EPILOGUE
Ledger
One Year Later
This is what she wanted.
I offered her a trip to anywhere in the world. The private jet. Adventure. Relaxation. Anything she could ever want or think of to ring in her birthday, and this is what she chose.
It’s not like I should expect any less.
It is Asher, isn’t it? And it’s one of the main reasons I fall more in love with her each day. The number of zeros in our bank account doesn’t matter.
But this does.
Her family.
Her history.
Her connection to this place that no amount of time will ever break.
And there she is, standing beneath the strings of lights, with the lavender at her back and her friends all around her.
Christ. She’s gorgeous. Easygoing yet complicated. And all fucking mine. How in the hell did that happen? How did I get so lucky?
“You’re her one birthday wish. All she wanted was for you to be here,” I murmur into Gran’s ear. She barely responds—a flicker of her fingers, a barely-there lift of one corner of her lips—but with her steep decline, it’s more than any of us could hope for. “Thank you for that.”
I give a gentle squeeze to her shoulders as I glance at the two private caregivers I hired to get Gran here and give a nod in appreciation.
The music on the speaker changes, followed by a cheer of approval by everyone on the dance floor. They arrange themselves in lines and start doing matching moves as they dance in unison.
Nita can’t stop smiling as she tries to teach her son the moves, no doubt embarrassing the hell out of him.
Hank weaves in and out of the moving rows, delivering drinks despite my insistence that he’s not to work or tend the bar tonight.
Carson Allen trips over his own feet but doesn’t care, because he’s too busy flirting with the date he brought.
And then there’s Tootie in her neon pink dress with crooked pigtails, unabashedly mowing down every sweet there is on the dessert table.
Asher’s laugh rings out, drawing my attention back to her. I move toward the edge of the barn so I can see her better as she dances with our friends.
Happiness has never looked so good on someone. I like to think that I helped get her to this point, but then again, the woman is a force to be reckoned with. Her happiness is her own.
She looks up and searches through the small crowd of people. She pauses mid-dance move when she finds me. Our gazes lock. Her eyes dance with fire she reserves just for me. And when she smiles, I know I’ve never made a better decision in my life than fighting for her.
I note when both of my brothers step up on either side of me.
Callahan whistles. “Should we entertain the crowd for you?”
“What do you mean?” I take a sip of my beer.
“That look can only mean one thing when a woman gives it to you.” Ford chuckles. “She wants you. Right now. Maybe even in the loft of the barn for a quickie while we’re all obliviously occupied out here.”
“You’re so full of shit.” The teasing never stops.
“Full of shit?” Callahan snorts and points to where Sutton is cradling my adorable baby niece dressed in a bright yellow romper. “It’s the same look Sutton gave me that got me that.”
“And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” I say as I look at Callahan. He’s still staring at Sutton and his daughter with an expression I never thought I’d see on his face—absolute and complete love and adoration.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t,” he murmurs.
“What about you? When do you two plan to have kids . . . or is that not on the Ledger-approved ten-year plan?” Ford asks, earning the arm I hook around his neck and the tug I give it.
“There is a ten-year plan still, right?” Callahan asks as I stand there silently and simply watch Asher.
“For some things, yes,” I murmur, still mesmerized by my wife. “For other things, not so much.”
“Holy shit.” Ford staggers back playfully. “Did I just hear that right?”
I nod and smile.
He sure did.
Chaos has overtaken my life—and I’ve welcomed it.
It’s been in the last-minute decisions to fly back to Cedar Falls to unwind.
Or the impulsive midnight run for an ice cream cone and a walk in The Battery.
It’s been in Asher’s greeting me at the door after a long day of work for me and studying for her in nothing but heels and some lacy panties—and then making love on the outdoor terrace of our penthouse.
Spontaneity is something I never knew until Asher. Never appreciated. An intimate wedding she planned in a few weeks’ time. Study groups in our family room. Playing hooky from work to steal a few more hours with her. Forgetting to move the goalposts because I’m perfectly fine with where they are.
All plans out the window.
Asher taught me that.
Is still teaching me that, and honestly, I couldn’t be any fucking happier.
She helped me find joy—genuine fucking joy—for the first time in my adult life. It didn’t come from sealing a multi-million-dollar deal or getting the write-up in Forbes that came out a few months back—it was in her.
Simply put . . . it is her.
“Uh-oh,” Ford mutters, drawing me back from my thoughts and to the party.
“What?” I look up to see Asher moving toward me.
“Time to go keep the crowd busy so Ledge can get busy himself up in the loft,” Callahan says.
“Whatever.” But by the time I look at either of them, they’re on the move, their laughter loud.
And then she’s in front of me with that disarming smile of hers that presses against my lips.
“Having fun?” she asks.
“I am. You?”
“I’m fine. This is perfect.” Another press of her lips to mine. “Thank you for throwing me a birthday party. For getting Gran here. For . . . being you.”
Is it possible to fall more in love with someone each day?
“I’m glad. It’s not lounging on the beach in Seychelles, but . . .” I tease.
“But it’s exactly what I needed to refuel after finals and a busy season here at The Fields—”
“And all that incredible sex we’ve been having.”
“Yes.” She laughs. “That too.”
I chuckle. “I guess this is when I tell you that my brothers just bailed because they’re convinced you were coming over here so we could have a quickie in the loft.”
She arches one eyebrow as a mischievous smile slides onto her lips. “Is that so?”
“It is.” I nod. Her eyes challenge me, sending my hopes soaring.
“Hmm.” She purses her lips and looks around. “It’s only natural for the host and hostess to disappear every now and again to check on supplies and make sure we have everything our guests need.”
“Is that so?” I set down my beer, shove my hands in my pockets, and take a few steps toward the open barn door.
“It most definitely is.” She leans into me. “Knowing how many napkins we have is of vital importance.” And then whispers against my lips, “Meet you up there in five.”
When she walks away from me with an extra swing to her hips, there is only one thought in my head.
I’m glad she chose me.
So fucking glad.