Epilogue
One year later
Villa Serena
Outside Rome
It took him a year to convince her, but he did it. It was finally their wedding day. Nick thought he’d be nervous. Marriage was a big deal. Unless things went really wrong, it was for the rest of your life. But he was fine. Calm. Very sure of what he was doing.
His life had changed beyond recognition anyway.
It had been the happiest year of his life.
He and Parker had been living together in Rome the past year, in a large apartment he’d bought after selling his flat in London.
He’d sold his London flat at a market high and had been able to buy two floors in a palazzo in the center of Rome, one to live in and one as company headquarters.
His commute to the office was two minutes.
There’d even been money left over to buy his parents a small apartment in the same palazzo.
Parker had made their apartment, his office and his parents’ place incredibly elegant. Entering his home, closing the door behind him, Nick always felt better. Relaxed, happy, at peace. And clients were astounded when they entered his headquarters. Security companies weren’t known for their beauty.
And Dylan relocated to Rome and loved it.
He’d thought he’d sacrifice business to live with Parker in Rome, but nope. Business went up. Go Solutions was the preeminent security company in the Mediterranean now, where there’d be security work till the sun went nova.
Crazily, Go Solutions had very lucrative ongoing contracts with the Italian Defense Ministry.
Parker had accompanied him to a big US Embassy thing they both thought would be boring.
As it turned out, the Italian Defense Minister was there, and he was a fan of Roman history and was dazzled by Parker.
He and Parker chatted in Latin all evening and the next day Nick was called in for a contract. So far, he’d had ten of them.
Things were going really well for Parker, too. Apocalypse Then was climbing the bestseller charts, and the documentary would air in the fall. She was happy and he was happy for her. It was an amazing book and had people buzzing.
“There she is!” someone shouted, and yep, there she was.
They were in the villa’s garden with silk-covered chairs on the grass, and Parker was walking down the central aisle.
Nick’s father had offered to walk her down the aisle—nobody even knew where Parker’s father was—but she chose to walk herself to him.
Following tradition, Nick hadn’t seen the bridal gown, and he wished he had seen it beforehand because seeing her unexpectedly like that was a blow to the heart.
He couldn’t tell anyone—not even Parker herself—but sometimes, being with her, seeing her unexpectedly, his heart would give this huge thump in his chest. He even secretly went to a cardiologist once when he was Stateside, but it appeared his heart was in perfect working order.
It was his woman who was dangerous.
He couldn’t even begin to describe the dress except that it was white, elegant, silk with lace everywhere. She had a lace veil, but he could see through it perfectly and saw when she smiled at him, and he suffered another thump in his chest.
Nick heard a deep sob in the audience, but he didn’t have to look to know who it was.
His mom. If possible, she loved Parker almost more than he did.
She and his dad were spending more and more time in Rome.
His mom had found the daughter she’d always wanted, and Parker had found the mother she’d never had.
When his mom was in Rome, she and Parker would disappear for whole afternoons and go on epic shopping sprees.
They’d come back with a billion bags, slightly tipsy from drinking Prosecco at Antico Caffè Greco, which they both loved.
Parker mainly because, as the oldest cafè in Rome, Byron used to drink there. His mom because she liked the Prosecco.
Nick loved seeing both of them so happy and was only annoyed that Parker so rarely made use of his company credit card, paying for everything herself.
A string quartet had been playing, and now they struck up Pachelbel’s Canon in B minor, which even he recognized. It accompanied Parker until she slowly reached his side then stopped.
Everything was perfect. Parker and his mom had erected what she called a ‘bower’ and what he called a lot of flowers.
This arch thing that looked like a little slice of heaven.
Parker reached for his hand, and he lifted it to his mouth.
They turned slightly, both facing Dylan.
Who, to Nick’s amazement, had gotten some mail-in divinity degree and lately had been calling himself ‘The Rev.’
He was going to marry them. Parker loved the idea, so that was that, but Nick secretly thought it was sort of borderline illegal. Dylan was not pastor material.
But there Dylan was, sober, unsmiling, in his best gray silk suit, ready to marry them.
He’d insisted they write their own vows, and Nick had spent sleepless nights trying to write something until he found some words on the internet and shamelessly copied them.
“Dearly beloved,” Dylan intoned with a perfectly straight face. “We are here to witness these two united in matrimony. They will speak their vows.”
Nick faced Parker. Opened his mouth. And all words fled from his head. Everything. He’d practiced in front of a mirror endless times, but it was as if his mind had taken a hike.
The silence stretched out.
Someone coughed.
Dylan frowned.
Someone else coughed.
“I love you,” Nick finally choked out. And then his throat closed up.
Dylan scowled at him then turned and smiled at Parker. “Parker?”
Parker looked relaxed, more relaxed than him, that was for sure. She smiled up at him.
“Nikolai Alexander Garin. I love you, too. You are the most extraordinary man I ever met. The best man I know. Twenty-four hours after we met, you risked your life for me. Got shot for me. I’m happy when I’m with you and miss you fiercely when you’re away.
I want to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you.
You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I promise to honor and care for you all the days of our lives, till death do us part. ”
“Attagirl,” Dylan whispered and he pulled out a jewelry bag and out tumbled two rings made of platinum with their names engraved on the inside of the rings. One large and one small. He gave the small one to Nick and the large one to Parker.
Nick took Parker’s left hand, with the ginormous diamond engagement ring that she complained about but never took off and slipped on the wedding ring. She took his hand and slipped on his wedding ring, the only piece of jewelry he would ever wear.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” Dylan intoned solemnly then broke out into a huge grin. “You may kiss the bride.”
The wedding party broke out in cheers and whistles.
Control yourself, Nick told himself. You have the rest of your life. Nick lifted that lacy veil over her face and there she was. The most beautiful woman in the world, and she was all his. He was able to give Parker a sweet, chaste kiss and congratulated himself on his restraint.
Parker smiled up at him, that special smile that always moved him. Because he was the cause of that smile. He was the one to make this beautiful, gifted woman happy.
The wedding party was on its feet, clapping. Someone gave a piercing whistle. Jacob Black whistled like that, but when Nick looked over at him, he was standing there, applauding, an innocent grin on his face.
Well, if ever there was an unlikely avatar of wedded bliss, it was Jacob Black. Incredibly tough and hard, a legendary warrior, and putty in his wife’s hands. She was by his side, a beautiful woman, though nothing compared to Parker.
Nick would never say that, though.
Parker stepped forward, bouquet in hand. Subtly, the few single women in the wedding party made their way to the front to try to catch the bouquet.
Nick didn’t care who caught it. He was finally married, it was done, and he was going to enjoy the hell out of the rest of his life.
He was already thinking ahead to the wedding banquet.
Parker had chosen the menu, and it was guaranteed to be spectacular.
The huge, flower-strewn table was on the other side of the villa, but Nick thought he could smell the food.
But instead of throwing her bouquet into the crowd, Parker turned and thrust the flowers into Dylan’s hands. Dylan didn’t surprise easily but he looked utterly astonished as he fumbled the flowers.
“Dylan, you’re next,” Parker said and smiled.