BONUS EPILOGUE
Claire twitched the curtain aside. Her heart fluttered in her chest. It was finally here. The day she had dreamed of since she was a little girl: her wedding day.
Before long, family and friends would be congregating in the rows of white chairs spread out in her and Luke’s backyard. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. It was the least the universe could do after personally victimizing her for the last two years. The tantalizing smell of hors d’oeuvres drifted up the stairs to the guest bedroom, where she had camped out to spy on the action.
Not long after their engagement, Claire had dragged Luke into a discussion of their dream wedding. She was surprised to find that her feelings had shifted significantly from her first round of wedding planning. As much as she wanted the day to be beautiful and memorable, she wasn’t laser-focused on the flowers or the ceremony or table decor.
Their wedding wasn’t going to be some stately affair covered by bridal magazines. It was designed to be relaxed, fun, and hopefully full of amazing memories. It was a celebration of the two of them, and the love that they had found against all odds. Would that celebration include fleets of tiny tacos and stations where people could play a video game depicting Claire and Luke’s love story that she had commissioned as a wedding gift? Damn straight it would.
Even though she had officially handed the event planning reins over to Mindy for the day, the master timeline still ticked away in her brain. Seven minutes until first look photography. Somewhere in the fray, Luke was probably anxiously sawing down tree limbs or doing some flower bed redefining in his tuxedo.
The door opened behind her and Claire jumped. Charlie and Bri slunk into the room and shut the door behind them.
Charlie took one look at Claire and her bottom lip trembled.
“Hi,” she said, throwing her arms around Claire’s neck. Her cobalt blue bridesmaid gown popped against her skin.
Bri, in a matching dress, came to stand on her other side. “We just wanted to check on you before things get underway. Are you doing okay? Need anything?” she asked softly, like she was trying to coax a kitten down from a tree.
“No, I’m fine. Ryan’s ready to walk the dogs down the aisle?”
Charlie nodded. “He’s been practicing his detangling technique all week.”
“Perfect.” Claire reached out and took one of each of her sister’s hands. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re both here. And for standing up there with me in case Luke gets cold feet.”
“I will happily put him in a headlock until the final vows are spoken.” Charlie sniffed and wiped a tear away.
“I’m so happy for you,” Bri said and came in for a hug. “Both of you. You’ve been through so much together. If you can survive the last two years, your marriage can survive anything.”
Claire pulled back and looked at both of her sisters. Mindfulness. Dr. Goulding’s voice resonated within her like a gong. Everything she had read and heard about weddings told her today was going to fly by. She needed to immerse herself in every moment while she could. She allowed the day to settle on her like a blanket.
Charlie’s floral perfume. The sparkle in Bri’s eyes. The baseboards that she had completely forgotten to dust. Every snippet would be woven into the mental tapestry of her wedding day.
Mindy bustled into the room, resplendent in her blue gown. Her phone was pressed to her ear.
She offered a wave, emerald-cut engagement ring flashing in the afternoon sunlight. “Yes, the ceremony will end promptly at five thirty and everyone but extended family will go straight to cocktail hour. Snacks out right away. We don’t want the groom’s brother throwing up in the pool again. Great. Thanks.”
Mindy dropped her phone in her clutch and turned to look at Claire. “How did you get away from Alice?”
Charlie chimed in. “She’s doing a reading for Tanya.”
“Genius.” Mindy bustled over and fixed one of Claire’s curls. When she pulled back, tears were in her eyes.
“Don’t start,” Claire ordered. “Judy worked really hard on our makeup.”
“I’m sorry.” Mindy dragged a tissue under her eye. “You’re just so beautiful. I can’t believe you finally got your happy ending.”
Claire shook her head and dragged the curtain to the side again. “You know as well as I do that this isn’t an ending. It’s just one day. A beginning.”
Below them, Alice and Tanya huddled around a cocktail table. Tarot cards were spread out between them. Tanya was rapt with attention. Jack was in the far corner of the yard with Roy, hefting something into the reception tent. Was that Rachel sneaking away from the bar with a martini?
Claire turned away from the window, heart positively glowing. “And you’re next.”
Mindy and Sawyer were having a destination wedding in the Bahamas in September. It remained to be seen if hurricanes would impact their ceremony.
The door opened again, and Nicole came inside with her daughter, Harper, propped on one hip.
Nicole took one look at Claire and burst into tears.
Would the entire day be this full of weeping women? Maybe she should have installed tissue stations.
“No,” Nicole said when Claire took a step toward her. “Don’t come any closer. Gooey baby,” she said, gesturing to Harper’s runny nose. In her six months of life, the baby had spent approximately half of them with some form of respiratory illness thanks to daycare.
“I don’t want to take any chances with your dress,” Nicole added.
Claire brushed a hand over the lace on her A-line gown even though she ached to hug her friend. “Thanks. I think it’s even better than the first one.”
“Well,” Mindy said, “this one’s not covered in blood, so it’s already a pretty big improvement.”
“No attempted murder talk today,” Nicole said sternly.
Claire grimaced and inadvertently flashed back to that night in the parking garage. All the trauma of her past two years had been knitted into her DNA. Barney, the abductions, ESA, the stalking, harassment, threats, and constant fear for her family’s safety. Those experiences had fundamentally changed her.
She was still healing, still re-discovering what it meant to feel safe. The trauma was a part of her, as much as today would become part of her. But the blaring mental alarms of danger weren’t as loud as they used to be. Here, surrounded by family and friends and waiting to say “I do” to the man of her dreams, they were barely more than a whisper.
Harper whined on Nicole’s hip.
“We’re officially approaching a meltdown. Let me find Kyle and we’ll get started on the first look. I’ll meet you at the rose tunnel in five minutes.” Nicole ducked out the door and disappeared.
As a surprise to no one, Luke had been largely uninterested in wedding planning, but had insisted on having a hand in the cinematic elements—namely, a twenty-foot series of archways he had spent an inordinate amount of time with gardeners persuading climbing roses to grow over.
“You don’t seem stressed,” Mindy said with narrowed eyes.
“Must be the meds,” Claire said with a smile.
But it wasn’t. Or at least, not entirely. Today was the culmination of a lifelong dream, and no matter how many things went disastrously wrong, all that mattered in the end was that she and Luke were officially starting their life together. Who cared if someone threw up in the pool or a mountain lion wandered into their midst? The rest of her life was waiting for her downstairs.
Claire said goodbye to her sisters and slipped off her Jimmy Choo bridal heels (a broken neck was not on the agenda today). A delicious medley of smells greeted her as she and Mindy descended the stairs. Luke’s niece, Sophia, ran past her, shrieking and giggling as Kyle chased her with baby Harper.
“Claire?”
Claire’s shoulders hunched up by her ears. That voice belonged to her almost mother-in-law. Their relationship had improved significantly over the past year, but she still put Claire on edge.
She turned around and fixed a smile on her face. “Hi, Rachel. Thank you for being here today.”
“I wanted to give you something. I should have done it sooner, since your hair’s already done, but here.” She stiffly handed over a small box.
Claire lifted the lid. A beautiful jeweled comb studded with sapphires was nestled inside.
“This was my grandmother’s,” Rachel explained. “All the women in my family have worn it on their wedding days. It’s something old and blue, though I’m sure you already have those traditions covered.”
Claire squeezed Rachel’s hand. “Thank you. I would be honored to wear it. Mindy?”
“On it.” Mindy beelined over and began carefully removing the jeweled comb Claire had bought from Etsy. It was pretty, but it didn’t have decades of family history attached. In no time, the antique comb was nestled in place of the original.
Claire took a look in the mirror in the hallway. It was perfect.
“You look lovely.” Rachel put her arms out at her side.
Claire faltered. Was this a trap? Was Rachel about to stab her in the back and proclaim she was the head honcho of ESA this whole time?
Mindy must have been thinking the same thing, because she tensed up behind Rachel and stealthily drew a Taser out of her clutch.
Claire took a chance and shrank into the hug. It was like embracing a pine tree covered in ice.
When Rachel drew back a millisecond later, she held onto Claire’s arms for a moment. Her eyes were softer than Claire had ever seen. That martini must have done the trick.
“I know I’ve given you some trouble in the past. But I’m glad Lucas found you. You’ve opened something in him that I didn’t even know was there. Thank you for making my son so happy.”
Claire smiled. Her eyes were watering again. She most certainly did not have “waterworks due to a Rachel compliment” on her wedding day bingo card.
“I’m so grateful to be joining your family. I’d better go. You know how Luke hates to be late.”
Rachel smiled and released her. “We’ll see you up there.”
Claire nodded, then rushed through the foyer and out the front door. The end of the rose tunnel caught her eye. Nicole and the florists had carefully arranged movable, rose-adorned trellises joined by a rose curtain at the end. They would remove it afterwards so guests could walk through it to the ceremony site.
“You’re sure you don’t want to do anything about the scar?” Nicole’s voice broke her out of her reverie.
Claire looked down at the end of the shiny scar that was only partially concealed by lace. “No. It’s part of our story too.”
“Okay. Ready?” Nicole asked. She lifted her camera, eyes misty again.
“Let’s do this.” Claire stepped into the tunnel and was immediately transported to a different world. Earthy, floral smells surrounded her. It pulsed with life and natural beauty. Tanya was going to love it.
Nicole’s camera clicked away behind her.
There he was. Luke Islestorm, her very soon-to-be husband. His back was turned, and the tension in his body was palpable even from ten feet away. There was an 85% chance that he was annoyed because she was two minutes late. But it was her wedding day and she was, after all, the bride. There was no such a thing as late.
Claire glanced over her shoulder at Nicole with a mischievous smile before turning back to Luke.
“You’re late,” he said, back still turned.
“It’s your mom’s fault,” she said.
“Really?” His head cocked.
“Yeah. She had the audacity to offer me a priceless family heirloom on our wedding day.”
She tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, and his expression instantly went from one of annoyance to joy.
He held her at arm’s length and studied her like he had just unfurled a beautiful antique map. When his eyes met hers, she saw forever.
“You look incredible, Mrs. Islestorm,” he said.
She shook her head but smiled. “Hartley-Islestorm. And you’re looking pretty incredible yourself. Go on, spin.”
He obligingly turned, and she took an extra second to admire his butt. Mindfulness.
“You’re really going to make our kids learn how to spell Hartley-Islestorm?” His eyes narrowed, but his smile hadn’t left.
“Of course. It’s important to me that they know where they came from.”
“You don’t want to throw an Alejo in there too?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Luke chuckled and pulled her in. Their foreheads pressed together. She put her palm flat on his chest. His heart was beating a little faster than usual.
“Well, even if they never learn to spell their names, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll know they come from the strongest, bravest, most hardworking and incredible woman I’ve ever met.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her gently.
There had been a gigantic softie behind Luke’s grumpy marble fa?ade this whole time. Who knew? All she had to do was systematically pry it out of him over the course of two years.
She glowed from the inside. “Think they’ll be workaholics or pathological people pleasers?” she asked when he pulled back.
He considered for a moment. “I’d bet both. They’ll probably have enough combined anxiety to forecast every possible natural disaster for the next forty years.”
“My mom will be so proud.”
They smiled and just took each other in for a moment.
“I love you,” they said at the same time.
Electricity passed between them. Who could have imagined that the grumpy pain in the ass who broke into her apartment to demand a meeting would end up being her true love?
“Okay, lovebirds,” Nicole chastised from the tunnel. “We only have twenty minutes until guests arrive, so let’s get some pictures with the families.”
After nearly half an hour of various family portraits that had only gone slightly awry when Winston attempted to pee on Rachel, Claire was concealed upstairs again while guests arrived.
Everyone was in attendance. Friends, family, former clients, even a couple of detectives from the West Haven P.D. filled the rows. Finally, it was time.
“I can’t believe today is your wedding day,” Alice said as they stood on the front porch. Her eyes sparkled with tears.
She took Claire’s hands. “Clairebear, you are all the best parts of me—no, don’t start.”
Tears had immediately sprung into Claire’s eyes. “Sorry.”
“You are so resilient, so courageous, and so beautiful. I am honored beyond words to be your mother, and to have watched you grow into the amazing woman you are today. You deserve all the best things in life, darling. And I truly believe that Luke is one of them.”
Claire threw herself on her mom. How many tears could there be on such a happy occasion? She would remember everything about this moment—the anticipation of meeting Luke at the altar, the smell of her mom’s shampoo, the brush of lace over her skin.
“Ready, mija?” Roy held out his arm.
She was beyond ready to meet Luke and start this day of celebration. But something was missing.
“Almost. Hold on one second.” Claire beckoned Mindy over and whispered something in her ear. Mindy pulled out her headset and barked an order into it. A minute later, Jack and Tanya appeared.
“It might be kind of a tight squeeze. But I was hoping you’d walk me down the aisle. All of you,” she clarified.
Tanya sniffed and nodded enthusiastically. Jack smiled and held out his arm. Roy took her other one, and they approached the rose tunnel. It definitely wasn’t wide enough for five people to walk abreast. Alice and Tanya hung back, and after the fleet of bridesmaids, flower girls, and ring bearers passed, they started their journey through the blooms.
Claire snuck a glance at each of her dads as they passed through a dappled beam of sunlight. On her left was Roy, the man who showed her what a life partner should be. He had treated her like his own daughter since the first day they met, even though they didn’t share any blood. He had been there for field hockey games, cheerleading tournaments, first dates, driving lessons and broken engagements.
On the other side was Jack. Deeply flawed, but deeply feeling. Reserved, cautious, protective even when it was annoying. They had lost two decades together. But he had saved her life and was doing his best to make up for it.
She glanced behind her, and Alice and Tanya beamed at her. They were arm in arm despite all their differences. Against all odds, her broken family had come together for the most momentous day of her life. For a moment, they were whole.
They broke through the end of the tunnel, and everyone in the audience stood. Two hundred faces smiled back at her as the five of them stepped down the aisle to a violin version of her favorite Nightsmear song. And there, at the end of the tastefully decorated aisle, was her husband.