Epilogue
EPILOGUE
One Week Later
Matthew
Well, lads. It’s official.
Finn
You’ve lost the plot?
Graham
Minnie is dead?
Cedric
You admit you’re terrible at running?
Matthew grinned. They just couldn’t help themselves.
Matthew
Just for that, I’m not coming to the next charity run.
Finn
You have to. I’ve got a craic lined up in Belfast.
Matthew
We’ll see. But your guesses are all wrong.
Graham
Come on. Tell us, then.
Matthew
Winnie and I are officially dating.
Finn
…All right, how much are you paying her?
Graham
Whatever the amount, it’s not enough.
Cedric
Wait, I thought you hated her.
Finn
No, remember? He only said he hated her. Obviously, he was in denial.
Graham
So much denial.
Finn
Anyway, this isn’t much of a surprise. When I was there, you two were all over each other.
Matthew smiled again. He had such supportive friends.
Finn
So when’s the wedding? Don’t tell me next month. I’ve got me next bus tour starting then.
Matthew
Ha. Ha. No wedding yet. But I’ll be sure to keep it to myself, seeing how well THIS news was received.
They laughed at his text, though Matthew set aside the image that their own messages had prompted. Winnie in a white gown. Matthew in his top hat and tails. The two of them dancing with loved ones around them .
It was way, way too early to be thinking about such things—even if they were exactly what Matthew wanted in his future.
Cedric
Proper chuffed for you, Matt. Really.
Graham
She’s great. Hope you are happy together.
Finn
Yeah, congrats, mate. You both deserve all the happiness!
Finn
Bring her along to the next race. It’ll be good to catch up with you both.
Matthew
Will do. If you can all promise to behave yourselves this time.
Finn
Yeah, that’s not an option for us. Sorry.
“Texting your friends?”
Matthew looked up as Winnie joined him in the stables, her hair hanging loosely down her shoulders.
“Yep,” he said, putting his phone away, though the buzzing texts continued.
He’d much rather pay attention to Winnie, but his friends couldn’t possibly understand. None of them had a girl like her in their lives.
“I can always tell you’re messaging them when you have that smile on your face,” she said, encircling her arms around his waist.
“Well, you should know, then, I was smiling because I finally told them about us.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Did you? How did they take it?”
“Not as excitedly as Char,” he said.
He drew up the memory of his sister hugging them both over and over again throughout the evening the night of that first festival together.
“But they’re well happy for us,” he said, “which is nice to hear.”
“Very nice.”
Matthew peered down at her, admiring her features in silence.
A mere week had passed since her decision to stay at Foxwood and nearly two months since they’d first met. In a way their time together seemed brand new, but in other ways, it seemed like she had been there forever, a permanent fixture in his home, a permanent figure in his life.
Not only did the festival continue to thrive under her watchful care, but the ideas she had to keep Foxwood prosperous had been better than any of the Wintours could have dreamed—and she still had two months left.
Of course, after that, who knew what would happen? The only thing Matthew could say for certain was that he would do whatever it took to keep his relationship with Winnie alive and well. She truly was one-of-a-kind, and he could never say enough prayers of gratitude that she had chosen to stay with him.
They stood in the same manner for a minute, staring at each other in the stables until her eyes clouded over, and he knew where her thoughts had strayed.
Winnie had received a call from her dad only a few minutes before—the first since she’d chosen to stay in England. She’d slipped out to take it while Matthew had stayed behind to finally message his friends.
“How was it?” he asked gently.
“It was all right,” she replied with a shrug. “He was still clearly upset with me, but he actually apologized for making me feel like I had to do whatever he wanted me to. I don’t know if he was sincere, but it’s a step in the right direction.” She looked away. “Of course he ended the call with sharing how well everyone was doing in their own jobs, so that was the same as usual.”
Matthew tightened his hold of her. Standing up to her dad had been a long time coming for Winnie, but that didn’t mean it was any less difficult to do. In truth, it had taken its toll on her. He could see it in her eyes.
He would never be able to fully understand having a father like Mr. Knox. Only yesterday, Matthew’s own dad had pulled him and Winnie aside, telling them both yet again how pleased he was.
“ You both did such a wonderful job with the festival,” he’d said. “I still can’t express how proud I am of both of you.”
Matthew had never been more grateful for his father’s kindness. He and his whole family would give anything to have Winnie experience the same sort of love and acceptance from her own father, but until she did, Matthew would be there for her, every step of the way.
“Anyway,” Winnie said, pulling on a smile as Matthew departed from his thoughts. “Sarah’s been awesome throughout the whole thing. I told her she needs to find herself a boyfriend now and stand up to Dad next. Oh, and did I tell you Scott messaged me?”
Matthew shook his head. “What did he say?”
“He told me he was proud of me for standing up for myself and that he hoped I would be happy.”
“That’s kind of him,” Matthew said.
Winnie nodded, her eyes taking on a distant look before returning to Matthew. “Well, are you ready to ride?”
“I’m ready if you are,” he said, and he returned her smile.
Matthew was hesitant to so readily set aside something that still clearly pained her, but he trusted her. She would talk to him when she was ready to, just like she always did.
In a matter of minutes, the two of them set off across the countryside, taking a break near their tree and admiring the effect the sunshine had on the green grass, brightening each blade like glass and warming the very air around them.
Of course, Matthew was more taken with Winnie. Her long hair blowing in the soft breeze. Her eyes taking in the world around her.
He couldn’t believe his luck. He couldn’t believe the blessing she was in his life.
“What are you staring at, Sir Matthew?” Winnie asked, watching him from the corner of her eye.
“Only the most beautiful lady I have ever beheld.”
She rolled her eyes, though a smile spread across her lips. She directed Prince to face Matthew, her legs brushing against his as she leaned forward, placing a hand to his cheek and kissing him soundly on the lips.
When she pulled back, a wistful look had taken root in her eye. “Thank you,” she said.
“For the kiss?”
She laughed. “No. For being there for me. And for always wanting my happiness.”
He sobered, nodding his head. “I’ll always want that for you, Winnie.”
“I know.”
Then the two of them shared another kiss, relishing the love between them and the future before them—because they both knew their future together would be as bright as the sunshine after an English rain.
One Month Later
Finn O’Meara pulled out his phone to text his mates. He was already behind schedule, but there was nothing he could do when he was still waiting for the last straggler.
There was always one on every bus tour.
Finn
Wish me luck, mates. Another tour starts this morning. If these folks are more boring than the last, I might just leave them stranded at Giant’s Causeway.
His last tour had been abysmally, mind-numbingly dull. Not a single soul on the bus had laughed at his jokes or responded to his stories. What was the point of doing these things if none of them—himself included—enjoyed it?
Matthew
Maybe you should be less boring, then.
Finn almost laughed out loud at his friend’s joke. He did like a good tease.
Matthew
Winnie tells me to apologize for that. I suppose I should.
But no apology came. Finn smiled all the brighter.
Finn
Tell Winnie thanks for the support. She’s some yoke.
Matthew
She says you’re welcome but wanted me to tell you that you spelt yolk wrong.
Finn smiled again, about to send another quick text before footsteps sounded up the bus.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” an airy voice said.
A flash of a blue dress and waves of blonde curls passed him by before he even had the chance to look up at the woman who’d just entered his bus, dropped her ticket on his lap, and scurried to the seats behind them.
He turned off his phone, tucking it away in the slot to the right of his seat as he glanced at the ticket. This was the straggler he’d been waiting for, the girl from the States—Maisie King. He could only hope her late arrival wasn’t a forecast for how she’d be throughout the duration of the tour. Americans were usually his favorites to travel with, being the most fun and the most vocal. Would she turn out like that, too?
He ticked her name off on his now-finalized list, then stood to greet the new group who would be his closest companions over the next few weeks.
“’Bout ye,” he greeted with a friendly smile, tipping his flat cap to them as he scanned the group.
A few of them responded, most of them nodding. Maisie King had her head ducked as she situated her belongings beside her, obviously unaware that he was even speaking.
It was no matter. He didn’t need one hundred percent attention from every single person on the bus.
At least, not all the time.
He clapped his hands, then rubbed them together. “Right, now that we’re all here, I think we should head out, aye?”
More nods, but the blonde still didn’t look up.
“First, we have a few wee rules to go over,” he said, swiftly going through them as the small group nodded their understanding.
They may prove boring yet, but at least they all seemed attentive. Except for the one, of course.
Setting aside the lack of attention he was receiving from her once more, he turned around and started the bus.
“Let’s get on our way, then, aye?” he said through the intercom. “We’re going to have quite the craic over the next few weeks, so I hope you’re ready.”
A few cheers were heard, and he breathed a sigh of relief. This group was bound to be better than the last. Now if he could just get that American’s attention.
He reached across to turn up the radio, not planning to speak again until the group got settled in, but his hand froze on the volume knob when he glanced in the rearview mirror and finally caught sight of her.
The American.
Maisie stared out the window with a perfect profile, perfect blonde wavy hair, and perfect dark eyelashes. He’d honestly never seen anyone so beautiful. Not in a fake, plastic kind of way either. In a real sort of way. Natural and stunning.
His wheel ran across a dip in the road he hadn’t seen, and his hand suddenly jerked forward, launching the speakers far louder than he’d intended.
Irish music blasted out across the bus, and gasps sounded behind him.
Boys a dear, he was in trouble. Swiftly, he turned the music down, then pulled up his intercom.
“My apologies, ladies and gents, I thought we were in a wee pub for a minute there. Don’t worry. Won’t ’appen again.”
He glanced back, and to his surprise, the one person watching him in the rearview mirror, the one person with a smile on her lips, was Maisie.
Their eyes connected, and his heart stuttered. She really was a looker. He grinned, then pulled his gaze away to focus on the road.
Well, this tour might just end up being his best one yet if she kept smiling at him like that. Maybe Matthew could give him a pointer or two on how to keep the attention of a lovely woman from the States. His mate seemed to have done fairly well in that regard with Winnie.
Either way, Finn would definitely be messaging the lads about this American.
THE END