Epilogue
DORIE
I sat on the deck of Kaisen’s yacht, my husband’s yacht. The warm Greek sun kissed my skin as I sipped my coffee and picked at the plate of fresh fruit in front of me. The water sparkled like diamonds, stretching out as far as the eye could see. I couldn’t help but smile as I took it all in. This was our honeymoon. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of and more.
A few weeks had passed since we’d eloped, and while Cullen and Eliza were still giving us grief for surprising them with wedding rings at brunch, I had no regrets. This was our story. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Kaisen had whisked me away to Greece, and now here we were, living in a dream.
I heard footsteps behind me. I smiled as I turned to see Kaisen walking toward me. His hair was tousled from the sea breeze and his shirt unbuttoned just enough to make my heart skip a beat. He looked like a dream, fully relaxed and completely at ease. I felt a surge of love so strong it nearly took my breath away.
“Morning, Mrs. Seely,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of my head before pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Sleep well?”
I smiled. “Like a baby. What about you?”
He shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. “Like a rock. So, what do you want to do today? I was thinking we could hit up my favorite local restaurant for lunch and do a little shopping. There’s this little market nearby that has the best olive oil you’ve ever tasted. We can take a boatload back… pun intended.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me. I had to close my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Kaisen noticed immediately, his brow furrowing as he set his coffee down.
“Dorie? You okay?”
I nodded, though the queasy feeling in my stomach was getting worse. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just feeling a little seasick, I think.”
He frowned, his concern evident. “Seasick? You’ve never gotten seasick before. We’ve been out here for weeks, and you haven’t been sick.”
I shrugged, trying to play it off. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the waves or something. We’re in a foreign country. I probably just picked something up.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push it. “Let’s go on land for a bit. I’ve got a villa nearby. We can relax there for the day. I was going to show it to you anyway since its ours now.”
I nodded, grateful for the suggestion. The thought of staying on the yacht any longer was making my stomach churn. I was more than ready to get off the water.
“I love the yacht,” I said. “I think I just need solid ground under my feet.”
“I agree. I’ll have the captain get ready to take us ashore. Why don’t you stay here, and rest and I’ll pack our bags?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Oh yeah? Is that why you’re a little green around the gills?”
I groaned. “Make sure you pack my clothes from the closet, not just the ones I’ve been living in the past few days,” I said, trying to sound as normal as possible despite the lingering nausea. Kaisen gave me a skeptical look but nodded, disappearing downstairs to our state room.
I sat back in my chair, closing my eyes and taking slow, deep breaths. The gentle rocking of the yacht, which had felt soothing just moments ago, now seemed to amplify my discomfort. I tried to focus on the sound of the waves lapping against the hull, the distant cry of seagulls, anything to ground myself. But my mind wandered, turning over possibilities. Seasick? Maybe. But something felt off.
When Kaisen returned with our bags, he was already dressed for land—slipping on a pair of sunglasses that made him look every bit the part of a dashing honeymooner. He handed me a light sweater and a hat, which I accepted gratefully.
“Ready?” he asked, offering me his hand.
I nodded, letting him help me up. The moment I stood, though, another wave of dizziness hit me. I swayed slightly, clutching his arm for balance.
“Dorie, are you sure you’re okay?”
I forced a smile and breathed through the wave of nausea. “I’m good.”
The ride to shore was short but excruciating. The closer we got to land, the more my stomach rebelled. As soon as we were on shore, my stomach did feel better. Kaisen had called ahead and had a car waiting to take us to his villa.
The villa was stunning, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, with whitewashed walls and bright blue shutters.
“Holy shit, Kaisen,” I gasped. “When you said villa, I was thinking… I don’t know what I was thinking. This is incredible.”
“I don’t get here nearly enough,” he said.
The moment we stepped into the villa, I felt like I’d been transported into a different world. The air was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the salty sea breeze outside, and the scent of lemon and jasmine wafted through the open windows. Kaisen set our bags down by the door and took my hand, guiding me through the space with a proud smile on his face.
“This is the living room,” he said. “And over here,” he continued, pulling me toward a set of French doors, “is where I spend most of my time when I’m here.”
He opened the doors to reveal a sunroom filled with lush greenery. Potted plants lined the walls, their leaves spilling over in every direction. A small fountain trickled in the corner. The room was bathed in natural light. I could see why he loved it so much. It was peaceful, almost magical.
“Kaisen, this is stunning.”
“I agree,” he said. “I hope we can come here a lot more often.”
“We will.” I nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Why don’t you lie down for a while?” he suggested gently. “I’ll grab you some water and see if I can find something to help with the nausea.”
I nodded, sinking onto the bed with a sigh. “Thanks, Kaisen. You’re the best.”
No matter how hard I tried to fake it, he could see through my facade.
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of my face before disappearing into the kitchen. I closed my eyes, trying to will the queasy feeling away, but it was no use. My stomach was in knots. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
A few minutes later, Kaisen returned with a glass of water and a plate of pastries. “I brought you some of those pastries you couldn’t get enough of last week,” he said, setting them down on the nightstand. “Maybe they’ll help. Get something in your stomach.”
I smiled weakly, reaching for the water. “Thanks. You’re too good to me.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and put his hand on my thigh. “Dorie, have you noticed that your period is a few weeks late?”
I froze, the glass of water halfway to my lips. “What?”
He nodded, his expression serious. “It’s kind of one of those things I know. I know it’s probably nothing, but I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
I set the glass down, my mind racing. My period was late? How had I not noticed? I’d been so busy with the move, the wedding, and everything else that I hadn’t even thought about it. But now that he mentioned it, it all made sense. The nausea, the fatigue, the mood swings.
“Kaisen,” I said and then had to stop to gather my thoughts. “Do you think…”
He didn’t answer right away, but I could see the concern in his eyes. “I don’t know. But I’ll be right back.”
He left the villa, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My mind was spinning, a million questions racing through my head. Was I pregnant? Was this really happening? And if it was, how did Kaisen feel about it?
We had talked about having a family, but I think we were both thinking in the future. Not today. We were on our honeymoon. This was the time we were supposed to make the baby.
I paced the room, my heart pounding in my chest. What if he was disappointed? What if he didn’t want this?
Before I could spiral any further, Kaisen returned, holding a Gatorade, some crackers, and a pregnancy test.
“I brought supplies,” he said.
“You bought a test?”
“I thought we should check,” he said. “Just to be sure. And the crackers will settle your belly.”
“You’re too sweet,” I said nervously.
“Take the test and then we’ll figure it out,” he said.
I nodded, my hands trembling as I reached for the test. “Okay.”
“Dorie, if you are pregnant, how would you feel about it?”
I looked at him and considered my answer for a split second. “I’d be happy,” I admitted, my voice breaking. “I’d be so happy. But what about you? How do you feel?”
He smiled, his eyes lighting up. “I’d be happy too. More than happy. I just… I want you to be okay with this. Whatever it is.”
I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. “I’m okay with it. I’m more than okay with it.”
He reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Then let’s find out.”
I took the test into the bathroom, my hands shaking. I followed the instructions. When I was done, I set it on the counter and stepped back, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t bring myself to look at it, so I called for Kaisen.
“Can you be the one to look?” I asked. “I’m too nervous.”
“Of course.”
I walked out of the bathroom and took a drink of the Gatorade. I didn’t want to get too far down the road with my thoughts. It could just be a bug. I wasn’t going to spin out for no reason.
Kaisen picked up the test, his eyes scanning the result, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything.
“Well?” I asked.
A smile spread across his face, his eyes shining with tears.
“Dorie,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re pregnant.”
I felt a surge of emotion so strong it nearly knocked me off my feet. Tears streamed down my face as I threw my arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. He held me close, his hands trembling as he buried his face in my hair.
“We’re going to be parents,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe. “We’re going to have a baby.”
I nodded, my heart swelling with love. “We are.”
We stood there for a long time, just holding each other, the weight of the moment settling over us. My heart filled with so much love I thought it might burst, I knew one thing for sure—this was just the beginning. Our beginning.
He stepped back and looked at me. “Shit,” he said before bursting into laughter. “You’re pregnant.”
I started laughing as well. “Uh, yeah.”
We sat down on the edge of the bed. I had a feeling we were both in shock.
“Okay,” Kaisen said suddenly, turning to me with a serious expression. “So, jungle theme or space theme?”
I blinked at him, a cracker halfway to my mouth. “Excuse me?”
“The nursery,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We need to start planning this now. Do you have any idea how fast nine months goes? It’s basically tomorrow.”
I laughed, crumbs falling onto the bed. “Kaisen, I’ve known I’m pregnant for approximately ten minutes. Can we maybe take a breath before we start redecorating our guest room into a mini safari?”
“No,” he said firmly. “This is happening. Jungle or space? Choose.”
I sighed dramatically, leaning back against the pillows. “Fine. Jungle theme. But only if we get one of those ceiling mobiles with monkeys that swing around. Non-negotiable.”
He grinned, typing something furiously into his phone. “Done. Monkeys are officially on the list.”
I shook my head, still smiling. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You love it,” he shot back without looking up.
I couldn’t argue with that. The next nine months were going to be wild. And I was so ready for all of it.
***
If you loved this book, don’t miss out on Weston’s fan favorite …
Check out book 1 in A Wedding Bells Alpha Novel called Say You Do .
My brother is an idiot—he’s getting married.
And I’m in charge of getting things together since our folks are gone.
Lucky me. The guy who thinks love is for the birds and worn-out 80s songs.
I honestly don’t have time for this drama. I run a billion-dollar company, have women to entertain, and am working on my plans to rule the world.
No, seriously.
And yet, when you least expect it, life kicks you in the balls.
The beautiful, snarky woman that runs the flower shop is perfect to help me pull off this wedding.
Just seeing her sends my head spinning with possibilities.
She’s perfect. To play my fake wife for an event I have coming up as a side deal.
My ex-wife will be at the event, and I sure could use someone to show her how well I’ve done since she ripped out my soul.
So my curvy new friend gets my ring and a chunk of my wallet before agreeing to the deal.
Funny thing is, I’m not so interested in taking it back by the end of the adventure.
I’m willing to go all in on what might be the best decision of my life.
And I’m demanding the same of her. No maybes. No I-don’t-knows.
No fear of what might be or might not be.
Open your pretty pink lips and utter the words.
Say you do.
I gotta have THIS .