Epilogue
River Stone
The chapel is packed for Noah and Savannah’s wedding, but somehow the only person I can focus on is the woman sitting beside me.
Kiera’s hand rests in mine, our fingers intertwined on the wooden pew between us, and my heart feels too big for my chest. Like it might burst right out of me and announce to everyone here what I’ve known for months now—that I’m completely, hopelessly, wonderfully in love with this woman.
She looks beautiful in a soft blue dress that matches her eyes, her pink-streaked hair swept up with a few loose strands framing her face. When she turns to look at me, her eyes shine with happiness, and my breath catches.
“You okay?” she whispers, leaning close enough that I catch the scent of her shampoo—coconut and something sweet.
“Perfect,” I whisper back. “Just happy.”
She squeezes my hand, and the smile she gives me is genuine, unguarded. It’s the smile I’ve worked so hard to earn, the one that says she trusts me now. That she knows I’m not going anywhere.
I’m so proud of her. She starts culinary school in just two weeks, and she’s excited in a way I’ve never seen before.
She called me last night, practically vibrating through the phone, talking about the classes she’ll take and the equipment she’ll get to use.
She’s nervous too—I could hear it underneath the excitement—but I know she’s ready.
Will it challenge her? Absolutely. But Kiera Emmerson can meet any challenge. She’s the strongest person I know.
Up at the front of the chapel, Noah stands beside the pastor, and even from here I can see the emotion on his face. He’s wearing a dark gray suit, his hands clasped in front of him, and he looks... complete. Like he’s been waiting his whole life for this moment.
And maybe he has been.
The wedding march begins, and everyone stands. I rise with Kiera, still holding her hand, and we turn toward the back of the chapel.
Savannah appears in the doorway on her father’s arm, and even from here, she glows with happiness.
Her dress is simple and elegant, flowing around her like something from a fairy tale, and her honey-colored hair is swept up with small flowers tucked into the style.
But it’s her face that makes my throat tight—pure joy radiating from her as her eyes find Noah.
Noah’s expression transforms. His shoulders drop, his jaw relaxes, and his eyes fill with tears he doesn’t try to hide. He mouths something to her—I can’t tell what—but Savannah’s smile grows even brighter.
Kiera leans against me slightly, and I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She fits perfectly there, like she was made to stand beside me.
Savannah walks down the aisle with measured steps, her father’s hand steady on her arm, but her eyes never leave Noah. When they reach the front, her father kisses her cheek and shakes Noah’s hand before stepping back.
The ceremony proceeds, familiar and beautiful, until the pastor says, “Noah and Savannah have prepared their own vows. Noah, would you like to begin?”
Noah takes both of Savannah’s hands in his, and the chapel goes quiet. He takes a deep breath.
“Savannah.” His voice is thick with emotion. “I was seventeen when I first told you I loved you. We were in Centennial Park, and you’d just jumped off a swing and crashed into me, and we were lying there in the grass laughing, and I looked at you and just... knew.”
He swallows hard. “For years, I carried around the weight of my reputation. Bad boy. Troublemaker. The Barrett brother people warned their daughters about. And I believed it. I believed that’s all I was. All I could be.”
A tear rolls down Savannah’s cheek, but she’s smiling.
“But you—you looked past all of that. You saw something in me I couldn’t see in myself.
You saw the man I could become instead of the boy who made mistakes.
You gave me a chance when I didn’t deserve it.
And I promise you, Savannah, I’m going to spend the rest of my life being the man you see when you look at me.
I’m going to love you with everything I have.
I’m going to make you laugh when you’re sad, hold you when you need comfort, and stand beside you through whatever life throws at us.
You’re my second chance at everything, and I’m never letting you go again. ”
I feel Kiera’s hand tighten in mine, and when I glance down at her, her eyes are wet with tears. I brush my thumb across her cheek, catching one as it falls, and she leans into the touch.
The pastor nods to Savannah. “Savannah?”
She takes a shaky breath, her eyes never leaving Noah's face.
“Noah Barrett, when I was seventeen and you told me you loved me, I didn't run because I didn't care.
I ran because I got sick, and I was so terrified of what that meant for my future that I couldn't bear to pull you into it.
I ghosted you because I thought pushing you away was the kindest thing I could do.
And I've carried the weight of that ever since.”
Her voice grows stronger. “But you didn't let that be the end of our story.
You showed up for me anyway—patient and steady and kind—even when I gave you every reason to walk away.
You were trustworthy when I didn't deserve your trust. You were gentle when I expected anger. And every time I put another wall up, you just waited on the other side of it. I underestimated you then, and I will never do that again.”
She squeezes his hands. “I see you now, Noah.
I see the man who protects this community, who loves his family fiercely, who makes terrible dad jokes and cries at dog food commercials.
The man who caught me when I was falling—in every sense of that word.
I spent so many years believing that loving you was something I didn't get to have.
But you showed me I was wrong. And I promise to spend the rest of my life trusting you with all of it—the hard things, the scary things, and everything in between.
I love you, Noah. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'm going to love you forever.”
The pastor smiles. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Noah, you may kiss your bride.”
Noah frames Savannah’s face with his hands, tender and reverent, and kisses her like she’s the most precious thing in the world. It’s sweet and deep and so full of emotion that I have to look away, my own heart too full.
When I glance at Kiera, she’s already looking at me, her blue eyes soft and filled with something that makes my breath catch. For a moment, we just sit there, looking at each other, and I can see it—our future. Marriage. A life together. Maybe kids someday, if that’s what she wants.
But not yet. Not until she’s ready. Not until she’s finished school and achieved her dreams and knows without a doubt that I’m not going anywhere.
The chapel erupts in applause and cheers as Noah and Savannah turn to face everyone, their hands clasped, their smiles radiant. They practically float down the aisle, and I can’t help but grin.
“They look so happy,” Kiera says softly.
“They do.” I pull her closer. “You know what? I’m pretty happy too.”
She looks up at me, and the smile she gives me nearly stops my heart. “Yeah? Even though you have to deal with my crazy schedule once school starts?”
“Especially because of that. I’m proud of you, Kiera. And the school’s only an hour away. You’ll be back on weekends, and I can visit you during the week when you’re not swamped.”
“You really won’t get tired of me being busy all the time?”
I turn to face her fully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Never. Your dreams matter to me. And I’ll be here waiting, no matter how busy you get. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes fill with tears again, but she’s smiling. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She leans over and kisses me, soft and sweet, and I pour everything into it—all my love, all my promises, all my hope for our future together.
When we pull apart, people are filing out of the chapel around us, heading toward the reception. Kiera laughs, her cheeks pink. “We should probably go.”
“Probably.”
But I don’t move, and neither does she. We just sit there, wrapped up in each other, until Skyler comes running over.
“Come on!” she says, tugging on my hand. “There’s going to be cake!”
Kiera laughs and ruffles Skyler’s hair. “We’re coming, Little Pup. Lead the way.”