Home to You

Bonus Epilogue

 

Annie smoothed the white lace down over her hips and looked in the mirror. The demure wedding dress embossed in vintage lace hinted at pale skin beneath the high illusion neckline and capped sleeves, hugging her figure where it curved over her hips before flaring away to softly brush the floor.

“Annie,” Meg breathed as she looked over Annie’s shoulder. “You look stunning.”

“Does it look as good as it did at the store?” 

“Even better. You’re gorgeous.”

Bria appeared in the mirror on her other side. “Nate’s gonna swallow his tongue.”

Annie burst out laughing. “I hardly think so, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I don’t think you appreciate just how gorgeous and sexy you look in this dress.”

Annie twisted around until she could see the row of buttons that ran from the back of her neck down to her backside. “It’s a perfectly appropriate dress. There’s nothing remotely risqué about it.”

“That’s the point,” Bria said. “It’s perfectly appropriate. But the way it fits you…” Bria’s hands carved an imaginary hour glass figure. “Va va voom! I cannot wait to see Nate’s face!”

Heat flushed through her. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he first saw her, either. And secretly, she hoped Bria was right and she’d take his breath away.

“You look lovely, Annie.” Meg said and looked past her to Bria. “Stop teasing her.”

“I just tell it like it is. Nate’s gonna have a little heart failure.” Bria grinned. “It’ll be good for him.”

Annie shook her head, but couldn’t help the bemused smile that spread across her face. “You’re terrible.”

Meg finished pinning up the last of Annie’s curls that had grown out over the summer. “Here, one last thing I almost forgot.” She slid a jeweled pin into Annie’s hair. “Something borrowed and something blue.”

Turning her head Annie’s breath caught at the delicate blue flower. “It’s beautiful. Where’d you get it?”

“It was my mom’s. She said it was lucky. She was wearing it the day she met my dad.”

Annie trailed her fingertips over the pin. “Thank you for letting me borrow it for today.”

She reached out to hug her friends. First Meg, then Bria. “I wouldn’t be here today, if it wasn’t for you two. I hope you know how much you both mean to me.”

“Stop it.” Bria’s voice cracked.

A knock at the door separated them. Meg went to open it and found Patti, Sophie, and Tessie on the other side. They gasped when Annie turned to face them.

“Oh, my dear. How lovely you look.” Tessie stepped forward and enveloped her in a lavender-scented hug.

For a moment, Annie breathed her in and thought of her mom. How she wished her mom could be here for this. “Thank you for coming.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Do you have everything you need?”

“I do, thank you.” She turned to Patti and Sophie.

“I knew it!” Sophie beamed. “I knew you guys would get back together. And now you’re my Auntie Annie!”

Heat prickled behind her eyelids and she squeezed her soon-to-be niece tight. “You did. You knew before anyone else. I’m so happy you were right.”

“My daughter the romantic,” Patti laughed and gave Annie a hug. “Welcome to the family, Annie. You’ve always been welcome, but now it’s official.”

Annie’s heart filled near to bursting. Nate’s entire family had welcomed her and Zach without reservation. Some days she still struggled to believe that this was her new reality. A large family and friends.

And Nate.

Nate, who made her weak in the knees every time he walked through the door at the end of the day. Who woke her every morning with gentle kisses and words of love whispered across her skin.

She still had to pinch herself to make sure it was real. Spending every night with Nate and becoming a family in the home he’d built for them was nothing short of a dream come true.

“We’ll talk more after the wedding.” Patti squeezed her hand then ushered her daughter and Tessie from the bedroom.

Bria glanced up at the clock. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

So ready.

Annie nodded. “Thank you both so much for everything. For being there for me when I first came back to town, for challenging me to start a new business, and for helping me today. I can’t tell you how much I love you two..”

Meg and Bria leaned in for another group hug, the warmth of them and their embrace filling her. There was freedom in knowing the people who loved you accepted you for who you were.

The three of them held each other close until Annie felt her eyes welling up and she released them. “This has to stop. Or the makeup that you just spent so much time putting on is going to be ruined.”

Meg and Bria laughed. Meg dabbed at her eyes while Bria turned away. Annie had no doubt she was wiping away moisture as well.

Bria came back with Annie’s bouquet made from flowers plucked from the gardens at the white house.

She took the bouquet and buried her nose in it, inhaling the sweet fragrance and smiling as the scent of lavender teased her senses. Her mother was here with her. She knew it. And had she been alive today, she would’ve been overjoyed to see Annie and Nate finally becoming one.

“It’s time,” said Meg.

“Anyone check on Zach?” Annie asked.

“We’ll send him up,” Meg said, giving her one squeeze.

Meg and Bria left and Annie looked around the guest room. It was the same room that she had slept in when she and Zach had first spent the night at Nate’s house. At that time, she couldn’t imagine her and Nate coming together as they had. She’d never believed they could let go of the past and finally become the family they’d once dreamed of having.

Wandering back to the mirror again, she tilted her head until she could see the blue flower sparkle in her hair. She looked beautiful. But more than that, she felt beautiful. Nate would love it.

Then again, he liked her in pretty much anything. Heat pooled low in her belly as she imagined him working his way down the row of buttons.

He’d changed so much over the past few months. He was happy. And seeing his happiness only amplified her own. Today was simply a punctuation point on the end of a chapter for them, before they turned the page to start a new one together. A tremor of delicious anticipation rippled through her.

Behind her, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The door swung open and Zach walked through. He stopped when he saw her, his brows raised high. “Wow. You look really beautiful Mom.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking over his suit. “You look so handsome.”

Zach’s dark curls had been trimmed close. He smoothed his hands down his tie and checked the button on his suit coat before grinning up at her. “I wouldn’t want to dress up like this all the time, but once in awhile ain’t bad.”

She laughed.

“Bria said it was time.”

“We should get going then.” She took her son’s arm and let him lead her down the stairs to the great room. Through the sliding glass doors, she could see the folding chairs were full of guests.

Bria nodded, then stepped through the doors and took Randy’s arm. Together, they walked down the makeshift aisle between rows of chairs set up in their back yard. 

Meg followed in short order, linking her arm through TJ’s.

Annie watched their progression down the aisle, until they stopped just past the first row of chairs.

Beyond them, Nate stood next to the minister at the end of the fishing dock, beneath a handmade arbor decorated in flowers that he and Zack had built for the occasion.

“You ready?” Zach asked as he looked down at her.

I’ve been ready for this my whole life.

Annie nodded, the emotions climbing up her throat and clogging the words she meant to say.

Together, they walked down the aisle between the rows of Ferry Falls residents. So many of whom had surprised her with their kindness.

On the left sat Nate’s family. His mom and dad,  Patti and her kids, who had welcomed her and Zach with open arms.

On the right, were Tessie and Charlie. The couple had become a pseudo-family for Annie and Zach. Next to them sat TJ’s mom.

All these people were to bless them.

After so long, she was finally home.

She and Zach stepped onto the dock and Nate’s gaze locked onto hers as they made their way to the end.

Nate’s eyes fairly glowed with love as his gaze swept her from head to toe. He pressed one large palm against his chest and rubbed a small circle there. “You’re so damned beautiful, Annie.”

A rush of heat swept through her and she gripped Zach’s arm a little tighter as her knees went a little weak. Maybe Bria had been right and he was experiencing a little heart failure. If he wasn’t, she just might.

Zach turned to her. “You were right, Mom. Nate’s a good guy just like you always said. I’m so happy for you.” He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed hard. Tears tumbled past her lashes as she squeezed him back.

She’d come home in search for a better life for her son, never expecting they’d find that and so much more right here.

He stepped back, his eyes watery. With a smile, he turned and shook Nate’s hand, before Nate pulled him into a hard hug.

“Love you, Picasso.”

Annie didn’t hear Zach’s response. It was muffled somewhere in the shoulder of Nate’s suit, where only Nate could hear it.

When they were done, Zach gave her one last smile and went to join TJ, Bria, and Meg.

And then it was just the two of them.

She stared up at him, absorbing the enormity of the moment and reveled in gratitude that her journey had brought her home to this man.

Nate reached out, his hands folding around hers and drew her closer. His thumbs stroked across her knuckles. His eyes dark with emotion.

“Hi,” she said on a breathless whisper.

“Hi,” he whispered back and leaned forward, pressing a feather-light kiss to the tip of her nose.

The minister cleared his throat. “Were not to that point yet.”

Nate gave the man a sly grin. “You’d better hurry up then.”

The ceremony passed in a blur. Annie tried to stay focused on what was being said and stay in the moment, but she kept getting distracted by the emotion she saw reflected in Nate’s eyes.

“Will you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Nate’s eyes bored into hers. “I do. For always and forever, I do.” His hands squeezed hers.

“Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Warmth flooded through her. “Yes, I do.”

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Nate stepped forward and cradled her face in his warm hands.

She curled her fingers around his wrists, needing the connection. The cheering of their audience faded as Nate leaned in, his mouth a mere whisper from hers.

“Always and forever, Annie. You will always be my always and forever.”

And with a kiss, he sealed his promise.