Epilogue
One year later
Wyatt’s book with his new character based on Jillian hit the bestseller charts at number one and stayed there for a month.
Jillian’s charcoals sent her up to the next level in her career, and she had finally learned to finish one project before she started another one.
They had both had their pictures on the covers of prestigious magazines, but that didn’t matter to either of them as much as going home to their place in the woods and spending time together.
On their wedding day, they went to the courthouse for a quick ceremony, and then went straight home.
When they arrived, Wyatt scooped Jillian up like the new bride she was and carried her over the threshold of their cabin.
The train of her white lace dress dragged behind her.
A warm spring breeze whipped her veil over them, covering their faces.
“Paint me happy,” she singsonged when he set her down at the bottom of the staircase.
“That sounds like the beginning of a country song.” Wyatt brushed a sweet kiss across her lips, totally unlike the scalding hot one he’d given her when the judge at the courthouse pronounced them man and wife.
“It is the beginning of our life together,” Jillian said.
“You look amazing today, darlin’.” He picked her up by the waist and swung her around several times.
“And now, if you will lay your bouquet on the bar, it’s time for our first dance as a married couple.
I’m sorry that I don’t have the new song by a famous artist like Chris Stapleton to sing paint me happy. ”
He touched the screen on his phone and played “I’m Gonna Love You.” She looped her arms around his neck and his went to her waist. They danced around the floor with only Molly and Rascal watching them from halfway up the stairs.
“Why did you want to wait a year?” Wyatt whispered. “I would have married you the day we moved into this place.”
“I would have done the same, but we both needed to be sure …” She locked eyes with him. “Now we’ll never look back and wonder.”
The next song on the playlist was “Until I Met You.” The lyrics talked about not knowing what he was missing until she lifted the darkness. “This is my song to you for the rest of our lives and beyond. I’m not a songwriter, but I could have easily written this from my heart.”
When the song ended, she picked up the phone and found the right one for their third song of the evening.
“It Took Too Long” began to play, and she gazed up into his eyes.
“This is my song to you for the rest of our lives.” She sang with the lyrics when they said that every moment felt right now that he was in her life.
When that one finished, she took his hand and led him to the table. A two-layer wedding cake sat on one end, and champagne chilled in a bucket of ice on the other. He popped the cork and filled two crystal flutes. She cut the cake and put a piece on a plate.
“Now we loop arms, which means we are together forever and take a sip out of our own glass, and then we feed each other cake,” she explained.
“What does that mean?” Wyatt asked.
“That we are committed to providing for each other until death parts us.” She pinched off a piece of cake with her fingers and fed it to him. Then he did the same thing.
“I love that we did this our way,” he whispered as he fed her cake. “And after that?”
“And now according to all things biblical, it is time for you to take me to bed and truly make me your wife,” Jillian teased. “I threw away my birth control pills a week ago, and I wouldn’t mind starting a family tonight. We”—she poked him on the chest—“want to be young grandparents.”
“Are you calling me old?” he teased.
“No, I’m just stating facts.”
“What if we have all sons?” He picked her up again and carried her to their bedroom.
“You will teach them to play football, hike, and write books. And we will love whatever we get and feel fortunate to raise them right here in our cabin,” she said, and then gasped when he threw open the door. “Holy hell, what have you done?”
Rose petals covered the bed, and their sweet fragrance filled the entire room.
“You got the wedding you wanted. Simple. Just you and me at the courthouse since we have no families. Now I get to give you a proper honeymoon.” He gently turned her around and slowly unbuttoned every single satin button down the back of her dress.
He slipped it off her shoulders and let it fall in a puddle at her feet.
“I love you so much, Wyatt,” Jillian whispered as she untied his bowtie and tossed it across the room. Then she slipped his tux jacket off and hung it on the bedpost.
“One of the characters I read about in a novel got pregnant every time her husband hung his clothing on a bedpost. Maybe that right there means in nine months we will be parents. Do you think that’s too soon?” She kissed him and nipped playfully at his lip.
“Never!” Wyatt picked her up and laid her on the bed of roses.
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