Epilogue

Emmett

I go to the Plain Daisy Ranch offices to pick up Briar because this morning, I became an uncle.

Briar's waiting for me, sitting on the ledge of the brick wall, her head tilted toward the sun, one hand on her belly. Isn't my future wife the most beautiful creature?

I park and step out of my truck, walking toward her. She's working with Scarlett now as well as doing some pregnancy yoga classes. She'll run the events that don't have to do with The Knotted Barn after she has the baby. We've decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise, so although she's far enough along to find out, we're not going to. Her ultrasound said the baby is healthy, and that's all we care about.

Gillian worked her magic, and Chad signed off all his rights to the baby. I plan on adopting him or her as soon as Briar and I get married, but the baby is already mine in my heart. I'm the one who talks to it, gives it kisses, and feeds all the cravings Briar gets. And I'd have it no other way.

"Hey, sweetheart," I say, sitting next to her. "Ready to meet the newest Noughton?"

She lowers her head and leans in to kiss my cheek. "Hey, handsome."

"Good day?" I ask.

"The best. You?"

"Yeah."

My family voted unanimously to move forward on the dude ranch idea, as well as the gender reveals and a whole umbrella of different themed retreats. But today I was helping on the ranch because Jude has his hands full. We're family, and we help each other out.

"Parker booked a divorce party." She smiles. "She left Chad, and now she wants to celebrate. I think she wants to bring the kids to meet this little one when he or she is born."

"That's great?"

She nods. "It is. I didn't know if she'd ever get there. And I definitely didn't think it'd be this soon."

"She seems like a trooper. She'll come out this all right."

"Definitely." She slips off the wall and straightens her dress. "Let's go. I don't want us to be the last ones there."

I escort her to my truck and open the passenger door for her. She climbs in and buckles up. I'll never tire of seeing her in my truck. I'm still surprised every time I come home, and she hasn't yet come to her senses and left me.

We drive to the hospital and park next to Ben's truck. Brooks is just parking his sheriff's vehicle when we walk in, so we wait for him at the entrance.

"Hey, lovebirds. How's the bun in the oven?"

Briar rolls her eyes. "How are the donuts?"

God, I fucking love her.

"Stereotypes." He shakes his head.

"So, you don't eat donuts? I heard Boston Cream is your fave," I say because it's always fun to poke Brooks.

"They are, but I'm on a diet." He pats his flat stomach.

We take the elevator up to the maternity floor, and the doors open to the waiting room where my family is being disruptive and loud. No surprise there. They're always taking up all the space and not understanding that some conversations can be quiet. But who am I to point fingers?

"I'm an uncle!" I shout.

Briar slides by me, going to sit with all the women.

"So am I, dipshit." Ben hovers by the entrance to the waiting room. "And get ready because you're the next two who get to go in."

"Have you already seen her?" I lean into Ben, lowering my voice.

"Yes."

"Is she… you know?"

He raises his eyebrows. "What?"

"Like, an ugly baby?" I ask, as quietly as possible.

"Nah, she looks like Sadie."

We both laugh. I didn't really think Jude and Sadie could make an ugly baby, but I didn't want to be surprised. Jude would be chasing me through the halls and screaming at me if I said anything offensive.

"Briar," I call, waving her over, "we're next."

She does a little clap of her hands, and when Lottie and Romy come out, we head through the doors and down the hall.

"Room 203," Romy shouts.

We walk down the hall, trying not to peek into any rooms, but can you blame us? We'll be here soon too. We had to stop seeing Dr. Morales and find a doctor down here. It makes more sense, but if any issues arise, it is nice to have a big hospital doctor we can call.

I knock on the door of room 203 and see Sadie in the bed, Jude sitting to the side and holding Daisy.

"Hey, you two," Sadie says with a smile. "Are you ready for this?"

"I don't know. How painful is it?" Briar asks, going right to Jude and staring over his shoulder.

"You live with Emmett, so you already have a high tolerance for pain. You got this." Sadie laughs.

I flip her off quickly, so Jude doesn't see it.

Sadie only laughs harder. "Introduce her to her aunt and uncle."

Jude stands and goes to hand her to Briar.

"Oh, no, Emmett first," Briar says.

He walks over to me. "If you drop her, brothers or not, I will kill you."

"Way to put fear in me right before you hand me your most precious belonging. "And hello? I played football, too. I can cradle a baby."

Jude places Daisy in my arms. Ben wasn't lying, she definitely favors Sadie. Her curly dark blonde hair is like her mom's, and her eyes aren't as brown as ours but more of a hazel. The perfect mix between the two.

"She's adorable. Congratulations, you guys."

Briar leans over me, running her finger over Daisy's small hands. "She's precious."

"Yeah, she is." Jude's now in bed beside Sadie. He kisses her temple, and they tell us about how the delivery process was for them.

They're so in love, so happy. I look at Briar. I love Jude and Sadie, but they wasted a lot of time not being together. I don't want that for us.

"Sorry, you have to take her back," I say, handing the baby to Sadie.

Her forehead wrinkles as she takes Daisy, and she looks at Jude. "Well then. Our daughter just got slighted."

"No, no. She's perfect. Beautiful. And I'll be the best damn uncle, but I have to…" I fall to my knees in front of Briar.

"What are you doing? Are you high on baby or something?"

"I don't have a ring, and I'm completely unprepared, but I love you. And you love me, and you know how I work."

"Yes, I do. Now get up off the floor," she says quietly.

"Marry me, Briar. You hold my heart in your hands. You own it already. And I promise to keep yours safe in return. I want everything a life with you will bring. The highs. The lows. The arguments because of the make-up sex." I shrug. "I've loved your stomach growing our baby, and I love our lazy Sunday mornings. And I love our banter, the way only we can joke with one another. I'm in love with you, and I don't want to waste one more minute not being your husband. Will you marry me?"

She glances at Jude and Sadie before she turns back to me, tears in her eyes. "Of course I will."

I stand and take her head in my hands, kissing her with the promise to give her everything she wants in life.

"Congratulations, you two," Sadie says with a smile in her voice. "Great proposal, Emmett."

"Not better than mine," Jude grumbles.

"You each did your proposals in your own way. They were both perfect." Sadie places her hand on Jude's leg. "Now, go tell the whole family outside."

I don't want to remove my lips from Briar's. I really should've done this at home.

"Stop kissing. I can't have sex for six weeks. Get out," Jude says.

I end our kiss and take Briar's hand, laughing. "Ready?"

"Always."

We walk out of the room and down the hall to where everyone waits.

"Now you get to write Mrs. Emmett Noughton for real," I say.

She knocks me with her shoulder. "Keep it up, Little Noughton."

I grab her around her waist and bury my head in her neck. "You and I both know there's nothing little about me."

She laughs, and it's the best sound in the whole world. My one and only love.

Eight Months Later…

I roll over in bed, snuggling up to Briar in the bed of our hotel room in Vegas. Her hand runs down my arm, and her wedding ring sparkles from the sun slipping in through the curtains we forgot to close last night. No wonder, in our condition.

"My head hurts. Too much champagne and too much noise at the casino," she says.

"Yeah, we should get breakfast. And don't forget that we have to pick up our pictures today at the chapel."

We opted for a quickie Vegas wedding, but of course all our cousins decided to ambush us and come along.

Our little one is home with Grandpa and my aunts and uncles. It was hard to get Briar to leave, but we both needed the time to reconnect after the last few months with a newborn.

I groan as we get up. We shower and dress quickly, wanting to escape before any of my family members try to get us to go shopping, have breakfast with them, or the worst option, visit the Hoover Dam. That was Bennett's idea because he promised Wren he'd take pictures. At least he came. He needed a break too.

Hand in hand, we hop in a taxi to head back to the chapel we got married in yesterday. I can't believe these places are always open.

The guy who married us waves while talking to another couple who look as though they didn't sleep at all and are still drunk.

"Oh, I wonder if we're on here." Briar goes over to a screen displaying pictures of couples who got married here.

We wait as the pictures flip from one couple to the next. Some are dressed in traditional wedding dresses and tuxedos, others in cargo shorts, crop tops, and red eyes. And ones like us. Briar wore a pretty ivory dress that flowed over her curves, and I wore slacks and a button-down. No tie and no jacket.

"There we are!" Briar points.

Sure enough, we're facing one another with our hands clasped, smiling wide. I tug her to my side, and we watch a few more pictures of us walking down the aisle and smiling with one another, then some with my cousins in them.

"Newlyweds," Roger, the guy who works here, says. "Survived the first night. Consider this marriage a success." He laughs. He made jokes like that the entire time. "Just kidding. This one couple that came in last night." He blows out a breath. "They were arguing minutes after the nuptials were done. Those two won't last, let me tell you."

"Oh, that's awful," Briar says.

"Yeah, the guy kept talking about a donut place, and the bride had just had it. Then the next minute, they're kissing and falling into the back of a taxi. Who knows, maybe that love-hate thing will work out for them." He glances at the screen and laughs. "Oh, that's them." He leans in for a better look. "Definitely drunk."

We look at the screen, and Briar gasps while I stand there wide-eyed. A picture of a very drunk Lottie and Brooks is plastered on the screen. Lottie has a veil on, and they're holding hands and walking down the aisle.

"Those were our guests!" Briar steps closer. "But they weren't wearing those outfits during our ceremony."

"They came around eleven or so."

Briar's nose is practically on the screen.

"Kind of cool, you share an anniversary with them." Roger smiles.

Jesus. I thought we were done with secrets. I shouldn't be trusted with this information.