Epilogue
Lauren
Four Months Later…
“D o you think he’s okay?” I asked in a concerned voice as I looked over at Asher.
“Stop worrying about Asher,” my handsome groom said as he grinned at me.
Cole and I were now officially married.
We’d transformed the backyard into our wedding venue, and now it was set up for the reception.
We’d lucked out and gotten the perfect weather for an outdoor wedding and reception. We’d had a backup plan but hadn’t needed to use it.
Millie, Hannah, Reese, and Anna had been a huge help in planning the wedding, and Cole had been there whenever I needed him.
Honestly, it had been far easier than I’d thought it would be with so many people willing to help out.
The last several months had been like a dream for me.
Cole had hired all the help I needed, and I’d managed to move in with him two weeks after he’d proposed.
Living together had added a whole new dimension to our relationship.
We were literally in the same home twenty-four-seven.
Cole had converted one of the many bedrooms upstairs into the perfect office for me.
We didn’t see each other all the time, but it was nice to have breakfast and dinner together every single night.
Preparing for the wedding had been so much less complicated once I was actually living on the ranch.
I’d said goodbye to my home and put it on the market with no regrets.
I loved my little home, but it had served its purpose.
I’d proved that I could be a success all by myself.
Now, all I wanted to do was live my life with the man I loved.
I glanced at Cole, admiring how handsome he looked in his tuxedo.
I’d chosen an ivory gown that I’d fallen in love with as soon as Hannah, Reese, Anna, and I had hit our first bridal store.
Reese had been my matron of honor. Hannah and Anna were my bridesmaids.
Antisocial or not, Asher had been at Cole’s side for every single one of the wedding events because he was Cole’s best man.
I’d asked Tanner to give me away, and Cole had asked Kaleb and Devon to stand up for him.
Since our engagement, Cole had grown even closer to his cousins, and he was actually happy to attend family events now.
Asher, on the other hand, never looked comfortable at the family gatherings he’d had to attend for the wedding.
I had to give the guy credit though; he’d been there for Cole.
He hadn’t let his reluctance steal his brother’s happiness.
Maybe that was why I was a little worried about Asher.
He’d hung in there, but he was looking a little more edgy every time I saw him.
“He looks really uncomfortable today,” I told Cole as I ate a piece of the cake we’d cut just a few minutes ago. “Maybe it’s because there are more people here today. Everyone I invited actually showed up.”
I hadn’t invited the whole town, but I’d included Silas, Charlie, Hannah’s mom, and some of the people who were always sweet to me and Cole.
He winked at me. “Did you really think they wouldn’t? Weddings have always been popular in Crystal Fork.”
I laughed. “Probably because social events are the most exciting things that ever happen here.”
“Asher’s doing okay,” Cole reassured me. “I’ve seen him a lot more uptight. I think the constant events are wearing on him, but he seems to be a little more at ease when Sierra is around. Thanks for inviting her.”
“Asher asked me to,” I reminded him. “And he never asks for anything. I was happy to have her here. She’s nice. And she’s really pretty. Do you think something is happening that we don’t know about?”
I’d gotten to know Asher a little better in the last four months. He had no problem stopping by to visit Cole and me at the ranch.
Like Cole, I hated how isolated Asher was sometimes, and I desperately wanted to see my new brother-in-law happy.
Cole shook his head. “Not romantically. I wasn’t kidding when I said that Asher doesn’t like to get physically close to people.
But I think there’s something about her that makes him less irritated when he’s in public.
He used to complain about having a housekeeper and having her underfoot all the time.
I thought he’d end up firing her, but he hasn’t.
That tells me that he isn’t all that upset about having her around anymore. ”
“Where is she from?” I asked curiously.
“She lives in Billings, but I honestly don’t know if she grew up there.”
“I’d really like to get to know her better,” I told him as we both put our empty plates on the table.
“That’s not happening for at least two months,” Cole reminded me. “We’re leaving for our extended honeymoon tomorrow.”
“I know,” I said with a happy sigh. “It’s going to be incredible. I’m going to get ridiculously spoiled being married to you.”
He didn’t limit our honeymoon to just Paris. We’d be traveling around the country and spending some time at the beautiful beaches in the French Riviera. After that, we’d jet over to Italy to see Rome, Florence, Venice, and several other cities.
It was just still so hard to fathom that I had a man who focused on my happiness and was willing to bend over backward just to see me smile.
I never thought something like this would happen to me.
I definitely never thought I’d be married to the most thoughtful man in the world.
Yet here I was, living a life I could only dream about less than a year ago.
My only hope was that I could always make Cole as happy as he made me.
He deserved a life full of happiness to make up for the crap he’d had to deal with in the past.
“I just want to make you happy, too,” I blurted out.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him.
“Angel, you make me happy every time I see your beautiful face. Hell, we’re bound to have some challenges in our future.
That’s life. We’ll handle the sad things when they come up, but I’m always going to be happy that you’re mine.
I love you, angel. More than you’ll probably ever know. ”
“I’m always going to be happy that you’re mine, too,” I said as I glanced at his left hand that now sported a gold band.
There was something satisfying about that symbol of the commitment we’d made to each other just a short time ago.
I had my person.
My husband.
The man I was going to love for the rest of my life.
After an adulthood full of loneliness, I’d never take the life I had now for granted.
I’d never stop being grateful that Cole and I had found each other.
Maybe we were an unlikely match on the surface, but deep down inside we were perfect for each other.
“Dinner is over,” Cole said huskily as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “The cake was served. The music is playing. How long do you think we have before we can kick everyone out of here?”
I let out an astonished laugh as I wrapped my arms around his neck and met his gaze.
My heart skittered as I saw the sinful look in his eyes.
He was grinning, but I could tell exactly what he was thinking by the playful expression on his face.
God, how I loved this man and the way he always made me feel loved, adored, and completely desirable.
“We can’t just kick people out of our wedding reception,” I said in a pseudo-scandalized tone.
“The hell I can’t,” he growled teasingly. “When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I’d like some time alone with my new bride.”
I smiled back at him. I was tempted to remind him that we were going to have an extended honeymoon where there would only be the two of us.
But I didn’t.
I was looking forward to our alone time later, too.
“Later,” I said softly. “I think people are waiting for us to dance first, and I’d really like to dance with my new husband.”
“Kiss me first,” he insisted.
I happily granted his request, savoring that sweet embrace for a moment.
I wanted to wallow in my happiness.
No doubt Cole and I would have challenges and difficult times in our future, but we’d always have each other.
But right now…
Right here…
At this exact moment…
Newly married to the most amazing man in the world…
Our love and this life we were going to share together was absolutely perfect.
~The End~