Epilogue
ASHLEY
There’s a knock at the bedroom door, but before I answer it, I look at my reflection in the mirror.
I think back to last year at this time and how I was getting married.
This year, Carter and I are headed to the same hall the holiday dance was at to celebrate our union.
So many people in our lives regretted not being able to celebrate with us on our big day, so we decided to have a reception while Carter’s family is in town for the holidays.
It seems like the perfect way to share our joy with everyone who means the most to us.
Once I fix my hair a little, check my makeup, I take a deep breath.
The plan is that everyone else is already at the hall, and Carter and I will arrive after.
The DJ will announce us like he would at a regular reception, then we’ll enjoy a night of drinks and dancing with all our favorite people.
Carter’s whole family will be there. My parents, Steph, and Doug flew in with some other members of our family, and some of our friends from town will be there as well.
True to his word, Carter quit his job as soon as he returned to the office after the holidays last year and moved to Mistletoe Falls. The past year has been magical, as if the holidays never ended. We’ve carried the feeling throughout the whole year.
My hand wraps around the door handle, and I swing open the door. Carter’s there, as I knew he would be, and for not the first time this year, he seems speechless.
I didn’t tell him I would be wearing a wedding dress. I just said that I was going to wear a fancy dress, and I wanted it to be a surprise until we were ready to leave for the party.
“I wanted to make your vision come true, but with my own wedding gown.”
His gaze trails over my body from head to toe and back up.
“Say something.” I shift my weight, feeling a little self-conscious.
And he still doesn’t. Not even when he steps into the room, placing his hands on my cheeks, and kisses me. He deepens the kiss, and a low groan erupts from his chest.
When he ends the kiss, he rests his forehead on mine. “You look like a dream. Like my vision. How the hell did I get so lucky?”
I smile and run my hand down his strong back. “I’m glad you like it.”
He pulls back, holding my hands and pulling them out to the side. “I love it, Ash. But I feel kind of bad because I’m having some really dirty thoughts about what I want to do to you in this dress later tonight.”
I laugh. “I was counting on it.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I draw him close. “Are you ready to do this?”
“Celebrate the fact that I somehow convinced you to marry me? Hell yes.”
We give each other a quick kiss and make our way down to the front door and out to the truck. Carter drives, and when we reach the hall, we take a moment before getting out of the truck and stepping into the cold.
He takes my hand. “I know I’ve said this before, Ash, but you’re the best thing to ever come into my life. Thank you for giving me another chance, for giving us a chance.”
“Carter, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t taken a leap of faith and asked me to marry you, who knows where we’d be today.”
Carter’s new consulting business is going well. He’s not making what he was at his fancy tech job in Manhattan, but the business has been growing every month. It’s more than enough for us to enjoy a comfortable life in Mistletoe Falls.
“Let’s go have fun.” He hurries around to the other side of the truck and opens the door for me, helping me down onto the pavement.
After taking one look at my shoes, he picks me up and carries me toward the doors.
“I don’t want you to ruin your shoes or this dress.
Maybe our daughter can wear it one day.”
We haven’t talked about having kids yet, but I’ve daydreamed about it more and more. When our eyes meet, I’m pretty sure it’s the same for Carter.
“Let’s do this so we can get home to bed faster.” He kisses me before opening the door and setting me down on my feet.
Carter pulls his phone out to text the DJ and let him know that we’ve arrived, as planned, and a minute later, we’re striding through the doors into the hall to the cheers of all our friends and family.
After we’ve made the rounds and said our hellos to everyone, we have our first dance—again.
We don’t change our song, dancing to Frank Sinatra, and just like when we were here last year, rather than drinking wine or champagne, Carter and I have spiked eggnog.
“No stripping tonight though, okay?” I smile.
“Not even later, when we’re alone?” He arches an eyebrow.
“Well… of course then.”
He kisses the tip of my nose. I love it when he does that.
I’m tackled in a bear hug from behind by my sister, while Carter and Doug do the man hug thing.
My sister and Doug were married in St. Lucia a couple of months ago, and it was perfect, as we all hoped it would be.
“I still can’t believe you’re my brother-in-law,” Steph says to Carter, giving him a hug.
Doug kisses my cheek.
“Yup, you’re really stuck with me now.” Carter laughs.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Steph says, obviously meaning it.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?” I ask, looking around.
Steph rolls her eyes. “Talking to your parents, Carter, about all the reasons they should move to Florida once they retire.”
“She’s obsessed,” I say to my sister.
“You should have heard how many times Mom complained that she’s freezing in the frigid north tonight before you guys came. You’d think she’s in a bikini lying in the snow.”
Brynn comes over and whispers something into Carter’s ear, and his gaze flicks over to me.
“I’ll be right back. There’s something I need to do,” he says.
I want to ask where he’s going, but he doesn’t give me the chance, rushing off with his sister.
“What was that about?” Steph asks.
“I have no idea.” I shrug.
Doug shakes his head. “Did you see the gleam in his eye? It can only mean bad things.”
The three of us laugh, but honestly, Doug is probably right.
A few minutes later, Carter, holding a big red box with a sparkly green bow on it, heads across the room toward the stage. He says something to the DJ, who lowers the volume on the music and hands a microphone to Carter.
“Hey, everyone, sorry to interrupt the fun, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for coming. Both Ash and I appreciate you making the time to celebrate with us, especially during such a busy time of the year.”
I make my way toward the stage. We’d planned on saying a few words to welcome everyone and thank them for celebrating with us, but I’d assumed Carter would give me the heads-up beforehand.
“The moment I met Ash, I knew we shared a connection, but what I couldn’t have predicted or planned on was how much our connection would grow with every day we’re together.
I always loved this time of year, but even more so now.
The holidays will forever remind me of falling in love with you, Ash, and because of that, it will always be my favorite time of year because you’re my favorite person. ”
Everyone in the hall awws as tears spring to my eyes.
“I’m proud to call you my wife, and I wouldn’t change a thing about our story because it’s led us here. I just wanted to take a moment to give you a very much belated wedding gift. Can you come up onstage?”
My hand goes to my stomach. I had no idea he had planned to get me a wedding gift. But that’s my husband—impulsive and forever a romantic.
When I get to the stairs, Carter helps me up. Once I’m standing on the stage with him, he gestures to the box. “Go ahead and open it.”
The box rests on the end of the DJ table. I have no idea what it could be, but I walk over and lift the lid. It drops from my hands, and I cover my mouth as I gasp.
“What is it?” someone in the crowd calls.
Nestled on a blanket inside the box is a puppy—a dachshund.
“A puppy,” I tell them.
I’d mentioned to Carter a few months ago that I always wanted one growing up but that my mom was allergic to dogs. I don’t know why I’m surprised Carter remembered. He always does.
Arms wrap around me from behind, circling my waist. “Do you like your present?”
I nod. “I love it, thank you. She’s so sweet. She? He?”
He chuckles in my ear. “She.”
“She’s so sweet. I almost hate to pick her up and wake her.”
“I thought maybe we could practice being fur parents with her before we try for the real thing.”
I whip around to face him. “You want to start a family?”
He nods. “I want to start a family with you. But only if you’re ready.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “Since when have we waited until we’re ready to do anything?”
“Such a wise woman.” He kisses me, and the guests clap and cheer.
“We should probably get started tonight. It could take a while.” I grin at him.
“Like I said, you’re a wise woman.”
We kiss again, then we spend the night dancing and celebrating with everyone. And this time when we write down our wishes to add to the tree, I know that the wish of our hearts is about adding to our family.
And twelve months later, we do.
If this was your first Piper Rayne Christmas book, go back to where it all began in Single and Ready to Jingle. What started as a dumpster fire of a blind date turns into a deal. “Kenzie and Andrew are hilarious together. The Christmas Elf and the Grinch." ~ Reviewer (sneak peek below)
CLICK HERE if you love a grumpy British hero
Sneak Peek
Dating in New York City is its own version of Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell, so I decided the new app was worth giving a try. What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll go on more bad dates? Been there, done that, have the therapist bill to prove it.
All I know about IOBJECT is that he’s thirty-four, enjoys watching football, and he’s a lawyer.
I’m trying not to hold the lawyer thing against him since my older brother is also a lawyer.
We’ve chatted a few times on the app, and even though I don’t think we’ve really connected in a big way, he asked me out and I figured why not give it a try.
At the very least, I might score a free meal with some interesting conversation.
I didn’t plan on showing up dressed as an elf though, but hey, it’s a great icebreaker.
If he’s the guy for me, he’ll see the humor in the fact that I forgot my change of clothes at home this morning, and because work ran late, I didn’t have time to take the subway all the way downtown to grab presentable attire before our date.
I turn off Fifth Avenue onto Fifty-Second, spotting the restaurant sign. I slow to a fast walk, hoping some of the sweat that’s causing my costume to stick to my skin will dissipate.
A man and woman are leaving the restaurant as I arrive, and he holds the door open for me while the woman openly cranes her neck to watch me. My gaze roams the expensive restaurant and I realize I may have made a mistake in choosing not to be late over going home and changing.
The couple waiting to be seated turns to look at me.
“Have a candy cane.” I dig a few out of my pockets and hand them to them. “Remember, Santa’s always watching.”
Rather than cowering, I raise my chin to project confidence, as if it’s not weird to be dressed as one of Santa’s helpers in a five-star restaurant.
The hostess gives me a tight-lipped smile. “We don’t allow singing telegrams here,” she leans forward and whispers, her platinum-blonde hair slipping from behind her ears.
“Oh no. I’m meeting someone. The reservation is under the name Marshall.”
Marshall was a pet hamster I had growing up and the name I told IOBJECT to put the reservation under.
She doesn’t say a word as she looks from me to the tablet in her hands. “Your party has already arrived. Follow me.”
“Thank you.”
She turns and walks farther into the restaurant, weaving through tables.
The bells hanging off me sound obnoxious in the subdued space.
Out on the streets of Manhattan, they didn’t seem so loud, but there’s nothing I can do about them now.
I’m here, and we’ll make the best of it.
If anything, it’s a cute story if things turn out good with IOBJECT.
She leads me to a table for two. It’s hard to mistake the horror in my date’s eyes as I approach the table.
He’s handsome, dressed in an expensive navy suit with a red tie.
His square jaw is covered with a short beard that matches his light-brown hair, which has a copper sheen to it.
The most interesting thing about his hair is the inch-wide streak of gray at the front on his left side. It’s unique and different.
“Here you are,” the hostess says and gestures.
IOBJECT slides out of his chair to stand. Well, good start. At least he’s a gentleman.
“Hi, I’m RAINBOWRIDER.” I wave a little shyly as his bluish-gray eyes take me in from head to toe.
It’s not in the sexual way one would hope on a first date. More in a questioning way, as if asking, “Are you really wearing an elf costume?”
I’ll just have to win him over with my charming personality.