Epilogue
The lights strung across the ceiling glowed soft and golden, like captured stars, and flowers—my flowers—spilled from every corner, overflowing from the arrangements I’d spent days perfecting.
Soft petals brushed the edges of chairs, climbed along the aisle, and framed the space in color and life.
It felt like stepping inside a dream I’d once been too afraid to have.
Late afternoon sunlight poured through the tall glass windows, warm and bright, catching on every reflective surface.
It landed on my ring, sending shards of light dancing across the walls and floor.
I turned my hand just slightly, watching the way it shimmered, loving how it felt both foreign and exactly right all at once.
I lifted my champagne flute and took a slow sip. The bubbles fizzed over my tongue, then settled low in my stomach, where happiness bloomed. For the first time in my life, I was really, truly happy.
“Look at you,” Betty Jo’s voice floated over my shoulder.
I turned just in time to find myself wrapped in a hug that nearly knocked the breath out of me, her perfume familiar and comforting.
She leaned back just enough to look at me, her eyes bright as she grinned.
“I mean it, honey, you’re glowing. Absolutely glowing.
” “And that groom of yours?” She fanned herself.
“Good gravy. That man looks positively sinful. Girl, if I were thirty years younger, I would give you a run for your money.”
I laughed and hugged her once more, just for good measure. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” she said, pulling back and squeezing my hands. “I’m so glad everything worked out.”
I smiled softly. “Me, too.”
Marge hovered just behind Betty Jo. She gave me a once-over, lips pressed into a firm line as her gaze swept over me from head to toe.
“Well,” she said at last, “you clean up all right. You don’t look a bit like the bedraggled little thing that got off the bus.”
Tears pricked my eyes at her words. “I missed you.”
I moved forward to hug her before she could pretend she didn’t want one. She stiffened for half a second before her arms came around me.
She patted my back awkwardly, then pulled away and waved a finger in my direction. “Just remember: don’t trust him too much. All men want is sex.”
I bit back a smile, thinking of how very much I enjoyed the moments when Rodrigo and I fell into bed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, affecting a serious expression.
“Bah!” She flapped her hands my way. “You’re still young. I’m sure you don’t mind him crawling all over you.”
Betty Jo rolled her eyes, and I couldn’t contain my smile any longer. “I most definitely do not.” I leaned in close. “It’s one of my favorite things about him,” I whispered conspiratorially.
Marge wrinkled her nose, then turned serious. “You look happy,” she said quietly.
I nodded. “I am.”
Betty Jo kissed my cheek. “We’re so happy for you, dear. You deserve it.”
I smiled at the two women who had saved me. Without them, none of this ever would have happened. “Thank you—for everything.”
Marge and Betty Jo moved on, and I let my gaze drift across the room. Laughter filled the space, mingling with the soft clink of glasses and the low hum of music. Everywhere I looked there was someone who mattered, someone who had chosen to be here with me.
Trust had never come easily to me; but somewhere along the way, without even realizing when the shift began, I’d started letting people in—and instead of leaving, they’d stayed.
Joey stood near the bar, hands moving emphatically. Mia was doubled over with laughter, her hands cupping her hugely rounded belly. Jules lingered beside them, watching on with amusement.
The three of them had been by my side through this past month, through every step of planning and every quiet moment in between while I healed. They hadn’t just helped me pull together a wedding; they’d given me a sense of belonging I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
Their husbands, as always, hovered nearby.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the big, alpha men as they kept a close eye on the women they adored.
My gaze flicked once more to Rodrigo, his head bent close to Fox’s, and everything inside me went liquid at the sight of him.
We were all so very lucky to have found happiness and security with these strong men.
Suddenly, as if he could feel the weight of my gaze, his head jerked up. He caught my eye almost immediately, an invisible thread pulling us together even in a crowded room.
His gaze dipped briefly to my hand, to the ring catching the light, and something deeper settled into his features. Pride. Possession. A love purer and deeper than anything I’d ever known.
He winked, and I felt myself go a little weak in the knees. He was so damn gorgeous. And he was all mine.
My gaze drifted to Eva as she leaned into Fox, his arm looped around her waist. They had flown in from Chicago just yesterday, yet it felt like they were a permanent part of my life.
Eva had continued to check in on me every couple of days, and I was so very grateful for everything they’d done for us.
Sheriff Eric Donahue stood a short distance away, his posture rigid as ever, his attention quietly fixed on Fox. He hadn’t let go of his suspicions, and I doubted he ever fully would, but he tolerated the man’s presence all the same.
As I took it all in, something seemed to suddenly click into place in my brain. Family wasn’t something defined by blood, but by choice. Family were the people who showed up and stayed, the ones who stood beside you when it mattered most.
These people… they were family.
The thought settled deep in my heart just as a familiar warmth wrapped around my waist. Rodrigo drew me gently against him, and I found myself leaning into him without hesitation. He was so strong, so sturdy. He was everything I’d ever dared to wish for and more.
I tilted my face up to his, meeting his gaze, and for a moment everything around us disappeared.
Rising onto my toes, I closed the space between us, and his hand tightened just slightly at my waist as our lips met.
The kiss was slow and measured, an unspoken vow of all we’d endured—and the life we’d built together.
Around us, the celebration carried on, but in that moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just this—to him, to the life we’d made, to the people who stood by us the entire way.
I wasn’t alone anymore.
Not even close.
Thank you so much for reading In Plain Sight!
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