Epilogue
EPILOGUE
C assidy looked around the distillery with wonder. Cady and the rest of the family had gone all out. Warrick and Cassidy had also thrown in their own touches here and there. Flowers. Music. Décor. That kind of thing.
With all the weddings the town had planned, this birthday party was thrown together with ease. The DJ was setting up and the tables were set. Cady and all her family had left to get dressed. Now it was just a few of them looking around.
“Ready?” Cassidy asked the two men standing in front of her and her little sister.
“Ready,” Cricket said, seriously.
Cassidy and Warrick had told her parents that they’d take Cricket for the day since she was so excited about the party.
“Then let’s get to work. We only have an hour before people start showing up and we need to get changed.”
“Setting a twenty-minute timer now,” Warrick said. “Go!”
They raced around the large event room, moving this and that, until it was just how they wanted. Warrick’s timer went off and they all high-fived.
“It’s perfect.” Cassidy smiled as she looked around. “Come on, Cricket, you can get ready with me. Everyone know the plan?”
Everyone nodded. Cassidy kissed Warrick and grabbed her sister’s hand before they hurried from the room.
Cassidy brushed out Cricket’s hair, put the sparkly headband on, and tied the bow of her party dress. “You look like a princess,” Cassidy told her little sister.
“You look like a queen.”
Cassidy glanced in the mirror and felt like a queen. “Ready, Your Highness? I hear our song.”
There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Honey?” she heard her mom call out. “What’s going on in there? Father Ben told me and your dad to come get you. Why are the chairs all pulled away from the tables like that?”
Cassidy unlocked the door and opened it wide. Her mom smiled at her and then looked down and gasped. “You’re wearing my wedding gown.”
Her mom promptly burst into tears as her father’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “I’m the flower girl,” Cricket said spinning around as she held a basket of flower petals.
“You knew this was a surprise wedding?” Tammy asked Cricket.
Cricket nodded. “Someone had to help them pick their flowers.”
“Now,” Cassidy said, smiling at her parents, “are you ready to walk me down the aisle?”
Warrick and Father Ben emerged at the front of the room a split second after CIA Director Beaumont and Kori snuck a giant flower arch to the front of the room. The second it was in place, Kori moved to grab Piper by the hand, shoved a bouquet of flowers into her hand, and escorted Cassidy’s very confused sister to stand to the left of the arch while Kori moved to stand next to Warrick.
At that moment the doors opened, the music changed, and Cricket walked down the aisle with a huge grin on her face as she tossed flower petals every which way. People were shocked as they stood automatically when the music changed to wedding music. It was as if they’d been trained and their bodies knew what to do before their brains had caught up.
Warrick was at a loss for words, because walking toward him with her parents on each side of her was Cassidy. The love of his life. Her smile went straight to his heart, making it beat again.
“What is happening?” Dylan asked when Cassidy finally was standing in front of Warrick, looking up at him with love in her eyes.
“Hush,” Grandma Marcy said, smacking the back of his head. “It’s obviously a surprise wedding.”
Warrick shook Pierce’s hand, kissed Tammy’s cheek, and took Cassidy’s hand into his. He promised to love her. To cherish her. And to protect her. Cassidy also promised to love, cherish, and protect him. No one laughed. They all knew it was true. It would be a toss-up of whom was protecting whom.
“You may kiss the bride,” Father Ben told them.
Warrick cupped Cassidy’s face in his hands, bent, and sealed his vows to her with a kiss. He turned and shook Father Ben’s hand. “Thanks for helping us set up and pull off this surprise.”
Father Ben winked at him in return and then announced them as husband and wife. The room erupted. Warrick had never been happier or smiled more. The woman of his dreams was his wife.
Cassidy loved the feeling of dancing with her husband. Food was being served as they took their first dance as husband and wife.
“I can’t believe we pulled that off without my family finding out. How lucky were we that the DJ and the flower company had openings?” Cassidy asked him as they danced.
“I would have married you without any flowers and with music playing off my phone.” Warrick kissed her for the hundredth time in the past hour. They couldn’t stop touching each other as they spoke to family and friends before having their first dance.
Her parents hadn’t understood why they’d had a surprise wedding, but Warrick had. In fact, it had partially been his idea as they discussed their birthday party one night. Cassidy was the silent Davies, slipping in and out, and never being the center of attention. While she wanted to have her special day, they both knew that neither of them would enjoy the buildup to the wedding. They didn’t need that stress. So, they’d turned a birthday party into a wedding. There’d been no endless talk about wedding dresses, who would be in the bridal party, bridal showers, gift registries, and so on. It was simple and straightforward and it was them .
The song ended and Cassidy and Warrick were met by her grandparents at the edge of the dance floor. “Oh, my sweet babies. You both look so beautiful and handsome,” Grandma Marcy said, kissing both of their cheeks. “Here,” she said tapping Grandpa Jake’s arm. “We got you something.”
“You didn’t have to get me a birthday gift,” Warrick told them. “We said no gifts.”
“ Pfft .” Grandma Marcy rolled her eyes. “Besides, this isn’t a birthday gift.”
Cassidy opened the envelope and pulled out two plane tickets and a booking confirmation for a beachside hotel in the Caribbean at one of Sebastian’s luxury hotels.
“It’s a wedding present,” Grandpa Jake pointed out. “Couldn’t be prouder to have you as a grandson, sonny.”
Cassidy was still staring in shock as her grandparents walked off. She saw that they picked up a basket that had been sitting against the wall. Grandpa headed to the DJ and handed him a giant bag of beef jerky as Grandma handed an apple pie to the florist.
“Are you sure your grandparents aren’t in the CIA? Like, maybe they started it?” Warrick had a point. Maybe they were. They both looked at each other and laughed.
“Come on, Mrs. Hawkins. I can’t wait to have you in my arms again. Will you dance with your husband?”
“Ladies,” Kenna Ashton said, lifting her champagne to toast the table full of her friends. “We did it. The Rose sisters charged us to be the new matchmakers of the town and we successfully married off each and every child of ours.”
“Except one,” Tammy said as she saw Cricket dancing on Warrick’s feet as Cassidy talked with a group of women.
“Don’t worry, Tammy,” Gemma told her sister-in-law. “It’s only twenty more years or so.”
Tammy gave her the middle finger and called the waiter for something stronger than champagne.
“To us matchmakers,” Dani said, holding up her glass.
“We found excellent matches for our children,” Katelyn added.
“And now have grandchildren,” Morgan said with a smile as she watched Layne and Walker dancing while holding Carolina.
“And even more on the way,” Paige said happily.
“You know my grandkids are you going to kick your grandkids’ butts, right?” Annie smirked as she toasted to their children and grandchildren.
“It is really hot seeing our husbands with our grandkids,” Bridget said, taking a sip of her drink and looking over at her husband, Ahmed, dancing with little Cami. The women looked over to their husbands and Tammy was suddenly less interested in marrying off Cricket and more interested in how hot her husband looked in his tux.
Miles shook his head and then looked back at the guys leaning against the bar. “As if this was hard. Look at them taking credit for Cassidy and Warrick, just like they did for Colton and Cady.”
“Hey, Cole,” Cy said, getting his brother-in-law’s attention. “What is your grandson Ash chasing Cricket and Donavan with?”
“Yeah,” Marshall said. “What is he chasing my grandson with?”
“Is that a slingshot?” Cade asked as they all leaned forward to try to see better.
Ash stopped, pulled back the slingshot, put a piece of candy in the little patch, and shot it at Cricket and Donovan.
“That’s not a slingshot,” Ahmed said, his lips twitching.
“Are you sure?” Mo asked. “It looks like one.”
Everyone looked closely as Ash ran by them pulling the slingshot back once again. “Ash!” Cole yelled. “Put that thong down right now!”
“I think that qualifies as a G-string,” Cy called out as Cole raced after his grandson.
“Now, that’s one mystery we have yet to solve,” Marshall said thoughtfully.
“Who is the panty dropper?” Miles asked rhetorically.
“I don’t know,” Pierce said, looking at the table their wives were sitting at. “But Tammy just looked over at me and licked her lips. I gotta go.”
“Katelyn just winked at me. See you later, guys.” Marshall set down his drink and rushed across the room a moment before the other husbands followed.
“Hopefully Tammy doesn’t get pregnant again,” Miss Lily said, watching the not-so-sneaky exit of seven couples.
“She won’t,” Marcy told them complacently. “Pierce got a vasectomy.”
“Well, ladies. Then there was one,” Miss Daisy said, looking at little Cricket who was now dancing with her brother Dylan.
“There’s more than one left, Daisy Mae. I see two right off the bat, no three, four, five...” Miss Violet said, pointing out several unmarried people.
“You’re right, Vi,” Miss Lily said, leaning forward. “There are a lot of unmarried men still in Keeneston. They need our help.”
“That one most of all,” Miss Violet said. “He has popularity and wealth, but needs help finding the right kind of woman. One who won’t use him for his fame.”
“Hmm,” Marcy said thoughtfully. “I might have an idea or two about that.”
“No rest for the wicked... wickedly good matchmakers that is,” Miss Lily laughed as they all toasted each other with their champagne.
Holt Everett felt a shiver run down his back. When he turned around, he saw the Rose sisters and Marcy Davies smiling at him. He smiled back and gave them a little wave.
“Any news on the house?” his brother, Knox, asked.
At one time, both he and Knox had had a crush on Cassidy. However, it was clear that they wouldn’t be as good of a fit for her as Warrick. For one thing, Holt and Knox's lives were both way too public. Holt, as a country music superstar and Knox, the hottest pro-quarterback of the season right now.
“I got it. I close on it right after the New Year,” Holt said of the large house and property outside of Nashville. He had been living part-time in Keeneston and part-time in a small condo in Nashville. But when his last album took off, he decided he wanted more privacy than the condo could provide. He’d still split his time between here and Nashville, but now he’d have privacy at both locations.
“Excellent. I can’t wait to see it.”
“What about you? Did you find a place yet?” Holt asked his brother.
“Yeah, I did. I thought about living close to the football stadium in Lexington, but Ryan told me the small farm right down the road from him was about to go up for sale. I’m going to put in an offer and see if I can buy it before it goes on the market.”
“Is that the one close to the county line? You’d still be in Keeneston, but then the stadium would only be twenty minutes away?” Holt asked.
“Yup, that’s the one. The house will need work, but I’m looking forward to doing it.”
“That’s great news. You’ll be happy there. How are things going with...” Holt felt like crap. He forgot the girl his brother had been dating. “Her.”
Knox chuckled and took a drink. “Ended it. Turned out she was hoping to land on some WAGs reality show.”
Holt frowned. “I’m sorry, bro. I’ve been having the same trouble. It was fun for a while. You know, always having a woman when you wanted one. But now it’s just—”
“Unfulfilling?”
“Exactly. I feel hunted. Hence the property out in the middle of farmland with a gate,” Holt told him.
“Dad and Mom warned us. Now we have to admit they were right,” Knox said with a shudder.
Their parents, Trey and Taylor, were big stars of their own. Their dad had played pro football before becoming the head coach of the Lexington Thoroughbreds. Their mother, Taylor, had been America’s Sweetheart. Now she directed movies more than acted in them. Her first had been one of local author, Gemma Davies’s books.
They’d taught Holt and Knox that fame came with a price and now they both understood the sanctuary that was Keeneston. No one here treated them as if they were anything but their friends and neighbors. But that was Keeneston. They had royalty and didn’t even blink an eye when the president showed up.
“Hey, I think Marcy is trying to get your attention,” Knox told him.
Holt looked up and saw Mrs. Davies motioning for him to join them. “I’ll be right back.”
“Hey, see if she’ll bake me a pie if I get three touchdowns at the next game,” Knox called out.
Holt joined the table and smiled at the women who were like grandparents to him. “Hello, ladies.”
“Holt, you’re such a nice young man,” Miss Lily said to him, causing him to blush and feel as if he were ten years old again.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Now,” Marcy said, smiling up at him, “we hear you just bought a house. Tell us everything about it, the neighborhood, and how your music is going.”
Holt took a seat and began to answer their questions. When he got up to get another drink, he had the feeling he’d been interrogated by experts. Nah. Couldn’t be. They were just sweet old ladies who wanted to hear about his life. They weren’t interrogating him.
The wedding slash birthday party was exactly that. A party. Cassidy had never had so much fun. She and Warrick danced the night away with their friends and family. The music lasted late into the night. The kids had dropped into a huddle, sleeping on a couch in the corner together, as their parents continued to celebrate.
“Hey,” Jameson said, joining them as things were starting to wind down. “I got you a gift.” He handed a bag to Warrick. “I thought you could use it with Dylan being your brother-in-law now.”
Cassidy watched as he pulled out a gun that looked as if it shot foam bullets like the kids played with. “Um, thanks,” Warrick said with a dubious smile.
“Oh, you’ll thank me. Shoot it at Dylan.” Cassidy did a doubletake as a memory suddenly came to mind. It was too late. Warrick had shot it.
“What the hell?” Dylan yelled, reaching up and feeling the thing stuck on his cheek. “Is this a dick ?”
Jameson doubled over laughing. “I got it on video!” Jameson bumped fists with Warrick.
Warrick grinned, lifted the gun and shot again. A miniature royal member was stuck by its balls right between Dylan’s eyes. He looked like an X-rated unicorn. “Best gift ever.”
“Sweetums, if we want to go on our honeymoon, I think now would be a great time to leave,” Cassidy told Warrick as she laughed to the point of being in tears as Dylan looked ready to charge them.
“Anything for my wife.”
They didn’t just leave. Warrick scooped her up into his arms and ran into their happily ever after.