Epilogue
ALEC
My stomach has been jumping all night.
As delicious as all the food looks, with mountains of crispy wings, five types of pizzas overflowing with toppings, rich buffalo chicken dip, and mini burgers, just to start, it’s been a struggle to get down more than a few bites.
I keep trying because I don’t want Hazel to suspect anything. Or to think I’m sick and insist on going home early, which would completely ruin my plans for the night.
Fortunately, her attention keeps being drawn elsewhere—either to a new decoration she didn’t notice before, another guest coming over to chat, or one of the many games we planned for the party.
So far, we’ve played in a cutthroat Extreme Jenga tournament—which Leo and his wife, Georgia, won, which isn’t a surprise since he’s the one who originally came up with the game—and a blindfolded round of pool, which, in hindsight, may not have been the best idea.
“It’s fine,” Frank assured us after Hazel accidentally broke three beer glasses with a runaway pool ball. “I’ve got plenty of extras. And as long as everyone is having fun, that’s the important part.”
Is everyone having fun?
A quick glance around Blissful Brews tells me they are.
Max and Ronan are playing cornhole against Swede and Allie, and from the sounds of it, there’s some good-natured heckling going on. Ronan’s voice breaks through the happy chatter in the room as he asks Swede, “Don’t they teach you marksmanship in the Navy? What kind of shot was that?”
Gage, Rory, Knox, Lark, Jess, and Kane are caught up in a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity, all of them howling with laughter at the ridiculous answers. At one point, I hear Rory blurt, “That’s not even a real thing!” And then, more quietly, “Is it?”
Honestly, I’m not sure. And I thought, after more than a decade in the Army, that I’d heard everything.
Over in the Blissful retreat corner, Winter is reclining on the loveseat while Enzo gazes adoringly at her, every so often patting the slight swell of her stomach and beaming with pride.
It’s still hard to believe they’re having a baby—a boy, which Enzo is especially excited about—but I couldn’t be happier for them.
But they’re not the only ones expecting.
Knox and Lark are in the process of becoming foster parents, and they’re hoping to adopt one day.
“We just want to have kids,” Knox explained when he first told us about the whole foster parent thing.
“It doesn’t matter how it happens. Or if we’re related by blood.
The important part is that we all love each other. ”
I couldn’t agree more.
That’s something I learned in the Army, and it really hit home once I joined the Green Mountain Guardians.
Family doesn’t have to be blood. Family is doing anything for the people you care about.
It’s sharing their struggles and celebrating their victories.
It’s knowing they’ll always have your six, no matter what.
It’s something Hazel’s learned over the last six months. That even though she doesn’t have her dad anymore, she’ll always have family.
Me. My teammates. Rory, Winter, and Lark. Jess. Max. Swede and Allie.
And more recently, Sawyer.
Because Sawyer’s been spending a lot of time in Bliss since he got back to the States. First, just making quick overnight trips, and then later, week-long stays at one of the cabins on the GMG property. He hasn’t committed to moving here yet, but I’m hoping to convince him.
It’s like Hazel said to him when he was over for dinner a few weeks ago. “Bliss was the fresh start I needed,” she said. “And moving here was the best decision I ever made. It could be for you too.”
And speaking of Sawyer, there he is, walking back into the bar with Ace. They’re both laughing, which is great to see. Not that I wouldn’t expect to see Ace cheerful—he’s having a great time in Portland with his Blade and Arrow team—but smiles haven’t been a common occurrence for Sawyer.
Yet.
“He looks happy, doesn’t he?” Hazel asks. She puts her hand on my shoulder as she slides into the seat beside me. Her cheeks are pink with pleasure, and her eyes are a bright, sparkling blue. The little key necklace nestled at her collarbone catches the light and throws tiny rainbows from it.
I scoot my chair over so I can loop my arm around her waist. “Sawyer?”
“Yeah.” She glances at Ace and Sawyer again. “I’ve noticed at least half a dozen smiles since he got here. And when we were talking earlier, I noticed he didn’t have that anxious look about him. Like he’s waiting for someone to attack.”
“You’re right,” I agree. “He does look happy. I think being here is good for him.”
Hazel gives me a soft smile. “It was good for me. Coming here, I mean.”
“So you’re happy?”
“Alec.” Her voice is gently scolding. “How could you think I wouldn’t be? I have everything here. A job I love, friends, a home…”
“Hey.” I put on a mock-affronted tone. “What about me?”
She stares at me for a silent moment, emotion working in her eyes. “You’re the best part, Alec.” Her hand comes to my cheek, cool and soft against my skin. “As long as I have you, I’d be happy anywhere.”
My heart flips over. Squeezes.
“Haze.” I capture her mouth with mine. She tastes of spice and sugar and a hint of molasses. As I tease her mouth open to dip inside, she leans into me, clutching my shoulders for balance.
When we finally break apart, her cheeks are tinged a deep pink and her eyes are half-lidded with desire. She runs her tongue across her kiss-swollen lips, and my pants go tight as my erection jumps. My body throbs with need.
Suddenly, there seem to be far too many people here.
“I still can’t believe you did all this for me,” Hazel continues.
She glances around the bar, smiling as her gaze drifts over the hundreds of balloons floating by the ceiling and the giant sign stretched across the mirror behind the bar; the one that spells out in large letters, Happy Birthday Hazel.
“It’s the first birthday I get to celebrate with you. I wanted it to be special.”
She smiles. “It’s very special.”
“So you like it? I know Blissful Brews isn’t the fanciest place, but I thought you’d like having the party here.”
“Of course.” Over by the bar, Angel catches Hazel’s eye and gives her a little wave. Hazel waves back at her before adding, “This is perfect. Great food and beer, a relaxed atmosphere, and everyone I care about is here. I couldn’t think of a better place.”
“Good.” I cast a quick look at the gift table in the corner, heaped with presents. “Looks like you have a lot of gifts to open later.”
She follows my gaze. “People didn’t have to bring me presents. Just being here is enough.”
“I know they didn’t have to. They wanted to.”
Hazel looks at the towering pile of gifts for another second. “I think I’ve gotten more presents in the last six months than I did in the five years before that. I’m going to get spoiled.”
“You deserve to be spoiled.” I hug her to me again and press a kiss to her forehead. “And I love giving you presents. It makes me happy.”
It still hurts to think about how lonely her life was before. I knew she had ghosts, but I never guessed how much she struggled. How the burden of guilt wore her down, convincing her she didn’t deserve any better.
But she does. Hazel deserves everything good. And I’m determined to give it to her.
“You make me happy, Alec. The presents are just a bonus.” She plucks at her necklace. “Although I have to say, this one is extra special.”
I move the chain so the clasp is back behind her neck, letting my fingers trace along the line of her neck. Little goosebumps erupt across her skin at my touch. Her eyes darken to a stormy blue. “Do you really like it?” I ask.
“Yes.” Her hand comes over mine. “I love it. And when you’re not around, I can look at the necklace to be reminded of you.”
The mental image of Hazel at work, pausing to touch her necklace and thinking of me, tugs at my heart.
And it brings to mind the other piece of jewelry still hidden in my pocket.
The piece of jewelry that’s been making my nerves jitter all night.
“That reminds me,” I say. “There’s something I want to show you.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” Sliding off my chair, I hold my hand out to her. “Will you come with me?”
“Of course.” She hops off the chair and takes my hand. “Where are we going?”
My heart jumps again.
“Outside.” I lead her towards the entrance, stopping to retrieve our coats from the rack beside it. As I slide her coat over her arms, I add, “We’re just going to take a quick walk. But we’ll be right back.”
Curiosity raises her brows. “Okay?”
Once our coats are zipped up, I wrap my arm around her and tuck her to my side. “You’ll see. I can’t tell you, or it would ruin the surprise.”
“I thought this was the surprise,” she replies as we walk out into the cold night air.
A few scattered snowflakes are falling; crystalline sparkles in the light of the full moon above.
The moonlight casts a glow across the dampening sidewalk, and I firm my hold on Hazel in case there’s a slippery spot on our brief walk.
“I have lots of surprises,” I tell her. “The party was only one of them.”
“What about the trip to Italy? That’s a pretty big surprise.”
The first surprise of Hazel’s birthday was two first-class tickets to Italy for a week-long stay. We’re going to Rome and Venice, then we’ll spend two days touring wineries before ending up in Sicily for the end of our trip.
“Maybe so. But I still have another one.”
Hazel leans against me as we walk down the sidewalk.
Her hair brushes my chin, soft and fragrant with the scent of roses and vanilla.
I kiss the top of her head, closing my eyes as I commit this perfect moment to memory—holding the woman I love in the town that’s become home, with a hopeful future filled with joy stretching out ahead of me.
As we enter the town park, Hazel lifts her head from my shoulder. “Is the surprise in the park?”