Epilogue #2
I’ll admit that there was a time when I couldn’t imagine settling down, it felt like a trap—that “settling” meant that I’d be giving something up, missing out.
I couldn’t have known then what I’d be gaining.
That in being “settled,” I’d be adding everything you bring to my life: your strength, your sense of purpose, your ability to mix adventure and business together, your drive, and most importantly, your love.
I am a better, stronger person because you are in my life. We are better together. Every day I appreciate and love you more, and I want to keep growing and nurturing what we have together for the rest of our lives.
All my love,
Beau
I’m smiling and crying as I finish the letter and set it back on the table. I’m about to reach for the ring box when I hear “That box is empty” from behind me.
Gasping, I spin around and Beau is standing halfway between me and the door. I close the distance in two long strides, and he kneels down at the same time he reaches out and takes my hands in one of his, stopping me before I can throw myself on him.
“Every single day has been better since you walked into my life. You’re the only person I’ve ever felt this connection with, you get me on a level no one ever has, and I want you as my partner on every adventure.”
“Yes.” I nod. “My answer is yes.”
“I haven’t even asked you yet.” He smiles.
“Then hurry up and ask so I can say yes.” My smile is so big I feel like it might break my tearstained face.
“Sierra Anne Lemieux, will you do me the great honor of being my wife?”
“The honor is all mine,” I say, as he slips a ring on my left ring finger.
I hardly even look at it before I’m pulling him up so he’s facing me.
“I knew there was something special between us when we met in that bar a year ago. I never could have imagined this life we’re leading together, but it’s perfect. ”
He dips his head and brushes his lips across mine. “Speaking of this life we’re leading, we have another big decision to make.”
I can feel my eyebrows wrinkling in confusion, because I feel like all our big decisions for the next few months are already made, and we rarely plan further in the future than that.
“Today, Nate offered me a job.”
“What?” I draw back in surprise. “You already have two jobs. There’s no room for anything else.”
“Do you want to hear what it is?” He laughs. “Or have you already decided the answer is no?”
I glance down at the ring on my finger, admiring the princess cut diamond surrounded by a border of tiny diamonds. It sits low to my finger and is perfect. “You’re telling me about a job offer on the heels of proposing. Whoever claimed you weren’t romantic?”
“Maybe I should keep the details to myself, and just decide without consulting you?” he teases, wrapping his arm around my lower back and pulling me to him. He plants a kiss on the top of my head.
“Don’t you dare.”
“Nate and Jackson are going to open a snowboarding program next winter. Something on par with the ski racing program that’s been running here for decades.”
I think about what a program like that would have meant for Beau when he was younger. To have had a group of people as passionate about snowboarding as he was, to have had mentors to guide him—something comparable to what Jackson and I had on our ski racing team.
“And they want you to . . .?” I prompt.
“Be the face of it. Run the program, recruit the coaches, organize competitions. They’re building a terrain park this summer that will be unlike anything else in this region, on par with the bigger mountains.”
“But what about your own competing?” I ask.
He’s been complaining this season about how much longer it takes him to recover from a botched landing or an unintentional collision with a rail—things he would have bounced back from more easily before.
I just joke and call him Old Man because that’ll never stop being funny, given our age difference.
But is he really thinking about giving up his career as a professional snowboarder?
“Like I said, it’s a lot to consider. And we have plenty of time to talk about it. I want to do what’s going to make us both happy, and what’s going to be the best for us in the long term.”
I pull back and look him in the eye. “Did Beau Shanahan just say ‘long term’? What’s next, you going to start talking 401(k)s and babies and college funds?” I ask with a little laugh.
A look I can’t quite read flashes quickly in his eyes. “Eventually.” He smiles. “Maybe even sooner than later.”
“Wow. When do we need to decide?”
“We’ve got time. We’ll talk later. Right now, you have a big party to get ready for.”
I think about how Beau was complaining on our flight here from Italy.
“It’s not enough that we all came to Blackstone last New Year’s Eve for their wedding, now we have to go celebrate them again?
” I’d insisted that New Year’s Eve was an awesome day to have your anniversary because you’d always get to celebrate it.
Besides, after everything Jackson and Nate went through to be together, they deserve this anniversary celebration and more.
I don’t for one second mind coming home to celebrate with them.
And even though he’d initially complained, the minute we got here Beau seemed more relaxed, even happier.
He’s made so much progress with his family over this last year, and the fact that Jackson and Nate chose him for the snowboarding program speaks volumes.
“All right, I’ll see you later. Will you be back in the hotel room when I’m finished getting my hair done?”
“I have to help Nate with some things for the party tonight. I’m going to go get dressed now, so I’ll see you when you get down there.
” He kisses my forehead. “By the way, I filmed this whole thing.” He points to a camera on a mini-tripod set up on the shelf above the hanging kimonos I’m supposed to choose from, and another on the far side of the room.
“Of course you did,” I say, but I’m secretly elated. I can’t wait to watch, and to show my friends.
He walks around the small room and grabs the cameras and a wireless microphone, collapses the small tripod, and then turns to give me a wink. “I’ll see you tonight, future Mrs. Shanahan.”
I think my heart melts in that moment, because I’m paralyzed in the same way I’d be if my blood stopped pumping through my body.
I can’t believe we’re really doing this.
I mean, I knew we were headed in this direction, and even though I’d have married Beau yesterday, I didn’t realize he was already ready for this next step.
The minute Beau is out of the room, my friends are flooding into it, asking to see the ring and making me recount every detail.
The afternoon flies by with celebratory mimosas and getting our hair done, and before I know it, I’m back in my room and finishing up my makeup and looking forward to this New Year’s Eve party.
I glance down at my ring again, admiring the way it sparkles and thinking about how this is the only ring I was ever meant to wear, when my phone rings.
I tap the screen to accept Jackson’s call.
“Are you dressed yet?” she asks.
“No, I just finished my makeup. I can be dressed in a few minutes.” I glance at the clock, seeing that we’re supposed to head down in about five minutes.
I’ve gotten distracted looking at my ring too many times, imagining walking down the aisle to Beau, and now I’m going to make her late for her party.
“Okay, don’t get dressed yet,” she says. “I have a special delivery from Beau that I’m going to bring to your room.”
“Okay?” I’m not sure why I shouldn’t get dressed before she brings this surprise over.
But as soon as I hang up the phone, she’s already knocking on the door, and I open it to find all three of my best friends standing there.
Jackson’s holding a giant garment bag, and as they walk in I notice all three of them are wearing the same formfitting long, backless deep green velvet dresses.
“Are we all matching tonight?” I ask, thinking about the dress I brought specifically for the party. It’s not new or nearly as pretty as the dress they’re all wearing, which manages to look amazing on all of them even despite their different body styles.
“Something like that,” Petra responds while Lauren says, “Sure, honey.”
Jackson hangs the garment bag on the curtain rod at the opposite end of the room, and when she unzips it, an involuntary gasp leaves me almost unable to breathe.
I think I might hyperventilate. Because inside that garment bag is the exact dress I’d texted to Jackson a couple months before with the message, I’m not saying we’re getting married.
I’m just saying that when we do, I want to be wearing this gorgeousness.
It hangs there in all its lacy glory—the deep V in the front, the champagne satin belt, the mermaid bottom. It’s even more gorgeous in person than in the photos.
“What? How?” I ask, still scrambling to put the pieces together. “Why is there a wedding dress in my room right now? How is it the dress I texted you?” I take in all three of them again, with their matching dresses. “Am I . . .”
“Getting married tonight? Yes,” Jackson says.
“So long as that’s what you want. If you’re not ready, it doesn’t have to happen tonight, but Beau thought with your family history you might not want a long engagement.
” She’s smiling so hard that I realize how much secret planning she and Beau must have done to make this happen.
A year ago they couldn’t stand each other. We’ve all come so far.
“But . . . it’s your anniversary.”
“And now it can be yours too.”
My eyes dart back and forth between the three of them. “You all knew this wasn’t really an anniversary party?”
“We all knew,” Petra says. “Everyone who’s here is here for you. Even the people who had to stay hidden so you wouldn’t see them and start to suspect.”
“Like who?” I ask.