Epilogue. A Family Affair
EPILOGUE
A Family Affair
Six Months Later
“What do you mean your water broke? Brooke, the wedding is about to start,” Dalton whispered as they stood in the line on the sidewalk outside the Sandy Point chapel for the procession to the altar.
“I know, but these babies do not want to wait,” Brooke said, then gripped Dalton’s arm hard as she leaned forward and groaned.
“Oh, I know that sound—she’s in labor,” Shelby said, turning around to face Dalton and Brooke who was nodding in agreement with her hands on her knees as she leaned forward.
“I’ll get the cruiser,” Wes said, and stalked off toward the parking lot.
“Where is he going?” Gran said, walking forward. “We’re starting.”
“Brooke’s water broke,” Shelby and Dalton said at the same time.
“Oh, my stars, what a perfect day—two babies and a wedding.” Gran clapped her hands.
“Y’all what is going on?” Miranda asked as Wes pulled up with the lights and sirens already on.
Dalton turned to his left to see Missy standing on the side of the church in her layers of white lace with her cousin Declan. Levi was going to be disappointed he and Wes would miss the wedding, but they had no choice.
Wes reappeared with his SUV. “Can someone tell Levi we need to just wait ten minutes so I can get them over to the hospital and then I’ll be back for the ceremony?” Wes said.
“I’ll go tell him,” Renn offered and marched off inside the church.
“I’ll let Missy know,” Miranda said, heading to the side of the church.
Wes had Brooke in the back seat and Dalton climbed in next.
“Okay, you two, I’ll be there just as soon as these two say I do,” Gran said, with tears pooling in her eyes.
“Mom, are the babies on the way?” Max asked as he and Levi came charging out of the church.
“Ya, buddy, you can come with us if you want or stay with Gran and come to the hospital once they’re here,” Dalton answered for Brooke as another contraction took hold.
“Gross, I don’t want to see my brother and sister all covered in slime. I’ll come over later when they’re not crying and weird,” Max said.
Dalton laughed and gave Max a high five. “Big brother material for sure.”
“I love you, Max. I’ll see you after the wedding—save me some cake,” Brooke said.
“I love you, Mom.”
Once they were buckled in, Wes was hitting the gas and getting them to the hospital in record time, which was less than a mile away at best.
“I’m so bummed we didn’t get a chance to dance, but I’m so ready to get these twins out and have my body back to myself,” Brooke said, before another contraction took hold.
“We can dance tomorrow when we’re both holding one of our twins and singing them to sleep, love,” Dalton said, holding Brooke’s hand and rubbing his other hand along her round stomach. “Now breathe with me.”
*
“I can’t believe my niece and nephew tried to postpone this wedding, again,” Levi said, after he kissed his bride at the altar in front of their family and close friends.
Her skin was glowing, and she laughed as he held her dramatically tilted back.
“I think it’s kind of sweet—besides technically we were already married,” Missy whispered.
“Shhhh, don’t let your cousin or my family hear that. They’ll be devastated if they find out they missed the small beach ceremony last summer.”
Missy had her arms wrapped around Levi’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss. He didn’t feel bad at all for marrying Missy without everyone; he just didn’t want anyone to have their feelings hurt.
“Should we go to the hospital on our way to the reception? So they don’t feel left out?” Missy asked.
Levi laughed. “I love that you love my family too.”
“Of course I do. After all I am a Hart now too.”
“Can we skip the reception and go back to the honeymoon house instead?” Levi said as they began to walk back down the aisle as husband and wife.
Outside everyone blew bubbles to mark the occasion and they all agreed they should swing by the hospital before they went out to the reception.
“Maybe we can borrow one of the empty hospital rooms to consummate this marriage?” Levi whispered in Missy’s ear, in the back seat of the car service he’d hired.
“Why does it sound hot and dirty when you say consummate?” Missy asked, gripping Levi’s leg. “You look so handsome in this linen suit.”
“Wife, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’ll kick the driver out of this car, and we’ll be consummating this second marriage in the back seat of this car.”
“Promise?”
*
“Meet your great-granddaughter, Grace Diane Hart,” Dalton said as he handed his first-born daughter off to Gran.
“And where is my great-grandson?” she asked as she stood staring at the small five-pound twin who insisted on being born first.
“Well, he’s with his mom having his first meal, but I’ll bring him out next.”
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest little thing, Grace. Named after both your grandmothers—what a beautiful tribute to them,” Gran said.
“That way they’re always with us,” Dalton said, before kissing his grandmother’s cheek and snapping a picture of her misty-eyed and smiling as she cradled his newborn daughter.
“Wes, are you crying?” Shelby asked, handing him a tissue and hugging his waist tight.
“No, I just got something in my eyes,” Wes lied.
“How was the ceremony?” Dalton asked.
“It was beautiful, but we all agreed to stop by here first on our way out to the reception,” Miranda said, where she and Renn leaned against the hallway wall. “I took loads of pictures for you all to see.”
“Levi said he and Missy were coming too, but maybe they changed their minds,” Renn said, looking around.
“You think they know we all know they’ve been married for a year?” Gran asked as she cooed at her grandbaby.
“Nah, I don’t think they would’ve bothered if they knew that,” Wes said.
“Knew what?” Levi said walking down the hall toward the private suite with his wrinkled suit and hair looking mussed, holding Missy’s hand.
Wes couldn’t help but laugh. “Nothing, brother.”
“They know,” Missy said.
“Know you two were already hitched or hooked up on your way here?” Dalton said.
Renn burst out laughing along with Gran.
“Oh no, does Declan know?” Missy panicked.
“No, they all said in unison.”
“Oh good,” Missy said. “But how did you all know?”
“One night Levi told us after he had some tequila,” Wes admitted.
“Oh, babe, you know you’re never allowed to have tequila. It’s your truth serum.”
“Can we see Brooke?” Shelby asked eagerly.
“Of course, let me just make sure she’s ready,” Dalton said, peeking his head in the room and then holding the door open for them all to enter.
Everyone told Brooke how brave she was to give birth to twins without any time for pain relief and took turns holding the two new members to the Hart family.
“I guess you’re next,” Gran said looking at Missy and Levi.
But then everyone turned to stare at Wes and Shelby.
“They know,” Shelby said, putting her hand on her belly.
“It’s still early, so we didn’t want to say anything,” Wes said.
“We should’ve just had a double wedding today,” Levi said, hugging Wes and patting him on the back.
“Oh, the ladies in book club are going to be so jealous of all my great-grandbabies,” Gran said, smiling down at Maverick Ripley Hart, the youngest member of the family by one minute.
“I guess we’ll have to make sure we do our part too,” Renn said, pulling Miranda into his arms for a kiss.
“You’re going to have to marry me first,” Miranda teased.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Renn said, but then he sank down on one knee and pulled a solitaire ring out of his pocket. “Will you marry me, Miranda Sutton? I already love you more than anything in life and I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you.”
“Yes,” she whispered with tears streaming down her eyes. And sat down on his bent knee to kiss him.
Gran clapped and took a seat. “I don’t think you boys could have made me more proud or happy to be your grandmother. I love you all so much.”
“We love you too, Grandma Hart,” Max said. “But I’m not getting married anytime soon.” And the entire room fell out laughing.
The End
Want more small-town swoon from Stella? Grab your next read here.