Epilogue
There’s a diamond burning a hole in my pocket. Which is pretty silly, considering the girl I want to give it to is already my wife.
Still, I’ve been stuffing it into my pants pocket for days now. A small, half-carat, princess-style diamond. Nothing crazy—but much nicer than the gold bands Ash purchased for us.
I’m not sure if it’s the reception Coco and Mom have planned or the fact that Delaney and I have now been married three months, but I feel like if I don’t give her this ring in the next hour, all hope will be lost.
Blood boils inside of my skin, and I feel like James Bond on a mission—it’s now or never. Live or die—it must be done.
I storm over to the bathroom door, adrenaline pumping, and fling it open to a busy Delaney. Her hair is pulled back and up in a clip, flopping to the side in a whoosh on top of her head. She’s barefoot with chipped pink polish on her toes. Her pajama shorts are short, with only one of her bare legs covered in shaving cream. And she’s shirtless, only sporting a turquoise bra at the moment. With foam on her lips, she pauses the back-and-forth brushing of her teeth to look at me and my grand entrance.
“Hey babe,” she says, past a mouth full of minty fresh Crest. “Do you need the bathroom?”
A splatter of white, minty bubbles falls onto her chin. She bites the purple toothbrush Coco bought her three months ago between her teeth and reaches for a washcloth to wipe off her chin.
Yep, that’s my girl.
I have no doubt—and with that realization, no more fear.
I bend to one knee—this time with intention—knowing exactly what I’m doing, what I want, and what I’m getting myself into.
“Delaney Sage Jones—”
“It’s Bailey,” she says, toothbrush still between her teeth.
“Will you marry me?” I wrangle the ring from my pocket—dang, I should have gotten that out before I bent down—and hold it up to her.
Delaney stares down at the gold band and little diamond in my hand. Blowing, she spits her toothbrush into the sink and wipes her mouth clean with the back of her hand. All grins.
She falls onto my leg, setting herself there, and wraps her arms around my neck. Her lips press to mine, warm, sweet, and extra minty. She kisses me long and deep in answer.
“Is that a yes?” I say when she breaks our connection.
“Yes.” She tilts her head. “I mean, you are conveniently already my husband. And I do love my new stage name. So, sure. Why not?” She leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“You missed,” I tell her, cupping her cheek and pulling her lips back to mine.
Bonus Epilogue
Cooper
Wow. My sister can throw one heck of a party. Miles’ new studio never looked so good.
Coco was smart when she talked Delaney into a wedding dress.
Whew. That new sister-in-law of mine looks pretty good in white. But… I don’t think I’ll tell Miles that.
Or maybe I will.
It’s fun to watch my tamest brother get a little riled.
“Hey,” Coco says, linking her arm with mine. “I need to grab more sandwich platters, wanna help?”
“Sure.”
I stare out at the middle of the floor where Miles and Delaney dance. Next to them, Alice pirouettes in her pink flower girl dress, spreading rose petals all around her, while the crowd watches. Mom invited everyone she knows—plus Delaney’s family and friends. Everyone but Delaney’s mother showed up, and from my new sister-in-law’s reaction, I think that’s a good thing.
I am determined to get a Judys’ phone number by the end of the night. I’ve always thought that drummer was pretty cute.
We walk by the three-tiered wedding cake, and while I don’t normally care or notice things like this, I can’t help but see the small stack of business cards sitting next to the confectionary masterpiece.
Leah Bradford is scrawled in fancy gold script over the card. Just her name and a number. And I am oh so tempted to snag one of those business cards.
I linger at the table, scanning the room for my nemesis.
“She isn’t here,” a high voice says from behind me.
“Who isn’t here?” Coco says, peering around me.
I scan over my shoulder to Caitlyn, Leah’s younger sister.
“Leah,” Caitlyn says.
“Oh, the pastry chef. Do you know her?” Coco peers up at me.
“Oh, they know each other, all right.” Caitlyn’s green eyes—the same shade as Leah’s—go wide. “But Leah is not a Cooper Bailey fan, unlike everyone else at Lake City High.”
Coco stands beside me, now facing Caitlyn.
I puff my cheeks and blow out my breath. ”No, she is not.”
“I like him,” Caitlyn says to Coco as if she’s trying not to offend. “But Leah so does not.” She giggles as if it’s hilarious.
“Wait,” Coco says, and for some reason, she’s smiling. My sister finds this funny. “Someone doesn’t like my little brother?”
“That’s right.” Caitlyn points at Coco, her smile growing wider. “I heard you got a long-lost sister. Mom told me. Wild.”
”Super wild,” Coco agrees, though the topic is a bored note on her lips. She”s ready to skip back. ”So, this Leah doesn”t like Coop?”
“Don’t be offended.”
“Oh, I’m not offended, just in shock. Everyone loves Coop. He could charm a blind man out of his cane.”
I cough. “You know, I don’t think that’s a compliment.”
“It is,” Coco insists, but she’s still looking at Leah’s sister. “Mostly. So, what did Coop do? How did he get on her bad side?”
She looks at me, but I’m not fessing up to anything, not in front of Coco.
“Well, for one—he ruined her prom.”
”Nooo,” Coco says, her eyes widening like this is juicy gossip. ”Not Coop. He”s charming and sweet. And a gentleman.” Her brows lower, and she elbows me in the ribs, muttering, ”Tell me you were a gentleman.”
“He wasn’t her date.” Caitlyn sighs.
“Oh.” Coco shakes her head, not following. I can already tell her mind is slipping back to that empty sandwich tray.
“Cate,” Mrs. Bradford calls from several feet away. “We’re heading out, honey.”
“Coming,” she says but pauses next to me. “You aren’t back back, right Cooper Bailey?”
”Ah, no.” I shove both my hands into my suit pants pocket. ”I still have a couple more years of law school.”
“Whew.” Caitlyn makes an exaggerated motion of her hand across her forehead. ”Leah graduates with her business degree in December. Mom is hoping she”ll move back home. No way that”s happening if Cooper Bailey”s back in town.” She wrinkles her nose, then waggles all ten of her fingers at me. ”Bye-bye,” she sings.
Coco and I watch her go before heading off toward the back room, Miles’ private studio, where Coco has coolers full of food.
Coco opens one of the coolers and hands me a tray of tiny square sandwiches. Man, I’m glad I wasn’t here to be on the cooking crew. She could be feeding an army with what she’s got left.
“Why would she say you ruined her sister’s prom night?” Coco asks.
I think for only a minute about the pretty, green-eyed girl who’d always caught my eye in high school. “Probably because I did.”