Epilogue
Four Months Later
“Benjamin! Are you home? Can you help me?”
We finally closed on our house a few weeks ago and I’ve been slowly moving things from my apartment whenever I go into town.
Thankfully, the inspection showed that most of the work that needed to be done was cosmetic, so Ben and I decided to go ahead and move in and work on a little bit at a time in order to make it the perfect home for us.
The front door opens and Ernest hops down the steps to meet me.
Obsessed is an understatement when it comes to how he feels about his new yard.
With three legs, he’s never been very fast, but he spends most afternoons running circles around the land.
Right now, he gallops right up to me, Ben not far behind.
He gives me a kiss and then rounds the car to pop the trunk.
It’s full of pillows and framed art because I didn’t feel like hauling the boxes of books on my own.
“I thought you were meeting Bex, Thea, and Sahara for coffee? I would have come to help if I had known you were grabbing a load from the apartment,” Ben scolds.
“I just picked up a few of the lighter things,” I reply. “It felt like a waste of a trip if I didn’t at least get something.”
“Well you go inside. I have a hot bath ready for you and I’ll unload the rest of this.”
“Were you tracking my location again?”
“Obviously.” He levels me with a look. “Sue me for missing my fiancée when she’s gone!”
I pat his cheek affectionately. “You’re insane.”
“You love it,” he counters.
I hum before walking toward the house, stripping my clothes as I go. A definite perk of living somewhere a little more secluded.
Ben wolf whistles, and I may or may not shake my ass a little as I let myself in.
The primary bathroom is dated but already has an amazing clawfoot tub that we are absolutely keeping.
My favorite candles are lit on the counter, and when I dip my toe in the water, it’s practically boiling. My favorite temperature.
I’ve only been soaking for a few minutes when Ben walks in, also completely naked, and squeezes into the tub with me. “Scoot up, Red. Let your hair down.”
His voice is a mix of pleading and expectant. This is his favorite ritual. He brushes my hair over my shoulder, kissing down my spine before he massages shampoo into the long waves. It is divine and I take a deep breath, savoring the feel of his strong hands digging into my scalp.
“Mmm,” I moan. “I think we should do it tonight.”
Ben freezes.
“Tonight?” he repeats. “Are you sure?”
I nod, smiling even though he can’t see my face from his spot behind me. “After family dinner, I think.”
Everyone is coming over for the first Bardot family Sunday dinner at our new house. Ben has been fussing all weekend, making sure he has all of the ingredients for grilled kebabs and arranging our mismatched furniture so we can seat everyone.
“Tonight, then.” I can hear the joy in his voice. Turning to face him, I see that he’s biting his lower lip, a huge grin threatening to overtake both of us. “You have everything you need?”
“All I need is you.”
He kisses me thoroughly, and yeah, I’m sure I want to do it tonight.
Family dinner goes off without a hitch. I think Ben’s great mood rubs off on everyone in the room.
Something that used to annoy me—that unending charm and charisma—has quickly become one of my favorite things in the world because I’ve learned he’s so damn genuine.
Every big feeling he feels is so real. Almost tangible.
I can’t wait to—
“Attention everyone,” Ben announces, standing from the table and clinking his knife against his wine glass.
He looks absurdly handsome in navy pants and a striped button down.
It goes perfectly with the white sundress I slipped on earlier.
Wary eyes all turn toward him as he says, “As you all know, Colette and I got engaged last summer.”
“That’s not quite how I remember it,” Thea pipes up, taking a slow sip of her drink.
Ben ignores her. “And we’ve been debating the best time to finally tie the knot. As it turns out, the best time is tonight.”
Bex gasps, dropping her fork as she covers her mouth in surprise.
Jules looks between me and his twin before asking, “Does Cole know about it this time?”
“Yes, Jules,” I smirk. “It was my idea.”
“Gabe, you’re ordained after doing Bex and Anders’ wedding—care to do the honors?” Ben clasps his eldest brother on the shoulder, giving him a wide grin.
“Is this even legal?” Anders questions.
“Absolutely not,” I reply with a shrug. “But we’ll go jump through all of the legal hoops this week. We’ve never done anything the ‘right’ way, and I don’t think either one of us wants to wait to make it official. All of our favorite people are here tonight, so why not?”
“We really wanted tonight to be about the two of us…” Ben lifts his glass, gesturing to each and every person around the table. “And all of the people that mean the most to us.”
Hugo stands up to congratulate us. Ben’s normally quiet father looks thrilled to be welcoming another member into the family. “Men, let’s go set up the back yard. Everyone grab a chair.”
Thea and Bex take the kids to pick some of the early spring blooms from our haphazard garden—there aren’t many yet, but it will do. Which leaves me with Elaine.
“How are you feeling?” she whispers, her smile warm and her tone conspiratorial.
I play with the engagement ring that Ben gave to me all those months ago.
“Ready,” I sigh. “He’s a great man. He loves me so well, even when I don’t feel like I deserve it.
And he comes with all of you.” I wave my hand to indicate the rest of the Bardot family, smiling and laughing with one another.
Excited for and supportive of us no matter what.
It’s so unique. Catching lightning in a bottle is what joining this family feels like.
“We are the lucky ones, Cole,” Elaine replies.
“God, please don’t make me cry!” I fan my face, feeling the tears well up.
I do end up crying, however, when Hugo walks me down the aisle. Chloe and Elodie throw their flowers as they walk right before us. Gabe and Jules stand next to their brother with Thea—cradling a much cuter Emmett now that he’s grown out of his newborn stage—standing on my side.
Ben looks at me, his gaze filled with awe, and it hits me all over again. More than twelve years of love and devotion and patience. He did it all for me.
And I can’t fucking wait to marry him.