Epilogue
CALEB
My brother stares at Andi, spinning her away from him with her white dress drifting around her ankles before he tugs her back toward his body. She wraps her bare arm around the tops of his shoulders, her head tilting back as a string of laughter falls from her lips.
I slide my hand onto Mia’s lap, her fingers immediately threading through mine as our eyes meet. The corners of her pink lips lift into the softest smile, her brown irises shimmering beneath the lights above.
“They look so happy,” she says as her gaze drifts back out to the dance floor in the center of the barn. A soft breeze drifts through the massive wall of windows that were propped open to let in the cool night air.
Last summer, Andi and Carson came to Sugar Hill Hollow with us and when they saw Willow’s family’s farm, they fell in love with it and immediately booked it as the venue for their wedding.
They decided on an early summer wedding this year, so they could have it just after the hockey season, but before it was too hot to have one where we could enjoy the cooler evening air.
My eyes trail over the side of Mia’s face, pausing on her highlighted cheek bones. “They’re not the only ones.”
The song comes to an end, switching to something a little more upbeat as people from the reception begin to crowd onto the dance floor. Carson pulls Andi to his side, the two of them swaying together as Rowan and Hadley walk over to them.
I glance over to the table next to us where my mother and aunt sit, entertaining all the kids.
Tella looks over at me, a bright smile on her face as she waves.
Matteo says something to her and she cuts her eyes, her lips moving as she responds to him.
Everything just feels exactly the way it’s supposed to be.
“Dance with me?” I ask as I rise to my feet, holding onto her hand.
“I’d love to,” she smiles, standing up with her. Her champagne colored dress falls just beneath her knees and it shifts around her legs as she walks on her heels, letting me lead her onto the dance floor.
Ignoring the beat of the music, I pull her flush against me and she presses her cheek to the side of my chest. “I love you, Mia,” I murmur, grazing my lips up the side of her neck. “I can’t wait until our wedding.”
She laughs as she pulls away from me. She’s still in my arms, leaning back against them, and shakes her head at me. “I think you’re skipping a step.”
The box I’ve been carrying around in my pocket for the last two weeks feels like it’s burning a hole through my pants. Something has been holding me back from doing it, but it’s not her. God, it could never be her.
It’s me. It’s me wanting to do it right. To have it be the perfect moment.
“Can I steal your date?” Andi asks as she slides her hand around my arm. Nova, Riley, and Hadley all linger around her, as if they’re about to swarm Mia.
A chuckle rumbles in my throat and I press my mouth to Mia’s, feeling her warmth beneath my lips. She kisses me back before Nova clears her throat and begins to drag Mia away from me. I release her, my heart swelling as they pull her into a circle and all start to dance together.
“Happiness looks good on you, Ford,” Rowan says as he throws his arms over my shoulders, tugging me toward him.
“You and Mia are good together,” Lincoln chimes in, a small smile on his lips. “I never thought I’d see the day, but I’m glad we’ve all gotten the chance to.”
“If there’s anyone who deserves to be happy, it’s you, Caleb,” Nash chimes in, holding his drink toward me as Carson steps up beside me. They all begin to close in, forming a circle. “To all of us.”
We all clink our glasses together before taking a sip.
My eyes survey the barn and I catch sight of Willow pausing by the door, her hand slipping into someone else’s who stands just outside the door and she ducks out into the darkness.
Forgetting about her, I look over at my brother.
“I’m proud of you, little bro,” I say to Carson.
“You’ve done well for yourself. You’ve made a life with the woman you love and your son. ”
“I’m proud of you, Cale,” he reciprocates, his arm replacing Rowan’s around my shoulders. “After everything that has happened, look at where you are now.” He smiles and hugs me closer. “Mia is the best thing that could have happened to you.”
I look past the guys, over to Mia where she’s dancing with Tella in the center of their little circle. All the girls and the kids are holding hands, circling around as Mia spins Tella around in the circle.
“She really is. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I plan on making sure I do whatever I have to do to prove my worthiness for the rest of my life.”
“Do you think you’ll marry her?” Rowan asks.
The corners of my mouth twitch. “I do.”
Lincoln raises an eyebrow. “Do you have a ring yet?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I do.”
“So what the hell are you waiting for?” Nash cuts in, his voice raised slightly. “Sorry,” he laughs, shaking his head. “You’re the last one left. What are you waiting for?”
“The perfect moment,” I admit with a shrug.
Rowan laughs. “There is no perfect moment, bro. Just stop wasting time.”
Time. What a fickle, fleeting thing.
He’s right. What am I actually waiting for? There is no perfect moment other than the present, while we still have time.
“You’re right,” I tell him, nodding as I glance around at my teammates. My friends. My family. “I need to just do it.”
“Fuck it. Do it tonight,” Carson says, winking at me.
My eyes widen. “I can’t do that. Today is your wedding.”
“I’m telling you to do it tonight,” he insists. “You don’t want to wait any longer than you already have. You know how things can go . . . how quickly life can change.”
A lump lodges in my throat and I chew on the inside of my cheek as I slowly bob my head. “I know.”
“Okay, boys, he’s mine now,” Mia says, smiling brightly as she sashays her way into the circle, pulling me away from them. “You can have him tomorrow when you all go golfing.”
Carson’s eyebrows tug downward. “We’re leaving for Paris in the morning. You guys are golfing without me?”
“Oops,” Mia giggles as she drags me away from them. I let her lead me over to our table, but as we reach it, I slip my arm through hers, pulling her away from it. “Where are you taking me, Mr. Ford?”
“You’ll see.”
“Oh, wait,” she says in a rush, stopping as we reach the door. “I need to find Willow. She wanted to get pictures together.”
“I saw her leaving the barn a little bit ago,” I tell Mia. Andi and Carson invited Willow and her brothers to the wedding, since they got to know them through Mia and due to wedding planning.
“Hm,” she hums, her eyebrows cinching closer. “Well, I’ll just have to try to find her later.”
“I’m sure you will,” I say, leading her through the doorway and out into the grass. Mia falls silent and she tips her head up to the sky as thunder rumbles in the distance. I lead her past the barn, the clouds lighting up as heat lightning illuminates the night sky.
We walk together through the grass in the direction of the river that is just down past the farmhouse.
Lightning streaks across the sky again, a cool breeze drifting past us.
To the right is a weeping willow and I pause, releasing Mia’s arm as I reach for her waist, pulling her flush against my body.
“I love you,” I breathe. I slide my hand up the back of her neck and into her hair to tilt her head back. My lips find hers. “God, I love you so much it fucking hurts sometimes.”
Mia pushes her hands into my chest, like she’s trying to push away from me, her eyes slowly searching mine. “I don’t want it to hurt you.”
“No, pup, not in a bad way. In an ‘I can’t live without you’ way.”
A tender smile touches her lips. “I know that feeling,” she says, her eyes staring directly into my soul. Mia Landry sees me, every single part, the good and the bad. Her love is unwavering and unconditional.
Her love is everything.
“I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to do this and I’ve realized it’s been right in front of me this entire time. The perfect time is always the present, because it’s all we know. It’s all we have guaranteed. And I want every present moment with you, Mia.”
I let go of her, taking a step back as I shove my hand into my pocket and fish out the black velvet box. Mia gasps, tears filling her eyes as her hands lift to cover her mouth. I drop to one knee in front of her, popping open the top. “Will you marry me?”
The tears begin to fall down her cheeks just as the sky above opens, a steady drizzle falling down upon us. “Yes, Caleb,” she says in a rush, reaching for me, pulling me to my feet. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
I pull the ring from the box, which falls into the grass as I slide the ring over her finger. Her gaze drops down to it for a moment, as does mine. The diamond looks perfect on her, exactly where it’s supposed to be. I drop her hand, lifting mine to the sides of her neck as she tilts her head back.
My mouth finds her in a rush, our lips melting into one another, the rain drizzling down on us as heat lightning streaks across the sky once more. “I found you when I wasn’t looking for anything,” I say, murmuring against her lips, kissing her again. “I can’t imagine a life without you.”
Mia pulls back, her eyes searching mine as she lifts her arms and wraps them around the back of my neck. “My time is yours, my love. It was always meant for you.”
Wrapping my arms around her in return, I pull her flush against me, my eyelids fluttering shut as I rest my head against the top of hers.
I hold her close, breathing in her lavender and vanilla scent mixed with the petrichor as the drizzling rain fades.
The willow tree rustles in the breeze and a faint smell of orange blossom drifts past.
I slowly lift my head and look over at the tree. Heat lightning flashes, illuminating the sky and the meadow around us, revealing a small butterfly taking flight from the leaves of the willow tree.
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face as it drifts past, flying up into the night as I hold Mia close to me.
I press my lips against her forehead. “Come on, pup.” I release her from the hug and slide my hand down to hers, threading our fingers together and brushing my thumb over her ring. “We should get back to the reception.”
“I’ll follow your lead,” she says, smiling up at me as she squeezes my hand.
She thinks I’m the one who’s been leading, but it’s been her leading me all this time.
And I’ll follow her to the ends of the earth, in this life and the ones to come.
Always.