Epilogue
Note to self:
Like Mack said, time to put a ring on it.
“Are you sure about this?” Abe asked, checking himself out in the small, warped mirror.
The biggest drawback of holding a wedding at a county park was dealing with the restroom situation. There was nothing romantic about metal toilets, cement floors, no hand soap, and a scratched, dirty mirror that looked as though it had been purchased from a funhouse.
But bathrooms aside, today was exactly how Ali had described her perfect wedding to me all those months ago. Kind of funny to think it had been less than a year ago when I’d unchained her from the tree we were about to get married in front of.
Or hopefully married in front of. This was a surprise. Everyone was in on the surprise but Ali. She could say no but, and I’m not being cocky here, she wouldn’t.
I finished buttoning the sleeves on my dress shirt. It was chambray blue because Ali said it almost matched my eyes. “Very.”
Abe raked his fingers through his long dark hair and winked at his reflection, clearly pleased. “Have you thought this through? You’ll have to stay on your toes.”
A huff of laughter escaped me. “You do remember I know who I’m dealing with, right? I can handle her.”
Abe’s face swung toward me, incredulous. “You’re hilarious. Not a chance.”
“Not a chance about what?” Cal asked as he strolled into the bathroom, also dressed in the simple white dress shirt and tie Abe sported. Behind him, the lanky form of Travis followed, also in the same outfit.
My brother—still so strange to think I had one—and I had stayed in contact, emailing, then texting and calling. In early January, he’d come for a visit, and we’d taken him to check out the University of Texas at Austin who’d been recruiting him for their swim team.
Scott—I couldn’t call him my father—and I had communicated but only through email. And although I wasn’t sure that would be a relationship I ever wholeheartedly pursued, it had given me closure I hadn’t realized I needed.
And a brother.
“He says he can handle Ali.” Abe shoved a thumb in my direction.
Cal patted my back. “Good luck with that.”
With a slow smile, I nudged Abe away from the mirror and took his place. “I have my ways.”
“Dude,” Abe said, sounding disgusted. “That’s my sister.”
I laughed. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
Ten months of dating Alicia Ramos had taught me a few things. Like her intense hate of towels not folded properly or how much she secretly loved Hallmark movies. Or that she had a spot right below her right ear that always made her giggle. Or how she’d cried for hours after she’d won the election.
It would take me a lifetime to learn all the little things about her.
Which was exactly what I intended.
“Do I look okay?” I asked.
Abe took his time inspecting me before nodding. “You look good. Calm, even. Why do I feel like I’m more nervous than you right now?”
I shrugged. “You’ve always been highly strung.”
“Hilarious.” He slapped my back. “Seriously, why?”
“Because I get to marry Ali today.” Thinking of that sent a wave of peace through me, a rightness.
Abe threw his arms around me and pulled me into a fierce hug. “I’m glad. I’m really glad.”
Frankie pushed through the bathroom door, crowding an already crowded room. “Break it up, you two. Mom says she wants everyone out and ready.”
Abe released me. “We’re coming.”
Frankie held his hand out. “Welcome to the family.”
With a grin, I shook it.
“He’s always been a part of our family.” Cal slung an arm around my shoulders.
“Well, now it’s official,” Frankie said. “And since you’ll be married and all, any incidents involving gnomes in inappropriate positions fall on your shoulders.”
“Should I ask?”
One of Frankie’s eyebrows arched. “Do you really want to know?”
Ali’s brothers looked at me and then we all said at once, “Plausible deniability.”
We were still laughing when my phone dinged with a text.
Mae: We’re finally on our way. She stops to talk to everyone though so who knows when we’ll get there.
Me: We’re ready.
“She’s on her way.” Excitement pulsed through me. “We should get out there.”
Together, we filed out and walked down the dirt path to the clearing in front of the tree where several neat rows of rental chairs had been set up. Forty exactly—family and a few friends. Afterward, we’d go over to the Sit-n-Eat for a cookout the whole town was invited to.
“Oh, don’t you look handsome.” Stephanie paused in adjusting the bows at the ends of each row of chairs for the fortieth time.
“Thanks.” Abe turned slowly. “I think I make this shirt look pretty good.”
“Abraham.” Stephanie waved a hand at him, grinning despite herself. “I meant Theo. But you look very handsome too.”
Abe dropped a kiss on her cheek and stage-whispered, “I’m your favorite, aren’t I?”
“You’re too ugly to be her favorite.” Frankie shoved him as he walked past. Abe shoved him back.
“Boys, it’s your sister’s wedding,” Stephanie said, although her eyes gleamed with delight.
In the months since Abe had come back into our lives, the change had been remarkable. Eli and Abe were slowly building the kind of relationship they’d never had before. Oh, they still butt heads and sometimes refused to talk to each other for days, but they got over it, figured out how to move past it.
Abe brought Hallie to visit every other month or so. They’d come for Christmas this past year for a couple of weeks. Stephanie had been beside herself with happiness. Slowly, the family was reshaping itself to include this new version of Abe, an older one, a little more serious than he used to be as a teenager. But his smiles were still there, the ribbing between brothers, the easy comradery.
“He started it,” Frankie muttered.
“And I’ll finish it.” Abe wrapped an arm around Frankie’s neck and hovered a hand over Frankie’s head. “I’d mess up your hair but then I’d be covered in hair gel.”
“Eli,” Stephanie called.
“Boys, listen to your mother,” Eli yelled.
“Yes, Dad,” they both grumbled. Abe released Frankie, who glared as he adjusted his shirt.
“Daddy,” Hallie called from her place at the back, a basket clutched in her hands. She was decked out in a pink cupcake of a dress with two lopsided ponytails and shiny white shoes. “I’m ready to be a flower girl.”
Another message came through.
Mae: Mrs. Linton stopped her to discuss the Fourth of July parade.
I smiled. The town’s Fourth of July celebration was Ali’s first big push to help bring business to Two Harts and she was intent on making it a success. Winning the election had been the first hurdle, but she had to prove herself now. My girl was determined and focused. That celebration didn’t have a chance of failing.
Mae: I’m about to put a paper bag over her head so we can get there before the next century.
Mae: Finally. We’re moving again.
Mae: By the high school now.
“They’ve made it to the high school,” I announced.
Melanie, who’d taken over as coordinator the second she and Cal arrived two days ago, clapped her hands. “Places, people. Everyone in their seats. Eli and Stephanie, come back here with Hallie. Cal, Frankie, Abe, up to the front. Ellie, you too. Mack, where’s Mack?”
“Ready to go.” Mack stood in front of the tree, cradling Karen in his arms.
Melanie marched up to him. “We talked about this. You cannot officiate the wedding and hold Karen at the same time.”
Mack frowned; Karen licked his cheek. “I don’t see why not.”
Melanie snapped her fingers. “Give me the dog.”
“Fine.”
Melanie tucked the dog under her arm and raced back over to the arch we’d set up where the dirt path opened into the clearing. She kissed my cheek. “You got this, Theo.”
I smiled gratefully. “Thanks for all your help.”
“Are you kidding? It’s way more fun to plan someone else’s wedding.” With a sly smile, she lowered her voice. “Plus, guess who picked today in the wedding pool?”
She scurried down the aisle to stand next to Ellie, dumping the dog off on the lap belonging to Chris, Mae’s husband, along the way.
Mae: We have made it to the parking lot. T-minus thirty seconds.
Mae: I lied. She’s inspecting the park sign now. Wants to update it.
Me: We’re ready to go.
Mae: Good.
Mae: Hey, Theo?
Me: Yeah?
Mae: I’m glad it’s you Ali is marrying.
A warmth spread through me. Mae’s acceptance meant a lot, maybe more than the Ramos family’s. Ali’s family loved me, but Mae had always been a little harder to read, a little tougher to crack, and fiercely protective of those she loved.
Me: Thanks.
I heard a murmur of voices and could just make out Ali’s. The nerves I’d held at bay suddenly showed up and I ran my hands along my pants and took a few steps forward, wanting to meet her before she saw what lay ahead.
She was laughing when she appeared and, like it usually did, my heart flipped over at the sight of her. At the silky wave of her brown hair, the big dark eyes with the permanent glint of mischief, the freckles that dusted her cheeks, the sassy swing of her hips, how her head tilted ever so slightly, asking a question without words, when she saw me.
“What are you doing here?” Ali asked, her steps slowing. “You said you had a big meeting this afternoon in Houston.”
I shrugged. “I lied.”
She crossed her arms. “And you’re all dressed up.”
“So are you,” I pointed out. Mae had concocted a fake photo shoot for a fake magazine article to get Ali in a white dress that cinched in at her waist and flared out to just below her knees. The top was held up by dainty straps and a scooped neckline that made my heart race for other reasons.
Mae clapped her hands. “My job here is done.”
She turned to Ali and hugged her, whispering something into her ear I couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, Ali sucked in an audible breath and stared at Mae as she scooted down the path, stopping to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Go get her, tiger. Or should I say, that booty’s all yours, Dread Pirate Goodnight?”
My cheeks flamed. “She told you?”
Smiling, Mae patted my back. “Your secret is safe with me.”
With that she was gone, leaving Ali and me alone. We drifted together, pulled by the invisible string that seemed to link the two of us.
“You told her?”
“Just that you had a thing for pirates.” With a shrug, she bit her lip. “I like your thing for pirates.”
“Oh?”
Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I sure do.”
I pulled her close and buried my nose in the spot where her shoulder met her neck, breathing in the familiar spice that clung to her skin.
“Not that I’m not enjoying this but,” she pulled back a little to look up at me, “why are you here?”
“I have a surprise.” I skated my hands down her arms and grasped her hands.
“I love surprises.”
I took a deep breath and blurted it out. “I want to get married.”
Ali froze, her eyes latched onto my face. “I-is that a proposal?”
Pulling her along, I took a few shuffles toward the clearing but not close enough for her to see anything. Yet.
“Because if that was a proposal, the answer is yes. I mean, I don’t want to seem too easy but…well, when it comes to you, I’m easy.”
Someone behind me laughed softly.
I pretended to frown. “You should make me work for it.”
She shook her head. “No, really. I’m good. Let’s get married. Could we go to Vegas? Knock it out in a weekend?” Her teeth latched onto her lower lip, her eyes staring somewhere into the middle distance. “Although Mom and Dad would be upset about that. And I would want Cal and Melanie there. And Abe and Hallie. Plus, Mae and Chris. Oh, and Ellie. That might be hard for her to get away to Vegas with work and all. And maybe Travis would want to come?”
“Ali…”
“No, no. I can figure this out.” Her nose scrunched in concentration. I leaned forward and kissed it. She kept right on talking. “We could wait until school’s out. Probably after the Fourth of July. That’s going to take up a lot of my time. And then maybe…”
I tugged her around the bend until we were standing under the wooden arch. “Ali.”
She blinked, glancing around her. Her gaze came back to mine, wide and shiny, like she was on the verge of tears. “W-what is all this?”
“Auntie Ali, you’re getting married, and I get to be the flower girl.” Hallie threw a handful of petals in the air with enthusiasm. Stephanie leaned down and shushed her.
“I’m getting married?” Ali breathed. “In front of the Legacy Tree?”
“On a random Thursday afternoon in June. With family and a few friends.” I picked up her hand and placed it over my racing heart. “Just like you said.”
“I said that?”
“About ten months ago. It took forever for June to get here.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “What do you think? Want to get married?”
A tear slid down her cheek, but her smile was brighter than the sun. “Yes, please.”
* * *
If The Fast Lane had you laughing out loud, then you’ll love The Fake Out. Find out what happens when Mae, a small-town librarian and Chris, an all-star NFL player, get tangled up in an engagement of convenience—will it be the perfect fake out? Or is it a game they’ll both lose?