Epilogue
Jace watched the couples on the dance floor, swaying slowly in time to the country love song playing. He wasn’t sure where Maverick found the deejay, but the guy was doing one hell of a job keeping most of the guests on their feet.
He’d spent most of the night out on the floor himself, shaking his ass to the endless stream of what was a classic wedding playlist. He’d shouted, lived on a prayer, shuffled like Cupid, wobbled, and even chicken danced his ass off, all while surrounded by his family.
It was quickly becoming clear that nobody celebrated nuptials like the Storms. Jace had been certain no wedding reception could top Levi’s from last spring, but damn if Maverick hadn’t brought his A game.
They would all be worse for wear tomorrow, but he doubted if anyone cared.
Jace was treating himself to a much-needed breather and water, while letting his gaze linger on the same person he’d been watching all night.
He scoffed at himself. Because in truth, he’d been watching Lark McCoy for a hell of a lot longer than one night.
He did a little mental math, figuring out that she’d been the center of his attention, his obsession, for right around eight hundred long, painful days.
That was approximately how long ago it was when he’d walked into Whiskey Abbey and his buddy, Tommy, had called him over and introduced Lark as his new girlfriend.
He’d recognized her as one of the girls his cousin Remi hung out with, but he’d never really spent any time with her until that evening.
He’d also never touched her.
That fateful night, he’d said hello, reached out to shake her hand…and felt the world tremble so hard that, for a second, he’d thought Gracemont was experiencing its first earthquake. And not some little rumbling quake that knocked books off the shelf.
Nope.
This one had been a 10.0 magnitude earthquake, the kind that caused total devastation to an entire continent. It had been so overpowering, Jace actually looked around the room, trying to understand why no one was panicking or diving for cover.
The problem—obviously—had been that Lark was Tommy’s girlfriend. So Jace tried to convince himself he’d been wrong. That he hadn’t felt what he thought he felt. And he managed to hold on to that lie for the first few months, mainly by keeping his distance from Lark as much as possible.
Unfortunately, Tommy was one of those guys who thought all his single buddies should be happily coupled up. As a result, he’d dragged Jace along with him and Lark on quite a few double dates, trying to set him up with some of her friends.
None of the setups had worked. Probably because Jace had spent too much of those nights trying—and failing—not to watch Lark.
He’d become obsessed with her vivacious personality and boisterous laugh, which was why it drove him up the wall whenever Tommy put a restraining hand on her arm or shushed her, trying to dim her light.
The first time Lark broke it off, Tommy had called him, devastated. Jace had consoled him, tried to cheer him up, while feeling like the world’s shittiest friend…because deep down inside, he’d been happy.
Until they got back together.
The second time they split, he was more cautious about his optimism, which also didn’t help his guilt. That was when he decided he’d be smarter to give his buddy and Lark an even wider berth.
Of course, because Murphy’s Law hated him, that was around the time that Lark started working on the farm, and avoiding her became fucking impossible.
He’d actually tried to convince his family not to hire her by offering some lame reasons, but that made him feel like the world’s biggest heel, so he’d stopped trying so hard.
Especially when Remi vouched for her, convincing the others they needed to give her a chance to prove herself.
Since then, he’d been cool and distant. Because that was the only way he could hold on to what was left of his sanity, as he continued to watch one of his best friends with the woman he knew was meant to be his.
He was like that stupid eighties song, except he wasn’t in love with Jesse’s girl. He was head-over-heels fucking gone for Tommy’s girl.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d had to endure the three weeks when Grayson thought Lark was his.
Jesus Christ.
Jace loved his brothers more than anything, but when Grayson had looked him straight in the eye and told him Lark was the one, he’d seen red, blinded by rage.
He’d barely managed to rein it in, hiding his feelings.
And he’d never felt relief like he had the day Grayson realized he’d been mistaken, that he’d fallen in love with her twin, Wren.
Tonight, Lark was dancing her ass off in the midst of his family, laughing, singing along, and lighting up the room the same way she always did.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
And he didn’t have to.
The last breakup with Tommy appeared to have stuck, which meant the way was clear, the door was wide open.
Jace was going claim his lady, and by God, nothing else was going to stand in his way.
Lark was his.