Epilogue

P aige had no idea where Apollo's mother had found a Greek priest, a pappas , on such short notice, but there he was. They weren't having the ceremony in the church; they'd opted to rent out the clubhouse in her parents' subdivision and have both a short ceremony and fun reception at the same place. It saved on time and money, since they were already legally married, and Paige hadn't argued when Maria had brought up having the ceremony overseen by a priest from the Greek Orthodox Church. Being blessed by the church seemed to make Maria happy, and Paige's family didn't care one way or the other since they weren't religious; she was happy to do something so simple that would keep her in Maria's good graces .

"Why am I nervous?" Paige asked Raegan as they got ready for the ceremony to start. "We're already married—this is dumb !"

"Your hands are shaking!" Raegan said softly, gripping them and gently squeezing .

"I know! It's dumb !"

"It's not dumb," Raegan smiled. "You've never been a fan of being the center of attention, and that's exactly what this is. Just remember you're already married, this guy adores you, and you're about to embark on the very best adventure you could ever imagine ."

"I know, I know!" Paige took a deep breath. "It's just…what if it doesn't work out? What if he doesn't love me ?"

Raegan rolled her eyes. "You're a dork. He could have signed those papers and let your skinny behind leave Greece forever. Instead, he courted you, asked you to stay with him forever, and then followed you halfway across the world to keep you. I'm pretty sure you guys have a good chance of things working out. There are no guarantees, but from the outside looking in, you guys have a lot going for you ."

"Yeah." Paige gazed down at the gorgeous diamond on her left hand. He'd given it to her last night as the family had looked on. They'd found matching wedding rings they both liked and they would exchange those during the ceremony. She'd already moved Thespina's ring to her right hand and looked down at it now with a smile. She was so glad his grandmother had made the trip to the U.S. to be here with them. It was a lot of fun spending time with her, and her own grandmother—her mother's mother—who'd also flown in for the ceremony, had been attached to Thespina at the hip .

"Everyone is here," Melina poked her head into the small anteroom. "Are you ready ?"

"As I'll ever be!" Paige nodded .

Melina stepped out and there was a quick knock before Mick stuck his head in. "Ready?" He grinned at Raegan, who nodded .

The wedding was somewhat informal, and since they were already married, they were dispensing with traditions like having her father walk her down the aisle, a big wedding party or even reading vows. Essentially, Mick would walk with Raegan, who was on crutches, and then she would sit down while Mick held on to both wedding rings. Paige would walk down the makeshift aisle by herself, the priest would say a prayer in both Greek and English, and then they would eat, drink and dance. Hopefully, it would be short and sweet, just as they'd planned. She had no interest in a long-drawn-out ceremony or extended speeches. Though she had no trouble when it was work-related, in her personal life she really disliked having the attention of a room full of people .

"Let's do this!" Raegan blew a kiss at Paige and gratefully accepted her crutches from Mick, who also helped her up. They'd become fast friends and seemed almost as inseparable as the two grandmothers .

"I'm ready." Paige got up and wiped her damp palms on her dress. In a minute or so, she would be standing next to Apollo and then she wouldn't be nervous anymore .

She watched from the door as Mick solicitously walked beside Raegan, who moved slowly with her crutches. She caught a glimpse of Apollo standing next to the pappas , as handsome as she'd ever seen him in a gorgeous suit his mother had brought from Greece when she'd come. He'd gotten a haircut too, and she smiled to herself, thinking about all the times he'd mentioned needing one. Obviously their wedding was a big enough occasion for him to do it !

As she took the first step towards where Apollo was waiting for her, Paige felt her step falter and she breathed in deeply, steadying herself. She caught a reassuring wink from Thespina and felt warmth flood her, finally able to put one foot in front of the other. Though she'd had the occasional glimpse of memory from their legal wedding nearly three and a half years ago, as Apollo reached out his hand to her, she got a wave of pictures that flashed through her mind with such clarity she was momentarily startled. She'd been wearing her favorite black miniskirt, a low-cut red top that showed off her modest cleavage and high, high black pumps. Apollo had been wearing jeans and an untucked button-down black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He'd been smiling, just like he was now, and she couldn't help but move against him with a combination of love, nostalgia and relief that she was with him again .

"Welcome!" The pappas spoke in a deep, booming voice in perfect English. "We are here today to celebrate the love of Apollo and Paige, who will be — "

"I do!" A loud voice interrupted the priest as Tom stumbled into the room. His hair was sticking up as if he'd just gotten out of bed, his tie was askew and his shirt wasn't tucked into his slacks. He had a bottle of what appeared to be tequila in one hand and his speech was slurred .

"You do what?" the priest asked, clearly not amused, his eyes narrowing .

"Didn't you ask if anyone has a reason these two shouldn't get married?" Tom looked befuddled .

"I did not," the priest answered primly. "They're already married, so that would be a ridiculous question ."

"But you can't marry him!" Tom cried to Paige, weaving through the middle of the room in her direction .

"Not today, my friend," Mick stepped in front of him and put a big hand on his shoulder. "The only thing you're going to accomplish here is to make a fool of yourself ."

"But I loved you!" Tom was trying to peer around Mick's large form and they appeared to be doing a kind of dance as Mick blocked him .

"Oh, Tom." Paige was mortified, but this wasn't her fault. They'd broken up, she'd told him she was married to and in love with someone else; she felt bad that she'd obviously hurt him, but he needed to let this go .

"All those years together!" he cried. "We did everything together! How can you love him ?"

"Let's go." Mick nudged him towards the door .

"No! She loves me! Ask her!" Tom was flailing his arms as Mick continued to back him towards the door .

Nicky's date, an old family friend named Dan, got up and joined Mick, talking in a low voice to Tom as they tried to move him out the door .

"Paige!" Tom was wailing now and Paige groaned .

"Tom, enough!" Seth stood up and glared at the younger man. "She doesn't love you and she's married to someone else. Now stop this nonsense !"

"She's spent more time in my bed than his!" he roared, reaching around Mick as though he could get to Paige that way. "She's mine, damn you! Mine !"

Before Apollo could react, Thespina rose from her seat like a whirling dervish in black. With her small sequined handbag swinging wildly, she approached Tom amidst a torrent of Greek that Paige was almost glad she didn't understand. She swatted at him repeatedly, cursing a blue streak that had Paige's family frowning in amusement and Apollo's unable to contain their laughter. With Mick's continued assistance, Thespina prodded Tom out the door until no one could see them anymore .

"I love your grandmother," Paige whispered to Apollo, though tears had begun to spill from her eyes .

"Don't cry, koukla mou ," he whispered back, his fingers brushing them away. "Think of how funny this will be 20 years from now ."

"Most fun I've had at a wedding in years!" the pappas whispered, discreetly winking at her. "This isn't your fault. Now, dry your eyes—I have a blessing to perform !"

"Should someone get Yaya ?" Apollo asked, glancing over his shoulder .

"I've got her," Mick called out, coming back in the room with the older woman holding on to his arm as though she was royalty .

"As I was saying," the priest continued as though nothing had happened, "we're celebrating the reaffirmation of Apollo and Paige's vows …"

Fifteen minutes later, Paige breathed a sigh of relief when Apollo pressed his lips to hers and the room filled with cheers. Laughing and smiling, all thoughts of Tom long gone, Paige felt a kind of happiness she'd never experienced before. As memories of their first wedding ran through her mind like a kaleidoscope of disconnected videos, she focused on the handsome, loving man at her side .

"Welcome to the family," Maria said with a smile, hugging her tightly .

"Thank you." Paige hugged her back. "I'm so sorry my ex-boyfriend almost ruined everything ."

"Ruined?" Maria's eyes twinkled. "This is the most fun my mother-in-law has had in a decade! Did you see her attack him ?"

Paige snickered. "It's pretty funny…now! I almost died of embarrassment as it was happening !"

"Forget it!" Maria waved a hand. "He's a ksekoliaris !"

Paige just grinned. "I think so too !"

D inner was set out—a huge mishmash of Greek and American food served buffet style—and the 40 guests attacked it with gusto. Paige and Apollo hung back, watching their friends and family celebrate. His fingers stroked the skin of her forearm, the gentle touch causing gooseflesh to break out. They sat close together, thighs rubbing as they enjoyed the feeling of actually being married. The ceremony had somehow changed their perception and suddenly everything felt so much more real, more intense and even more intimate .

"Today has been a good day," he said softly .

"It's wonderful," she nodded. "And I remembered…" She cut off, almost embarrassed .

"Remembered what?" He turned to her in surprise .

"Our first wedding. Not all of it, but enough bits and pieces to create the visual in my mind's eye ."

"I remember what you were wearing," he admitted. "Some sexy red top and these really high heels …"

She grinned. "What else do you remember ?"

"I remember the wedding night…" he murmured, nibbling the back of her ear. "I remember the nights before the wedding too ."

"I'll bet you do!" She closed her eyes against the way his touch affected her, letting it flood her senses, a veritable blanket of comfort coupled with the deep-seated feeling of everything being just right .

"How long until we get the wedding night do- over ?"

"Not long." She nudged him. "But definitely not until after I eat! It smells wonderful !"

Eating wasn't in the cards for her just yet, as Mick clanged a fork against the rim of a glass to get everyone's attention .

"As the best man," he spoke loudly, "I'm supposed to make a speech. I know everyone is enjoying the wonderful meal that's making my stomach growl, so I'll keep it short. First, I want to congratulate my best friend and his beautiful bride—I'm glad you guys decided to have a ceremony because I was kind of ticked off that I missed the first one !"

Laughter rumbled through the room as he continued. "The year they met, Apollo was determined to go to Vegas for spring break, and I was headed for the Bahamas. It was the first time in four years we didn't spend spring break together, but he wanted to see Vegas before he went back to Greece so off he went. Next thing I know he's pining away for some girl, telling me he might have married her…I thought he was crazy, and to be honest, I basically ignored him because—who gets married and doesn't remember or find out for sure?!" He turned to glare at Apollo and Paige, who were chuckling along with everyone else. "Three years later I get this phone call—he really did marry her, she'd come to Greece to divorce him but he was falling in love with her. I got my butt on a plane to Greece as fast as I could because I had to meet this girl—and she left the day I got there. I really didn't know what to think, but my friend asked me to come with him to the States to get his wife back…so what's a guy to do? I put my butt back on a plane, this time to Vegas." He glanced at Paige and smiled .

"Then I met her. She had these big hazel eyes and was staring up at Apollo like he'd hung the moon just for her—and I knew it was all over. My best friend's bachelor days were a memory; he was totally hooked on this girl and she on him. They were going to ride off into the sunset together and go on all these adventures …"

He said a few more things but Paige was looking at Apollo with a frown. "You told him about me wanting to go on adventures?!" she demanded, somewhat frustrated. "That was private !"

"I didn't tell him!" he said, shaking his head, a little perplexed. "I swear on all of our future children, I never told him that ."

"Then how did he know ?"

"It seems, koukla mou , that your desire for adventure is written all over you." He lovingly stroked her cheek .

"It is?" She looked a little confused .

"Apparently. But you know what ?"

" What ?"

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life giving you as much adventure as you'll ever want or need ."

"That's the most wonderful thing anyone's ever said to me." Her eyes sparkled as she moved into his arms .