Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Five months later

Koen

This was it. The moment of truth. I was marrying the woman of my dreams. Again. Since, technically we were already married. This time though, we’d have our friends and family at our sides to celebrate.

The wedding was being held at the Ritter Park Rose Garden. Even though the roses hadn’t reached full bloom yet, my mom and Willow had done an amazing job filling in the space with every color of flower imaginable. We’d opened our home to them and Riley two weeks ago, and as much as I loved them, I couldn’t wait for them to go back to California.

While the women had opted to get dressed at our house, then take a limo to the property, the guys were using the small greenhouse we’d been given as a dressing room. I was just putting the finishing touches on my outfit when Jett burst through the door.

“Hey, Pops. How do I look?”

The little shit had taken to calling me that ridiculous name ever since the ink dried on the adoption papers. You see, it wasn’t only Jade’s name listed when Bill and Trudy signed over their rights. Mine was there too, right next to my wife’s.

“You look good, kid.”

We were both wearing black fitted suits over the top of silver button-down shirts. The only difference was the color of our ties. Mine was a deep emerald green, while his was several shades lighter. It was Jade’s idea and I was fully on board with the whole “happy wife, happy life” philosophy.

“Look at our baby all grown-up,” Keaton teased.

He and Noah had taken their role of surrogate uncles seriously. When he wasn’t at home, Jett was with one of them, or Nelson. And wherever he was, Phoebe wasn’t far behind.

“Give him another year and he’ll be able to kick your ass, K,” Noah added.

“He doesn’t need a year. Duncan’s been giving us lessons,” Phoebe gushed, making her entrance dressed in a pale yellow knee-length dress.

“Shit.” I spun around to face him. “Does your sister know?”

“Who do you think asked him?” He then turned to his friend and said, “Pheebs, you were supposed to wait for me outside. This place is for men only.”

“Then why are you here?” She grinned.

Noah came to stand behind Jett, putting both hands on the boy's shoulders. “She’s got you there, bud.”

“Whatever.” He shrugged him off. “This is your five-minute warning. Lanie said to haul ass––and, yes, I had permission to say ass.”

I chuckled. “Thanks, kid. See you at the other end of the aisle. ”

Jade

Damn it all to hell, I was gonna cry. Trumbles didn’t cry, but apparently changing my last name meant that was no longer the case. Here I was, eyes stinging with unshed tears that I didn’t have a prayer of stopping from falling down my face, for two specific reasons. The first being the handsome young man who was walking me, arm in arm, down the makeshift aisle toward my second.

Jett and Koen.

My boys.

My everything.

Without them and the rest of our found family, I never would’ve survived any of the curveballs life threw my way.

My current/future husband looked even more handsome, if that was possible. It wasn’t the suit––which molded his body perfectly––but the way his eyes tracked every step I took, ready to run to the rescue if I so much as stubbed my toe. It was the way his smile spread wider across his gorgeous face when I came into view. It was the way he mouthed, “I love you,” with enough exaggeration I could’ve read his lips a mile away.

“You’re making Henley cry, Sis.”

“She’s pregnant, Jett. Bawling at the drop of the hat is kinda her thing. Besides, it’s my wedding day. I can cry if I want to.”

He looked straight ahead as we continued our walk. “Thank you for giving me a real family, Jade. We had a shit childhood––”

“Language.”

“Fine. We had a crappy childhood, but I knew you always had my back. I just wanted you to know that I’ve got yours too.”

Damn him. Gently dabbing wetness from my cheeks, I mouthed, “Happy tears” to my husband, who’d given me a look of concern. My brother jerked to a halt when he realized I’d stopped.

“What’s wrong?” he muttered, almost frantically. “You’re already married. This is only a formality.”

“I’ve got you, Jett. Always have and always will.”

“You’re wrong, Angel.” I startled at Koen’s deep voice behind me. “We’ve got each other.”