Epilogue
Ethan adjusted the straps of Sera’s dress as she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror leaning against the wall, then collected a wayward strand of her auburn tresses, poking it back into her updo.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said.
She turned to him and smiled. ‘So do you.’ She straightened his tie. ‘Is the suit Tom Ford?’
‘Would you expect anything else?’ He smirked.
‘Have you seen Toby yet?’ she asked.
‘I did. The Doc scrubs up. I hate that he’s nearly as handsome as I am.’ Ethan’s eyes narrowed. ‘Nearly.’ He smirked. ‘You two will look great on the dance floor later.’
‘He made me practise,’ Sera said.
‘The guy is such a nerd.’
She gave Ethan a shove. ‘I’m glad it’s a sunny day. A wedding on the beach in the rain wouldn’t have been much fun.’
There was a tap at the door and Chris popped his head into the room. ‘Are you ready, little brother?’
Ethan turned to Sera and asked, ‘Am I?’
‘You tell me,’ she said.
He drew in a slow breath, and an unexpected calm washed over him. All the jitters of the morning fell away, replaced by a simple sense of rightness. A swell of emotion filled his chest as a broad smile burst across his face.
‘So fucking ready,’ he said.
‘Then go get married, Hollywood.’
Hazel clutched her father’s arm. ‘Did the canapés go out?’ she asked. ‘Did everyone like them? Was there enough?’
‘Honey, you’re not catering this thing. Please relax and enjoy your day.’
‘I am relaxed. Well, okay, I’m not. But I’m getting married. I’m not supposed to be relaxed, am I?’ She breathed in and out, shallow breaths. Her head spun and she gripped her father a little tighter.
If anyone had told her fourteen months ago that she’d be marrying Ethan James, a charmingly vain, way too good looking actor, she would have told them they were crazy. No way. Except then he’d sauntered into her life and shot down all her upside-down ideas and doubts with his killer dimples. She loved him a stupid amount and had done for longer than she would admit, even to herself.
‘Has any press shown up, Dad?’ she asked.
‘Not that I could see. I think putting Sera and Toby down as the bride and groom was a genius move.’
‘It was nice of them to agree to it,’ she said. ‘They’re good friends to Ethan.’
Violet handed her a bouquet of hot pink pom-pom dahlias and kissed her sister on the cheek.
‘I’m so happy for you.’ Tears of joy filled her eyes. ‘You look beautiful, sis.’
‘Even more beautiful than your husband, and that’s saying something,’ Meredith added. ‘You wait until you see him.’
Hazel’s father gently nudged her. ‘What do you think? Shall we go get you married?
‘Yep.’ The tightness in Hazel’s chest lifted. ‘Let’s get me married.’
Violet waved at the DJ, and music filled the air.
As Hazel stepped onto the sand, her gaze landed on Ethan. If her father hadn’t been holding her so tight, she would have swooned. Finally. He was wearing a simple black suit with a crisp white shirt, open at the neck and tight across his chest. His feet were bare. That was the part that got her. It made her tingle in a way that she suspected was inappropriate while walking down the aisle on her father’s arm. Ethan smiled so widely the brightness put the sun to shame, and any remaining nerves melted away into the sand beneath her feet.
‘Look at her,’ Ethan whispered under his breath.
‘She’s even prettier than you,’ his brother said, lightly nudging Ethan with his shoulder.
Ethan barely noticed Chris standing beside him. Everything around Hazel had blurred away, as if a vignette had dropped over his world, highlighting only her. She was practically gliding down the sand, barefoot and in a simple white, off-the-shoulder dress that clung to her willowy form, moving elegantly and deliciously with her body. Her bubble-gum pink hair was pulled back into her quintessential high ponytail, which swished as she walked. She was unique and she was beautiful, and she filled him up in a way he’d never known before. And she was his. Everything in his life was better with her. He was better with her. He loved caring about someone more than himself, and he loved her so much he didn’t know how he could keep it contained. Whenever she smiled at him, he almost forgot what breathing was.
She stepped in beside him and said, ‘Hi.’
‘Hi,’ he said, then, ‘You look fucking beautiful.’
‘You look fucking beautiful, too. Hey Harry.’ She crouched down and patted the dog sitting at their feet, then gazed up at Ethan and said, ‘Aww. He’s wearing a bow tie.’
‘He’s my dog, he knows how to own an occasion.’
‘Kevin sends his apologies. He’s my cat, he knows how to avoid an occasion.’
‘Our cat,’ he said. ‘Our lucky black cat.’
He couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled her to him, his arms sliding around the soft fabric hugging her waist, and he kissed her.
‘Too soon,’ Violet said, as their friends and family laughed.
Ethan clutched Hazel’s hands, his heart pounding.
‘What do you think, Chef? Are you ready for forever?’
She squeezed his hands in return. ‘I’m ready if you are, movie star.’
They stood on the deck of the concrete and glass mansion, arms around each other’s waists, and waved the last of their guests goodbye. Sera and Toby stumbled off down the sand, Toby lumbering with every footstep as Sera clung to his back, a bottle of champagne gripped tight in her hand.
Ethan’s phone vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket, quickly glanced at it, then put it away again. He dusted a kiss to Hazel’s temple. ‘I love you,’ he whispered.
‘Lucky,’ she whispered back, ‘because you’re stuck with me now. P.S. I love you too.’
‘Shall we do it?’ he asked.
‘Definitely – I mean, it is our wedding night.’
‘I meant go inside, but that too.’ He took her hand and led her through the glass doors, pulling them closed behind him.
‘I can’t believe you rented this house for our wedding,’ she said.
‘We have unfinished business in this house,’ he said.
‘We do?’
‘Yep.’ He flicked off the lights and squeezed her hand. ‘Come on.’ He was buzzing. He had a surprise for her and he couldn’t wait for her to see it.
She pouted as they passed the kitchen counter.
‘We can have as much kitchen sex as you like later,’ he said, as he led her to the stairs.
‘Where’s my threshold, husband?’ she asked.
‘Do you have one, wife?’ His lips twitched and then he grinned at her as her perfect eyebrows drew into their familiar frown.
‘Don’t give me those dimples.’ She poked him in the chest. ‘I was talking about the one you’re supposed to carry me over.’
‘Ah.’ He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, ducking her long legs as they kicked.
‘I like this award-winning view,’ she said, grabbing his arse cheeks and squeezing them so hard he winced.
‘Ow. Fuck.’ Laughing, he carried her up the stairs to the master bedroom.
‘Close your eyes,’ he said, and he gently lowered her to her feet. She squeezed her eyes tight, and he wrapped his fingers around hers and led her into the bathroom, jittery with anticipation.
‘Okay. Open your eyes,’ he said.
Hazel gasped, and the sound made Ethan’s heart soar. Candles burned on every surface, filling the room with a soft golden glow that shimmered on the tiles and glass around them. The enormous bathtub was finally full of steaming water, with pink rose petals floating on the surface and a bottle of champagne nestled at its edge.
She grabbed his hands. ‘Did you do this?’
‘Absolutely not. The wedding planner did it. They just slipped out.’ She slapped his arm, eliciting another ‘Ow’. Then her warm hands were on his cheeks as she turned his face towards her and kissed him, soft and tender.
Ethan wrapped his arms around Hazel, losing himself in her lips. Whatever he was feeling was way beyond happiness. It was contentment. It was knowing that the woman in his arms would be in his arms for as long as they both walked the earth. Even if everything he’d worked for disappeared tomorrow, as long as she was still there, he would be okay. And she would be okay. Not that anything was going away. He was flying to Europe soon to start shooting a new movie in Venice. Hazel was going with him, at least for a couple of weeks, before she’d have to get back to work and her restaurant. It would be painful being apart, but they’d make it work. They had plenty of time. They would just live in the moment.
She pulled back from the kiss, her hands still cupping his cheeks.
‘What now, movie star?’ she asked.
Her face glowed in the light of the candles, and Ethan’s heart burned as bright as their flickering flames. He loved her so much.
‘Now,’ he said, pulling her tighter to him, ‘we’re finally going to put this bath to good use.’ She grinned at him, her ocean-coloured eyes shining.
‘Do you think we’ll fit?’
Ethan gently touched his lips to hers. ‘Hazel, we’ve always fit.’