Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Izzy stood beside the wedding photographer, phone ready to capture the moment she’d been invited to film. Her parents beamed from their seats, as proud of their daughter’s role in this romance as if they’d match made it themselves.
Dana slipped her arm through her father’s. “Are you ready for this?”
“The question is, are you ready?” His eyes glistened with pride and perhaps a few tears.
They followed Cheyanne, resplendent in the sage green bridesmaid dress Dana had planned to wear just weeks ago. Her sister had insisted on wearing it, saying it brought their story full circle. Despite the rushed wedding plans, the church overflowed with loved ones. Brit and Simone sat with Javier, Chris, and Tian, all of them grinning like they’d personally orchestrated this ending. Well, they did have a hand in it. ZoElle and Alan were absent, their new baby was not up to traveling yet. The Ogilvie children clustered near the front with Gracie, their flower-petal warfare having left a colorful battlefield in their wake.
McKay’s mother sat in the front row; her smile radiant despite her obvious fatigue. The rushed wedding was worth having her in attendance. Dana hoped to get to know her better in the next few weeks, so that in the coming years she could pass on stories about Grandma Worth to grandchildren whom her new mother-in-law would never meet.
Even Sheila was there, seated alone, but looking happy. Their tentative new understanding holding for this day, at least. Though given the opportunity, Sheila declined joining Dad in walking Dana down the aisle, claiming she’d done so little to raise Dana that it didn’t seem right. However Sheila even paid for Dana’s wedding dress, a shock that still had Dana smiling. They shared a glance full of forgiveness—not for everything, but enough to begin healing.
Following the time-honored tradition, her father placed Dana’s hand in McKay’s. As the minister spoke, the words seemed both endless and fleeting. Dana barely heard them, lost in memories of the Cobb, of midnight walks in Bath, of all the moments that had led them here.
McKay slid the diamond and emerald ring on her finger, replacing the Claddagh ring she’d worn throughout their three-week-long engagement and would continue to wear at work. An Irish honeymoon, complete with castle visits, would wait until next spring, a gift from McKay’s mother, who told them both she didn’t want them grieving for long.
When the minister finally pronounced them man and wife, McKay’s thumb brushed her cheek with infinite tenderness before his lips found hers, sealing their vows to the cheers of their friends and the delighted giggles of the children.
In the back of the church, Izzy cheered the loudest. Her video would perfectly tell the story—from that first impulsive kiss on the Cobb to this carefully planned one, proving that sometimes the best love stories aren’t found in Jane Austen novels, but in real life.
Keep reading for a preview of the book where Colin Ogivie first appears, Mending Fences.