Epilogue
Lottie
“Mrs. Carver, it was a very small ceremony held at the courthouse. No one was invited.”
“Well, dear. I just assumed we would all get to participate in your special day.”
“You know what you get when you assume?”
I elbow Thane in the gut and say, “That’s what today is for, Mrs. Carver. This is the celebration we wanted.”
“You’re not even wearing a wedding dress though.” The woman is pouting. “I had all boys, you know. I was looking forward to this.”
“And you will have a great time at the party,” Thane grumbles. “Trust me, Rafe went all out. Why don’t you go find the refreshments table? He put out a spread of very fancy tea sandwiches, and he’s paired them with various teas.”
“Oh. Oh, my. That does sound lovely. I’ll do that, Thane. You’re a good boy.” She pats his arm on her way by.
“Tea sandwiches?” I ask.
He glowers out over the crowd that’s in our backyard. Rafe has missed his calling as a party planner. Everything is perfect. From the massive marquee tent to the flowers and the band, it’s everything I would have chosen for myself and more.
“He did that to fuck with me. Who has tea sandwiches anymore?”
I stifle my laugh, but it makes his frown deepen.
“It’s only the cocktail hour. He has real food coming. Do you get cranky when you’re hungry?”
“Pitifully so.” Kara ducks behind me to avoid her brother’s scowl.
We’re standing on the new patio of our new home, waiting for Boone to let us in while all our friends and guests enjoy the cocktail hour.
“You can probably put Hercules down. There are enough people here that she won’t be able to get into anything,” I say.
“No,” Thane barks, then pinches the bridge of his nose. “Do you see how many people are out there, drinking, dancing, and completely oblivious? All it would take is for one person to step on her, and they’d completely crush her. I’ll hold her.” He finally turns toward me. “Thank you though.”
The smile I’d been biting back escapes full force. “Are you ready to admit you love her now?”
His brows dip low, matching his lips as he stares at me. “Not wanting her to die and loving her are two very different things.”
“Ah, come on, Brad. What’s the big deal? We all know you love her.” Kara’s been teasing him relentlessly, but I’ve yet to figure out what’s changed. “You know she’s going to see it as soon as we walk in there.”
“Kara, zip it.”
The back door opens, and Boone exits the house. “Hey, congrats, guys. This was a shock, but a good one. Come on in. All the furnishings aren’t in yet, but my interior decorator did what she could with what was available.”
“Thanks, Boone.” I barely get the words out before Kara blows past him and into the house.
“It smells so…new in here,” she exclaims.
Thane and I follow Boone’s lead.
“This was obviously a last-minute addition, but we were able to add it without losing too much space from the garage.” As Boone’s speaking, I spin in a circle, not a hundred percent sure what I’m looking at. “So the doghouse facade isn’t ready yet.” He pats a small, enclosed area. “But once it’s on, it will be an exact replica of the home. And the puppy spa is raised, so you don’t have to bend down to give her a bath. The doggy dryer you requested comes down with this button here.”
“The doggy dryer?” I’m trying not to laugh in Thane’s face, but this is over-the-top, even for him.
“Oh my God,” Kara screams repeatedly as she runs through the house.
“Take off your shoes,” Thane bellows.
It’s silent for two seconds before her bare feet hit what sounds like hardwood floors above us.
“Lottie. Lottie, you have to come see this.” Kara’s voice bounces off the walls deep within the house.
Thane nudges me through the door that leads into the kitchen. It’s beautiful. White cabinetry with a leathered granite in grays and blues that remind me of the ocean.
“Up here, Lottie. Come on.”
Boone points to the right, and I exit the open concept kitchen into the grand room, where I lose my breath. Above the fireplace is a selfie that Kara took of the three of us watching a movie, but it’s been turned into a framed piece of art. Fine lines of silver and aqua are a pop of color to the black-and-white photo, and it somehow makes our faces the focal point.
“How did you do that?”
“I may have stolen it from Kara’s room and then searched for the right artist for over four months.” Something in Thane’s voice has me searching his face.
“Don’t be embarrassed about that. This is…really, it’s beautiful.” My words catch in my throat.
“Lottie.” Kara’s never been this impatient for anything, so instead of inspecting every nook and cranny I pass, I head straight upstairs, where she grabs my hand and tugs me toward the end of the hall.
“You ready?” Her eyes are misty, and every ounce of her is flush with happiness.
“I’m ready.”
She sweeps open a door and drags me inside. In the center of a room is a four-poster bed with sheer netting artfully draped, making it something straight out of a fairy tale.
“Over here. Over here.”
Boone has created one of the most magical scenes I’ve ever imagined. Below the large windows is a bench seat covered with pillows and throw blankets. He’s built it out so it’s more of a cubby with bookshelves lining the walls on either side. The bookshelves wrap around to cover the entire wall, complete with a library ladder that slides back and forth.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Tears slip down her cheeks, so I open my arms, and she falls into them for a hug.
“It’s stunning, Kara. Truly.” I look over my shoulder to see Boone standing in the doorway, staring at the floor. “Boone, this is…honestly. This means so much. Thank you.”
“He made it big enough so we can both lounge there, and the cushions are made of the thickest memory foam. It’s like sitting on a cloud.”
His face flushes pink. “I’m so glad you like it. There’s a lot to see still.”
“You both have offices, and there’s a library separating them. How cool is that?” Kara squeals.
Thane stares at his sister with a small smile playing on his face. He enjoys making her happy.
“That’s…amazing.”
“Well, the entire house isn’t finished yet. There’s still work to be done, but we made the bedrooms and kitchen a priority so you could move in as soon as possible.”
“Well done, Boone. This is even better than I’d hoped.” Thane makes the first move to shake Boone’s hand, but Boone tugs him into the bromance-pound-it-out embrace that guys do.
This house is literally straight from my dreams.
“Thane?” Rafe’s voice echoes through the empty hallway.
“What?” Thane barks back.
“Aw, here you are. The partygoers are getting antsy. Can you finish the home tour later?”
“I’d rather not,” Thane mutters.
I take his hand in mine and squeeze. “That’s fine. I think this one could use some food anyway.”
“Great. They finished setting up the buffet five minutes ago, so perfect timing.” Rafe holds out one arm, gesturing for us to exit Kara’s room.
“Buffet?” Thane digs in his heels. “Do you know how many germs are spread from a buffet?”
“Pfft.” Rafe makes a get-moving motion with his hands. “I know your dislike of buffets, Thane. It’s well documented. You two have a special meal at the sweetheart table, so your snobability can take a back seat.”
“That’s not even a word. Snobability. It’s ridiculous.”
“But it got you moving, didn’t it?” Rafe winks as I pass him in the hallway. “There’s also a special guest out there who deserves some one-on-one time. She’s at table four.” There’s nothing but love on his face. He’s such a good friend to Thane and me.
Thane leads me outside, where he once again frowns at the gathering.
“In the front.” Rafe points to a table that’s raised on a small pedestal.
“Fuck.” Thane groans. “Why are we on display as though we’re prime rib at a meat auction?”
“A meat auction?” Rafe has remained fairly unflappable since I’ve met him, but a meat auction is apparently too much for him. He cracks up. “What is a meat auction?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I passed a sign for one once, so I had to investigate it. Trust me, it’s a rabbit hole you do not want to go down. It appears highly unsanitary.”
“No, it’s not unsanitary, Thane,” I say.
He ignores me and tugs gently on my hand, leading me toward the sweetheart table, then stops mid-stride, and I wobble at his side.
When I look up, he’s staring at a table where a tiny old woman sits, swinging her legs because they don’t touch the ground. Thane’s face softens, and he swallows hard before squeezing my hand.
“Come meet Ophelia.”
The older woman is absolutely beaming at my husband as though he’s her favorite celebrity. Love shines in her eyes, and when she reaches for a cane as though she’s about to stand, Thane hurries us to her side.
“Stay sitting,” he tells her.
“My boy.” Her voice wavers with age and so much love that tears sting the back of my throat. “I wouldn’t have missed this even if I was on my deathbed. That Rafe flew me and my niece out here on a private plane.” She makes a tsking sound. “Far too fancy for my liking, but this.” She waves a weathered hand around our back yard. “This is simply perfect.”
“Ophelia, this is Lottie, my wife.”
She turns her watery gaze my way. “An angel,” she croaks. “I knew my boy would find someone who loved him if he ever got his head out of his computer screen. Now, I’m not saying what Mr. Wilder did was right, but it started the chain of events that led both my babies to happiness. I’ve never seen Thane or Kara look so happy, child. And I know I have you to thank. So thank you for loving on them both the way they deserve to be loved.”
Bending at the waist, I hug her. “Thank you for taking such good care of them all those years,” I whisper. “And there’s no need to thank me, Ophelia. Loving them is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
Thane takes my hand as I step back from her.
“Ophelia,” he says. He’s composed himself, but the affection for this woman is still all over his face. “Do you require anything? Would you like me to get you a plate of food or a drink?”
She waves him off as if he’s an annoying gnat. “You don’t need to be taking care of me today, my boy. You do enough of that every other day. My niece is getting me two plates so I can try a little of everything. And all I want is to watch you be happy today. No one deserves it more than you.”
Thane squats in front of her, then wraps her small frame in an embrace that takes her by surprise, causing tears to spring from the corners of her eyes.
“Thank you for showing me kindness when no one else did. Thank you for encouraging me to have a relationship with Kara. And thank you for teaching me that I am worthy of love, even if it took me decades to figure out. If I hadn’t had you in my life, I don’t know that I’d be capable of loving Charlotte and Kara the way that I do.”
She pats his back, and I wipe away a tear of my own.
“That’s nonsense, Thane Wilder. You’ve always had a great big heart in there, it simply took finding the right woman to unlock it. Now get out of here before you make me ruin my makeup. I haven’t worn makeup in thirty-five years, so I want to make the most of it.”
“You look beautiful,” he says.
“Oh my. A wedding and a compliment.” She winks at me. “Lottie dear, you’re more than an angel, you’re a bona fide magician. Now take him out of here before he makes me cry again.”
Thane chuckles, pats her knee, then stands to his full height. “I…” He tugs on the back of his neck. “I’m really glad you’re here. Thank you for coming.”
Her smile makes all the lines in her face more prominent. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You’re a good boy, always have been.”
He nods but doesn’t look away immediately. After a few seconds pass where it feels as though he’s memorizing her face, he takes my hand in his and leads me to our table.
As soon as we’re seated and facing the crowd, my brother clinks on his glass, and is soon followed by everyone else.
“What’s he doing?” my husband asks.
I lean into his side. “We’re supposed to kiss every time someone clinks their glass.”
His gaze heats instantly and a wicked smile appears. “Perhaps your brother isn’t so bad after all.”
He lowers his lips to mine and promptly devours my mouth like no one’s watching. He leaves me breathless, and when we finally part, it’s to a chorus of cheers.
Staring out over the crowd of happy faces, I know I’ve found my happily ever after.
All it took was a hotline and one very special man to hold the frayed strings of my heart and make me whole.
* * *