Epilogue
“There are some things that you absolutely must not do at someone else’s wedding,” Lyle declares. He makes for a handsome groom, I’ve got to admit. Holding hands with him is Grace, his very, very newly wedded wife. They didn’t even make it to the tent where we’ll have the reception yet. They are still standing under the arch of white roses and English ivy, framed by Jennie and me as maid-of-honor and best man.
Grace adds, “Wearing white is one of them.” She points at Hunter in her beautiful white dress. I admit she kind of looks like a bride, too, but still it’s unfair to call her out like that in front of everybody.
Is this a mean public revenge for the napkin meltdown? Apparently there has been a mishap that sent Grace into a frenzy yesterday, blaming everyone and everything for it. Something about the napkins being the wrong shade of pastel white. Everything looks fine to me for sure. The decorations are beautiful. I should know because I picked them. I was right—Lyle loves them. But in a way I picked what I’d love, too.
I glance at Jennie. I’ve always liked her and think she’s beautiful, but today she is absolutely stunning. She wears her amber waves open and I would love to touch them. Her freckles are dark from the sunny summer we’ve had. Earlier today, she lost one of her contacts and therefore she wears her black glasses. I suppose I am a weirdo, but those glasses make my heart all gooey. Her ample curves are dressed in a way that emphasizes her body—and it looks so good I have to think of boring stuff all the time. The best man better not have a hard-on.
Hunter calls, “Grace chose this dress. She insisted.” It’s plain to see how mortified she is being called out like this. Rory, sitting next to her, takes her hand and kisses it.
Lyle clears his throat. “The other big offense is to propose to the love of your life at your brother’s wedding.”
A dread slaps me in the back of my head. Have I forgotten to do something? Was I supposed to propose? That’s not a thing, is it? I look at Jennie again.
She giggles! I am scared stiff, and that woman giggles. That’s Jennie.
“No, Finn, it’s not your turn yet.” Lyle looks directly at me.
Relief makes me weak in the knees and I exhale audibly, which in turn makes Jennie howl with laughter. She presses both hands to her mouth and turns her back to us. Her back heaves with every new laughing fit and it takes her a minute to calm down. When she turns around to us, her face is streaked with tears. She is all smiles but makes a point of not looking at me.
Lyle and Grace step aside and pull Jennie and me with them. From behind the hedge Hunter’s family steps through the rose arch. I recognize her dad, brother, sister-in-law, the kids, and grandmother from an earlier visit in the summer. They form a semi-circle, and Rory gets up from his seat. He stands in the midst of Hunter’s family.
“Oh, gosh!” Hunter gasps. Ma grapples in the diaper bag of my little nephew and hands her a handkerchief and Hunter scrunches it. She stares at Rory, who gets down on one knee.
Hunter shakes her head. “Not at Grace’s wedding,” she hisses.
“Kitten, I love you. I’ll always love you, wedding or not. Grace and Lyle are okay with this.”
Lyle confirms, “He’s not stealing our thunder.”
Grace giggles.
Rory puts a finger to Hunter’s cheek and turns her attention to him again. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know we haven’t sorted all the things out yet, but I thought that maybe you’d agree to do so while already being married to me?”
Carson gives him a velvet box. There is a sparkling ring in it. That one must be a real pain in the ass in everyday life—it’s so big that it will impede all normal movements. Rory takes the ring and holds it out for Hunter.
She takes a few deep breaths and slowly stands up. “Rory, I love you and all that.” The guests laugh, but Hunter waves them off. “He’s had the chance to find nice words, I haven’t.” Glowering at Rory she asks, “You did that on purpose, did you?”
“You bet.” He grins like the cat that ate a mouse or however that saying goes.
“There is one condition, though.”
Utter silence envelops the wedding party.
“I’ve got no interest in being your fiancé.” Poof, Rory’s smile is gone. “I guess there’s a reason Grace put me into a white dress.” She looks over to Lyle and Grace, who are both grinning like Cheshire cats. “So if you want me, you’ll have to marry me right now. What is there to wait for?”
Rory jumps up, and by that I mean he literally jumps high in the air. His cry of jubilation rings shrill in my ear.
He dips Hunter and kisses her hard. Once they come to a stand again, he gently wipes his thumb across her mouth. “My goodness, I hoped you’d say that.”
This is sweet, very sweet indeed. I dab at my eye, hoping that nobody sees it. Dang it, Jennie did. She smiles at me. I’ll never live that down. But then again, I might not even want to.