Epilogue
Rhett
Ten Months Later
Lainey looked so fucking beautiful. She had on a strapless red jumpsuit with the diamond R around her neck—an outfit that showed the dip of her chest and the cinch of her waist, the curve of her ass and the delicious muscle in her legs.
An outfit she’d purchased from a boutique in Reykjavik even though I’d had my shopper in LA send over a slew of things for us to wear this weekend. Lainey thought it was important to represent a local designer for the opening of my hotel. My shopper’s selections were added to our walk-in closet, Lainey insisting they get returned when we moved back to LA in a few weeks.
She tried to limit how much I spoiled her.
Most of the time, I won.
But tonight, with how sexy she was in red, I was happy to cave.
“Come here.” I turned her hand so she faced me at the mouth of the hallway, where we were about to do a final walk-through of the bottom level of the hotel—at least that was what she thought—followed by dinner with some officials of the island to celebrate the opening of the hotel. “I just want to tell you I love you. Spending the last eight months here with you by my side has been an experience I’ll never forget. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
She flattened her hand against the lapel of my suit jacket. “You could have. You just would have had a very lonely bed at night and no one to eat dinner with at midnight when you finally returned home from work every day.”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding on to her ass. “You did far more than keep me company, Lainey. You helped me make decisions. You picked out finishes. You weighed in on the hiring of certain staff.” I chuckled. “Cole and Spade Hotels might need to put you on the payroll.”
She gave me the smile that was reserved just for me. “It was an honor to stand by your side while you created this masterpiece.” Her hands went to my face, the R tattoo pressing against my cheek. “But maybe next time, you could pick a place that’s a tad bit warmer?”
“Baby, are you telling me you’re tired of shivering?” I squeezed her ass.
“And I thought London was cold. Jeez.”
“As long as you come with me, I promise the next location will be warmer.” I narrowed in on her mouth. “I want to kiss you, but that lipstick is just fucking cruel.”
“The red, you mean?”
I nodded, knowing I would be kissing her soon, but that color was going to paint my lips and never come off.
“Ah, let me show you something fun.” She dragged her thumb over each lip, and when she was done, her finger was free of red. “It’s smudge-proof. It won’t come off?—”
That was all I needed to see.
I pulled her face to mine and surrounded her lips, teasing my tongue around hers. Her rose scent was all I smelled, and I couldn’t get enough, drawing her in closer, pressing my body to hers.
“Whoa,” she moaned a few seconds later. “Are we going to make it to that dinner?” She winked.
I chuckled. “Let’s do the walk-through, then.”
I linked her hand in mine, kissing the top of her knuckles as I walked her down the hallway, pointing out the different spaces where, in the last few days, some tweaks had been made. Because we wanted privacy, away from the construction and hotel employees, Lainey and I lived about a quarter of a mile away in a house I’d rented within the heart of the capital. So, even though she was here a lot, she didn’t come daily to witness the progress.
We were only a few rooms down when I came to a stop outside a closed door. “Open it.” I nodded toward the handle.
“Isn’t this one of the ballrooms?”
“It is.”
“Did you add the lighting that we talked about—” She stopped herself mid-question, her hand going over her mouth after she gasped. “Rhett, oh my God!”
I moved us inside the ballroom. The scent from the roses instantly filled my nose, so I knew it had to be doing the same for her. There were thousands of long-stemmed red roses inside. They covered the four walls; they were in tall, clear glass vases every few feet throughout the room; the floor was made entirely of petals.
This didn’t feel like a space filled with flowers.
This felt as though we had stepped inside an actual rose.
And the only light inside were candles, the flickering flames creating an ambiance that I had been envisioning for weeks. There were hundreds of them, each wick ablaze, the white base the only color inside all the red.
I brought Lainey to the center and positioned her to face me. There wasn’t any nervousness running through me. What I felt was a calm. Because this was the woman of my dreams. The woman I’d waited all these years to be with. The woman who I knew, in my heart, would be with me forever.
I reached inside the pocket of my suit jacket, and I took out the small velvet box, opening the lid while I got on one knee.
Lainey’s eyes filled with tears, her hand finally dropping from her face as I reached for her left one to hold, her chin quivering now that it was uncovered.
“My Lainey.” I smiled. “You came into my life to show me who I really was. You came in to teach me about love—a word I never knew the meaning of before. You came in to make my world a better place. You give me purpose. Passion.”
I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. “I breathe because of you. I want because of you. I learn and I grow and I need—all because of you. You’re more than my why, baby. You’re my reason. My one.”
I opened the lid of the box, the diamond nestled inside the velvet folds. “Our journey has been made up of three phases. Freshman year was one. Junior to senior year was two. And this has been our third. When I designed this ring, I wanted those stages to be present, like steps leading us to where we are now.”
I took the diamond out and placed the eternity band in front of her finger. The five-carat center stone was oval, shaped like the inside of an infinity symbol. The two-carat rectangular stones beside it sat lower on the band, as if they were actual stairs leading to the main diamond, symbolizing our life now.
“I love you, Lainey. I’ve always loved you. I will love you until I take my last breath.” The emotion was building in my throat. “Will you be my wife?—”
“Yes!” She collapsed on top of my leg, sitting there while she threw her arms around my neck and squeezed. “I love you so much, Rhett.”
Still holding the ring, I put it in my palm, and I hugged her back, tucking my face in her neck, breathing in a scent that a roomful of roses couldn’t even compete with.
“My wife,” I whispered. “Lainey, you’ve made me the happiest man.”
I clutched her hair, clinging our bodies together. And when I finally let go, I placed the diamonds on her finger.
“Rhett, this is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.” She stared at it, her eyes wide and watery. “It’s truly a staircase with an infinite amount of love.”
I wiped a tear off her cheek and another that was starting to fall. “My baby.” I kissed her tattoo. “Mine forever.”
“My husband,” she said softly. “I already call you that … you just don’t know.”
“Then, kiss your husband, Lainey.”
I got a smile, and then I got her mouth. I got her to exhale, and I got her to moan.
Her grin didn’t fade when she pulled back. “I can’t wait to tell everyone. Only two more days until they’re all here. Won’t they die when they come for the hotel opening and find out we’re engaged?”
I palmed her cheek. “Baby, they already know.”
She searched my eyes. “Did you tell them you were proposing?”
I leaned in until my lips were in front of hers. “No. But they just heard.”
I snapped my fingers three times, and the wall across from us began to open, a parting that revealed our group of family and friends on the other side of the ballroom.
“I wanted them to share this moment with us.” While I stayed kneeling on the floor with her on me, I took in the faces that were smiling at us, the roar of applause, the shouting. “It was a long road of unhappiness for the both of us, Lainey. It’s time to celebrate some love.”
“Rhett, is that my mom and dad over there?” Her hands were on her face, steepled over her nose and mouth.
“I couldn’t ask you to be my wife without having them here to hug you after.”
She looked at me. “I love you. To the moon and back—endless times.”
I wiped the bottoms of her eyes. “I love you more.”
I guided her up to her feet, and my hand clasped around hers as we joined the party that had miraculously stayed silent while I proposed.
Everyone was here.
But the first trio we approached were the Taylors and my mom.
As my mom hugged me, she whispered, “I wish your dad were here to celebrate you and Lainey. He’d be so proud of you, Rhett.”
“I wish he were here too,” I replied, kissing her on the cheek.
I then hugged Mrs. Taylor before I shook hands with Mr. Taylor, who said, “Welcome to the family, son.”
I knew he appreciated the conversation I’d had with him before Lainey and I moved to Iceland—when I’d asked for his blessing to marry his daughter. I’d called him several weeks ago to update him on the plan, letting him know the details of when our private jet would be taking off for Iceland so he and Mrs. Taylor could be on board.
“A family I’m thrilled to be a part of,” I told him.
I waited for my mom to release Lainey before I led her over to the Daltons. Dominick, Jenner, Jo, Ford, Hannah, Camden, and their significant others were here to offer their congrats. Although Jenner worked for the Spade and Cole Hotel brand, his siblings and cousins, all lawyers as well, were a group we now knew on a personal basis.
Once I finished introducing them to Lainey, we approached the Westons, the five siblings hanging out in a circle, opening as we neared.
“Congrats, brother,” Hart said, going in for a hug, slapping me on the back as we separated. “Couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Thanks for flying in early,” I replied.
“I can see why you love it here,” Hart responded. “I’m happy as hell we’re joining you on this journey.”
“I’ve sampled some of the food already.” I shook my head, showing him how pleased I was. “That’s one sick menu Walker put together for this restaurant.”
“Yes, it is,” Walker said, laughing. He shook my hand. “I’m glad you like it.”
Beck, Colson, and Eden all offered their congratulations as well.
Lainey and I headed over to Macon, clasping his hand, before moving on to Brady and Cooper, who was holding my niece Rayner.
“Look at that rock,” Macon said, lifting Lainey’s hand to admire the ring. “Never thought I’d see this day.” He laughed. “Like a pig in shit—that’s how fucking pleased I am that I get to witness this.”
I chuckled at him. “You fool.”
“From one asshole to another,” Brady said, knocking me on the chest with his fist—a man I hadn’t always gotten along with in the past, but we were finally in a good place—“there’s nothing like finding a good woman to bring out the best side of you.” His hand stilled but stayed on me. “You deserve this.”
“Back at you.” I shifted over to Cooper and kissed Rayner on the cheek. “My baby girl,” I whispered.
“Proud of you, my man,” Cooper said. “Hopefully, now, your sister can stop obsessing over when you’re going to pop the question.”
I shook his shoulder, careful not to disrupt Rayner. “Now, she can obsess over our wedding.”
Lainey held out her hands to Cooper. “Gimme that baby.”
Cooper happily set Rayner in Lainey’s arms.
Lainey rested their faces together, kissing the top of her head. “I swear you’ve doubled in size since I last saw you.”
“She’s getting big,” Cooper agreed. “Which means it’s time for another one.”
“I heard that,” Rowan groaned from a few feet away.
By the time I turned toward her, I heard, “Uncle ’Ett,” screamed all the way across the room, my favorite pink-wearing, pigtailed girl running right for me.
I lifted her into my arms, kissing her cheek, and embraced Ridge and Rowan, saying, “I’m engaged. Is that wild or what?” While holding Daisy, I hugged each of them.
“It’s about damn time,” Rowan sighed.
“It’s been the perfect amount of time,” Ridge corrected her.
With Rayner in her arms, Lainey kissed my sister and brother.
“Uncle ’Ett, Daddy told me I get to be your flower girl.”
“Is that so?” I looked at my brother, who was shrugging, and I laughed at him.
“It’s a big-girl job, Uncle ’Ett. I have to sprinkle flowers everywhere. That’s sooo important, Daddy says.”
I put my hand over hers as she placed it on my chest. “I’d say that’s one of the biggest roles in the wedding, Daisy.”
“I know.” She nodded, and a pigtail flopped in her face. “And guess what!”
“What?” Lainey said to her.
Daisy grinned at Lainey. “I’m going to sprinkle pink daisies because I know how much you love them.”
Lainey leaned in and rubbed her nose against Daisy’s. “You’re right. I do love them. But, bestie, I think I might have an even bigger role for you than flower girl.”
Daisy’s eyes grew larger. “You do?”
“How would you like to be one of my bridesmaids?”
Daisy gasped.
“Do you know what that is?” Lainey asked her.
“Taylor was a bridesmaid, and Daddy showed me the picture of her in the wedding she was in. Is that what I get to be, Lainey? Just like Taylor? I get to be right by you at the wedding?”
“Yes,” Lainey said, laughing. “You get to be right by me.”
I looked at Lainey, knowing there was a smile on my face. I couldn’t fucking hide it even if I wanted to. “You look pretty good with that baby in your arms, Mrs. Cole.”
“Mrs. Cole,” she replied with a wink. “We’re going there already, huh?”
“I’d marry you tomorrow. You know that.”
Lainey let out a long, deep breath, her face turning the slightest shade of red. I didn’t know if anyone else could see it, but I could. “Are you just saying that because you want me to have your baby?”
“Well, there’s that, yes,” I told her. “But I’m saying it because you’re my why and I’m ready for you to give up Taylor and become a Cole.”
Daisy shouted, “But I want her to always be a Taylor!”
“I know, baby, but that’s not going to happen,” I whispered to my little one.
“No, it’s definitely not,” Lainey agreed.
Lainey gave me the smile—the one I had been after.
The one I would always try to keep on her face.
Forever.