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EPILOGUE

EMBER

For better or worse.

Six months later…

“I can’t believe this still fits.”

I grin at Lori in the mirror. Ghost and I are getting married today, and I was determined to wear the dress I had picked out for our original ceremony. Some think it’s bad luck, but after mentioning it to Ghost, we agreed that it linked a part of our past with our present. It’s all those decisions, good and bad, that led us to where we are now. I couldn’t ignore that even if I wanted to.

“It helped that I wasn’t feeling myself for two months,” I remind her. “I guess that’s one good thing that came of that whole mess.”

My best friend knows what happened to me, but she has no idea how it links to the club, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Club business is not my business to tell, and I’m fine with that. But there was no way I could hide my injuries from her.

“God, don’t even bring that up,” she says with a sigh. “No bad juju on your wedding day.”

“You’re right,” I agree. “Only positive thoughts today.”

The door opens, and Addison pokes her head in. “You ready?”

“Almost.”

“Okay. Mama is starting to get restless, so Ghost wanted me to check,” she explains, referring to Mrs. West.

She started insisting that everyone call her Mama, and we do to make things as easy on her as possible. The night of the attack was her truly last good day with the disease she’s fighting. She woke up the next morning, confused about where she was, and why Ghost was being nice to me.

We’ve made peace, her and me, but I had to treat it like a brand-new connection, like there was no history there for her to be angry about. I don’t care though. I love her and will do whatever I have to in order to keep her smiling.

“I’m coming now,” I say, knowing that there’s little time if Mama’s restless. Once that starts, it’s hard to calm her down.

“I’m so glad you chose to get married here,” Lori says.

“Me, too.”

The backyard at Mama’s house—our house now as well—is the perfect location for a wedding. It’s where Ghost swept me off my feet this time around, and it makes the most sense for Mama.

We turned the basement into a mini apartment so we’d have privacy, but we can’t leave Mama. A nursing home is out of the question. We love her too much to pass her off on someone else. It’d be different if I didn’t have the knowledge and experience to provide appropriate care, but I do so here we are.

Two minutes later, I’m walking down the makeshift aisle, but Ghost isn’t standing at the end of it. I scan the yard, panicking, and then my eyes land on him, easing the pressure in my chest. He’s sitting in a chair next to Mama, holding her hand and murmuring something to her. He might be talking to her, but he’s looking at me, and all I see in those incredible eyes is love.

I smile to reassure him that it’s okay that he’s sitting, and to drive the point home, I sit down in the chair on her other side, gripping both of their hands in mine as I do.

The ceremony, while nowhere near conventional, is perfect. We’re pronounced man and wife, and he leans past his mom to kiss me softly on the lips when it ends.

The two of us take the time to help Mama inside and get her settled for the night before we return to our guests and enjoy the reception. Anna is going to stay inside with her to make sure she needs or wants for nothing while we’re occupied. Mama has become attached to Anna, which has helped immensely when Ghost and I need time to ourselves.

We don’t take it often, but we do take it.

“I love you, Mrs. West,” Ghost says after closing the bedroom door.

“I love you, too, Mr. West,” I reply.

“I’m sorry today didn’t go as planned.”

I rest my palm on his cheek. “Today was perfect. I wouldn’t change a single second of it.”

“No?”

“I’m married to you, aren’t I?” I counter.

“For better or worse,” he teases.

“And it will always be better. Always.”