Epilogue
Junie
The clatter of puppy dog nails across the decking makes my heart race. I know I only have moments before—
“Good morning, my beautiful bride!” The door bursts open and I’m attacked by an excited fluffball with a sandpaper tongue.
“I’m up, I’m up!” I cackle, kicking the blankets off and wrapping Charlie, our chocolate brown lab, in my arms. He wiggles like a wet fish and makes a mad attempt to lick my face.
“We’re about thirty minutes from land. You ready to do this thing?” My gorgeous captain smiles at me like I’m a treasure.
“What could we do with thirty whole minutes?” I ask, frowning innocently.
“Charlie, come here, boy.” He slaps his knees and unceremoniously locks him out of the bunk. He whines like we’re the cruelest puppy parents to ever exist, but then he must catch sight of a seagull interloping on the deck because he takes off with a playful bark.
I take one last chance to love on this man before we’re married.
It’s a fumbling, sweaty, rushed sort of lovemaking.
He really needs to keep an eye on the steering this close to shore, but I can’t keep my hands off him, or my mouth, or anything else.
He’s all mine. Forever. We decided that ages ago, but tonight we’ll make it real.
When we’re cleaned up and moderately dressed, we head back on deck with a flush to our cheeks.
Charlie nips at my ankles until I clip him into his harness then prepare the mooring lines.
Our movements are seamless. Steven and I work like two heads of the same beast. He pulls up to the dock and I tie my knots in seconds, trying to swallow past the lump in my throat and the tears threatening to spill over my eyes.
The gang’s all here. On the pier, everyone’s dressed up and waiting.
Victoria and Mike wave with an arm wrapped around each other’s waists.
Mason and Thomas are wearing their finest Hawaiian shirts.
Even Juliette flew back out and her grin makes my heart squeeze in my chest. Beside them, my parents smile and wave with tears in their eyes.
Lisa and Eva are holding bouquets of frangipani flowers, Luna’s waving under a big sunhat.
Steven’s Mom and two brothers are clapping and whooping.
I look back at my fiancé, my lower lip wobbling. He’s trying to keep it together, but I know he feels it too. He shuts off the engine and I grab the bags with our wedding things, attach Charlie’s leash, and we all climb off the boat together.
“Welcome back, mate.” Mike reaches us first, slapping a hand into Steven’s then pulling him in for a hug.
“Let’s go get you changed,” Eva whispers when we’ve hugged our way through the crowd. “Everything’s ready.”
Our little bungalow has long been rented to someone else, but the whole wedding party is staying at one of the glitzy resorts. I lose sight of Steven as he’s shuffled off down another hallway and I’m dragged into a separate room. The next hour is a blur of dresses, makeup, and hair styling.
I shouldn’t feel nervous. I’ve spent every minute of the past nine months on an 800 square foot boat with the man, but my heart rate is through the roof. Anxiety isn’t so familiar for me any more. My life is a lot more laidback these days.
“What’s your favorite place you’ve been to so far?” Eva asks, spritzing me with even more hair spray.
“Oh, the Maldives by far.” I grin, grateful for the distraction. “But we definitely want to come visit you in New Zealand again soon.”
*****
Steven
I must have walked every square meter of this beach a thousand times while I lived on this island, but I’ve never seen it look like this.
Mike stands beside me. My best man looks extra polished in something other than khakis and his sanctuary polo, smirking under the string lights.
They’ve made some sort of arch out of driftwood and set it between two palm trees.
It looks good. Better than good. Junie’s going to love it.
I open my mouth to say something, but he claps me on the shoulder and winks, jutting his chin down the aisle.
I brace myself, but I’m still not ready.
Our friends and family fall to a hush as Junie appears.
They all blur into one as I drink in every moment of watching that beautiful woman walk toward me.
Her white dress trails across the soft sand, leaving a wake.
The flowers in her hands and tucked behind her ear are bursting with color.
Pinks, oranges, and reds just like the setting sun over the ocean.
Charlie barks once and pulls on his lead to get to her, breaking the tension into laughter, but Lisa holds him back.
Junie stops to scratch his head as she passes, and then she’s here. In front of me.
She passes the flowers to Eva and looks up into my face, breathless, pink-cheeked, begging to be kissed.
I can’t help it. Before the officiant can even get a word in, I’ve wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her close to me.
She fits just like she always does. Like she’s meant for me.
Like there could never be anyone else more perfect for me.
Her soft skin against my hard chest. I can taste the smile on her lips.
A hint of champagne. I let her go, but not because of any throat clearing or laughter, but because I know we’ll always come back to each other.
“If I may say a few words?” The officiant smiles, and Junie blushes, and I take half a step away before I do it again. A few more minutes won’t kill me.
*****
Junie
After we say our vows, Steven slips the gold ring onto my finger and I feel it like a string tied right to my heart. We fold our fingers together and he kisses me for the first time as man and wife. That kiss travels straight to my toes.
I can see it in his eyes, I can read it in the lines of the body I’ve memorized, he wants to take me to the boat and have me all to himself—but so many people have traveled such a long way to celebrate our love. It’s only fair.
Someone brings out the bin bags and the whole wedding party disperses to clean up the beach. We sweep the area in our fancy clothes, moving en masse to the only place on the island I could ever dream of celebrating my wedding.
We roll into The Local just as night truly falls, fresh on an adrenaline high, having left the beach better than we found it.
Made has pulled out all the stops. The barbecues smoke with the tantalizing smell of satay and seafood.
Music is thumping through the speakers and dancers line the beach, swinging fire poi in a hypnotic flow.
“This is beautiful,” I murmur, pulling my husband close and nuzzling up against him on the makeshift sandy dancefloor.
“Yes, it is,” he says, holding my gaze. I can see the fire reflecting in his eyes. His hands on my waist are the cruelest tease.
“You have to be good. We’re only here with everyone for a few days before we leave for Croatia.”
“Is that what you want me to be? Good?” he asks. His finger traces my lower lip and I open my mouth to bite it, like he knew I would.
“Only for another hour or so. I want your Mom to like me.”
“Mum loves you.” He leans in and rocks his hips against mine. “She keeps asking when we’re going to give her a grandchild.”
“What, Charlie’s not good enough?” I feign outrage.
“I told her we’ve got a few more places to knock off the bucket list, but it’s coming.”
“Good, because it’s definitely coming. We’re going to make the cutest fucking babies.”
The noise he makes is practically feral. His hand tightens on the small of my back. Heat coils between us, making my muscles grow taut.
“Steven.”
“Junie.” We’re both wearing far too many layers. We should be in bathing suits. Or naked.
“May I cut in?” My Dad sweeps in and rescues me from tearing my new husband’s clothes off in public.
“Of course.” Steven bows his head respectfully, but when my father’s back is turned, his eyes tell a different story.
“I’ll be right back.” I roll my eyes as Dad sweeps me out across the dance floor. But after that I’m swept into the arms of my friends and family, catching up with everyone, and making plans for our shore dive in the morning.
Steven gets roped into dancing. I tear up when I catch him swaying with Luna’s tiny feet on top of his, her hands wrapped around his fingers. He’s going to be such a good Dad, but we can’t take a newborn on the sailboat.
This is only the beginning. So many more adventures await. Together.