Epilogue
OLIVE
Six months later
I clutch the bouquet of plastic flowers in one hand and squeeze Leo’s hand with the other. My skin prickles with nervous excitement. I can’t believe we’re doing this. Nothing could stop us, though. Nothing.
Queen’s song, “Don’t Stop Me Now” plays in my head.
“Our moms are going to flip,” I say, not caring in the least. Well, maybe a little.
“Would you expect any different?” Leo responds, kissing my cheek.
“Not really.”
We’re in Vegas this weekend with our clan to celebrate Leo’s birthday. He surprised me with tickets to see Queen in concert. The others are doing their own thing tonight. When we left the concert hall, we turned to each other and at the same time said, “Let’s get married.”
We ran to the first chapel we could find, and here we are.
“Maybe we shouldn’t tell them. The wedding date’s set for New Year’s Eve and the planning’s begun. Tonya would be pissed.”
Leo proposed to me a couple of months ago. Want to know how he did it? Okay, I’ll tell you really quick because we have a wedding to attend at this cheesy but perfect chapel.
He mounted a plaque on our bench inscribed with “Olive and Leo,” but there was a blank space after our names. He got down on one knee and put a gorgeous diamond ring on my finger, just like he said he would. The blank space will be filled with Forrest and our wedding date.
Oh. That’ll be interesting. Which date should we use? Never mind. Something to worry about later.
Mom and Marla have made up, and they’re good friends again. Mom and I went to therapy together to mend our relationship. So far so good. We moved to the island two months ago. It took some convincing to sell the house, but she gave in. She’s working at the Madrona Inn now and lives alone—her choice—in a small apartment in town. Even though she’s still grieving, a change in surroundings has helped. I have taken a part-time job at a general practitioner’s office. I’m also in charge of the hotel’s website and help if someone needs medical attention at the hotel. Life is good.
Leo and I, with Sully’s help and connections on the island, have been searching for a house to renovate. Currently, we live in Leo’s cottage at the hotel. It’s a tight fit, but I love it. Tonya continues to plan our dream wedding with Andy’s assistance. It’s a good thing he lives in California because they’re like oil and vinegar. Either they’re going to kill each other one day or end up saying “I do.” That would be an interesting story to add to the family history.
Once we’re married and settled, Leo wants to give dance lessons to teenagers and maybe start a YouTube channel. He gives me private lessons, but more often than not those lessons end up with us naked. He’s hard to resist when he moves his body like that. As for singing, I’m lucky because I get to hear his gorgeous voice in private. We also go to karaoke nights, and he’s been invited to sing in a local band. He hasn’t decided on that yet. Working at the hotel is his priority.
“What do you think?” Leo brings me back to the present. “Should we keep this a secret?”
I bounce on my toes. “Ooh, yeah. I’m loving this idea. How about until the wedding reception? It shouldn’t be that difficult since it’s already September. I’d like to have this one thing for ourselves. It’ll be something special to tell our kids when they grow up.”
“Kids, huh?” He smirks, then kisses my hand. “I’m loving that idea even more. Can we start tonight? Or at least have fun pretending to start. Role play?”
God, I love this man. How did I get so lucky? Waking up next to him in the morning is the most amazing blessing. And, oh man, do I love how compatible we are in the bedroom. And on the kitchen floor and in the shower and...
You get my drift. Life is never boring with him.
“Olivia Hansen and Leonardo Forrest, you’re up,” the woman with overprocessed pink hair, sky-blue eye shadow, and hot-pink lipstick says. Is she chomping on a wad of gum?
“Ready?” Leo asks me.
“More than anything. Let’s do this.”
The organ plays the wedding march, and I giggle. It’s tacky, but I love it. Leo’s cheerful energy agrees with me, too, as we practically run down the aisle hand in hand.
We stand in front of the officiant, and she begins the vows. I focus on Leo and think about how he kissed me back to life. I’m so grateful for his kind heart, glowing personality, and the love he has for me.
“Do you, Leonardo Forrest, take Olivia Hansen, to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward…” The words blend into each other because I’m waiting to hear?—
“I do,” Leo exclaims, pushing a silver band onto my finger. He looks around like he’s ready to high-five someone. We already bought our official wedding bands. His is black, of course.
How am I going to keep this a secret? I want to scream it from the rooftops.
Leo
I can’t hold back. I lean in to kiss my wife, but someone clears their throat like they are a heavy smoker.
“Sir, we’re not finished yet. You’ll have to wait to kiss the bride. We need to move on. There are other couples waiting.”
Party pooper.
“Sorry, I can’t wait to kiss her as my wife for the first time. You know what I mean, right?”
“No. And she’s not your wife yet.”
Oops. Hard crowd.
“Babe, come on. It’s my turn. I wanted you to be my husband like six months ago. I can’t wait any longer.”
I glance at the lady. “Sorry. You may proceed.”
Olive chuckles. I can always count on her getting my humor.
Then I focus on Olive’s vows, and seriousness kicks in. Her soft brown eyes pull me in, and she’s all I can see. She’s the one who taught me how to live life to the fullest. She’s the one who encourages me to take chances no matter the outcome. I hold my breath, waiting to hear those two special words.
“Yes!”
Okay, one word.
She pushes the ring onto my finger. This is a temporary one. I can’t wait until she slides on the black one she insisted we buy for the ceremony in December. It’s impossible for me to say no to her. It was no hardship because I love black rings too. And I love her.
“ Now you may ki—” the officiant begins, but I’ve already pulled Olive into my arms. Our first kiss as husband and wife is full of silent promises. There’s no need for words because there aren’t any to describe how happy we are. Our bodies blend together as I wrap her up in my arms.
She breaks the kiss, then whispers in my ear, “Does this mean I’m your ride or die until the end?”
I pull away and cradle her face in my hands. “No. This means you’re my best friend and wife, and nothing could ever beat that.”
“Not even the mother of your children ?”
“Ooh, maybe that. Now we really need to get back to the hotel. We have some lovin’ to do.”
I kiss her lips again, then lead her out the door into a world where we’ll conquer anything and enjoy every minute of it.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Time To Live Again . Please consider leaving a review.