Epilogue
Grayden
“If I’d known we were coming to a celebrity wedding,” Piper said, “I would’ve worn a different outfit.”
I kissed her temple. “You look gorgeous in anything, and you know it.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I like hearing you say it though.”
It was a beautiful July day. We were in Hartley, the county seat, to witness the nuptials of Teller and Ayla. Not that we’d been expecting it.
Last night had been the final show of Ayla’s tour.
She’d sold out Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver.
Today, we’d been planning to meet her and Teller in Hartley for lunch.
The whole crew had been invited. The O’Neal clan and all their significant others, plus a bunch of Teller’s other friends and coworkers from Silver Ridge PD.
Little did we know, we would cross the street to the justice of the peace for Teller and Ayla to get married.
Now we were on the courthouse steps, waving goodbye to Teller’s truck. A few of us had hastily decorated the back window with a bunch of hearts and flowers and the words Just Married.
A year ago, I couldn’t have fathomed that I would be standing here. Not just an invited guest to Teller’s wedding to a pop star, but with his sister on my arm. The love of my life.
Or that she’d have my name tattooed on her shoulder, clearly visible in her sundress.
“Party at Silver Linings!” Piper shouted. “Coffee and treats are on me!”
Our friends and family cheered, especially Maisie and Ollie.
“You might want to warn your employees this crowd is heading to the shop,” I said.
And maybe some reporters too, from the looks of it. Teller and Ayla had fooled the paparazzi with their surprise wedding, but people were catching on fast.
The happy couple had already zoomed off to their newly renovated home, but the rest of the world would probably assume they’d be with us.
Piper smiled. “Already texted. Let’s go party and celebrate love.” Then her nose wrinkled. “The old me would never believe I just said that.”
“But the current you is a fan of love, right?” I asked.
She rubbed her nose against mine. “Of course. Because I’m so ridiculously, completely in love with you, Grayden O’Neal.”
“Ew, Mom,” Ollie said, laughing as he ran by us.
We all piled into vehicles and headed back to Silver Ridge. Wildflowers were blooming everywhere, and I tried to memorize the lush, summer landscapes along with Piper and Ollie’s smiling faces.
I wanted to draw them later. Maybe paint a new mural on the side of my studio building. The neighbors wouldn’t mind that, right?
Since I’d opened my studio in the spring, I’d been doing brisk business. Milo and Earl had been a couple of my first clients. Ashford and Callum had gotten ink from me too, along with tons of other Silver Ridge residents I could’ve sworn had given me dirty looks in the past.
But all that was forgotten. I was back in the town’s good graces. Back in the lives of everyone I loved, which was far more important.
I’d also pretty much moved in with Piper and Ollie. While I still had my space in the back of the studio, I spent every night with them. We felt like a unit.
Pretty soon, I hoped to make our arrangement more official. But for now, I’d just been enjoying all the simple pleasures of every day with them. Like skateboarding with Ollie, making Piper her coffee in the mornings, and sharing in all their laughter and love.
About an hour later, we’d taken over Silver Linings. The party spilled out onto the sidewalk, and Piper opened up the doors of the coffee shop to invite in the sunshine. Everyone was in a jubilant mood.
So I was surprised to see Dane and Ashford heading over to me with serious expressions. There was a glint of something fierce in Ashford’s eyes.
“What’s up, guys?” I asked.
“So it turns out today’s a momentous day for more than one reason.” Ashford held up his phone. It was open on what appeared to be a live video. He was streaming a broadcast from a cable news channel.
As I watched, the world around me stopped.
“Silas Drummond, a well-known attorney in Washington, D.C., and a major political donor, has been arrested today on charges of bribery and making false statements to the FBI,” the news anchor said.
The video showed Drummond, far older than I remembered, being escorted from his massive home by police.
“What the fuck,” I said under my breath.
I walked outside with Dane and Ashford, and we moved away from the crowd. “I’ve known this could be in the works for a while,” Dane said. “Didn’t know it would be today until minutes ago.”
Ashford gripped my shoulder. “I thought you’d want to see it live.”
I looked from Dane to my brother. “But how?”
I’d known Dane hired a private investigator to look into Drummond. But to actually see him arrested…not for what he did to me, obviously, but for something. It was indescribable.
“When my investigator started digging into Drummond’s secrets,” Dane said, “there was a whole lot to find. We turned over everything to law enforcement, and they took over. I’m shocked it all happened so fast. Sometimes these things take years.”
“Tell him the rest,” Ashford prompted.
Dane nodded, a sly grin curving his lips. “My investigator also got in touch with Silas’s son, Aaron Drummond.”
My stomach twisted. Aaron, my former Army friend. The man I’d taken the fall for.
“I’ve been working with some lawyers who are experts in federal criminal law,” Dane said.
“They’re going to try to overturn your conviction, and Aaron is willing to speak on your behalf.
Seems he’s been wracked with guilt all these years over what he and his father did to you.
He’s ready to sign an affidavit admitting everything.
Including that he killed that soldier in the bar fight fifteen years ago, not you. ”
My knees went weak, and I leaned against the wall of the building. “Holy shit.”
“Aaron won’t serve any time,” Dane went on, “and he knows that. The statute of limitations for manslaughter or lying to police is long past.”
Ashford scowled. “It’s bullshit that he can get off so easy. But if Aaron’s testimony will help get your conviction reversed…”
“Then I’ll take it,” I finished. “I can’t believe it. Thank you. Both of you. You didn’t have to do this for me.”
“Sure we did,” Dane said. “You’re family.”
Grace ran outside. “Did you tell him?” she asked, then sprinted toward me.
There were lots of hugs. Too many to count. I still had a long way to go toward getting my conviction overturned, but I’d never expected to get even this close to vindication. Or to have so many people in my life who cared to make it happen.
Then Piper came outside. Her face said Grace had told her the news. We walked toward each other and kissed like we were in some movie, and the emotional music had crescendoed.
This certainly felt like a happy ending.
Piper
I woke to an empty bed. But that wasn’t very surprising.
I sat up, yawning and patting down my messy hair. Voices drifted in from somewhere beyond my bedroom door. Again, not surprising.
Grayden had a habit of getting up early to spend time with Ollie in the mornings.
While I loved waking up next to Grayden, I loved walking out into the living room and finding them chatting over a comic book even more.
Or in the kitchen making chocolate chip pancakes with flour dusting the counters and laughter filling the air.
I pulled on my robe over my pajamas and stopped by the bathroom to splash water on my face.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. Life was good.
Silver Linings was doing better than ever before. My new baker had started experimenting with pastry recipes that had people lining up before we even opened.
I’d also started taking online courses toward finishing my college degree in literature. Grayden had been the one to inspire that, reminding me that it was never too late to pursue something I’d once dreamed about.
Though of course, a lot about my life felt like a dream come true.
I headed out to the kitchen and found the table already set. There was a plate with eggs and bacon waiting for me, and a mug of coffee sat beside it.
Both Grayden and Ollie were smiling at me in a way that seemed almost conspiratorial. Ollie was practically bouncing on his toes, dancing around the way he did when he was particularly excited about something.
“Good morning,” I said slowly, looking between them. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Ollie said, his grin widening.
“Just breakfast,” Grayden added, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.
I narrowed my eyes at them. “You two are acting weird. Did I forget something? Is there some big event today?”
They exchanged knowing glances, and Ollie giggled.
“Seriously, what is happening right now?” I asked, though I couldn’t help smiling at their obvious excitement.
I went over to Grayden and kissed him on the cheek, then pulled Ollie into a hug. “I love you both, you know that?”
“We love you too,” Ollie said, pushing me away playfully. “Now go sit down and have your coffee.”
“My coffee?” I raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you this concerned about my caffeine intake?”
“Just drink it, Mom.”
I looked again at Grayden, who was trying to maintain a neutral expression but failing miserably. The corner of his mouth kept twitching upward.
“Okay, fine. I’m going. You weirdos.” I moved to the table and pulled out my chair. Then reached for my coffee mug, lifting it to take a sip.
And that’s when I saw it.
Underneath where the mug had been, sitting on the table, was a ring.
My breath caught in my throat. I set the mug down carefully, staring at the delicate band with its small but beautiful stone catching the morning light.
“What…” I looked up at Grayden, my heart hammering. “What’s going on?”
Grayden crossed the kitchen and kneeled down beside my chair. He took my hand in his, his dark eyes meeting mine.
“Piper,” he said, his voice steady but soft. “You and Ollie are everything I could’ve dreamed of or hoped for. During the darkest times in my life, even when I didn’t think I had any hope left, something got me through. Maybe I sensed back then, somehow, that life would bring me to the two of you.”
Tears were already streaming down my face.
He picked up the ring, holding it between us. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” The word burst out of me before he’d even finished. “Yes, of course, yes.”
Ollie let out a whoop of celebration, jumping up and down. “Gray, I told you she’d say yes!”
Grayden slipped the ring onto my finger, and I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He caught me, pulling me close as I sobbed into his shoulder.
“I love you,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
When I finally pulled back, Ollie crashed into both of us, his arms around us in a fierce hug. I held them both, my son and my future husband.
Grayden had always felt like part of my family, even when I was young. But now, the three of us had a bond together that went beyond any words or description. Nothing would ever tear us apart.
Grayden was going to be Ollie’s stepfather. He would love my son and take care of him. I’d already seen how wonderful he was with Ollie.
Grayden would be my husband. My happily ever after.
And I was going to be Piper O’Neal. The thought made me laugh through my tears. The O’Neals and the Landrys. We were already family in the ways that counted, but soon, it would be legal too.
“Can we have pancakes now?” Ollie asked, still wrapped around us. “To celebrate?”
“We’re having eggs and bacon,” I pointed out.
“But pancakes are great on the side. Everyone knows that.”
Grayden laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of Ollie’s head. “Chocolate chip?”
“Obviously.”
I looked at the two of them. At the ring on my finger that promised a bright future. I remembered the first night Grayden stayed here with us, back on Thanksgiving, less than a year ago. Before so much had happened.
This felt like the end of one chapter of our story. But for our family, it was only the beginning.