Epilogue
KENNEDY
We spent a week in Miami. I introduced him to my friend, Jodi, and showed him my favorite restaurants and coffee shops. But the more time we spent there, the more it felt like a vacation from my real life. The one I'd built while I was in Colorado.
He needed to get home to finish his pieces for the snow room, and I wanted to see the progress. Hunter had been sharing the renovation on the social-media accounts, along with his outdoor adventures. The renovations were getting a lot of views, which was exciting.
I had a feeling that when the Hart brothers were shown in their element, they'd get more attention.
Once we were home, we went to family dinner. We decided to walk in together, rather than give some sort of announcement. Besides, Beck and Cal already knew about us and were rooting for Boone to bring me home.
We stood on his parents' porch.
"Are you ready for this?" Boone asked.
I swallowed hard. "Not really."
"My parents already love you."
"But we worked together. Won't they be shocked?"
"Sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with."
The door opened, and Judy said, "What are you doing hanging out on the porch?" Then her gaze fell to our joined hands. "Is there something you want to tell us?"
"We're together," I said awkwardly.
"What did we miss?" Hunter appeared beside his mother.
"We're here for Sunday dinner," Boone said.
Hunter's eyes widened. "You two are together?"
Boone nodded. "I'm in love with Kennedy."
Hunter's brow furrowed. "I thought you were mad at her."
Boone rolled his eyes as we stepped inside the house. "You need to spend more time with people, and less time outdoors."
Cal gripped Hunter's shoulder. "You're missing out."
"Yeah, I don't think so. I don't want to be tied down," Hunter moved away, and Beck approached us with a smile.
"You figured it out?"
Boone smiled. "I went after her and told her I love her."
Clara gasped. "That's so romantic."
I touched his shoulder. "He showed up at my condo, wearing a flannel and jeans. He looked completely out of place."
Boone looked at me. "She fell in love with me, not some guy who could fit into a place like Miami."
"Raymond, you have to see this," Judy called to him.
Raymond turned his head from where he'd been watching TV. "What did they do now?"
"Boone is here with Kennedy."
Raymond stood and approached us. "Did you visit to see the snow room? It's not quite done yet."
"We're here together as a couple," Boone said simply.
Raymond's eyes widened when he took in our joined hands and then Judy's excited expression.
"Isn't this great? I'm the one who insisted that Boone be her tour guide. Maybe I have a future as a match maker," Judy said to Raymond.
Hunter groaned. "No. Definitely not."
"None of us wants to settle down, and if we did, we wouldn't want our mother interfering," Malcolm said grumpily.
Judy smiled. "We'll see about that."
I exchanged a look with Boone. Had Judy orchestrated the entire thing? Was she trying to be a matchmaker? I didn't think it had been on purpose. Maybe she wanted Boone to get out more and interact with people. He'd said she was always complaining that he spent too much time in his workshop.
It didn't really matter how it happened. The important thing was that I was happy with Boone. We were figuring out how our relationship was going to work, and it was everything.
We wandered into the kitchen, and Beck asked, "How did you figure out the geography problem?"
"For now, we're living here. This is where Boone's business is, and his family. I just couldn't see Boone living in Miami, and the truth is, I really enjoy it here."
Beck grinned and pulled me away from Boone to hug me. "I knew we'd make a convert out of you."
"You told me to move to Miami." Boone narrowed his gaze.
Beck shrugged. "I had a feeling you'd figure something out."
"You convinced me that moving to Miami was the only option," Boone said.
Beck gestured between us. "It all worked out in the end. You look happy."
"We are happy," Boone said as he looked down at me.
"We were talking about hosting a party for the big reveal for the snow room," Judy said to me.
"I love that idea."
Judy clasped her hands together. "We've had a few requests to feature it. We just need to set a date."
"Sounds like I came home just in time. I wouldn't want to have missed the big reveal," I said.
"I'm happy we're all home and can be together as a family," Raymond said.
It was nice to be included as part of the Hart family.
We helped set the table and transfer the food. Then we all sat down together. Conversation drifted from the snow room to the upcoming renovations of the hotel itself.
"How are you feeling about being here instead of Miami?" Boone asked me when everyone's attention was elsewhere.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," I said.
He grinned and leaned over to kiss me.
"None of that," Hunter said.
"Get a room," Cal added.
Someone threw a napkin at us, and we broke away laughing. This was what I wanted, someone to call mine and a home with a family where I fit. I was looking forward to a future together with Boone.
I hope you loved Kennedy and Boone’s romance!