Episode 113

Episode 113

Epilogue 1: Memphis & Naomi

MEMPHIS

I stood under the wooden arbor my father made with his own hands, my gaze set at the end of the short aisle between the seated small crowd of people here to witness me marrying the woman of my dreams. I scanned the first rows. My mother dabbed at her eyes, tears already falling, and we hadn't even started the ceremony. Next to her my father sat, pride evident in his puffed-up chest, wearing his favorite suit. Granny was all smiles sitting in the very first seat wearing a new dress and her favorite pearls and church hat. Each of my sisters wore their Sunday best, Sydney per usual dressed to the nines looking like she'd just walked out of a fashion magazine.

We didn't have bridesmaids or groomsmen because we didn't feel it necessary with such a small event, not to mention the fact I had a handful of sisters. Picking between them would have been a nightmare. Still, my family had gone above and beyond, making my mother's lush garden even more glorious by adding twinkling lights, mason jars filled with glowing candles and pots of blooming flowers throughout. In the back, there were a handful of large round tables, already decorated for the reception, using flowers from the garden as the centerpieces.

Beyond my family, I saw some of my friends. Faith and Joel Castellanos were present, their two little girls sitting quietly between them. In the same row were Ruby and Nile Pennington who'd flown in from London just for the event. Ruby winked and flashed me a thumbs-up in encouragement. Next to her was Jade, wearing a chic black suit, her hair slicked back, and bright red lipstick adorning her lips. At first glance I would have mistaken her for Alana, but I knew better. As much as Jade didn't want to admit it, she was enamored with Alana, and being her protégé for The Marriage Auction was a position she didn't take lightly.

I had finally received a text from Alana stating they were indeed okay. She said they had been in hiding from the same person that had blown up the office building in New York that belonged to Julianne and her crew. Instantly, I started to give her my condolences on losing her family members, but she told me that the three of them were actually okay and that announcing their deaths had all been part of a bigger plot to catch the person behind it. Which supposedly they did. I looked forward to hearing the full story when Nay and I returned from our honeymoon.

Thinking of Naomi must have conjured her because the acoustic guitarist my sisters hired started playing a soft melodic tune and requested everyone rise for the bride.

My palms started to sweat, and I tugged at the collar of my suit and tie trying to loosen it enough to get a full breath of air. It didn't matter. The minute Naomi appeared at the end of the small aisle, I lost my ability to breathe.

She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes on in my life.

Her father looked stoic at her side, but there was a new softness to his features. I think almost losing his only daughter had truly changed him. We even had a sit-down this morning where he apologized for his behavior and promised he'd support our union and future moving forward. After he spoke to me, he had a quiet minute with my parents and my granny, too, which I was told by my mother ended in forgiveness and well wishes for both of their children's future together. Honestly, I thought then that I couldn't be happier, everything was finally working out.

I was wrong.

Nothing prepares you for the moment the woman you love walks down an aisle toward you, ready to enter into forever by your side. I'll never forget it.

The sheen of the slinky, elegant satin gown that glided along her curves, flowing with her movements.

The rosy hue of her cheeks.

Her slow blink as our gazes met and I stared in open awe of her glory.

How her glossy pink lips shifted into the most stunning smile…just for me.

It was all for me.

For us.

For this day where we would become one.

My gaze never left hers when they approached, her father passing her hand to mine before going to sit with her mother.

I interlaced our fingers and I held on.

I wanted to hold her hand forever.

It all passed in a blur of I do and I will, whispered words of love and commitment, and sultry sweet kisses.

Through it all, I held on.

I wanted to hold her hand forever…and now I could.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor."

* * * *

NAOMI

Married life was not what I expected.

It was better.

The best even.

I grinned as I watched my footballer walk up the sandy beach, his muscled body dripping with salt water and looking good enough to eat. All I needed was a shot of tequila. I'd lick the salt right off that gorgeous body and go back for seconds.

"You keep lookin' at me like I'm lunch, and you'll never eat a full meal again," he warned.

I looked at him over the rim of my sunglasses, eyebrows cocked. "Who needs a full meal when I've got all of that to feed off of?" I gestured to his perfect chest.

He smiled shyly and shook his head. I loved it. I loved him. Learning that my man was actually rather shy about his body was a delight. He had one of the best bodies I'd ever seen but was rather prudish about showing it off. I'd tried to get him to go skinny-dipping with me last night, and instead, he tackled me the moment I'd ripped my top off on the beach and hauled me back to our private cabana. He claimed my tits were his to look at, and no perv was going to get in on any of his action.

Turns out, he also felt the same about himself. Already he was reaching for his t-shirt and slipping it over his head, cutting off my view.

I pouted, which earned me a wet, salty kiss.

"Food first, then dessert." He nipped at my bottom lip, and I groaned, my gaze on the massive private beach and miles of ocean beyond.

"I can't believe Joel & Faith gifted us this for our wedding. You've got some cool friends, baby."

"Yeah," he said while rubbing a towel over his head. "It was kind of them for sure."

"I think I'll gift Faith something special from my Mother's Day collection. Can you find out what month the girls' birthdays are in?" A pendant with both Eden and Penny's birthstones would be beautiful. Maybe an infinity symbol with each loop wrapping around one of the children's gemstones.

"Nay, just because someone gave you a gift doesn't mean you have to return the gesture right away," Memphis noted.

"I know, but they're your friends, and I want to build a relationship with them. Joel doesn't need anything in life. He's made it clear that all he cares about is Faith and those girls. So a present that represents both kids would be nice, don't you think?"

Memphis shrugged. "Sure. But what happens when they have another baby?"

"Are they trying?" I asked, wanting to hear all the tea.

"Joel claims he wants another baby asap. Faith wants to wait a bit because she's working on setting up an authentic Italian restaurant like the one her father had in Las Vegas that burned down. Only this one will be in Greece."

"They're going to stay in Greece most of the time?"

He nodded. "Faith says there's too many bad memories in the States. She was in hiding and on the run from that douche Aiden for a long time."

I turned onto my side on the lounge chair to face him and get more comfy. "Ooooh, tell me more?"

Memphis burst out laughing. "You're as bad as my granny."

"No, I aspire to be as well informed as granny. That woman knows everything about everyone. Nothing gets past her."

He chuckled. "True. It's not a happy story though," he frowned.

"Okay, well we can discuss it later. Let's talk about how in two days we are going back to New York where my man will be finishing up his degree and starting work at Columbia."

I watched a gorgeous smile spread across his face. "I'm really excited about it. Football, the players, the game, all of it has always been my passion. Getting to help college kids live out their dreams?" He shook his head. "It's my dream job, baby. Well, if it turned into me coaching for an NFL league, that would be the ultimate."

I reached out and covered his hand with my own. "You're young. You have years of experience ahead of you to learn, but I believe if you work hard, focus on that ultimate goal, one day you'll get it."

He sat down next to me and played with my fingers, turning my wedding ring from left to right, toggling it as he seemed to enjoy. "Sometimes I think I can't dream any bigger because finding you, marrying you, my family being set…" He let out a long breath. "It's all better than I could have imagined. More isn't needed. I've already got everything I ever truly wanted. And it's all because of you. I love you, Naomi Taylor."

"I love you, too, Memphis Taylor."

He leaned over and we kissed for so long he ended up pulling me up and over onto his chair, straddling his large frame where we made good use of the outdoor private patio facing the ocean.

When the night fell and we were cuddled in bed, whispering about the things we wanted to do in the future, I thought back to when all of this began.

I'd lost faith in men.

I'd lost faith in my family.

I'd lost faith in myself.

Now here I was, in paradise, married to the best man I'd ever met and happier than I'd ever been.

I didn't originally believe The Marriage Auction would lead me to my one true love, but I was wrong.

Life is filled with the unknown, and sometimes you have to leap off the side of the cliff into murky waters to find your truth.

Or in this case, bid on a footballer from Georgia with a great family, a fantastic body, and a beautiful soul.