Epilogue
. . .
Emerson
A winter wedding in Magnolia Falls was as good as it got.
Saylor wanted to be married on their property, and Kingston wanted his wife to have whatever she wanted.
There was snow covering the ground, and they had several tents with industrial heaters to keep the space warm, and everything was winter white and holiday-themed.
Hayes had given Saylor away, and there hadn’t been a dry eye in the room when Kingston and Saylor read their vows.
You could feel the love that surrounded those two.
Their reception was the largest I’d ever attended.
Everyone in town had come out, and they were all fawning over Lincoln Hendrix, the star QB whom everyone knew well.
I’d really enjoyed getting to know Romeo’s brother and his wife, Brinkley, but Nash and I found ourselves at a table with Cage Reynolds and his wife, Presley, gaping over the fact that our kids couldn’t seem to stay away from one another.
Little Gracie Reynolds had met Cutler in the fall when Cage and Presley had come to town with Brinkley and Lincoln to see a ranch that Lincoln was interested in purchasing so he could have a home near Romeo and their sister, Tia, who’d come home from school to attend Kingston and Saylor’s wedding, as well.
Nash and Kingston would be renovating the place, and they’d become good friends, as we’d gone to Cottonwood Cove a couple weeks ago so Saylor and I could try out the Tranquility Day Spa that Paisley co-owned with her best friend, Lola.
“Look at the way he’s twirling her,” Presley said, as her son slept in her lap. The little angel was just a few months old, and Gracie adored her little brother.
“He never stops talking about her. I think J.T. is getting sick of hearing about his new bestie.” Nash barked out a laugh.
“He’s about the only kid on the planet that I’d let twirl my little girl around on the dance floor,” Cage grumped. “But I’m a big Beefcake fan.”
I smiled. “They’re pretty adorable. He was so excited you guys were coming to the wedding. He wanted her to see him carrying the rings down the aisle.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Presley said. “We were thrilled to be included in their special day.”
“It was a nice wedding, huh?” Nash said, his hand finding mine, as our fingers intertwined.
“It was beautiful.” I stared out at the dance floor, watching Gracie try to twirl Cutler, and he clearly didn’t love the idea of being spun around, but he went along with it.
I loved him as if he were my own, and in a way, he was.
Things happen for a reason.
I knew that I belonged here in Magnolia Falls with Nash and Cutler.
We visited with everyone as the party just kept on going. River, Ruby, Demi, and Romeo came to join us at the table.
Demi gave me a look, and I followed her gaze to the dance floor, where her brother, Slade, was slow dancing with Peyton.
“I think something is going on there,” she whispered to me.
She was definitely right. Peyton always found an excuse to hang out with Slade.
“I think you’re right. Is that okay with you?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s been doing really well with his sobriety. He loves working at the gym with Romeo, and he seems crazy about her. I don’t know why they don’t just tell me they’re dating at this point.”
“It’s okay. I like watching her squirm when she’s with him, and she’s always glancing over to see if you notice,” Ruby said over her laughter. “It’s hilarious.”
Just then, Peyton marched in our direction, her hand in Slade’s. “Demi. We have something to tell you.”
“Really?” Demi said, feigning surprise.
“Tell her, Slade.” Peyton raised a brow at the man beside her.
“I don’t know why it’s a big deal, but Peyt and I are dating. I don’t really need your blessing, but she sure seems to need it. And I’m done sneaking around.”
“Baby, that was not as well done as it could have been.” Peyton raised a brow, and he tugged her forward, planting a kiss on her lips. We were all smiling, watching them.
“You have my blessing, but maybe let’s not make out in front of me just yet.” Demi was laughing hysterically, which had Romeo on his feet, hurrying over and bending down in front of her. He placed his hands on her cute round belly, this look of concern that was almost comical.
“Our boy loves when his mama laughs,” Romeo said.
We’d had a gender reveal party not that long ago, and they were having a boy. We were all thrilled for them, but Cutler seemed to be the most excited about having a new brother, as he called him.
“Are you going to grab her stomach every time she laughs, hiccups, or coughs?” Hayes grumped as he joined us at the table, pulling up a chair beside me.
“Yeah. This little dude is active. He’s always kicking around in there, and I fucking love it.”
“I want to make fun of you real bad right now, but I get it,” Nash said as he rubbed the back of my neck. “Hey, I heard John Cook announced that he was finally retiring.”
Hayes nodded slowly. “Yep. He’ll be retiring in a few months. Lenny and I are both up for the position, but that fucker is practically campaigning for it now. He keeps mentioning how his wife loves to host potlucks and fundraisers, and I can’t compete with that. I sure as shit don’t want to.”
“Play the game, brother. You’re damn good at your job. You deserve the promotion. Maybe you could marry Trish Windsor real quick,” River said over his laughter. Nash had filled me in that she was a woman who’d pursued Hayes hard, and he avoided her any time she came around.
“I’d rather get demoted than be alone with that woman. She tried to tie me up, remember? I’m not into that shit.”
“Unless you’re the one doing the tying, right?” Romeo teased, and Hayes balled up a napkin and tossed it at him.
“Something like that.” Hayes shrugged.
“Sad news about Abe Wilson,” River said, taking a long pull from his beer. “I wonder if Savannah will come home for his funeral.”
“Who’s Savannah?” I asked.
“Savannah Abbott lived next door to Hayes when we were growing up. She and Hayes were—what do you call that, baby? When they’re inseparable?” Romeo was now sitting with Demi on his lap as he rubbed her belly.
“Besties, baby.”
“Pfft.” Hayes shook his head with disgust. “I don’t use the word besties in my vocabulary. We were neighbors, and we looked out for one another. And then all that shit went down with her family, and she went radio silent.”
“Ahhh… she ghosted you,” Ruby said with a laugh.
“Whatever. Call it what you want.” Hayes stared out at the dance floor, but he looked a million miles away.
“You two were tight. I remember you and Kate having some brutal fights about how jealous she was over that friendship,” Nash said. He’d filled me in on Hayes’s ex-fiancée who’d slept with his coworker at the firehouse. She sounded like a real piece of work.
“Yeah, Kate liked to go off about anything and everything. I should have run for the hills long before I caught her riding Lenny like it was her fucking day job.”
Laughter bellowed around us.
“That’s called red flags,” Demi said with a brow raised.
“Well, I hope Savi comes home for the funeral. She was always so sweet and kind to everyone. I hated that she left town so abruptly. But she and the Wilsons were really close. The last time she came home was over a decade ago—for Lily’s funeral, right? ”
Hayes nodded, and something crossed his gaze that I couldn’t read. Sadness, maybe? “Yep,” was all he said.
“I wonder who he left his millions to,” Romeo said. “That man owned the largest piece of property in Magnolia Falls. He’s got no kids, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with his estate and land.”
“He married that crazy-ass woman, Sheana, for a short time. If she gets that land, I’d guess we’ll have a strip mall in town within a few months.” Hayes took another pull from his bottle.
I gave Nash a questioning look, and he leaned down close to my ear. “Abe was a sweet old man who lost the love of his life, and then a few years later, he got worked over by this young gold digger whom everyone in town despised. Thankfully, he figured it out quickly and filed for divorce.”
“And she just left?” I asked, my mind blown that someone would be so cold.
“Yep. She got a large settlement and moved out of town.”
“Money brings out the crazy in people,” Hayes said, shaking his head with disgust.
“She got what she wanted,” Romeo said, as Kingston sauntered our way.
“Hey now, why aren’t we out on the dance floor?” Kingston asked, as he dropped into a chair across from me.
“Because we’ve been here for seven hours. This is the longest wedding known to man,” Hayes grumped. “And I don’t dance.”
“Yeah, I think this party is wrapping up.” River pushed to his feet. “It was a great wedding. You sure know how to throw a party, brother.”
All the guys were hugging goodbye, and Ruby, Demi, and I were walking over to say goodbye to Saylor.
“What’s the story with Hayes and Savannah? He looked pretty distraught over the mention of her name,” I asked.
“Yeah. They were really close back in the day, and a bunch of stuff went down with her family right around the time that Hayes and Saylor were going through a bunch of stuff, and River and Romeo got sent to Fresh Start. So I think it was a rough time for everyone.”
Fresh Start was the juvenile detention center that Ruby worked at now.
“When it rains in Magnolia Falls, it sure does pour.” Demi shook her head, eyes heavy with emotion. “I hope she comes back for Abe’s funeral. She was always so happy and nice.”
“Yeah, she was funny as hell. Even my blackened heart couldn’t help but smile around the girl,” Ruby said with a chuckle.
“Who are we talking about?” Peyton popped her head into the little circle we’d formed, appearing out of nowhere.
“Savannah Abbott. We’re wondering if she’ll come back for Abe’s funeral.”