal moment.
After months of planning, Braden’s excited to unveil a special proposal for Poppy tonight.
When the car pulls up to the Hotel del Coronado, Poppy turns to Braden, beaming. “Oh my gosh, this was such a good idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”
“This is where it all began, so it seemed fitting that we celebrate our one-year anniversary here.”
Could he be any more perfect? She muses, thinking how lucky she is.
After checking in and sending the bags to the room, they leisurely stroll to the restaurant hand in hand. Poppy can’t help the butterflies in her stomach in anticipation of what might be coming.
Although the evening is romantic and the meal is terrific, her excitement vanishes by the time Braden pays the check, and her hope has deflated. She tries not to let it show, but Braden can tell she’s disappointed and smiles to himself.
He stands and reaches for her hand. “Hey, since it’s such a beautiful night, and I have a gorgeous woman on my arm, what do you think about walking down Orange Avenue and grabbing some ice cream before we turn in?”
“Ooh, I like that idea. Let’s do it.” She smiles, her missed proposal all but forgotten.
He can always win her over with ice cream, which will distract her until the next part of the evening.
They each get a scoop and continue their walk, looking at all the shops. Coronado might not be far, but it seems like a different world from where they live, making them feel like they’re on vacation.
Two blocks down, the ice cream has been devoured, and Braden pauses outside a bookstore. “Hey, they’re open for another five minutes. Let’s pop in and look for a book,” he suggests while casually sending a text.
“Okay,” Poppy happily responds, always up for perusing a bookstore, since it’s one of her favorite things to do.
They’ve made a tradition of buying two copies of whatever book they choose and reading side by side every night.
Braden’s favorite part is acting out the spicy scenes, and Poppy secretly agrees.
He pulls her toward the back of the empty store. “I’m in the mood for a romantasy. What do you think?”
“Sure. You know me, I’m up for anything.”
Braden looks at her with raised brows, prompting her to roll her eyes.
Poppy laughs. “You know what I mean.”
They never brought anyone else into bed with them again and decided they were happy that way. They don’t regret their one-time threesome but don’t have any desire to do it again.
While Poppy’s busy browsing, Braden nudges her toward a display next to the shelf. “Hey, isn’t that the fourth book in our series?” Meaning the one they began that first fateful day, three thousand miles in the air.
“Oh my God, it is. I didn’t even know it was out yet.” Poppy snatches Last Queen Standing from the table and flips it over to look. Meanwhile, Braden picks up the other.
“Should we buy these? It looks like they only have two copies,” he says.
“But she’ll be sending them to us. Shouldn’t we wait for hers?” she asks, referring to the author who didn’t forget the couple who used her books to reconcile their relationship.
“Nah. Then we’d have to wait to read it, and I’m too anxious to hear how the story ends.”
She shrugs. “Okay, we can always pass them on when we’re finished.”
“Let’s look at what her dedication says. Maybe she mentioned us,” Braden suggests teasingly.
“Yeah, right, I don’t think we’re that important.” Poppy scoffs but opens it anyway.
As soon as she reaches the page, her head pops up in shock, and tears begin to form.
“Read it,” Braden tells her.
Poppy can barely see the words; her eyes are so watery. However, she does notice Braden lower to his knee beside her while reaching into his pocket. Her heart starts thumping.
“Read it out loud,” he instructs softly, returning her focus to the book. He’s excited for this part after working directly with the author to have two books specially printed with his personal inscription inside and then getting the bookstore to set them out prior to arriving.
“Oh my God. Okay. You stand before me as the love of my life, but will you stand beside me as my queen? Forever yours, Braden.” Her tears are falling freely now as she sniffles and wipes her eyes.
She starts to ask, “Did you—”
“Marry me, Poppy. Make me feel like a king by saying yes to becoming my queen.”
She lowers to her knees as she utters the word “yes” repeatedly, completely ignoring the ring he’s holding. Their kiss is passionate, full of love and promises.
Braden is the first to pull back. “Hey, are you ready for your ring now?”
Poppy laughs, happiness radiating from every cell in her body. “Yes.” She looks down at his hand and gasps. “Holy shit, Braden, it’s huge.”
“Well, you’re used to big things. I had to make sure it was up to par.” He wags his brows.
She shoves his shoulder. “Stop it.”
“Give me your hand. Let’s make this official.”
Seconds later, the ring is in place as they rise from the floor.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Braden asks Poppy inconspicuously.
“What?”
“It’s baby-making time.” Braden’s brows go up and down again, causing Poppy to laugh.
“Well, you can practice, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I need to be off birth control first.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I plan on practicing a lot, Mouse. In fact, let’s go get started.”
She giggles as he ushers her toward the door.
They can’t seem to go fast enough. With their books safely wrapped and in a shopping bag, their steps become quicker and quicker, eager for what comes next.