Page 268 of Things We Left Behind

Half of Knockemout appeared to be shit-­faced on the dance floor. The other half—­including the entire police department—­was lined up at the bar. Lawlerville had kindly lent Nash some officers so his cops could celebrate with him.

As Lucian and I swayed to a Chris Stapleton song, a grinning Stef and Jeremiah appeared, each holding two bottles of champagne.

“Shall we?” Stef asked, nodding toward the night.

“We’ll get the glasses,” I volunteered.

Lucian and I collected the bride and groom, who were saying good night to Nash’s father. Duke’s sobriety was still a new, fresh thing in the family. We helped ourselves to eight champagne glasses and found our way in the dark to a quiet spot in the meadow where Stef, Jeremiah, Knox, and Naomi were already waiting.

“To the happy couple,” Stef volunteered after Jeremiah filled my glass.

Lina shook her head, brilliantly beautiful as a bride. “To the happy couples,” she amended.

“May we all live happily ever after,” I added.

“Cheers!”

We sat in the grass, drinking champagne and listening to the night symphony of laughter, music, and spring peepers.

Lucian pulled me into his lap and nuzzled my neck.

“Married, married, engaged, engaged,” Knox said, pointing at each couple in our little circle. “Shit sure happens fast round here.”

“Have you two set a date?” I asked Stef and Jeremiah.

“Stef wants at least a year to plan ‘the wedding of the century,’” Jeremiah teased.

“Hey! Naomi and I have been dreaming about our weddings since we were infants,” Stef said defensively.

“Just don’t get married on Christmas Eve,” Lucian said, picking up my hand and kissing my engagement ring. “That date’s taken.”

Lina and Naomi squealed. “You set a date!”

“None of you are invited,” Lucian teased.

“You’reallinvited,” I corrected.

Lucian “Lucifer” Rollins was going to be my husband. And I was going to be his wife. We were going to spend the rest of our lives building a family…and driving each other absolutely insane.

Maybe it was the champagne or the happy tears, or maybe it was my dad working a little heavenly miracle, but I’d never seen the stars so bright.

“I love you, Pixie,” Lucian whispered against my hair, his thumb brushing the scar on my wrist.

Epilogue

A Christmas Wedding

Sloane

December 24th dawned crisp and cold with an accommodating amount of snow that had fallen earlier in the week. Perfect for the Christmas effect but without impeding guest travel, according to the wedding coordinator Lucian had hired, what with Naomi and Knox being distracted with fertility specialist appointments.

Wedding coordinator Tiffany had coordinated us to within an inch of our lives.

Our house was full. Even now, laughter rose up from the first floor as the people I loved most in this world got ready to celebrate with us. Lina was probably comparing pregnant bellies with Nolan’s wife, Callie, while everyone else broke into the champagne.

We’d decided to get married at home where Lucian had spared no expense on decking our halls for our first Christmas together. The ceremony would take place inside, and then the reception was in the backyard. Lucian had somehow managed to get the entire yard under a large, heated tent filled with allthe glamorous fixings for an event to remember. The aisle was blanketed in cherry blossoms, which were so far out of season I didn’t even want to know how much Lucian had spent arranging it. The man had probably paid scientists to clone our tree.

Tiffany had been in wedding coordinator heaven with an unlimited budget and a groom who wanted the best of everything. She was terrifying in her detail management and time schedules, which was why I was hiding in our bedroom.