Epilogue

EPILOGUE

HAYDEN

“ L et me see the ring!” Bethenny exclaimed when we walked into the Snowed Inn Lodge. She came running over—with Raven hot on her heels—and grabbed my fiancée’s hand. “Nice work, Hayden,” she told me with a wink.

I grinned. “Thanks, boss.” I’d had the ring custom designed, so it had only arrived this morning.

Raven oohed and ahhed over it for a moment, then waved to someone who stepped inside and called out to her in greeting. Then another person called her name, and she sighed. “Excuse me, guys. I’ll see you at dinner.”

We were all meeting at the Winter Falls Grill—located inside the lodge—to celebrate our wedding. Laurel had decided on a small ceremony in the ballroom at the inn, with only my family and friends, who she’d taken to immediately, and Gwynne. Which was fine with me because it meant she’d only taken two weeks to plan it. Tomorrow, we’d tie the knot, and the next day, we would take off for a three-week honeymoon.

Glancing around, I didn’t see any of our other guests. My parents were on their way, but I’d expected at least the couples who lived on-site or nearby to have arrived already. Laurel and I were late because we’d been having our own little celebration over two pink lines.

“Where is everyone?”

Bethenny cocked her head toward the entrance to the steakhouse. “Gavin and Tori, Colin and Cara, and your brother are already in the restaurant. I’m not sure what’s holding up the others.”

Laurel giggled, and I raised an eyebrow curiously. “Um…I think I know why Jake and Hannah might be late.” She glanced up at me, her green eyes twinkling. “For the same reason we were.”

I grinned at her hint, then kissed the top of her head and smiled contentedly. Laurel had slipped seamlessly into the little surrogate family we’d built in Winter Falls over the years. The girls had all grown close, and I could see Laurel blooming into a more comfortable version of herself now that she had roots and a family who loved and supported her.

Bethenny smirked. “I remember those days…before we had kids.”

Laurel and I shared a secret smile, but it clearly didn’t fool Bethenny because she gasped, “You’re pregnant!”

I sighed and put my hand over Bethenny’s mouth. “I swear, when you stopped being mayor, you forgot how to be discreet.”

“You want to lose a hand, Douglas?” Lincoln growled as he walked up behind Bethenny. “Stop touching my wife.”

“Is it something in the water up here?” Laurel muttered as I snatched my hand back before Lincoln broke it.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“You’re all a bunch of cavemen!”

“Truer words,” Iris—my friend Jack’s fiancée—snorted as she walked up to stand beside Laurel.

“Hey,” Jack grumbled as he joined the group. “I’m offended.”

“You are not,” she said, rolling her eyes.

He grinned and slipped his arms around her waist. “Not really,” he admitted, making us all laugh.

A gust of bitter cold blew in through the doors, followed by Raven’s sister Cammie and her man, Soren. “Sorry, I got called out to an emergency on one of the slopes.” Cammie was the resident medic at the resort. She glanced at me and sighed, “I can’t wait for your brother to start working here.”

Miller was a doctor with an office in Winter Falls, but he’d recently decided to close his practice and work at the resort. Now they’d have two full-time medics, which meant a less stressful job and the ability to take time off.

Soren draped his arm over Cammie’s shoulders and grinned. “Then I’ll be able to have you all to myself.”

My parents arrived, bringing Gwynne, so we headed into the restaurant.

Everyone exchanged greetings and took their seats while Laurel and I stood at the head of the table. I looked around at our group and couldn’t help laughing. “Major blizzards have been something we’ve always dreaded in Winter Falls. Except when we were kids because we all prayed for snow days.” There were chuckles all around the table at that. “But I’m starting to think maybe they’re actually good luck.”

“A blizzard?” Laurel asked in surprise.

I looped my arms around her waist and stared into her gorgeous green eyes. “Definitely, baby. It seems like love rolls in right along with it. It’s the whole reason we are here, about to get married”—I put my hand on her stomach—“and start our family.”

There was a giant gasp from my mother, and I closed my eyes, cursing at myself.

“Now who isn’t being discreet?” Bethenny quipped with a giggle.

I shot her a glare, then turned to face my mom, who was practically bouncing in her seat.

“I’m going to get a daughter and a grandbaby?!”

Laurel giggled and nodded.

“Well, God bless us, everyone!” My dad said with a booming laugh.

Laughter and congratulations were passed around, and I wondered how many other couples here would be sharing the same announcement soon. Blizzards not only brought weddings, they also had a tendency to bring what Laurel had started referring to as “snow babies.”

“Anyway,” I said when the chatter died down again. “I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for celebrating with us.” I looked down at my wife-to-be and felt my heart practically burst with love. “And to my beautiful Laurel, you are the best present I’ve ever gotten. I love you.”

To my horror, Laurel burst into tears.

Before I could freak the fuck out, Raven waved her hand toward my girl. “Hormones,” she said with a shrug.

Laurel nodded and wiped at the moisture on her face. “I love you, too. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“To many more snowed in days!” Jack shouted.

There was a chorus of “Hear, hear!” but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy kissing my love.

Later, as the night began to wind down, I noticed Laurel frequently watching Gwynne with an odd expression. Eventually, I leaned down and asked, “Why are you staring at your friend?”

“I’ve never seen her so quiet,” she whispered back. “And she keeps glancing at your brother when she thinks no one will notice.”

Surprised, I turned my attention to Miller, curious to see if he’d noticed. It soon became clear that he was acting similarly. To the casual observer, they looked as though they were completely ignoring each other. But if you watched them for a while, you’d see them throwing covert glances at the other when they thought no one would notice.

Eventually, my parents stood to say good night and exchange hugs. “Gwynne, honey,” my mom said. “Don’t feel like you need to leave with us. Miller can bring you back home.”

A look of panic flashed across Gwynne’s face before she popped up from her chair as if it were on fire. “I’m ready now,” she squeaked, practically running to the entrance from the steakhouse to the lounge area of the lodge.

Miller scowled after them, then growled congratulations and good night before jumping to his feet and stalking to the exit. I briefly wondered if something had happened between them. But it was a fleeting thought that was quickly replaced by the problem of how to get my fiancée back to our room without her girlfriends stealing her for the night.

“Did you see that?” Raven stage whispered.

“Do you think something happened between them?” Laurel wondered.

“You could cut the tension between them with a knife,” Iris added with a nod.

Cammie’s eyes narrowed, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe we should?—”

“Absolutely not,” Soren interrupted.

Bethenny leaned forward in her seat. “But we could help?—”

“Forget it,” Lincoln grunted.

“They need—” Cara started, only to be cut off by Colin. “No, they don’t.”

Tori glared at Gavin as she opened her mouth to speak, but he didn’t even let her get a word out. “No.”

Hannah leaned into Jake with a smug smile, like she thought he wouldn’t interfere. “I think we need to?—”

“Butt out,” Jake sighed, rolling his eyes at her outraged gasp.

“For the love of baby snowmen,” Raven muttered. “We only want them to be as happy as we are.”

“Then let them work it out, baby,” Caleb murmured.

“But—”

“No.”

“I just?—”

“No.”

While the other couples at the table kept arguing over interfering with Gwynne and Miller, I realized I had the perfect opening. I surreptitiously climbed to my feet, then tugged Laurel up beside me.

She looked as if she was about to contribute to the conversation, which would draw attention to us, so I quickly covered her mouth and jerked my chin toward the door. “You want to spend the night doing girly shit, or with my mouth, hands, and cock making you scream?”

There was no hesitation—she turned and hurried toward the exit.

I grinned as I followed the sway of her sexy ass. “That’s my girl.”