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We all laughed and shook hands.

“We’ll toast to our lovely wives later tonight,” he winked before departing.

“I can’t believe you did that for me, Rex. Thanks, buddy.” I pulled him into a firm embrace.

“No, it was Vivian. She asked if we could bring Miriam here. She didn’t want her future mother-in-law to be upset if she missed the wedding.”

“Damn, now I wonder who has the better bride—you or me?” I teased.

“They’re both pretty amazing.”

“Fuck you, my bride is the best.” I joked.

“We’ll debate that another day. I’m happy for you, man. It’s great to see you smile again. It’s been way too long,” he said.

“I know. Thanks for putting up with my grumpiness these past few years, Rex.”

As we stepped out together, my eyes immediately found my bride and daughter across the way, both dressed in white satin gowns with flowers woven into their hair—the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. It was like witnessing my own rare art—my Mona Lisa with her child.

I bit my lip and let the tears fell free, my shoulders shaking. Vivian dabbed at her eyes and mouthed, “I love you.”

“Don’t cry, Mommy. This is supposed to be a happy day,” Paris said, blinking and wiping her own tears.

In a few powerful strides, I reached them and picked her up into my arms. “It is a happy day. The best. It’s okay to cry tears of joy today. I love you, my little girl, and I love your mother, too.”

“Are you ready to marry us, Daddy?” she asked, and everyone chuckled.

“Yes, Paris, I’m ready. And are you ready to marry me, Vivian?”

“Oh yes, Richard. I’m ready to become Mrs. Buchanan.”

The simple ceremony lasted a mere ten minutes, though I couldn’t recall a single word of it. All I remembered were thebeaming faces of my daughter and my bride—they were all I ever wanted, and what a Buchanan desired, he surely received.

Want more Rex,Chelsea, Richard, Vivian, and Paris? You’ll see them again in It Happened Again: A Second Chance for the CEO, Maisy and Brooks’ story.

Read more about it on the next page.

EPILOGUE

IT HAPPENED AGAIN

Maisy Calhoun

In the elevator,alone, I sagged against the wall, finally able to relax my tense shoulders. What a wedding. Rex and Chelsea had it all in their big city society wedding, no expenses spared, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Out of five hundred guests, I did a great job of keeping away from Brooks Bellamy, or maybe he did a splendid job of keeping away from me. Either way, it was for the best. Besides, he brought a woman with him as his plus one. Archer’s date’s sister, and she meant nothing to him, according to what Rex told Chelsea.

I acted like I cared less and danced the night away with anyone not named Brooks Bellamy. When I needed a break, I kept myself useful to Miriam, doing her bidding, whatever she needed me to do to ensure the reception went off without a hitch for my sister, no matter how inconsequential the task.

Brooks texted me at one point, though, and while the elevator climbed higher to my floor, I thumbed through the messages once again, reading every word.

Brooks: You’re fucking gorgeous tonight.

Brooks: It hurts like hell to look at you.

Me: Then don’t.

Brooks: Hard to avoid when you’re the only woman in the room I see.