Epilogue
Derek was marrying Jayna under the ‘wedding’ arch at the edge of his property. It had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Twining vines and white tulle cascaded down the sides, gently billowing in the soft breeze. White roses, peonies, and eucalyptus leaves had artfully been arranged and crowned the top of the arch.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride,” said the minister.
“Admit this was your plan all along?” Derek whispered.
“I’ll admit no such thing!” Jayna whispered back. “Now shut up and kiss me so we can seal the deal and get the party started.”
“Stop being so bossy,” he retorted, pulling her close.
“Stop being an ape.” She stepped closer.
“I’m not an ape.” His head lowered.
“That’s debatable.” She stood on tiptoe, wrapping her hands around his neck. “Just kiss me already.”
And he did. He kissed her senseless, kissed the legs right out from under her. He set the Bunsen burner to full blast and stirred up all the tingles. Wow, the man could seriously kiss.
The minister loudly cleared his throat. Guess this wasn’t a church-appropriate kiss. Good thing they weren’t in a church. Reluctantly, she pulled back. “To be continued later,” she whispered.
Derek nodded enthusiastically.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Brennan,” the minister announced.
“Sutton-Brennan!” Jayna corrected.
“I’m not a hyphenate kind of guy,” Derek grumbled. They turned and smiled at their guests, who burst into loud cheers.
“Why not? It’s such a double standard,” she muttered out the side of her mouth. “Lucky for you, I’m not big on my family name.”
“It is lucky for me! Jayna Brennan. I love how it sounds.” He shot her that lopsided grin that popped the lone dimple.
“Lucky for me,” she tried to sound sarcastic, but it fell short with such a huge smile on her face.
They walked between the white chairs set up for their guests, smiling and accepting all the well wishes. It was a small affair, with just close family and friends in attendance. Derek’s parents and grandparents beamed, as did her parents on the other side of the makeshift aisle. There were even two movie stars in attendance. Nash Logan and his wife, Calla, sat beside Kylie and Jovanny Grotta.
Derek had set up a large wedding tent in case of rain, but the weather was absolutely perfect. The cloudless blue sky transitioned to a clear evening sky filled with a thousand twinkling stars. Along with the music of the live country band, crickets added their own serenade.
Jayna smiled as she stared around at their close-knit group of friends. Jessica had made it back from Sierra Leone just in time. Her friend sat at the table, her eyes trained on the billionaire cameraman, Sam Marek. There was an intense frown tugging down the corners of Jessica’s pretty mouth, and Sam kept stealing glances her way. Something was going on between those two.
Jamie pulled out a chair beside Jessica, setting down two glasses of white wine. Jamie’s neck twisted, and she shot a disparaging look at Burke, who was leaning against the bar. He glowered back at her. Intriguing and even more intriguing.
What exactly was going on with her two best friends and these men? Something was definitely brewing. Maybe it wasn’t quite time to take down her matchmaking shingle. Now that she was a believer in true love and forever, her matchmaking skills had surely evolved as well.
It wasn’t fair that she was the only J to be blissfully happy.
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the top of her head. She sighed.
“Hey Bella, girl,” Derek said, as he leaned down and patted the 70-pound German Shepherd who squatted at their feet. She had been making rounds, shamelessly begging for ear rubs from all their guests.
“Great wedding,” Burke said as he walked toward them.
“Thanks.” Derek stepped beside her, keeping his left arm around her waist.
“I know it’s your wedding day and all, but I still need to ask. Do either of you have any idea how a doormat that reads ‘Dog’s friendly but the owner’s not’ ended up on Ophelia Meddler’s porch?”
“Nope,” Derek answered, brow furrowing. He shrugged and looked at Jayna. “How about you, honey? Any idea?”
“Not a single one,” Jayna answered.
Burke narrowed his eyes. “I seem to recall seeing a doormat matching that description at your front door the last time I was here to play poker. I just checked, it’s not there now.”
“Wow, that’s quite the coincidence,” Jayna stated. “Come to think of it, I did notice it was missing.”
“Maybe it was that kid Bobby McDermott. Nick said he’s been pranking the Meddler quite a bit lately,” Derek offered.
Burke pursed his lips. “Twelve-year-old Bobby McDermott? He would need to ride his bike five miles outside of town to reach your house, then steal the mat and somehow ride his bike back with it under his arm.”
“Hey, a good prank is worth the extra effort.” Derek grinned. “That wouldn’t have stopped me at his age.”
“I knew if you two joined forces, this town would never be the same.” Burke shook his head. “I can only hope you don’t plan on procreating.”
Derek raised both eyebrows.
Jayna placed a hand on her belly. “You’re the first to know, so don’t go blabbing it to anyone.”
Derek’s hand tightened around her waist, and he leaned closer, kissing her temple.
“I have another twenty-two years before I can retire.” Burke let out a loud groan and threw his hands up in the air. “The spawn of Two-Date Brennan and Jayna Date and Dash, I just can’t.”
“You could take a different job,” Derek suggested. “Heard the county is looking for a meter maid.”
Burke glared, mumbling as he walked away. “Guess I could always move. Change police departments.”
“If it’s a boy, we should name him after Burke,” Derek pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Oh, he’d love that.” Jayna lifted on tiptoe again and kissed her husband.
The band started to play Reba’s ‘Forever Love’ and Derek pulled her onto the dance floor. Maybe the song wasn’t so bad after all. It was time to change her anthem from Consider Me Gone to Forever Love.
***Author’s note.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through ‘Forever and Other Lies’. Your support and readership mean the world to me.
I’m excited to share that this book is just the beginning of the 3 Js series. Look out for the next installment, ‘Steal Her Shine’, coming in the winter of 2025. In this sequel, Burke continues his investigation into the Sonny Mitchell case and, much to his dismay, must enlist the help of psychic Jamie Whitney. Will these two be able to overcome their dislike for the other and not only uncover the shocking details of Blythe Landing’s serial killer but find love as well?
‘The 3 Js series’ also connects to the ‘What If series’, where you can dive into the love stories of other beloved characters. Be sure to check out what happens with Kylie and Jovanny, Piper and Nick, and Tommy and Leighton. The ‘What If’ series offers a unique and fun alternate storyline to the Blythe Landing series. Start with ‘Where the Sunflowers Touch the Sky’.
Thank you once again for your support. I hope you enjoyed ‘Forever and Other Lies’, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s next in the series! Be sure to follow me on Facebook—Sherri Storey – romance novelist, and on Instagram at sherristorey1. Click linktree and sign up for my author newsletter so you don’t miss out on new releases and offers.
Happy reading,
Sherri Storey