Epilogue

Zeke

She could have askedfor a trip around the world and I would have found a way to give it to her. Hell, she could have used her own bank account to make the world come see her, but she didn't. She only asked for one thing and today was the day.

Callan Hellman, a guy who'd come to be a close friend of ours the last three months, was standing in the pergola I'd finally built to be the centerpiece of my backyard. His wife and their friends, Rainey and her friends, had all come together to string flowers over every surface. Shelby, the owner of the florist in Hell, had given us a sweet deal on the flowers, though now that she was nine months pregnant, she had left the actual decorating to her friends.

Half of Blueball and a good portion of Hell jammed into my backyard for our vow renewal service. We kept things simple, requesting everyone bring their own chair and above the sea of faces sitting in all shapes and sizes and colors of chairs was the beaming face of my wife.

Rainey stood in the slider doorway, crouching down and whispering in Daisy's ear. The fluff ball tried to lick her face and then dashed down the stairs, stopping at the center aisle and letting out a bark to get everyone's attention. The Blueball Band of Brothers, the BBB as we called ourselves, picked up their instruments and played an instrumental version of Kane Brown's song "Thank God."

Daisy sauntered down the aisle, her nose in the air like she knew this was an auspicious occasion and she understood the assignment. When she reached me, I crouched down and scratched behind her ears.

"You're my best girl, aren't you, Daisy?" She licked me across the cheek in agreement and then settled so I could get the little box that held our rings unclasped from her collar. We both went back to our places in the pergola and she sat by my side just like we'd practiced.

Rainey came down the aisle in the same sundress we'd gotten married in, the same ridiculously high wedges on her feet, and a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She was tanner this time, having spent a whole summer in Blueball and countless afternoons at the coast. She was exquisite, a mixture of the girl I'd fallen in love with, the woman I adored now, and the soul I'd grow old with. Her ruby-red lips, curved up in a smile, were only for me. This version of Rainey Shaw didn't need attention or crazy plans to have a good time. She still surprised me on the daily, pulling me out of my "old man" habits, but she was grounded in her enthusiasm now. She knew where her heart belonged and she was happy to build a life here with me.

When Rainey finally got to me, she placed the flowers on the ground, and instead of taking my hands, she dipped a hand inside the bodice of her dress. Callan made a choking noise and Rainey shot me a saucy wink. When she pulled out a napkin, wrinkled and frayed at the edges, I knew exactly what she held.

That day at the courthouse I'd given her the makeshift prenup she needed so badly.

She held the napkin aloft. "I don't need this any longer. Everything I have or will have is yours, just like my heart." And then she ripped the napkin in two and let the pieces flutter to the floor.

My eyes got misty and I didn't think it possible, but I loved this woman even more. I'd forgotten about that napkin, but leave it to Rainey to find another way to show me her love. She'd been doing that a lot lately, finding a giddy joy in expressing her love for me, for Gertie, for her friends. It was a beautiful thing to see her blossom.

I took her hands in mine and kissed them. "Thank you," I murmured against her skin.

Daisy inched forward and ate one half of the napkin before I could hiss a command at her to leave it alone. The crowd tittered with laughter. Callan cleared his throat again and began the vow renewal, keeping it short and sweet.

"Do you take Ezekiel Burns to be your husband…again?" Callan asked Rainey.

She gave me another one of her smiles that was only meant for me. "I do, for realsies this time."

Callan turned to me. "And do you take Rainette Shaw to be your wife…again?"

I gripped Rainey's hands tighter. "I meant it the first time and I mean it this time. Every single day that I have breath, I take you as my wife."

Rainey's smile wobbled and her eyes filled with tears.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the town of Auburn Hill, I pronounce you husband and wife…again!"

The crowd cheered, but it all faded away as I looked into Rainey's eyes, seeing my future stringing out in front of me, joy and love instead of loneliness and heartache. I saw kids and laughter and burdens shared. A whisper in the night and a kiss every morning. A thousand chances to show her how much she's loved. A chance to be the man my father had been.

I let her go just long enough to cup her face, to whisper my love for her even though the words weren't even close to being enough, and then I kissed her. We stayed locked together, breathing each other in, until the band started playing a raucous tune and Callan clapped me on the back. The party had started and two towns had come together to celebrate the one thing we could always agree on: love.

We kept the reception informal, wanting to dance and party with our friends and family in comfort. Food was had, drinks were shared, and music was the backdrop to it all. When Rainey complained of her feet hurting from dancing the night away, I knelt to unbuckle those damn sandals she insisted made her legs longer. Then I pulled her to the upright piano my mother had given us as a wedding gift. It had been in our family for multiple generations and some of my earliest memories were lying on the carpet watching my parents pluck out a tune, nestled together on the little wooden bench.

Rainey wasn't musically inclined, but never complained about sitting next to me, learning to play some higher chords that complemented whatever I was playing. Mostly she was there to be my muse. When she was next to me, her scent and warmth seeping under my skin, the words flowed and so did the tunes. I'd already written three songs my friends had been playing at their weekly jam sessions.

But she'd never heard this one.

The guys and I had been practicing it for a few weeks, wanting it perfect for our vow renewal. Vander sang the words, I keyed the melody, Gannon strummed the guitar, Boston plucked the banjo, and Lincoln kept the beat on the drums. The words were about finding love at first sight before you knew what to do with something that big. About fate putting that person in your path again for the reason of healing each other.

We played the last note and Rainey threw herself into my arms, tears on her cheeks. And maybe I was being too fanciful because of all the emotions of the day, but I could have sworn I felt the pat of my father's hand on my back for a job well done.