Epilogue
Carly Fletcher couldn’t believe how her family was growing. Three of her siblings had found their matches and joined the throngs of happily married couples worldwide. It was like her oldest brother, Austin, had opened the floodgates of love when he met Jackie. Then Darcy fell for Evan faster than the autumn leaves had fallen from the trees. And now, Brandon was in the middle of the dance floor, holding his bride, Summer.
Carly sighed deeply, wishing with all her heart that it wouldn’t end with Brandon and Summer’s winter wedding. She wanted someone to look at her like they gazed at each other—with complete trust and adoration.
This wedding was a smaller affair than Austin or Darcy’s had been. It was mostly family and a few friends. Carly knew that Brandon and Summer would have been married in their backyard if the seasons had matched up. But they hadn’t wanted to wait until better weather, so they booked The Wheelhouse at Crystal Gorge for their simple but beautiful Christmas event.
The old farmhouse was decked out in fairy lights and decorated with fir trees, lanterns, and mistletoe. Summer wore an elegant yet simple gown with a gorgeous faux fur cape that reached from her shoulders to the floor. She removed it before the dancing began, but Carly was almost as envious of that cloak as she was of having someone to love her.
She shook her head with a smile. At least she could do something about the cape the next time she visited the Renaissance Fair. Before her mind could drift into new costume territory, a man and his pregnant wife approached her table. He had a slight limp, and she rubbed her back as if it ached. They were two of the only people she didn’t know in the crowd.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” The man asked his wife as they sat.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying about me,” she replied. Then she turned to Carly. “Are you family of the groom? We’re the Dewitts.”
“Yes, I’m one of his sisters. How do you know him?” Carly put her best nurse smile on her face.
“We don’t, but Charles served with Summer’s unit in Afghanistan.” The woman reached over and clung to his arm. “I’m so lucky he came home.”
The man shifted his chair to sit closer to his wife, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head beside hers—another couple crazy in love and grateful to be together.
“Were you in the convoy that got hit?” Carly asked.
“Yes. I was unconscious and didn’t know about Blakely or the others until I came out of the coma. She reached out to me at the end of June. It’s been good to see her happy. She never smiled this much when I knew her.”
Carly nodded. She didn’t know what else to do. Since getting engaged to Brandon, her new sister-in-law had shared things with their family. Carly didn’t know if they were common knowledge, but she figured it wasn’t her story to tell.
“I know my brother has never been happier. I’m glad you could come for the wedding.” Carly looked up to see her brother and his new bride joining them at the table.
“So am I,” Summer said. “Dewitt, introduce me to your wife.”
The man grinned as he stood, hugged Summer, and then pointed to his wife. “This is Mai. We grew up together, and she stuck with me through everything, including the leg.” He rapped his fist against his thigh.
“How’s the prosthetic?” Summer asked.
“I’m getting used to it, but forget that. Congratulations.” He nodded at Brandon, who had wrapped his arms around Summer.
“Thank you,” the newlyweds said at the same time.
“I’ll let you guys catch up.” Carly stood. “It was nice to meet you, and I hope you enjoy Sugar Creek. Brandon, Summer.”
They let her go without any fuss, and Carly was glad. She loved being with her family, but she’d been restless all week. Spending every minute surrounded by couples was more challenging than she thought. She was a strong, intelligent, independent woman who had a career she loved that paid the bills and then some. Well, it would once she finished paying her student loans. There was no reason for her to give in to the fear of missing out. She had plenty of time to date, fall in love, and start a family.
She walked around the dance area toward the backdrop set up for photos. It consisted of a wood wall with fairy lights cascading from the top to the floor. Several crates of various styles and sizes surrounded a rustic table. The surface of each one was covered with lanterns, swags of greenery with pinecones, candles, and ribbons in the wedding colors—a deep rose red, soft pink, and cream that looked beautiful next to the evergreens.
Her sister, Ellie, stood by the photo booth and posed with her boyfriend, Jordan. The two had been dating for a year, but Jordan made Carly uncomfortable. There was something fake about him, and her sweet sister’s disposition felt unnaturally subdued. Her family worried because they were together, but no one knew how to voice their concerns, especially since he was always with her.
Ellie’s eyes lit up when she noticed Carly. “Hey, Sis. Do you want to take a picture with me?”
“Of course,” Carly stepped next to her sister while Jordan moved far enough away not to be in the frame. He was always hovering as if he couldn’t leave Ellie’s side, but it didn’t feel as sweet as when her brothers stayed close to their wives .
Carly shook the thoughts from her head and smiled. After the photo, she stayed with Ellie because her sister held onto her arm instead of letting go.
“Why didn’t you bring someone to the wedding?” Ellie asked.
Carly shrugged. “You know I’m not dating anyone.”
“You could have brought that guy you’re always talking about. As a friend.”
The first genuine smile in an hour stole across Carly’s lips. Huh . She’d thought about asking Marcus to join her, but she had chickened out. He’d become her closest friend at the hospital over the last year.
“I should have,” she said.
“Why didn’t you?” Ellie asked.
“He went home to see his mom and brothers.”
“You talk about him so much that I should meet him. Maybe we can go on a double date or something.”
Carly’s chest warmed at the thought, and her heart filled with longing. Marcus was one of the best surgeons at Boston Regional. He’d joined the staff last January, and since she cared for most of his post-op patients, they’d had many opportunities to chat. If she was being honest, he was one of the reasons she enjoyed work so much.
She sighed. “That’s a nice thought, but Marcus strictly obeys the no fraternization rule. He’s probably the only one.”
Ellie bumped her shoulder. “Well, he can always come as a friend. We don’t have to call it a date.”
Yeah. That was possible, but Carly realized she wanted to be more than Marcus Vaughn’s friend.
“Babe, let’s hit the dance floor,” Jordan tugged Ellie away.
“Catch you later,” Ellie said as they hurried away.
Carly watched them leave with a frown. Although Ellie lived in Boston, Carly rarely saw her and never without the boyfriend. She would have to try harder to go to lunch with her sister and just her sister.
Austin made his way to the microphone. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being with us tonight to celebrate Summer and Brandon Fletcher on this special day. While the happy couple are changing before leaving for their honeymoon, they’ve asked me to share the results of your giving hearts. As you know, instead of gifts, they asked for donations for the Wounded Warrior Project.”
Austin paused and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. “Thank you to everyone who contributed to the page they set up. Together, you’ve raised almost four thousand dollars to support veterans and their families as they transition back to civilian life.” Austin wiped a tear from his cheek. “Summer would have thanked you herself, but this cause is too close to her heart. Just know this is appreciated more than you will ever understand. Thanks.”
The band started again, and people returned to the dance floor and chatted in groups while waiting for the couple to reappear. Carly leaned against a wall and thought about how lucky Brandon and Summer were to have found each other as teens so long ago and to reconnect after being separated for so long. They were also fortunate that Summer survived her deployments.
Where was her luck? There was no one from her past that she longed for, and only one person spent too much time in her thoughts. Marcus was the kind of man she wanted to fall in love with, but he was off-limits for several reasons. First, they worked together, which was a hard pass for him. Second, they were friends. She felt like a cliché, but she didn’t want to lose that by telling him she sometimes wished for more.
As her brother and new sister-in-law reappeared to say their final goodbyes, Carly made a promise to herself. When she returned to Boston, she would make changes in her life. Her One was out there somewhere; she just had to make the time to find him.