Epilogue
Connor
Elk Ridge, Ten Months Later…
"If you fidget with that tie one more time, I'm going to strangle you with it."
Liam's voice holds just enough brotherly irritation to snap me out of my nervous spiral. I drop my hands to my sides, resisting the urge to tug at the collar that feels tighter than it did five minutes ago.
"I don't know how people wear these things voluntarily," I mutter, catching my reflection in the window of my cabin. The suit is foreign territory—pressed and proper in a way that makes me feel like an imposter. But Sarah deserves this. A real wedding, not just a rushed courthouse ceremony or a casual gathering on the lawn.
"The suffering is temporary," Liam assures me, straightening his own tie with practiced ease. "The photos, unfortunately, are forever."
"Remind me why I asked you to be my best man," I grumble.
"Because Declan would've lost the rings, and Rowan would have forgotten to speak during his toast." He claps a hand on my shoulder, his expression softening. "You look good, Connor. Sarah won't know what hit her."
A knock on the door interrupts whatever retort I might have managed. Declan pokes his head in, already dressed in his own suit, though his is paired with the chef's apron he refused to take off until the last possible moment.
"It's time," he announces. "Mom says if you're late to your own wedding, she's giving your cabin to Jameson and Bear."
"That dog would destroy the place in a week," I say, but I'm already moving toward the door, the familiar banter of my brothers steadying my nerves more than they could ever know.
Outside, spring has transformed the lodge grounds. Mountain laurel blooms in bursts of pink and white along the paths, their sweet scent carried on the gentle breeze. The ceremony site sits on the west lawn, overlooking the valley where, exactly ten months ago, I rescued Sarah from a storm that changed both our lives.
Chairs arranged in neat rows are already filled with guests—townspeople, lodge staff, and the friends who've become our extended family over the years. At the front, a simple arch woven with wildflowers and mountain laurel marks the spot where I'll wait for Sarah. Rowan and Max outdid themselves with the decorations, incorporating every bloom that holds significance for us—lavender for the bouquets he helped me gather, daisies because they remind Sarah of summer mornings, and mountain laurel to honor the place that brought us together.
I take my position beneath the arch, Liam at my side. From here, I can see the faces of everyone who matters. My mother in the front row, already dabbing at her eyes though the ceremony hasn't even started. Declan with Jules and her daughter Mia, the little girl fidgeting in her flower girl dress. Rowan and Daisy, her head resting on his shoulder as she whispers something that makes him smile. Nolan with his arm around Kathryn, who grins and gives me a thumbs up.
And there, in the third row, Lauren Abbott sits beside Mom, helping my mother organize the program in her lap. Her presence still creates a subtle tension. I notice how Liam carefully avoids looking in her direction, though she steals glances at him when she thinks no one is watching. Some stories, it seems, are still being written.
Jameson arrives last, sliding into his seat with Bear at his feet, the golden retriever surprisingly well-behaved in his bowtie collar. My little brother winks at me, then leans down to whisper something to his dog who sits attentively, as if he understands the importance of the occasion.
The music begins. Not the traditional wedding march, but a string quartet playing a melody that Sarah chose, something soft and achingly beautiful that makes my chest tighten with anticipation.
And then she appears at the end of the aisle, and the world around me fades to background noise.
Sarah Miller—soon to be Sarah Callahan—is radiant in a simple white dress that flows around her like water. Her hair is partially up, with loose curls framing her face and small mountain laurel blooms woven through the strands. But it's her smile that steals my breath. It’s wide and unguarded, her eyes finding mine immediately as if no one else exists.
Maya walks beside her, serving as her maid of honor, but I barely register her presence. All I can see is Sarah, moving toward me with steady steps, each one bringing her closer to the future we've chosen together.
When she reaches me, I can't help but reach for her hand, needing the contact to ground myself in this moment that feels almost dreamlike.
"Hi," she whispers, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Hi," I manage, overwhelmed by how beautiful she is, by how impossibly lucky I am.
The ceremony passes in a blur of words and promises. I repeat my vows without hesitation, the words coming easily now that I've learned to stop overthinking and simply feel. When I slide the ring onto her finger, my hands are steady despite the emotion tightening my throat.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant says, and before he can tell me to kiss the bride, I'm already drawing Sarah close, her laughter against my lips the sweetest sound I've ever heard.
Cheers erupt around us. I'm vaguely aware of Liam clapping me on the back, of my mother crying openly now, of Bear barking his approval from his spot beside Jameson. But all that matters is Sarah in my arms, her hands framing my face as she whispers, "We did it, mountain man."
The reception unfolds on the lodge's garden terrace, transformed by twinkling lights and more of Rowan's floral arrangements. Declan outdid himself with the menu, incorporating Sarah's recipes into his own for a feast that has guests returning for seconds and thirds. The cake—a masterpiece of Sarah's design that she insisted on baking herself despite my protests—sits on display, waiting for the traditional cutting.
I find myself at the edge of the dance floor, watching as Sarah twirls with Mia, both of them laughing as Declan and Jules look on. The sight of Sarah with a child makes my heart swell with possibilities—a future I never allowed myself to imagine before her.
"She's good with kids," Liam says, appearing at my side with two glasses of champagne. He hands me one, following my gaze. "Got any plans in that department?"
"One life-changing event at a time," I reply, though the thought has crossed my mind more than once lately. "How about you? Any regrets about the path not taken?"
His eyes involuntarily drift to where Lauren sits at a table with my mother, their heads bent together in conversation. "Some roads are better left untraveled."
"But?" I prompt, sensing there's more he's not saying.
He sighs, taking a long sip of champagne. "But sometimes I wonder if we gave up too easily. If the timing was just wrong."
"It's never too late to find out," I say, thinking of how close I came to losing Sarah through my own fear and hesitation.
"Says the man who took ten years to notice the woman right in front of him." Liam's tone is light, but there's something wistful in his expression. "Some of us aren't as lucky to get second chances."
Before I can respond, Rowan approaches, gesturing toward the dance floor. "Hate to interrupt, but your wife is looking for you." He emphasizes the word 'wife' with a smile. "Something about not letting her dance alone at her own wedding."
"Don't need to tell me twice." I hand my glass to Liam, clapping him on the shoulder as I pass. "Think about what I said."
Sarah meets me halfway, immediately fitting herself against me as if we've been dancing together our whole lives. "Everything okay?" she asks, nodding toward Liam who still stands on the sidelines, his gaze now openly fixed on Lauren.
"Just offering some brotherly advice," I say, spinning her gently. "Something I seem to have gotten good at recently."
"The wise Connor Callahan," she teases, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. "Who would have thought?"
"Certainly not me." I pull her closer, breathing in the scent of her—vanilla and flowers and something uniquely Sarah. "Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"
"Only about twenty times." Her smile is soft, intimate. "But I don't mind hearing it again."
"You're beautiful," I murmur against her ear. "And I'm the luckiest man in Elk Ridge."
The music shifts to something slower, and Sarah rests her head against my chest, her body swaying with mine in perfect harmony. Over her shoulder, I watch my family. Declan spins Jules while Mia giggles at their feet. Rowan and Daisy are in their own world, foreheads touching as they dance. Nolan whispers something to Kathryn that makes her laugh out loud.
And then there's Jameson, sitting at a table with Bear beside him, looking thoughtful as he scratches the dog's ears. Another Callahan bachelor, though something tells me he won't hold that title for long. Not if my mother has anything to say about it.
"What are you thinking about?" Sarah asks, following my gaze.
"Family," I answer honestly. "How it grows and changes. How sometimes the things you're most afraid of turn out to be exactly what you need."
She pulls back slightly to look at me, her eyes filled with a tenderness that still catches me off guard. "Like getting caught in a storm and rescued by a silent mountain guide?"
"I wasn't silent," I protest, though we both know better.
"You were absolutely silent." She rises on her toes to press a kiss to my jaw. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."
As the evening wears on, we slip away from the celebration, finding a quiet moment on the lodge's back porch. The valley stretches out below us, bathed in the golden light of sunset, the same view that's witnessed so many pivotal moments in our story.
"So," Sarah says, leaning against the railing. "Any regrets, Mr. Callahan?"
"Just one," I tell her, wrapping my arms around her from behind. "That it took me so long to see what was right in front of me."
She turns in my embrace, her hands coming to rest against my chest. "We got here eventually. That's what matters."
And as I lean down to kiss her, surrounded by the mountains that have always been my home, I realize that home isn't a place at all. It's this feeling—of belonging, of being truly seen, of finding the courage to risk everything for love.
Sarah Miller rescued me long before I ever rescued her. And now, we'll spend the rest of our lives rescuing each other, again and again, through whatever storms may come.
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Thank You for Reading Rescued In The Storm !
I hope you loved Connor and Sarah’s story as much as I loved writing it! Are you getting as invested as I am in the Callahan family? Good. There are plenty more books to come, including Liam’s story of course.