Epilogue
A couple of months later, the wedding had been beautiful and went off without a hitch.
Even Damon and Lucy had pretended to be civil with each other throughout the affair.
Damon had outdone himself in making it the most lovely wedding ever.
Sascha was proud of him for putting aside his love for her and making it so memorable.
Then again, maybe that was his way of showing how much he loved her.
The trial for Drury wouldn't come up for another few months, but even Belinda and Red were testifying against her. Despite the animosity between Belinda and Red, they seemed to have worked things out, and Sascha was glad for that. And they’d learned that Francine had a PI working for her who had been the one to discover just where Gregory was going to be and shared that information with her.
He’d mistakenly thought Gregory was in the limo that one night. There were other times he had told Francine where Gregory was going, but she couldn’t manage to target him. That made more sense. The PI was named as an accessory to the attempted murders.
The good news was that Red had renovated the farm and property, had just sold it, and had moved to Dallas with Janie, where he resumed his job as one of Gregory’s bodyguards and worked on vintage cars on the side.
And for their honeymoon, Gregory and Sascha arrived at the adult-only resort on Little Palm Island. The resort was just stunning. Crushed seashell-laden paths led to individual oceanfront villas with private sundecks, outdoor showers, secluded hot tubs, and panoramic ocean views.
The thatched-roof bungalows rested beneath swaying palms, mere steps from the sea. Each of the Florida Keys resort suites offered a place to really enjoy each other away from work and everyone that filled their lives, from family and friends to employees.
For now, Gregory and Sascha were settling into their room, enjoying the ocean view and sea breeze.
They'd had a long flight, and then a boat ride to get there, but she was ready to enjoy the rest of the day.
"What would you like to do first?" Gregory asked her, pulling her into his arms as they looked out at the aqua, crystal-clear water; the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting across it; and the palm fronds bowing in the breeze.
"I want to go for a swim."
"Somehow, I knew you would say that. And then maybe go paddling on the canal?"
"Sure, and dinner and the rest of the night is ours." As if the day wasn't also. But they would be alone, enjoying marital bliss.
She watched as pint-sized deer wandered around the palm trees and quickly took some pictures of them.
“We can snorkel around the coral reef, enjoy the pool, and paddle down one of the canals through the mangroves. Oh, and one of the places we can visit is the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, where we can see pelicans, herons, egrets, and even ospreys. Or we can paddle along the secluded shorelines of Little Torch Key.”
“We will do all of it,” Gregory promised. “They say they have dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, and rays in the flats. They say they even feed at dusk and drift alongside the docks.”
“We’ll have to bring our waterproof cameras.”
"You are truly a sensation," Gregory said, kissing the top of her head, just enjoying this moment in time with her. It was a beautiful place with his beautiful wife, and he couldn't have been happier.
"Oh, I feel the same way about you," Sascha said. "I couldn't be happier."
She had read his mind.
"Always," she said. "Well, maybe not always, but lots of times."
"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't met?"
"Nope. It was destined to be. You were hung up on the mystery of the cousins, and then you were totally hung up on me. We would have gotten together one way or another."
"Yeah, I know you're right."
Then they started stripping off their clothes, put on their bathing suits, and with beach towels in hand, they headed out the patio door and raced each other to the ocean.
They were meant to be together, and he vowed to take her to South Padre Island again, only this time he would go parasailing with her, take her to the wildlife reserve, the ice cream shop, walk with her on the white sand beach, swim with her in the Gulf and the pool, and make love to his wife.
"It's a deal," she said, plunging into the water, her hand holding his, and they leaped over the small waves, falling into the deeper water and cuddling and kissing like it was meant to be.
"It's a deal," he wholeheartedly agreed.