Page 32
EPILOGUE
ELLIE
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“Slow down!”
Aiden laughs as he loops his arm through mine, pulling me to a stop before I can burst through the wrought iron doors in front of us. “Slow down.”
“I don’t want to.” I shift my weight from one side to the other, the white satin heels already making my feet ache. “We’ve been planning this since I got out of the hospital, and now that it’s here, I just want to go celebrate.”
“Sean isn’t going anywhere.” Aiden smooths his hand down his tie, making sure it’s still tucked into his suit jacket.
“He could. You never know. He didn’t get a chance to run away the first time. He might decide that now is the perfect time to take off.”
I bump my hip into Aiden’s, grinning as the music starts to play and the doors to the vineyard open.
Colorful leaves decorate the trees spanning the edges of the vineyard. The air smells like the beginning of autumn, fresh from the rain with the warmth of apples and cinnamon lingering on the breeze.
Aiden rolls his eyes and walks toward the door with me. “We both know that if you didn’t scare him off after you got married the first time, he’s certainly not going anywhere now.”
My smile spreads as we step onto the path lined with pale-pink rose petals that runs down the middle of the seating area and to the altar where Sean is waiting for me.
His entire face lights up when his gaze locks with mine as I walk down the aisle on my brother’s arm.
This wedding is everything I’ve dreamed of and more. I get to marry the man I love with our family and friends surrounding us. It’s nothing like the first wedding where we got married to appease our families.
This wedding is for us.
As I get to the altar and Sean takes my hands, the officiant begins his speech. I barely hear him above the thrum of my racing heart.
“Sean and Ellie are now going to recite the vows they’ve prepared for each other.”
The officiant takes a step back, closing the black leather book in his hand and nodding to Sean.
With a smile, Sean takes a step closer to me. “El, I’ve spent a lifetime waiting for you, even if I didn’t know that’s what I was doing at the time. Which isn’t surprising, since we know I can be a little dense at times, especially where you are concerned.”
The crowd chuckles, and my siblings exchange looks. Royce rolls his eyes from the front row of seats before giving me an encouraging smile.
Sean holds my hands a little tighter, thumbs running over my knuckles. “You came into my life, and everything changed for the better, even if we had to fight through hell and back to get there. I love you, and I’m going to spend every day for the rest of our lives loving you.”
Tears well in my eyes, and he reaches up to wipe them away.
My heart beats faster as I clear my throat. “Sean, I never thought we would get here. I thought that you and I were going to spend the rest of our lives doing everything we could to avoid each other, but it seemed like life knew you were the person I needed the most.”
With each sentence, my voice wavers a little more, but I swallow down the tears, determined to get through my vows without blubbering like a baby.
“I love you, Sean, and I know that we’re going to have hard days, but I also know that every other day is going to make up for the hard ones. You’ve taught me so much about who I am and what I’m capable of, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
The officiant smiles and steps closer to the two of us. “And with that, you may now kiss.”
Sean smirks and grabs me around the waist, dipping me low and kissing me before bringing me back up against his body.
Heat flares in my cheeks as I look up at him, heart thundering a mile a minute as I loop my arms around his shoulders and hold him close. Sean presses a kiss to the side of my neck before taking me by the hand and leading me down the aisle and to the reception area.
Lights are strung between the trees, shining bright as the sun sinks down toward the horizon, the day growing orange and hazy.
Sean spins me beneath his arm, leading the way to the center of the dance floor as the band starts to play and people filter into the reception. We dance together slowly, his gaze locked on mine.
“So,” he says, lips trailing along my neck when he dips me low, “this is what it feels like to have a real wedding.”
Laughing, I stand on my toes when he pulls me back to him, brushing my lips over his. “You better enjoy it, because it’s going to be the last wedding we have.”
He takes my left hand, looking down at the ring. “You know, this isn’t going to be very practical when you start working again next week.”
I clasp my fingers around his. “I know, but I’ll get a necklace or something.”
“Actually, I had a different idea.”
Sean spins me around and stops me as a woman with a black rolling case and a folding tattoo table enters the reception.
Glancing at him over my shoulder, I resist the urge to squeal. “You booked a tattoo artist?”
“Surprise!”
He loops his arms around my waist, holding me close as we sway while the artist sets up and another follows, setting up right beside the first.
“I thought we could get bands together, since you said you want something to wear while you’re at work, and then I thought we could get something else to cover the brands.”
My eyes well with tears as I turn and throw my arms around him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He takes me by the hand and leads me over to the tattoo artists.
Within a couple of minutes, the machines are whirring, a soft black filigree design being traced around my ring finger. I wince at the pain while Sean sits, unmoving and looking like he’s in his element.
When the bands are done, we take a picture of them together.
“Alright,” Libby says, switching out her supplies for fresh ink and a new needle after sanitizing the table. “What are we going to do for the next tattoo?”
I glance at Sean. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought much about it.”
Sean pulls out his phone and brings up an image of two playing cards. One is the king of hearts and the other is the queen. They’re skeletons with crowns and florals.
They steal my breath away.
He shows them to the artists. “I was thinking something like these, if they would translate onto the scarred tissue well, and if my wife here agrees.”
I light up, nodding. “If you think those designs will work, I want them.”
Libby nods and sends the pictures to her tablet. “These should work. We’re going to test you for sizing and see if there are any adjustments that need to be made. Why don’t the two of you go get something to eat and then come back and I’ll show you what I have ready.”
Sean’s hand presses against my bare back, fingers skimming over the top of the low back of my dress. “Perfect.”
We head over to the table stacked high with little appetizers, filling our plates before taking off to a small corner of the reception area.
I perch on a low stone wall, crossing one leg over the other and balancing the plate on my knee. “I can’t believe you surprised me with a tattoo artist.”
“You were talking about how you wanted to get some the other week. I checked with Libby, and she said that she would be willing to fit us into her schedule.”
I pop one of the brie and ham rolls into my mouth, groaning as my stomach starts to growl. We finish off the little plates of food before making our way back over to Libby.
Stretching out on the table, I wait for the scratch of the needle against my back after the stencil is applied.
Sean reaches across the gap between us, taking my hand while the other artist starts to work on his arm.
Soft music plays and people dance, coming over every so often to check on the progress of the tattoos.
Royce wanders over when they’re nearly done, stooping down in front of me.
“Well, El, I didn’t think I was ever going to see the day when you and Sean could be together without wringing each other’s necks, but you’ve proven me wrong. Always knew you would be the first Lynde sibling to settle down, though.”
I snort, gritting my teeth as Libby goes back in with the white ink. “The rest of you are all too restless.”
He chuckles and shrugs, standing up. “Too many women and not enough time to settle down with just one. Especially not with all the other shit going on. The two of you, though, that’s another story.”
Sean’s tattoo done, he stands up to show me, cutting Royce off before he can say anything else about his mission to avoid marriage.
“What do you think, El?”
“It’s beautiful.” I stare at the pretty black and gray tattoo, grinning when my own is finished. “It’s beautiful.”
Aiden saunters over. “It’s time for the two of you to come entertain your guests for a little bit.”
Laughing, I lead the way to the dance floor, Sean trailing behind me even though I know he has no more intention of dancing.
As the sun sinks deeper and the stars dance in the sky, I spend my time bopping around to the songs and celebrating with my family.
“Did you have a good wedding?” Sean asks as we swirl beneath the stars for our last dance.
People filter out of the reception, leaving only my siblings behind as Sean twirls me around before dipping me low.
I sigh happily, leaning into his embrace. “I had a great wedding, but I was serious. This is the last one. As much as I enjoy marrying you, I want to spend some time being married and not planning another wedding.”
He laughs and kisses the tip of my nose as the song comes to an end. “Well, it looks like the wedding is finally over. We can start doing the marriage part.”
We leave the dance floor together, joining my family gathered around a fire pit, wrapped in blankets and leaning back in wooden chairs.
Summer looks up at me with a smile before turning and saying something to Jade about school. Skyla leans over, putting her hand on mine and giving it a squeeze.
I grin at my older sister, taking the blanket she offers me and draping it over my lap.
“Thanks.”
Skyla hums and reaches for her bottle of beer. “You know, Mom and Dad would be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”
Royce abandons his chair to come sit on the ground between us. “Dad would be pissed that Noah is still running free. Especially when we almost had him after he kidnapped you.”
Aiden sips his own drink, staring into the fire. “He’s not going to get away with everything he’s done.”
I groan and scrub a hand down my face. “This would all be easier if the damn war never started in the first place. We wouldn’t be sitting here talking about who to kill and who not to kill.”
Sean grabs a beer out of the cooler and cracks it open. “There’s no question about it, El. Noah has to die after all that he’s done to the family. If we ever want a chance to raise kids in peace, he can’t be walking the damn city anymore.”
Royce nods his agreement. “I’m happy for both of you, but it’s time to start thinking about what comes next. Noah has been quiet for nearly five months. We have to wonder what he’s doing.”
“I know.” I pull the blanket higher, snuggling into the soft red plaid material. Glancing over at Aiden, I take a deep breath. “So, what’s the plan?”
Aiden smirks, swirling the beer around in his bottle.
“If Noah wants to play the kidnapping game, then we’re going to play the kidnapping game.”