Chapter 24: Robyn

Three weeks later

“Is this okay?” I ask Micah as I model the dress I’m wearing to Hannah and Killian’s wedding. Maya took me dress shopping in Estes Park last weekend, and I ended up choosing a sage green maxi dress with long sleeves and a white collar. Maya said this shade of green compliments my hair color and my eyes. I paired the dress with low-heeled brown leather ankle boots. If I’m going to risk my neck by dancing, I don’t want to do it in high heels.

Micah puts his hands on my hips and leans in to whisper, “You look beautiful, Robyn.”

“No, you’re the one who looks beautiful.” I turn in his arms to admire him in his wedding attire—a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a turquoise tie and cummerbund. His hair is neatly braided, and he looks ridiculously handsome.

Micah’s in the wedding party, along with Owen Ramsey, who is Killian’s best man. Micah, John Burke, Jack, and one of Hannah’s brothers—Shane—are the groomsmen.

“Does this mean I’ll have to sit alone, since you’ll be in the wedding party?”

“You won’t be alone,” he says. “You can sit with Jenny and Ruth.”

His hands slide up to touch my hair, and I swat them away. “Don’t you dare mess up my hair. It took me ages to get it like this.” I put my hair up in a messy top knot and let some curling tendrils hang down. I had to watch a YouTube video three times just to figure out how to do it. I wanted to look nice today, sophisticated.

Micah checks the time. “Shall we?” he asks as he offers me his arm.

“Do I have a choice?”

He chuckles. “Don’t be nervous. These are my friends, and they love you.”

After we bundle up, we step out onto the cabin’s porch. It snowed last night, and there’s a good six inches of pristine white snow blanketing the ground. When Micah swoops me up in his arms, I squeal in surprise. He carries me to the truck, which is parked by the cabin.

“My hero,” I say as he gently sets me on my seat.

He leans in to kiss me. “I didn’t want you to get your new boots or your dress wet.”

It’s a 10-minute drive to the McIntyre Wilderness Lodge, where the wedding’s being held. Hannah and Killian closed the lodge for the entire weekend so it’s just their family and friends in attendance. I’m expecting a pretty small group until I see a whole row of shiny, black Cadillac Escalades parked in front of the lodge.

“Where did those come from?” I ask.

“Hannah’s entire family flew in last night from Chicago. I imagine those are all their rentals.”

I count five of the huge SUVs. “She must have a big family.”

Micah chuckles. “You could say that. Besides her parents, her six siblings are here, plus their partners, and a whole bunch of kids.”

Micah parks near the front entrance, and fortunately, the pavement has been shoveled clean, so I manage to keep my shoes dry as I walk in.

When we step through the double doors into the massive foyer, it’s total chaos. Two little boys are chasing each other, and they’re followed by two squealing, dark-haired little girls in flouncy pink dresses. The girls are obviously identical twins, maybe two years old. The boys are a little older.

One of the little girls loses her balance and falls to the floor. When she lets out a wail, the older of the two boys rushes to her side and picks her up.

“It’s okay, Emmy,” he says, hugging her close and patting her back.

The other twin, who looks on the verge of crying herself, clings to the boy’s pantleg. The boy, who can’t be more than eight, leans down and picks up the other girl, holding one on each of his hips.

“That’s Aiden,” Micah says. “And his twin sisters, Emerly and Everly. Jake McIntyre, Hannah’s second oldest brother, is their father.”

The other little boy, who looks to be about three or four, is blond with blue eyes.

“The blond is Luke,” Micah says. “He’s Shane McIntyre’s son.”

A petite, gorgeous blonde woman walks down the curved staircase, accompanied by a dark-haired guy. “What’s all the caterwauling about?” the woman asks.

“That’s Hannah’s sister, Lia, and her husband—”

“Holy crap! Is that who I think it is?” I recognize the man holding hands with the blonde girl. I’ve seen him pop up on my social media feed a million times. It seems like every time I turn around, he has another hit song playing on the radio.

“Yeah, that’s Jonah Locke. He’s married to Lia McIntyre.”

Another man—a huge, dark-haired guy with muscles that won’t quit—jogs down the staircase, bypassing Lia and her husband, and heads right for the crying baby girl. “What happened?” he asks the boy as he takes the girl into his arms and looks her over. She clings to him like a little monkey, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Aiden shrugs. “She fell down. I don’t think she’s hurt. I think it mostly scared her.”

“That’s Jake McIntyre,” Micah says to me.

The man is huge, all muscles and well over six feet tall. “Micah, please tell me there won’t be a quiz. I’m already lost.”

Micah chuckles. “This isn’t all of them. The rest are probably upstairs.” He takes my hand. “Let’s go up. The wedding is taking place in the lounge.”

We climb the staircase to the second floor and walk right into a spacious room that’s been decorated for a wedding. There’s a podium at one end, right in front of the massive stone hearth and woodburning fireplace. Facing the podium are rows of white folding chairs. The backs of the chairs have been adorned with boughs of ivy and cream and teal flowers. There are bouquets of fresh-cut cream-colored roses in crystal vases scattered throughout the room.

“It’s beautiful,” I say. Simple, yet lovely, like a fairytale. Classical music plays quietly over a speaker system set up by a DJ in the corner of the room. I glance out the wall of windows to our left at the enclosed courtyard, and it’s a winter wonderland scene.

A striking man with short gray hair, dressed in a black tux and white dress shirt, walks up to us and shakes Micah’s hand. “You’ll find the groomsmen in the next room, giving Killian a hard time.” Then he turns to me. “I’m Daniel Cooper. I’m officiating the ceremony. You must be the lovely Robyn I’ve been hearing about all morning.”

I feel my cheeks heat. “I doubt that, but yes, I’m Robyn.”

“There’s a seat reserved for you, young lady. If you’ll allow me, I’ll take you to it.”

“I’ll see you after the ceremony,” Micah says as he squeezes my hand. “Save the first dance for me, got it?”

I shoo him away. “Go do your wedding party stuff. I’ll be fine.”

When Micah leaves to join the other groomsmen, the silver fox offers me his arm. “Right this way.”

He escorts me to the second row left of the center aisle, where Ruth and Jenny are already seated. I’m relieved to see some familiar faces.

“Here she is, ladies,” he says to them. “As promised.”

Jenny shoots to her feet and hugs me. “Robyn! You look stunning.”

The compliment makes me smile. I haven’t seen Jenny since the day I quit working at the diner. “You’re still speaking to me,” I say, a huge weight lifted off my chest.

“Of course I am,” she says, laughing as she releases me and instead holds my hands. “Ruth told me what happened—that you found out Micah asked me to hire you, and you refused to go along with it. I understood completely, and I’m happy it worked out perfectly for you and Ruth. No hard feelings, okay?”

I nod, feeling massively relieved. “None at all. Thank you.”

Ruth stands. “You look lovely, Robyn. That dress compliments your hair beautifully.” She motions me forward. “Here, sit between us.”

Once I’m seated, I have a chance to really look around the room. The silver fox—I think he said his name was Dan something, or Cooper—is standing at the front of the room. A younger good-looking younger red-haired guy walks up and puts his arm around Cooper, leans in and whispers something in the silver fox’s ear. Cooper smiles at him, and I could swear the guy is blushing.

The seats fill up with guests, some of the ones I saw just a few minutes ago downstairs, plus a lot more people. There’s a pretty blonde woman holding a brown-haired baby girl on her hip. Another couple have a baby girl, and obviously another one on the way because the woman is clearly pregnant. Yet another couple, both of them tall, the woman quite statuesque, and the man towers over everyone. He’s holding a dark-haired baby girl in his arms.

Two older women are seated right in front of us, in the front row.

After that, everything happens in a blur. Killian, dressed in a tuxedo, walks in, along with his groomsmen, Micah among them, looking strikingly handsome in his tuxedo.

Killian shakes hands with Cooper, who pats him on the back.

The music transitions then into a wedding march, and the room falls quiet.

The two boys we saw downstairs walk down the aisle. First the older boy, Aiden, I think his name is, followed by the little blond boy, who’s tossing cream rose petals on the floor. The bridal party is next, all of them beautiful in pale teal dresses.

Hannah, looking amazing in a traditional white wedding gown, is being escorted down the aisle by another silver fox. I’m assuming he’s her dad.

“That’s Calum McIntyre,” Ruth whispers to me. “Hannah’s father. And this is Hannah’s mother, Bridget.” She points at one of the women seated in front of us, a petite lady with strawberry-blonde hair.

I wonder what it’s like to grow up in such a large family. They appear to be really close, everyone chatting and laughing, chasing after kids. As an only child, I can’t really relate. I look toward the front of the room, and Micah meets my gaze, a smile on his face. For a moment, I imagine what our child might look like. Warm brown skin with either dark hair, or maybe auburn like mine. With his dark eyes, or maybe blue.

I hear a baby crying somewhere behind me, followed by soft shushing noises.

Hannah has reached the front of the room now, and her father hugs her and kisses her cheek before he lays her hand in Killian’s.

I’ve never been to a wedding before, so this is a lot to take in. I don’t even know most of these people.

The vows are short and succinct. No promises of anyone obeying anyone, just promises to love, honor, and cherish in sickness and in health. When Cooper tells the happy couple they can kiss, they do—wow, do they kiss. And the guests start clapping. It’s a joyful ceremony, and Hannah and Killian look incredibly happy.

Cooper addresses the audience. “And now, if you’ll all make your way downstairs to the restaurant let’s see if we can put a dent in all that food and wedding cake.”

* * *

When the crowd breaks up, Micah makes his way to me, a huge smile on his face. “You survived,” he says with a chuckle.

“Yes, thanks to your sister and Jenny. By the way, she’s not holding a grudge against me for quitting on her.”

“Of course she isn’t,” he says, as he links our arms as we head downstairs to the restaurant.

We mingle in the dining room and snack on hot finger foods. Micah takes me around and introduces me to all the people I haven’t met—and there are a lot of them. Everyone’s super friendly. The kids are adorable, and they’re the center of attention.

After we have cake, Hannah tosses her wedding bouquet into a crowd of women. Not me—I stay far away from that, despite all the people who encourage me to join in. When Jenny catches the flowers, everyone cheers, and Jenny blushes.

When we return to the lounge upstairs, the chairs have been cleared away, and the DJ is playing music. There’s a bar set up in another corner of the room, and Ruth and Jack are passing out drinks.

“This is my dance,” Micah says as he pulls me into his arms and we start to sway to the music. He leans in and kisses my temple, then whispers, “They’re all my dances.”

But then Chris cuts in and steals a dance, and Micah just shakes his head before he goes to dance with Jenny.

“You look very handsome today,” I tell him. He’s wearing a charcoal gray suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie. “I’m so used to seeing you in your uniform.”

Chris smiles. “You look lovely, and Micah can’t keep his eyes off you.”

Then Killian asks me to dance, and I notice Micah dancing with the bride Hannah. Finally, Micah and I find our way back together, in each other’s arms.

“No more cutting in,” he tells me. “The next guy who wants to dance with you will have to fight me over it.”

The DJ plays some snappy Cajun music, and Killian dances with an attractive older woman.

“That’s his mom,” Micah tells me. “She and his grandparents came all the way from Louisiana for the wedding.”

“Who are they?” I ask, pointing to a couple who are dancing with their children in their arms. The man, who’s dressed in a tux as he was one of the groomsmen, is holding the little blond-haired boy I saw running around earlier. The woman, a pretty blonde with the most amazing blue-green eyes, is holding a baby girl.

“That’s Shane McIntyre and his wife, Beth, along with their kids, Luke and Ava. Shane provided the funding for Hannah and Killian to purchase this lodge and start their business.”

“Oh. He’s the one who bought the helicopter.”

“Right. He’s the head honcho of a security company based in Chicago.”

I glance across the room to see Ruth dancing with Jack. “Do you think they’ll get married?” I nod toward his sister.

Micah shrugs. “They will if Ruth decides she wants to.” He takes my hand and spins me. “What about you?” he asks as he pulls me back into his arms. “Do you see yourself getting married one day?”

I gaze up at him, at those mesmerizing, dark eyes. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever known. “I used to think not. Other than my parents, I never saw a married couple that really loved each other. But now—” I break off, afraid to say the words out loud.

He slides his fingers into my hair. “But now?”

“I’m starting to see the appeal.”

He smiles just before he kisses me on the dance floor in front of his sister and all his friends.

* * *

Sunday evening, I surprise Micah with a road trip to Estes Park. “I hope you like barbeque,” I say.

He chuckles. “Does a bear—well, you know—in the woods?”

“Good.” I drive us to a popular restaurant in town. I asked Maya for recommendations, and this is the one she came up with.

“He’ll love it,” she said. “But make sure you get reservations, or you’ll be waiting for ages to get seated.”

So here we are. Thanks to our reservations, we’re seated right away at a cozy table for two in the corner. It’s a nice, upscale restaurant with candles on the table. We both order the beef brisket, some sides to share, and beer from a popular local brewery.

While we’re sitting here waiting for our food to arrive, I’m fighting a huge grin. Over the past few weeks, I’ve made several smaller payments to Micah in my effort to reimburse him for the transmission and the new tires, but tonight’s the final payment. This is the biggest expense I’ve ever had in my life, and I feel so darn good knowing this is my last payment to him. I did it!

“What’s the special occasion?” he asks, starting to look a bit concerned. “I didn’t forget something, did I?”

“No, relax.” I pull out my phone and tap a few times. A moment later, his phone chimes with a notification. “Go ahead. Check it.”

He glances at his phone screen, smiles, and then looks back at me. “Thank you, Robyn.” He reaches for my hand. “You didn’t have to, but I know it’s important to you, so congratulations.”

“You’re welcome.” I sent him $800 via Apple Cash. “That’s my last payment. That covers everything—the transmission, including labor, and the new tires.”

He’s told me repeatedly that I didn’t have to pay him back, but of course I do. This is important to me.

Our food arrives then, and we eat. The beef brisket is tender and amazing. Everything is delicious, including dessert, a giant slice of chocolate cake I manage to talk him into sharing with me. The setting is beautiful. I’ve paid him back. Everything’s perfect.

Including the way he’s looking at me.

Our server stops by to refill our water glasses. “So, is this a special occasion?”

“It is,” Micah says as he winks at me.

“Congratulations, then,” the guy says. “You make a beautiful couple.”

Micah’s eyes are locked on mine. “Thanks. I think so, too.”

I feel my cheeks heating up, but I can’t bring myself to look away.

After the server leaves, Micah reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small emerald-green velvet box. He holds out his hand, and when I give him mine, he sets the box on my palm. “I was planning a bit of a surprise tonight myself.”

My heart is pounding as I gaze down at the little box.

“Go ahead and open it,” he says.

My fingers are shaking as I pry the lid up. Nestled inside is a slim gold band set with a gorgeous, clear blue gemstone.

“It’s aquamarine,” he says. “The same color as your eyes.”

I stare at the ring. “Micah, it’s gorgeous.”

“It’s a token of my feelings—a promise ring. I realize it’s too soon for anything official, but I wanted to give you something. Will you wear it?”

“Yes.”

He removes the ring from the box, and as I hold out my left hand, he slips the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly. “How did you know my size?”

He grins. “Lucky guess.”