Epilogue

Tallula

L ife update (this is the real one and not the glossy kind I used to report on social media, making my life look much better than it really was). These days, I'm all about making real hearts happy, including mine, instead of chasing digital likes.

Mother and Father never did find out about the vandalism, and while they cooled off on Peter, they warmed up slightly to Jesse.

In fact, it seems like the whole thing with the ring shook them out of their pretentious prison. At Christmas, they let Mara and Jake's kids wear their holiday-themed socks in the house. Progress!

They managed to finish the construction on their house in time for Valentine's Day, and he surprised her with an unscheduled weekend visit.

By the way, Mara is the brains behind the Coffee Loft with the financials, orders, and such, and I keep things rolling up front—with coffee, beignet buns, and seasonal décor. You'd better believe I had all the cutesy red, pink, and white heart items on display. Betsy was all too happy to help.

The Coffee Loft is thriving, which gives me hope for Hogwash.

Not only that, but I started a Monday Night Improv at the shop for anyone to join or watch. I chose Monday because there's nothing funny about the first day of the work week. There's been growing interest and we started a committee to revamp and reopen the Flying Pig Theater.

Not only that, but Sawyer has been doing great with his community service and even outfitted his mini remote control car to look like a shiny beetle. It has a sign that says Don't Be a Litter Bug . He drives it up and down Main Street three times a day.

The only trouble is Jesse gets occasional calls from Mrs. Halfpenny with complaints that it frightens Frodo—I guess the motion sometimes makes the animatronic dog bark. If only the Litter Bug worked like a robot vacuum. But it keeps Sawyer busy, and he created a YouTube channel for modifying RC cars. Jesse said it already has a huge following.

Speaking of the law, Peter was smart and didn't press charges because the damages were far less than what he owed me for marriage fraud. Thanks to Mara, we settled out of court. Even though she retired from the courtroom, the woman is a force to be reckoned with .

When it comes to the law, the Lawson family's name is now clear. The old Acadian house is fixed up except for a few projects, including the shed. Who knows what else we'll find out there.

People love small towns because they're quaint and filled with quirky characters. On the downside, everyone knows your business all the time. Word spread fast about our engagement. It even made the front page of the Pest Digest. I do not object because for once, people are talking about my real life and not the life of a fictional wife I played on television.

But then they badgered us about when and where we were going to host our wedding. Seems like everyone wanted in on the action. I didn't want to wait too long to have a legal marriage, so we decided to crash our high school reunion—seems fitting considering how we officially met after detention and the dare that followed.

I'm not trying to avoid it because I'm embarrassed that my life hasn't turned out how I expected. I plan to march right in, failed acting career and all, and publicly pledge my life to the man I love.

Of course, Mara, Moink, and even Molly are in on it.

Jesse

I check in with Sawyer for the third time to make sure he has the wedding bands. Getting Tallula to agree to ask him to be the ring bearer took some convincing on my part because of the whole Bling Ring thing. But Sawyer's a nice guy—just gets lost in his life from time to time. I think we all can relate.

True to the 1980s throwback theme of the reunion slash wedding, he pats the pocket of his two-button blazer, complete with shoulder pads and paired with loose-fitting pleated pants. He even cut his hair into a mullet. Thelma was all too happy to comply.

"This is pretty rad," Sawyer says, looking around the gymnasium.

"Totally bodacious," I reply, using 80s slang.

We considered doing a coffee, tea, you, and me-themed wedding, but we opted to go big since Tallula's first wedding when she eloped turned out to be a sham. She says she doesn't care about the world knowing about our love for each other, but wants to share it with Hogwash.

I'm wearing a white suit with neon suspenders and cannot wait to see Tallula in her gown. Per tradition, it has to be a surprise.

Molly went all out with the décor. We donated to her funds which were largely reinvested locally because the This & That supplied all the streamers and balloons. They still had unopened boxes of items circa 1988. Mara, Molly, and Tallula went a little wild with the color block geometric table settings, mirrored disco balls, and Polaroid photo station.

We even brought in some arcade games. Mr. Soto plays DJ, and we'll host a live tribute band later. Let's not forget the custom five-tiered neon paint splatter cake.

As our former classmates and their plus-ones arrive along with family members—who're not entirely sure why the Cameron High graduating class is also here—Mara appears with a grumbly Mr. and Mrs. Swan along with the kids.

She distributes slap bracelets along with scratch-and-sniff stickers to keep them occupied.

I greet them, wearing my retro attire and they look utterly confused.

"Why on earth did you want to borrow that old floral coordinating suit set? Did we really wear such big shoulder pads back then?" Mrs. Swan asks her daughter.

Betsy hurries over, congratulating me. Her husband stumps behind, looking like he hasn't left 1985 with his baby blue dolphin shorts and tube socks pulled over his calves.

"It's a themed event," Thelma says, rocking a magenta satin dress with white gloves up to her elbows.

Eyes wide, Mr. and Mrs. Swan link arms as if they're going back in time, they're going together. In recent months, Tallula says they bicker less and laugh more.

Mara pokes her head out from around the science lab door and gives me a thumbs up. It's time to take our places.

With the gym half filled with Cameron High alum and the other with friends and family, I stand under the basketball hoop with Sawyer to my side and the pastor in the middle. Taking a deep breath, I'm ready.

Mara walks down the aisle followed by Margaret, the flower girl, and Jedediah leads Moink, also dressed for the day in a neon dress with a tulle skirt that matches my suspenders along with sunglasses. She holds her head high and wears a doggy smile on her little smooshed face.

The music changes and my bride-to-be follows with big hair, red lips, and a white gown with puffy sleeves and a long train. She looks perfect.

My smile grows with her every step and hers does too as our gazes meet. She passes her flowers to her sister, and the pastor begins the ceremony.

She bounces, a little giddy, as Sawyer presents the rings. We exchange our vows.

Even though we're indoors, there's not a cloud in sight—just sunshine above and filling my heart for this amazing woman who's mine. All mine and I'm hers.

I whisper this as we move in for the kiss.

Her lips are soft on mine and I give back a little, promising more later. It's one I'll definitely keep as I catch her sugar-sweet scent and feel her arms wrap around my neck like she'd like to continue this smooch too.

For now, we turn to the crowd and wave. Everyone erupts into cheers and clapping.

For the reception, we serve pigs in a blanket, potato skins, and a big buffet with all the 80s comfort foods and casseroles. Several punch bowls filled with Kool-Aid cover a full table with a variety of flavors from cherry to grape and a blue one I'm not too sure about.

After Tallula and I have our first dance—to our song selected from the mix I made her—I take to the stage and pick up a guitar. Sawyer sits down behind the drum set and a guy from the station joins us on bass .

"We're the Simple Grinds. I'd like to thank everyone for joining us for this unconventional high school reunion wedding. Princess and I met in detention. Life took us in very different directions, but I never forgot her and I never will."

We play a cover of a classic song that I dedicate to her. She sings along, dancing with her sister and friends. As I belt out the chorus, our gazes meet. I know she won't forget about me either.

After dinner, dancing, tossing the bouquet, and cutting the cake, Tallula and I find a quiet moment together.

"Have I told you that you look radiant?"

"And beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning." She giggles.

"Have I told you that I also love how big-hearted and hard-working you are? Funny? Clever? And make the best beignet buns and London Fogs on the planet?"

"You've mentioned that."

"What about how spending our lives together brings me more joy than I fathomed possible for my life?" I kiss the top of her hand. "I'm so grateful you're my wife."

"That one is new." She softly kisses my lips.

"And that I love you. I look forward to telling you that every day forever."

I get another kiss before she says, "I love you too. I just didn't realize how much. I also knew three things about you and have learned a lot more. I'd like to continue to add to my list. You have an amazing singing voice that I look forward to hearing more of, maybe even singing lullabies to our future kids. You're great at giving back massages. And you look really good in your uniform, but even better in the leather jacket." Biting her lip, she wiggles the lapel of my suit jacket.

"Speaking of that, when do we get to ride off into the sunset?"

" Do we dare do it now?"

"One more dance then let's go for it."

We end up chatting with folks and dancing to three more songs. I spot Sawyer and Roxanne in the middle of the dance floor too. We leave Moink in Mara's care. Her kids are happy to have him visit for the week and promise to send daily updates.

We wave goodbye, surrounded by a send-off of neon glow sticks.

I drape my arm across Tallula's shoulders. We walk across the football field into the sunset before we get on the motorcycle and head to our honeymoon road trip to a little town we heard about in Florida called Coco Key. We booked a suite at the old-school resort right on the water.

Tallula wraps her arms around my waist and rests her cheek on my back. Over the roar of the motorcycle, she hollers, "This would be the season finale episode and it'd be called And They Lived Happily Ever After ."

"But it's truly just the beginning," I reply.

Not ready to leave Hogwash Holler? Check out the On the Hunt for Love series. It's a quirky town on the bayou known for farming, fishing, and thieving, but the major attraction is the scavenger hunt for the legendary golden tokens. But those aren't the only treasures to be found. Newcomers and locals alike breathe new life into the shops and homes on the rough around-the-edges Main Street...and fall in love.

In this heartwarming, feel-good romantic comedy series, you'll find the grumpy sunshine trope, hate to love, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second chances, marriage of convenience, and more. Check out this charming small town with big characters where Virgin River meets Schitts Creek.

Want another Coffee loft fix? Welcome back to The Coffee Loft, where a new round of stories has been brewed especially for you.

Those of you stopping by to visit again, we've missed you. The feeling of home is the same that you loved before. If it's your first time, prepare to be swept off your feet. While our menu hasn't changed, we think you'll be pleased with the fall favorites we've added. Fans of pumpkin spiced lattes, peppermint mochas, and rich, chocolaty cocoas will not be disappointed.

This multi-author collection of stand-alone sweet romcoms is filled to the brim with the swoons you love and adore.

From sweet kisses to grand gestures and matchmaking surprises, each mug and story will be filled with everything you crave. So come on in and let us serve you with that happy ever after you've come to expect.