Epilogue
“Looks like you’ve just about got it all done!”
Will put the last staple in before turning to look at Dylan, who’d just pulled up on the rowboat. “I hope it works. I wanted to impress Julie before we took off.”
Dylan laughed. “Impress her? The woman has already moved her stuff onto your boat and is taking off with you. I’d say you must’ve made some sort of impression already.”
“Maybe so, but I plan to keep trying.” Will stowed away the staple gun, double-checked the special switch he’d rigged up, and climbed down into the rowboat. “I never knew it would be like this, Dylan. I wish Julie and I had found each other a long time ago.”
“I know that feeling,” Dylan admitted as he maneuvered the little boat around and started heading back to the shore. “Everyone tells you how great it is to meet your mate, but it’s not the same as experiencing it yourself. I feel like I wasted so much time without Stacey in my life.”
“Yeah. I’ve wasted time in a lot of other ways, too,” Will reflected. He looked at the clanhouse, slowly growing closer to the shore. “Being resentful, unhappy, stubborn, fighting the world. Everything is changed now, and it feels so good I can hardly believe it’s true.”
“It is,” Dylan assured him with a smile.
“I’m glad to see it happen for you, brother.
You deserve it. And you know we’ll always be right here if you need us for anything.
Granted, I have a feeling you’ll be too busy spending time with Julie to even think about the rest of us for a while.
What’s the plan, anyway? Things were still up in the air the last time we talked. ”
Will leaned back, feeling content. “First, we’re just going over to Boston to get a few more of her things and make sure her apartment is secure for a while. Then we’re heading down to Key West to ring in the New Year.”
Dylan raised his brows as he pulled back on the oars. “Damn. I guess that’ll make our little get-together with confetti poppers and appetizers look a little dull.”
“I’ve got a lot of time to make up for,” Will reminded him.
They pulled up on shore and climbed out. “I know you’re eager to get going, but I hope you’re going to stay for dinner, at least. Mom has recruited a bunch of us to help her put together a big feast for you guys. Don’t tell me you’re not the favorite.”
“Bullshit.” Will punched his twin in the arm. “I’m supposed to be the black sheep, remember?”
“You tried, man, but everyone just loves you too much. If it makes you feel any better, I can still do this.” Dylan swiped his arm around Will’s shoulders, jerked him down, and ground his knuckles into his scalp.
“Oh, man! A noogie? Come on. We’re not kids anymore!” But Will was laughing and giving it right back with a few punches in Dylan’s stomach. They wrestled the rest of the way up into the backyard, where their mother was waiting for them with her fists on her hips.
“Now, boys,” she said with mock severity on her face. “It’s time to quit horsing around and get cleaned up for dinner. And make sure you wash behind your ears.”
“Yes, Mother,” they both intoned in a singsong voice before bursting into laughter.
Inside the clanhouse, Will soaked in every detail.
He memorized the wallpaper in the bathroom as he washed his hands and considered the light fixture in the hallway.
He’d grown up there. A few things had changed over the years, of course, and would continue to do so, but it was still a home that lived in his heart.
Will had left it many times before, and he knew he’d keep coming back, but this felt like a bigger transition.
He wasn’t a petulant boy who resented everything that’d made him who he was.
He was a man who’d found his calling and his mate, and his life was about to truly begin.
“Everything okay?” Julie’s arm slipped through his, and she cuddled up close next to him.
As he looked down into her eyes, the answer to that question came so easily. “Absolutely. I was just reminiscing a bit.”
“We can come back anytime you want,” she suggested softly. “I love everyone here, and it’ll be nice to have a big family waiting for us.”
“It is,” he agreed. “It’ll be even better coming back with you.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Stacey called.
They moved into the dining room. Every leaf had been put into the table to accommodate as many people as possible, and another smaller table had been set up for the kids.
“Mom, I don’t want to sit at the kids’ table,” Vivian was telling her mother. “I’m too old for that. I’m not a baby.”
“Of course, you’re not. We just have to try to get everyone in here that we can,” Stacey explained.
Lila tugged gently on Vivian’s ponytail. “I’m going to sit at the kids’ table, and I’m not a baby.”
“Really? You’ll sit with us?” Vivian put her hand in Lila’s.
Stacey gave her stepdaughter a grateful look before she turned to Will and Julie. “The couple of the hour! I’ve got a glass of wine for each of you. Go sit at the head of the table.”
“Why, so you can all stare at us and memorize our faces before we leave?” Will joked.
“Precisely!” She pushed them toward the other end of the dining room.
Will and Julie seated themselves in the places of honor, raising their glasses every time someone proposed a toast—which was often—and accepting a multitude of congratulations. After a while, he leaned close and whispered in her ear. “I’m getting the impression they’re a bit happy for us.”
She laughed as she accepted a second helping of beef Wellington. “They’re a little invested in us, and they have been from the start.”
“That’s true, but I’m very much looking forward to having you all to myself once we’re aboard.” He nibbled her earlobe.
Julie giggled a little louder this time, catching the attention of some of the kids. She pushed him gently away, her face bright red, and turned to Ross. “You made the beef Wellington, right?”
“I did,” he replied cautiously. “Do you like it? We usually do so much surf at the restaurant that I was ready for a bit of turf, but I don’t think I’ve perfected it yet.”
“I beg to differ. It’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to try making it, but I worry about the puff pastry coming out soggy, especially because of the juices from the meat.” She poked the perfectly crisp pastry with her fork.
Ross leaned in conspiratorially. “The secret to that is actually in the mushroom duxelles. Sauté it until all the moisture is gone, and I mean all. Then those lovely little mushies soak up the juice from the meat and save your pastry. Voilà!”
“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Julie promised.
As they laughed, chatted, and ate, it was almost hard to think about leaving all of this.
But then Will looked at Julie. Every time he’d left before, it was always alone.
Even once he’d made things right with the rest of his family and let the past go, Will had carried around the idea that he was still on his own.
Julie would be with him now. He’d have someone to share meals with, to talk with every night, and to explore new places with.
Her presence, though, had also brought him even closer to the rest of the Brigham family than he thought he’d ever be. It was a wonderful feeling.
“All right,” he said, setting aside his napkin after a round of cake and ice cream had been served. “It really is about time for us to be heading off, or we’ll never leave.”
“That wouldn’t bother me a bit.” Barbara reached across the table and patted Will and Julie’s hands. “You two could stick around here as long as you like.”
“See? Black sheep my ass,” Dylan mumbled.
Will kicked him under the table, and both twins snickered.
The new couple stepped out onto the back porch, and the entirety of the family followed them.
Stacey hugged her best friend tightly. “I’m so happy for you, Julie.
If you need anything, let me know. I can’t do much while you’re out at sea, but I’m always an understanding ear when it comes to these stubborn Brigham men. And Will, you take good care of her.”
“I will,” he promised.
A line had formed behind Stacey, and Lila was next. “You guys be safe. Take lots of cool pictures for me while you’re out there adventuring.”
Will hugged his niece, realizing just how quickly she’d grown over the years. “You listen to your dad and take your Alpha training seriously. I know he can be a real stickler, but he knows what he’s doing.”
Vivian and Elijah tailed after her. “Uncle Will, are you going to do anything exciting while you travel? Or are you just going to catch a bunch of boring fish?”
He laughed. “I’m sure I’ll do a little of both.”
“If you see any good ballets, I want to know!” Vivian urged.
“And museums!” Elijah added.
Julie nodded. “We’ll keep our eyes open.”
Ross and Hart wrapped them both in big, enthusiastic hugs. “Make sure you eat well,” Ross cautioned. “I don’t want you to come back and tell me about all the garbage you’ve been stuffing yourself with just because you don’t want to cook, Will.”
Will nodded toward Julie. “I’ve got a little more motivation to elevate myself above a frozen entrée.”
“And when you come back, head right to Captain’s Quarters,” Ross reminded them. “I’m sure we’ll have lots of new dishes for you to try.”
“That sounds great,” Julie agreed.
“You’re a lucky man, Will.” Dex shook his brother’s hand and leaned over to Julie. “You, not so much. I think you’re tough enough to deal with his stubborn ass, though.”
“Hey, now,” Will laughed. “I’ve waited a long time. Don’t chase her off.”
Dex winked. “As if I could. You two be safe.”
Jace held Arden on his hip, and his other arm was around Erin’s waist. “We stayed a couple of extra days to make sure we could give you a proper sendoff. You can always come find us in Salem if you get bored.”
“I’d love that,” Julie enthused.
“I know all of the best places there,” Erin reminded her. “You give me a buzz and we’ll hang out.”