Epilogue
HARPER
Marrying Chase Ashworth in the Marathon branch of the Monroe County Courthouse wasn’t quite what I’d dreamed about as a little girl.
My vision had always involved an ocean view, maybe the good china, certainly more than this odd blend of government antiseptic and whatever fragrance they used to mask the mildew in the corners.
But standing next to him, our hands steadily entwined, I couldn’t imagine anything righter.
Maybe this was what perfect looked like.
Not fancy. Not staged. Just us.
We’d managed to put this all together only two weeks after Chase proposed.
The family had been somewhat stunned that we wanted such a bare-bones wedding, though Mom gave me a long, evaluating look.
I wanted to keep quiet about the pregnancy a while longer, but Eli had been suspicious the moment Chase asked him to be best man.
Eli had given him a long side-eye and asked, “Did you knock up my little sister?”
And Chase, being terminally honest, confessed immediately. But smart-ass or not, I could count on Eli to keep quiet. And I didn’t even need to question whether Jules could keep a secret. Still, they were the only ones who knew.
The ceremony room, if that’s what you’d call it, looked like it moonlighted as a place to serve overdue parking fines. Dingy ceiling tiles overhead, paint peeling in one corner, one little fake palm tree. A generic beach print hung on the far wall.
And still, with Chase next to me in a suit—navy, tailored, and making his shoulders look even broader than usual, obviously pressed within an inch of its life—it could have been a palace.
His hazel eyes found mine, and the edges of the room blurred a little, my heart doing a ridiculous soft-shoe in my chest. He offered me a tiny, private smile.
The nerves sat in the set of his jaw, but his steady, intent gaze was all the reassurance I’d ever wanted.
I had gone simple with my dress. Soft white linen, fitted at my waist, fluttering just below the knee.
Nothing sparkly. I’d styled my hair for once, and the waves caught the harsh courthouse light as if determined to stage a little rebellion.
In honor of the occasion, I’d bought a new set of makeup and even applied it like I remembered how to.
Eli—God help us—wore a proper button-down shirt, sleeves rolled just enough to keep from looking respectable.
And a tie. He stood beside Chase, looking almost solemn.
No sunglasses. Not a hint of a tan line from the mask of his usual grin.
I’d caught the tiniest wink earlier, but right now, he was the very picture of a reliable witness and best man.
His hands were clasped loosely in front of him, but there was warmth there too in the tilt of his head, the softness at the corners of his mouth.
He looked from me to Chase as if he were seeing a puzzle finally put together.
Chase got a quick, subtle thumbs-up. A second later, Eli offered me a smile that was only a little lopsided.
Jules, on my other side, was a study in composure—a pale green dress, hair in an elegant chignon.
She squeezed my hand as we lined up, and her fingers trembled a little.
“Harper, you two look so good together. All three of you do.” It sounded formal, but her voice caught at the end, betraying her.
She gave my hand one final squeeze before letting go, eyes shimmering a little too brightly.
Front and center between Chase and me stood Finn.
Six years old, pint-sized prince of Dove Key, and a self-appointed ring security detail.
His suit—tiny white linen, purchased with only moderate protest—made him look both solemn and a little feral.
His hair had already escaped its part, sticking up in an enthusiastic cowlick.
He gripped the little navy velvet pillow with both hands, his entire being condensed into this single, important job.
He looked up at me, blue eyes very, very serious. “Mommy, do I give Chase your ring, or does he give it to me first?”
His question ricocheted around the room, pinging off Chase’s smile, Eli’s barked laugh, quickly stifled, and Jules’s soft shake of her head.
I bent and smoothed that rogue bit of hair. “Sweetheart, when they say it’s time for the rings, you hand mine to Chase, and then you give Chase’s to me. And no juggling this time, okay?”
He nodded gravely. “No juggling. I promise.”
“Good man.” I pressed a kiss to his temple and straightened just as the officiant appeared in the doorway.
She was brisk, her smile polished and professional, the kind I suspected she kept in a drawer alongside a collection of Very Official Pens. “Ready, everyone?”
Footsteps echoed as we moved into place. I gripped my rose and lily bouquet, courtesy of Jules, then handed it off to her. I found Chase’s gaze and we turned instinctively to face each other and clasped hands.
The officiant cleared her throat. “We are gathered here today…”
Her words washed over me, functional, tidy, doing the job.
I heard them, but they didn’t quite stick.
All my attention funneled into the man standing before me.
Chase’s fingers brushed against mine, a question and an answer as I squeezed back.
Out of my periphery, Finn wobbled on tiptoe, clutching the pillow, his lips moving as he examined the rings.
“… to join Harper Coleridge and Chase Ashworth in matrimony…” the officiant intoned, reading from a script no doubt printed long before any of us decided we’d just make this official before I started showing, and only a month after the fishing trip with Austin.
When it came time for vows, the officiant looked up expectantly.
Chase stepped a fraction closer. He cleared his throat, a sound that was half-nerves, half-clearing the space between us.
“Harper, I promise to build a life with you, not just houses. I want every day to be one we put together—foundations, renovations, all of it.” His mouth twitched.
“Whether it’s coastal modern or mid-century stuck, I’ll be there for all of it. ”
My lips lifted in a wild grin that surely appeared more than a little unhinged. He squeezed my hand, his own eyes glassy.
I found my voice, somehow. “Chase, I promise to love you through chaos, spreadsheets, tropical storms, and slow internet. To hold you up and let you hold me, even when I pretend I don’t need it.
” I reached for a little courage. “To say yes, even when I’m terrified.
And to always keep snacks in my desk drawer. ”
His answering smile melted something in my chest. The officiant appeared faintly amused.
She nodded. “Rings, please.”
Finn sprang into action, posture ramrod straight. He offered Chase my rings. Chase took the diamond engagement ring and wedding band, hand steady, and caught my eye again. He slipped them over my finger and lingered, thumb tracing the edge.
Finn gave me his band—thicker, smooth, warm from the pillow. I slipped it on, his fingers curling in mine as if to say, I’m not going anywhere.
We both lingered.
The officiant’s voice cut through the hush. “By the authority vested in me by the state of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”
Chase didn’t hesitate. His hands found my face, fingers strong yet gentle, the faintest tremor betraying all the ways he was feeling what I was. His lips met mine, not rushed, not hesitant, just full. Certain. He tasted like nerves and home.
The room fell away, except for the distant sound of Eli’s soft “Woo!”
I leaned into Chase, laughing against his mouth, and his arms encircled me.
My whole body sang with relief, with joy, with the ridiculous fact of our love having survived so many unlikely odds.
I never thought happiness would smell so much like courthouse cleaning fluid and yet feel like the safest thing in the world.
Sunlight hit me square in the eyes the second we stepped out of the courthouse, burning off the lingering chill of the linoleum floors and government air conditioning.
It was pure Keys outside—palm trees rustling under the breeze, birds waging war over crumbs on the sidewalk, the scent of something grilled drifting over from a café across the street.
For a minute, I stood there, letting the new shape of my life sink in, every bit as solid as the bands now warming my finger.
Chase reached for my hand, his palm hot against mine. His wedding band caught a glint of light, almost defiant in its newness. Everything—bustle, traffic, tourists arguing down the block—felt backgrounded by this rush of happiness fizzing through my chest.
Eli was the first to break the spell, of course. He swooped in, clapping Chase on the back with a grin that said brotherhood, celebration, and maybe just a tiny bit of competitive envy. “There it is. Shotgun wedding mission accomplished!”
Jules smacked him in the stomach. “It was a beautiful ceremony.”
Eli made a show of crumpling over from her blow, then quickly recovered. “Unreal, man. You got married before me and Jules. I guess I’ll have to start crocheting doilies and shopping for rings before you two show me up any further.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Pressure’s on.”
Chase straightened his tie and shot Eli a deadpan look. “Doilies would really suit your aesthetic. Maybe a little macramé in your dive shop next.”
Jules wrapped me up in a hug so genuine it nearly undid me for the second time in ten minutes.
She pulled back, keeping one hand on my arm.
“Congratulations, Harper. I mean it.” Then she murmured in my ear, “If you need help keeping these lunatics in line, you know where to find me. I have some experience with that.”
“I might hold you to that,” I whispered back, my throat squeezing tightly. The two of them ambled down the steps, Eli’s arm resting over her shoulders.
Finn marched up between Chase and me, the navy pillow held loosely now that it was all over. He gazed up at Chase, brows furrowed, all business. “Okay. I did my job. Now can we get pizza? And can you help me build the birdhouse, Dad?”
The word hung in the air for half a second, as if even the heat and noise of midday Florida paused to let it settle. Chase blinked, just once, then let a slow, beautiful smile break across his face. He bent down, knee to concrete, and tousled Finn’s hair, ring glinting against the soft brown.
“You bet, buddy. Pizza first, then advanced avian engineering. Are we thinking standard-issue wren box, or do we go luxury, with a wraparound deck and ocean view?”
Finn pondered for a long, six-year-old second. “We should make it with a pool. Birds need to cool off too.”
Chase winked at me as he stood. “That’s us. Full-service contractors. You dream it, we build it.”
When Chase stood once more, I tucked myself into his side. His arm wrapped firmly around my waist. He didn’t say a word, just let his hand drift over my stomach.
Gentle, steady, quietly sure.
My own hand covered his. Underneath everything, the flutter of hope and secret joy pressed between us. For a breathless instant, our eyes locked, all of it understood in the space of that shared look.
He leaned close, mouth grazing the top of my hair. “Ready for the next phase, Mrs. Ashworth?”
The name slipped under my skin and left a trail of pure warmth. I kissed his jaw, couldn’t help the smile that took over my face. “More than ready. Let’s go.”
The five of us—plus one not fully acknowledged yet—walked down that bright Florida sidewalk together, sun on our faces, future wide open and beautifully unfinished. Our own chaotic, hard-earned joy. Family, in every sense that mattered.
And with every step, I knew.
This was right where I was meant to be.
Thank you for reading BETTER THAN HOME! Harper and Chase were such a fun couple to write about, and I loved the idea of the “Responsible Ones” getting their HEA.
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