Epilogue One

EPILOGUE ONE

WALKER

* Six and a Half Months Later *

" F or the record, I tried to explain that you might not be into this. They wouldn't listen, and insisted I help by offering up my opinion on various things."

Jocelyn looks up at me with a wide smile as she squeezes my hand. As always, she looks absolutely beautiful. Just two weeks ago, she was breathtaking in a flowing white gown when we got married on an out-of-the-way beach in Hawaii. Now she's just as pretty in a light green dress as we walk past City Hall and into the small park behind it.

"Whatever it is," Jocelyn says, squeezing my hand, "I'm sure I'll love it."

We turn the corner, and her mouth drops open.

"Surprise!" around fifty people shout enthusiastically.

"Wha–" Jocelyn bursts out laughing. Her eyes are bright and she grins with that magical sparkle I'm coming to love more every day.

Harper steps forward to place a tiara of wildflowers on Jocelyn's head as Nikki slips on a matching wrist corsage. "You wouldn't let us have any wedding hoopla or showers," Nikki giggles. "So this is simply a lowkey après-wedding tea."

They pull Jocelyn away to greet the guests as I walk over to clap Clark on the back. "These are amazing picnic tables. Thank you."

He shrugs. "You're welcome. Josh provided the lumber."

I turn to shake Josh Wolfe's hand. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No problem. That bad storm a few months back knocked down some really nice pine. Might as well use it for a good cause. Plus, Brady helped."

I wave to Brady, who is sipping a cup of tea. From the face he's making, I suspect it's his first cup of tea in his life.

Grandma bustles over, pinching my cheeks like she did when I was four. "Such a sweet boy. So much better when you wear a nice crisp shirt rather than those ratty t-shirt things."

"They're not ratty."

Grandpa claps me on the back. "A carpenter, a forester, and a lumberjack decide to furnish the park behind City Hall. I feel like there's some kind of ‘walks into a bar' joke there, but it's not coming to me yet."

Leaning toward his flowered china cup, I take a tentative whiff. That's…definitely not tea.

My brothers come over, hugging me just as Jocelyn returns.

"Amazing," Carson says. "Having a wedding without doing any actual wedding planning. Sneaky. I love it."

"Thank goodness," Jocelyn says, poking him in the shoulder. "Your approval is clearly the only thing that matters to us."

I love that she's become so comfortable with my family that she can tease my brothers as much as they tease her. With all our new wives, it's like we've created a gang of six.

I see that someone has hired a photographer, and wave for her to come over. "Family photo time," I announce, leading everyone over to the fence made of lilac bushes, which I figure is as good a background as any.

I pull Jocelyn in front of me, my arms wrapped around her waist. This way, while everyone poses and various groupings of people are arranged, I can snuggle her in my arms. She looks up over her shoulder at me, and I can see the love in her eyes.

"This was a great idea," she whispers.

"And you didn't have to lift a finger."

She grins, stretching up to kiss me. "You planned our vacation wedding. You helped plan this party. Are you sure you aren't secretly an event planner in your spare time?"

We smile for the camera, then pause as more people gather around and the photographer moves to get a different angle.

My lips lower to her ear. "I don't know anything about kids' birthday parties. But we're going to have to start figuring them out soon, right?"

"Well, we're all official now." Her eyebrow raises in a gracefully saucy arc. "Maybe we should start trying. Tonight."

She stretches up to kiss me lightly, but it quickly turns into a slow burn that rolls through me. I'm obsessed with this incredible woman. With the feeling of belonging to her.

Jocelyn suddenly breaks off the kiss, as if she's just remembered we're surrounded by people.

"Yeah, maybe that should stay our little secret for now," I whisper. As I turn her back toward the camera, my palm slides down to grab her perky ass.

She elbows me while giggling. "Always a dirty boy," she exclaims loudly.

Everyone around us bursts out laughing, and the photographer probably gets the best shot ever.

"Yes. Yes, I am."