EPILOGUE

MCKINLEY

Jagger and the guys are getting ready in one of the other bedrooms, and I’m getting dressed for our wedding all alone, because I have no one here for me. I’m not feeling sorry for myself because I know how great my life is. Okay, maybe a little bit but, shit, I can’t believe she wouldn’t come. Mia is not just my best friend, she’s more to me than simply a friend. We finish each other’s sentences. Before Jagger, she was the only person who got me. The only one that accepted my crazy, and loved me despite how my brain worked. I know she’s been going through something, although she won’t tell me what. Still, when I called her to tell her when we were getting married, and where, I never imagined she’d say she wasn’t coming. Never once did I consider I’d do this without her.

I’ve been messing with my hair for the last hour, and cannot get it to look right with this stupid clip. I’m beyond frustrated, and ready to cry, but I’ve had enough therapy to know I’m not emotional over the clip, or my hair.

I stand in the bathroom, with my hands on the vanity, and my head hanging down, as I do my deep breathing exercises to get my head straight. Jagger does not deserve for me to be an emotional mess today.

“I did not come all this way to watch you cry.”

I lift my head and turn to the doorway, to find Mia standing there with a soft smile on her face.

“Mia!”

Running over in my ivory lingerie, I throw my arms around her neck.

“You’re here.”

She hugs me back and says, “I’m here.”

I step back from her, and wipe the tears falling down my face, and she starts rambling.

“Let’s get this over with, okay? I got fat. I’m here for you, but I’d really like to not be photographed.”

I roll my eyes at her. “You are not fat.”

She lets out an audible sigh.

“Yes, for a model, I’m fat. An extra thirty pounds is unacceptable. Which is why I’m not a model anymore. Anyway, this is your day. I just didn’t want weird awkward silences with us.”

“What made you change your mind?”

She shakes her head like she can’t even believe it herself.

“Long story short, Jett showed up at my apartment, and convinced me to come.”

I gasp louder than I intend to. “You listened to Jett?”

She giggles softly. “I either came on my own, or he was going to kidnap me, or so he said.”

“I still can’t believe you’re here.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she says, “I also realized I was being a selfish asshole, but enough about me. Want help with your hair?”

I nod emphatically. “Yes. I’m so glad you’re here.”

JAGGER

“Where’s Mia?” I ask Jett, as he walks up to me on the beach.

“Up with your girl. Probably crying about what an asshole I am.”

Jake and Hendrix have been standing with me for a few minutes, as I wait for my bride. We all laugh together at Jett, but then I think to ask how he got her here.

“You didn’t kidnap her though, right?”

That is not a conversation I wish to have with my new wife.

He shakes his head through laughter. “I didn’t, but I was going to. If I’m honest, if I had kidnapped her, we probably wouldn’t be here. I asked her out again, and she said no.”

“Did she say why?” Jake asks.

Jett sighs loudly. “I told her I wanted a shot with her more than I want anything. She asked if I wanted it more than I want heroin. We both know the answer to that.”

He stares at all of us one by one. “She’s gained some weight, and none of you assholes better say a fucking word.”

None of us respond, because the minister tells us the ladies are on their way. We kept it small, but still most of the people here are for me, but I’m sure once they get to know McKinley better they’ll probably prefer her over me. I demanded we don’t have sides, because I didn’t want her to feel bad because of the uneven sides.

Jett walks over to the piano and begins playing.

McKinley’s Song is a piece I wrote for her, and she loved it so much, she decided she wanted to come down the aisle to it.

As she comes closer, all the fucking breath leaves my lungs. There has never been a moment I didn’t think she was beautiful, but this is overwhelming. I’ve never been an emotional man, but she makes me one.

She’s wearing an ivory lace gown with a band under the breasts, and it flows to the ground. The dress is strapless, showing off her stunning cleavage. My gaze travels from her bare feet to her gorgeous face, and I’m lost in everything McKinley. Her hair is pulled up with my mother’s hair clip. A veil is tucked behind her updo, and hangs down to the middle of her back.

Finally she’s within my reach, and I grab her hands while Mia takes a seat in the first row of seats.

I whisper in her ear, “You look fucking exquisite, baby.”

She giggles softly. “Thank you, Jagger.”

We turn to the minister, and he begins speaking, but he may as well not be here, because I can’t stop stealing glances at my girl.

He pronounces us husband and wife, and I pull McKinley into my arms and kiss her. Our guests don’t exist for me. Only her.

She pulls away, breathless and dazed. Stunning.

“Wow,” she whispers.

I wink at her. “Just wait.”

We had dinner for us and our guests on the patio, where we ate when we were here before. And now we are heading into what has been set up for our reception, complete with a stage. When you’re in a rock band, entertainment always follows.

Jett took on vocals for the last hour, and now he’s yelling at me into the microphone.

“Wild, get your ass up here.”

My bride stares at me with excitement.

“Are you singing?”

I kiss her on the forehead and say, “I told you, I’ll sing for you any time.”

Pulling her to the front of the stage, I narrow my gaze at her. “Right here. My wife stands here.”

I climb to the stage and nod to Jett, and he knows exactly what I’m planning to do.

Tossing my jacket to the side of the stage, I stare at my wife while I unbutton my shirt. After I remove it and I put it with my coat, she stares at me with hunger. My filthy girl.

Taking the microphone, I speak to the crowd, but I’m only looking at her.

“Let’s take it back to how this all started.”

Jett plays the first few bars to Closer by Nine Inch Nails, and McKinley turns bright red and covers her face.

Kneeling at the edge of the stage in front of her, I pull her hands from her face, and begin singing the lyrics. Of course she screams at me.

“That isn’t romantic, Wild!”

As the song comes to an end, I admit, “Fine, it’s not romantic, but it’s hot.”

In front of everybody, she runs her tongue up my chest, before placing her hand over my new tattoo that has an unbroken heart, music notes, and the words, ‘Everything I’ve ever needed is this’, then in script it has her name.

She gazes at me and says, “It is hot. I’m going to expect you to live up to the words of that song, Jagger Wild.”

Sitting on the stage, I pull her into my arms, and lock my legs around her waist. She wraps her arms around my neck with a soft smile.

“You really are hot, husband, but you’re so much more than that. You were the first man to ever love me, and I’ll never forget that.”

Arching an eyebrow, I say, “And the last.”

McKinley giggles, and then she rocks my world once again.

“Until we have a son. I stopped taking birth control.”

Fuck, she really is everything I’ve ever wanted. Now I need to figure out a way to get all these assholes out of here, so I can get my wife pregnant, or at least have a shit ton of fun trying. Someone clinks a glass, and I’m not sure if it was an accident, but I’ll take it anyway. Leaning forward, I press my lips to hers, and taste one of my two favorite flavors.

“I’ll give them an hour, and then I’m taking my wife to bed and fucking her. And I just might never stop.”

She giggles, but she doesn’t disagree.

Three years ago, I lost the best thing that ever happened to me. Now she’s my wife, my entire fucking world, and everything that threatened to break us apart only brought us closer together. Music has always been the most important thing in my life, until her. I learned the hard way, without her, there are no words, no notes, it’s simply emptiness. And I will do everything in my power to make her happy, because I never want to experience that again. Judging by the huge smile on her face, I’m on the right track.