Bonus Epilogue
They’d billed it as a birthday party, but it was much more than that.
Shelby Faircloth stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, examining the blush gown that shimmered in the palest shade of pink when she moved.
She smiled, pleased with the presence of her favorite color on the most important day of her life—a day she’d once thought would never happen.
She placed a hand over her belly where she harbored another secret—the baby she and Avery would welcome in seven months.
Her heart was full to overflowing. She had everything she’d ever dreamed of, and today, on her forty-fourth birthday, she’d marry the love of her life.
Shelby’s sister Ginger came into the room, her eyes bright with excitement.
She carried three bouquets of flowers, one with white roses, gardenias and hydrangeas for Shelby, and two with colorful blooms for Ginger and their other sister, Monica.
They were the only other two who knew what today was about.
Avery planned to ask his brother Josh to be his best man—at the last minute.
It was all so exciting. After a career planning other people’s weddings, the last thing she wanted for herself was an elaborate, over-the-top production that would’ve taken time she didn’t have to plan.
A small, intimate gathering at home was her idea of the perfect way to make things official between them.
They’d traveled a winding, difficult route to get to this day, and with the hard times now far behind them, she looked forward to everything they’d have together.
Ginger handed Shelby her bouquet that was held together with pink ribbon and fussed over Shelby’s dress until she was satisfied that everything was where it belonged. As the oldest of the three, Ginger had always mothered Shelby and Monica, and they let her because Ginger loved them so much.
“You’re stunning. The dress is perfect. The man is perfect. Everyone is here and looking for the birthday girl. Are you ready?”
“I need to get Noah up from his nap, and then I will be.” The festivities had been planned around his nap time.
“I’ll get him.”
“He’ll need to be changed.”
Ginger laughed. “Yes, I know.” She had her own kids, who were now nearly grown, but she hadn’t forgotten the basics.
“Will you tell Dad to come up?”
“Yep. He’s gonna cry.”
“I know.”
“Don’t mess up your makeup.”
“I won’t.”
God forbid, Shelby thought. They’d been taught from an early age to always be presentable and put together.
Today, she wanted to be beautiful for the man who’d changed her life so completely.
By the time she met him, she’d given up on ever finding her Mr. Right, and then there he was, so beautifully handsome he took her breath away and when he spoke to her in that South Carolinian accent, well… He could have anything he wanted.
A knock sounded on the door before her dad, Davis, walked in. “Ginger said you wanted to see me.”
Shelby turned to him, and he stopped dead in his tracks.
His face softened into a sweet smile. “What’re you up to, Shelby Lynne?”
“It seems I’m getting married on my birthday, and I wondered if you might be willing to give away one more daughter.”
He placed his hand over his heart. “You sure do know how to take your daddy’s breath away.”
“Is that a yes?”
Davis closed the distance between them, placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “It’d be my honor, honey.”
Ginger came in with Noah, who’d been changed into the light blue dress shirt and tiny khaki pants Shelby had laid out for him to wear to his parents’ wedding. He let out a happy squeak at the sight of his mother.
Shelby took him from her sister and kissed his chubby cheek. “Are you ready, buddy?”
He replied with the baby chatter she loved so much.
She handed Noah back to her sister and tucked her hand into her father’s arm. “Shall we?”
“By all means,” Davis said.
Avery had been on pins and needles all day, hoping their surprise wedding would go off without a hitch so Shelby would have the best birthday ever.
All he needed to be happy was for her and Noah to be happy.
And to know their little threesome would soon become a foursome was like the sweetest pink frosting on his beloved’s birthday cake.
He’d ordered two cakes—one for her birthday and one for their wedding, both done in tasteful shades of pink.
He’d like to think he could be trained, and by now, he understood that the color pink would play a big role in his life with Shelby.
That was fine with him. In her he’d found a woman who loved with all her heart and soul, who gave everything she had to the people she cared about, and he knew he was so damned lucky that she loved him—that she still loved him, even after everything he’d put her through.
She’d made him a better man. She’d made him want to be a better man. She’d made him a father by allowing him to play such an important role in her son’s life, and he’d never again take her or what they’d found together for granted.
As he watched her start down the stairs on the arm of her father, heading toward the living room where their families and closest friends had gathered, he switched the music from the classic rock he’d had playing to the traditional wedding march that let everyone in the room know this wasn’t going to be your average birthday party.
Avery tuned out everyone who wasn’t his Shelby so he wouldn’t miss a second of this life-changing moment in which she came toward him, her gaze fixed on his.
Around them, he could hear the startled gasps of their guests and their excited whispers.
Cell phone camera flashes flickered all around them, but he didn’t so much as blink while she took the final steps to join him.
When she smiled, his heart gave a happy lurch.
Her sister Ginger handed Noah to him, as they’d planned ahead of time.
He and Shelby wanted their son with them when they pledged their hearts and lives to each other.
The judge he’d asked to perform the ceremony came into the room from Avery’s home office where he’d asked the man to wait until they were ready. With everyone else in position, he tipped his head toward his brother Josh, asking him to come to the front of the room.
Josh smiled and moved to stand beside Avery and Noah.
In the group, he found his onetime crush, Sam Holland Cappuano, standing next to her husband the vice president, both of them now his close friends.
The madness of his attraction to Sam seemed like a lifetime ago since he’d put it behind him to focus exclusively on the woman who would soon be his wife.
He would be forever thankful to Sam and Nick for bringing Shelby into his life.
Davis escorted his daughter to the spot they’d chosen in front of the fireplace that cast a warm, cozy glow over the room full of the people they loved the best. Davis hugged and kissed his daughter and shook Avery’s hand.
“Take good care of my little girl.”
“Always.”
Davis nodded and turned to join his wife and the rest of their family.
Avery’s parents were close by, too, and with all the most important people in place, Avery turned his full attention to Shelby.
“You’re exquisite,” he whispered.
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Noah tried to grab his mother’s hair, and Avery averted disaster by shifting the little guy to the opposite hip. Then he offered his free hand to Shelby and nodded for the justice of the peace to do his thing.
They’d decided on simple, traditional vows that were exchanged efficiently. When it came time for the rings, Avery handed Noah to his uncle Josh and found the rings in his pocket. He handed his to Shelby and then slid the one they’d chosen for her onto her finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she put his ring on. She looked up at him. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Avery, you may kiss your bride.”
Since there was nothing he’d rather do than kiss his bride, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her until Noah squeaked in protest at being ignored by his parents.
They broke apart laughing, and Avery took Noah from his brother.
As planned, the judge once again asked for everyone’s attention. “It is also my honor today to certify the adoption of Noah Faircloth Hill by his daddy, Avery. I declare Shelby, Avery and Noah an official family. May the Hill family live together in peace and love for the rest of their lives.”
Everyone in the room was in tears as they cheered for the family he and Shelby had created together.
And as she smiled up at him with tears in her eyes, he had everything he’d ever dreamed of and more than he’d ever dared to wish for.
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