Epilogue

Epilogue

CAROL

S ix months later …

My wedding day was finally here. Astounded, I twirled in front of the mirror, disbelieving of what I saw. “I look like a fairy princess.”

“A very tall fairy princess,” Ella laughed, adjusting the tulle by my hip.

“Whatever, shortcake,” I muttered good naturedly, for once not minding seeing both of us standing together in front of the mirror.

Her five foot nothing next to my now six feet, thanks to the heels I was finally confident enough to wear— and with which I would still be shorter than Gabe—we did look like an odd couple, but it didn’t bother me anymore. With Gabe by my side, nothing bothered me anymore. No bad reviews, no looming deadlines, no sinking sales ranking. All that mattered was Gabe.

He did have to take some shit from his teammates, the press, fans, and others for dating a football romance novelist once the press dug out my pen name. He took it in stride, though.

“You look beautiful. Gabe is going to be all over you,” Ella said more seriously this time. “I’m really happy for you, and look, now we’re real sisters.”

I grinned, “It’s official, I guess.”

“As soon as you say I do, ” she teased.

Loud voices reached us from outside, one in particular and Ella moaned, “I told her not to come.”

“She’s your mother,” I laughed.

“Yeah and you remember what happened at my wedding.”

I did, but still. I loved her mom, and it wasn’t her fault that she was so … loud.

“Hey Carol, are you ready? Carol?” Pats yelled from the other side of the door.

Since my father had passed many years ago, I had asked him to walk me down the aisle, and Ella to be my maid of honor. They had both excitedly agreed.

“Alright, let’s go.” Ella reached up. Even standing on her tiptoes, she was much more graceful than me as she flipped the veil over to hide my face.

“Ready,” I said, waiting while she shook out my wedding dresses’ train. Yeah, I was going all the way out. This was my fairy tale wedding, and I would enjoy every second of it.

Patrick, standing on the other side of the door, nearly took my breath away. “Wow, you clean up nice, Pats.”

“Thanks, right back at you, Latimer … I guess McCloud soon,” he winked and I took his offered arm. Together we walked down the hallway into the church, where organ music picked up the famous wedding march to announce my arrival.

There, at the end of the aisle, by the altar, stood the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. Gabe, the love of my life. The man I had loved since I was a little girl.

He shifted nervously from one foot to another. When he saw me, he froze, before he took a step forward, held back by Ryan, his best man in lieu of Patrick. Otherwise I was sure he would have come straight for me. As it was, I felt Patrick’s arm under my palm tense, as my pace picked up.

“Easy,” he whispered.

“He’s so damn handsome,” I whispered back.

“He’s just my brother in a suit,” Patrick shook his head, still a bit dazed from the Christmas events.

I guess he had been as blindsided as Gabe. Even though Gabe had confessed his feelings for me to him, I had never said a word. Had never wanted to make things awkward between us, like, hey, I’m in love with your big brother .

All four of us had sworn to be more straight forward with one another in the future, because a lot of heartaches could have been avoided had we all just talked to one another. Including Ella and Patrick.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Gabe greeted me when Patrick handed me over to his brother.

Oh, yes, another perk of dating Gabe, his stupid nicknames for me had changed drastically. Instead of talls, smalls, Tinker Bell, sweetheart, marshmallow and so on, I was now gorgeous, princess, babe, and sometimes even goddess.

“I love you,” he said, taking my hand.

“I love you too,” I said, looking up at him, and I swear, had I not worn the veil, he would have defied all custom and kissed me right then and there. And I wondered if this was why brides wore one in the first place.

“I have a surprise for you,” I teased, readying myself to give him just a bit of payback for all the mean things he had said and done to me over the years, and which I had foolheartedly forgiven, because, honestly, I hadn’t been that much better. Still…

“I’ve packed the red Christmas nightie,” I winked while he groaned, and when I bumped my side into his groin, there was no mistaking I got the reaction I had been looking for. He would have to say his vows with the mother of all erections in his pants…