Page 114 of Banter & Blushes #1

EPILOGUE

REID - ONE YEAR LATER

O ne year ago, I stood on this same beach with Briella, holding a message in a bottle and a heart full of hope. It was the best day of my life.

Until now.

I stand barefoot in the sand under a driftwood arch wrapped in plumeria and orchids, wearing a linen shirt that’s already wrinkled, waiting for my bride to make her appearance.

Bradley, my best man, stands beside me in a navy shirt and khakis, grinning like he knows how close I am to forgetting every word of my vows. “You ready for this?” he murmurs.

“More ready than I’ve been for anything in my life,” I say, without hesitation.

Lacey grins from the other side of the officiant and gives me a thumbs up. She and Knox made all this possible—every last detail. I don’t know how we would have pulled off a destination wedding without their help.

Aurora sits beside Knox, dabbing her eyes while trying to keep Matti—Knox and Lacey’s adopted son—from running straight into the surf. My mom, ever the hero, pulls a mint from her purse and hands it to the restless boy with a smile.

Briella’s mom is sitting near Aurora, hands clasped together, already tearing up. And then I see them, Briella and her father stand at the end of the aisle. And suddenly, I’m watching the woman I love walk toward me and our forever.

She’s breathtaking in a dress I’m pretty sure she called mermaid-style.

Fitting, for an intimate wedding by the sea.

Her hair is swept up in a soft twist, plumeria tucked into the folds like they grew there just for her.

But it’s her smile that knocks the breath from my lungs.

It’s joy and wonder, and a warm sof tness that feels like home.

The soft strum of a ukulele floats on the breeze as Briella and her father walk across the flower-strewn path, the sun painting them in gold. And even though I’ve seen Briella a thousand different ways, nothing— nothing —compares to this.

When her father slips her hand into mine, the buzzing in my chest settles all at once. The whole world narrows to just her.

We face each other, hearts full and eyes misty.

“I can’t believe we’re back here,” she whispers, just for me. “Can you believe we’re getting married?”

“It was always going to be you,” I say, my voice rough with emotion.

The officiant says a few beautiful things but I barely hear them. All I can focus on is her hand in mine, and how I never want to let go.

We say our vows—hers written on a crumpled piece of notebook paper she had tucked into her bouquet, mine memorized and dangerously close to getting scrambled by the pounding of my heart.

She goes first, voice soft but steady.

“I promise to love you on the good days and the hard ones. To laugh at your terrible jokes. To make you coffee when you’re running late. And to always choose you—especially when you leave blueprints all over the kitchen table.”

There’s a wave of laughter. Aurora wipes her eyes. Matti claps like he thinks we’re done.

When it’s my turn, I take a breath and launch in.

“I promise to protect your heart like it’s my favorite thing—because it is. To make you laugh when you’re tired. To bring you takeout when you’ve had a twelve-hour shift. And to never, ever forget the day I fell hopelessly in love with you at the dolphin lagoon.”

She beams at me, eyes shining.

“I’ll be your safe place to land . . . your sweaty—” I pause, realizing the slip. “I mean— steady hand.”

Laughter bursts around us. Even the officiant chuckles.

“Definitely sweaty,” Briella teases. “You nervous?”

“I am not nervous,” I whisper, even though my palms say otherwise.

She squeezes my hand gently. “It’s okay. I am.”

We exchange rings—simple gold bands filled with the promise of our future.

And then we kiss.

This time, everyone cheers.

Even Matti stands and yells, “Again!”

And I would. A thousand times over.

After the ceremony, with the last of the sun stretching across the waves and guests beginning to drift toward the rece ption bonfire, I pull Briella close.

She fits perfectly against me, her head resting on my chest like she was made to be here.

I reach into my pocket and pull out a small glass bottle. “Our turn,” I say, handing it to her.

She smiles and gently unrolls the note inside. Her voice is quiet when she reads it aloud.

“True love is worth the risk.”

She slips the message back into the bottle, presses the cork in place, and looks up at me with tear-bright eyes.

“It really is,” she says, then rises onto her toes and kisses me—slow, certain, and soft enough to make the whole world fall away.

“I love you, Mr. Bennett.”

“I love you, Mrs. Bennett.”

Hand in hand, we walk barefoot to the edge of the tide, waves lapping at our ankles, the breeze wrapping around us like a vow of its own.

And then, together, we toss the bottle into the sea.

Maybe someone will find it.

Maybe they won’t.

But we did.

We found what matters.

Each other.

Forever.