Epilogue
Los Angeles
Heavenly stood in front of the full-length mirror in the master bedroom of their new house and studied her reflection—face bare, hair loose around her shoulders, silk robe tied at her waist.
Today, she was finally getting married, and she couldn’t stop smiling. And like everything else in her life, nothing was traditional. So nothing about this wedding would be, either.
To her, that was perfect.
Last night’s “bachelorette party” had been nothing like Gloria’s Vegas penthouse boozefest with penis-shaped straws and hot male strippers.
No, hers had been in her new living room with Grace, Gloria, Raine, and Maggie, watching schmaltzy movies, nibbling saltines and sipping ginger ale, and swapping pregnancy stories.
As gatherings went, it had been small. Full of laughter. Overflowing with sisterhood—all shared with the unlikely circle of women who had become her family. Not the one she’d been born into, but the one she’d found. The one that mattered.
And today, bless them, they would hold her hands and help her take the biggest step of her life.
She would marry Kenneth Beckman and Seth Cooper—the men she loved more than anything.
Her ending might not be a typical fairy tale, but it was absolutely her dream come true.
“Knock, knock!” Gloria called, rapping on the door as she pushed it open.
She emerged into the room, her sassy red hair freshly coiffed and wearing a lacy sage green dress that almost made her look like a typical suburban wife.
But the big, brash smile that was pure Gloria was her madame-coded bling.
“Am I interrupting something? Ken come to give you a quickie before the ceremony?”
Heavenly had to laugh. “Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Raine snorted, wearing flawless makeup, a gorgeous mauve chiffon dress, and bare feet.
She carried in her giant case, full of implements to make Heavenly look more like a bride.
“He and Seth were planning an offensive on your bedroom last night, but I made Hammer and Liam cockblock them. You’re welcome. ”
That made Heavenly giggle. “Thank you.”
She wouldn’t have minded spending her last night as a single woman wrapped in the arms of her men. But that would come tonight, after they’d pledged their lives to one another in front of their loved ones.
Even the thought was going to make her cry.
When she sniffled, Grace bustled in, looking polished in a sedate gray dress.
With a concerned expression, she hooked Heavenly’s wedding dress on the back of the door, the lace and delicate beading catching the morning light, before reaching for Heavenly’s hand.
“Oh, sweetheart. Is everything okay? I was nervous on my wedding day. Both of them. It’s going to be all right. We’re here, and you’re beautiful.”
She hugged her mother-in-law-to-be, so grateful their relationship had come so far in the past few short months. “I’m happy. I promise these aren’t nervous tears.”
Maggie, her soon-to-be-sister-in-law, followed Grace into the bedroom, looking lovely in blue, despite the somewhat green tint to her skin. She smoothed a hand down her still-flat belly. “They’re pregnancy tears. I should know. It’s not even my wedding, and I woke up crying.”
Heavenly grinned as she pressed a hand to the slight curve of her stomach and bit her lip.
Three months along, and the baby was starting to make its presence known.
Not obviously yet, but enough to know the hormones were real.
Enough that she’d tried on her dress twice this week to make sure it still fit.
Raine sniffled as she settled Heavenly onto a stool and opened her case of hair implements and war paint. “That makes two of us. Damn hormones.” Then she tipped Heavenly’s chin in her direction and studied her bare face. “You look way calmer than the rest of us.”
Heavenly’s smile widened. “Only because I know in my heart I’m making the right choice.”
Raine nodded. “You totally are. So glad my brother didn’t jump on you when you offered him your V-card.”
“Me, too.” Heat rushed to Heavenly’s cheeks as she slanted a wary glance at Grace and Maggie. “Long story.”
Grace squeezed her hand. “Seth told me about your horrible landlord. Oh, sweetheart, I can’t imagine how scared you were… And I’m so proud of those men for coming to your rescue. I know it wasn’t funny then, but—”
“But it’s hysterical now,” Gloria piped in. “Ken isn’t usually homicidal, but Raine, honey, you wouldn’t have a brother left if he’d hustled Heavenly to bed.”
“You really wouldn’t,” Maggie put in, carrying a sleeve of saltines and a ginger ale. “If Beck hadn’t ended him, Seth totally would have. I really had no idea what a badass he is.”
Heavenly had known almost from the beginning. At first, he’d scared her more than a little. But now she wouldn’t want him any other way. His protective ferocity—the one he displayed every day for the people he loved—made her feel so safe.
“And thank god. I’m grateful Seth was there when it mattered,” Maggie said softly. “That he saved all of you that horrible day.”
Heavenly’s throat tightened. Seth’s decisive action. Beck’s blood. The terror on everyone’s faces. But today wasn’t about dwelling on darkness. It was about celebrating the light they’d found together.
“We all are,” she managed, her voice thick.
“Hey, none of that. Making you gorgeous won’t be hard,” Raine announced, diving into her kit and immediately circling.
“You’re always gorgeous. But not if you have swollen eyes and a red nose.
I want your grooms speechless at your beauty when they see you, not wondering who to beat the crap out of for upsetting you. ”
Gloria chortled. “Ken speechless? I’d pay money to see that. He’s always got something to say.”
Grace joined in. “The more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I’ve realized you’re right.”
“It’s okay; you can say it,” Gloria encouraged. “He’s a smart-ass.”
Her mother-in-law-to-be sent her a searching stare, and Heavenly had to laugh. “He really is, and he’d be the first one to admit it.”
“True, but I love that about him.” Grace both laughed and grimaced. “And believe me, Seth isn’t perfect.”
Raine almost spit out the tea she’d been drinking. “Um…not even a little.”
Heavenly giggled. “I love him, but…no.”
Quiet descended as Heavenly watched her bestie prepare for beauty battle.
“Ready to be a bride?”
“Beyond.” She reached up to squeeze Raine’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Oh, sweetie. Of course.”
After a shared hug and more tears, Raine got down to work. “Two hours until showtime, ladies. We got this.”
“As far as I’m concerned, she’s already perfect,” Grace said softly, her eyes already misty as she smoothed Heavenly’s hair back from her face.
She smiled at Grace, who had been more of a mother to her in the last few months than her own had ever been. “I just don’t want to look pregnant in my pictures.”
“You won’t,” Maggie assured her with easy confidence. “First babies take forever to show. I didn’t pop until almost six months with Anna. With this one?” She patted her own still-flat belly. “I’m only five weeks pregnant now, and I swear my clothes are already getting tight.”
“OMG, right?” Raine agreed, sectioning Heavenly’s hair for hot rollers. “I’m showing much earlier with this pregnancy than I did with the twins. Either Hammer’s son is massive or my body’s a mess. I’m hoping for the latter.”
Everyone busted out laughing, then quiet settled as the preparations continued.
Heavenly watched as the four women moved around her with purpose.
Grace fluffing her veil and making sure her shoes were pristine.
Gloria fussing with jewelry and slipping X-rated lingerie into Heavenly’s suitcase when she thought no one was looking.
Raine pulling out brushes and palettes with the hand of an artist. Maggie handing her crackers and a can of ginger ale with a contented smile.
These women were her family now. Her girl posse. And her heart was beyond full.
As Raine attacked her hair—curling, pinning, creating something elegant and soft—Maggie shifted on the bed. “Hudson seems to be doing great. Everything went well—the move, the coming baby, his visit with Laura over the holidays?”
Heavenly’s smile softened, thinking of the teenager who’d become such an unexpected blessing in their lives.
“It was a lot of change for a sixteen-year-old. He wasn’t happy at first, especially about the baby.
He thought things would be a repeat of his old life with Laura, that he’d get shoved aside. ”
Grace made a sympathetic sound. “He told me that you assured him that he was irreplaceable.”
Heavenly teared up, earning a scowl from Raine. She sniffled. “It took some convincing, but he finally understands that this baby will never take anything from him, especially our love and attention. We’re just giving him more family.”
“What about the move?” Maggie prompted.
“He understood the need for a bigger house. Luckily, we found this place. It’s perfect for our growing family, but he didn’t have to start over at a new school.”
“He loves it here. He told me,” Grace murmured.
Maggie grinned. “I’m sure the huge pool, game room, media room, weight room, and sauna helped to soften the blow.”
They all laughed, and Heavenly felt warmth spreading through her chest. “So did the car Seth gave him when he came home from spending Christmas with Laura last week. It’s kind of extravagant, but we wanted him to be able to drive himself to and from school. And he’s ready for the responsibility.”
In truth, their lives were falling perfectly into place.
“Speaking of new houses…” Grace cleared her throat, her expression shifting to something more somber. “Carl and I are putting both our houses on the market. We were always going to sell Carl’s but…”
The room went still.
“Really?” Heavenly blinked. “That’s where you raised the boys.”