Epilogue

Wren

This idea made a lot more sense when I suggested it with my feet safely on the ground.

"Go for it," Stella had said. "You only get married once."

I'd since learned that Stella was great at convincing me to do terrifyingly stupid things.

Too late to get out of it, now I was sitting in Remy's helicopter, in my wedding dress, stomach in knots, preparing to make a dramatic entrance at a ceremony packed with family and friends.

All my life, I'd made sure I was never the center of attention, but today was my wedding day, and there was no avoiding it. Today we would pledge our love in front of witnesses who would support us in our marriage, and I wanted that. It was important to Mag and to me, so I was going to do it, terrified or not.

The powerful thump of the rotors walloped in my ears as the Griffith Observatory came into view. Guests the size of ants sat in covered chairs lined up before a decorated arbor on the main lawn.

As we began to descend, my stomach lurched. This was it. Time to be brave. I sat up and envisioned it all coming off wonderfully, creating an epic memory we'd cherish forever.

But I also remembered Mag's warning that things didn't usually go as planned.

The helicopter touched down with a gentle thud, and the intense whir of the engine began to wind down .

I reached for the door and pulled the handle just as Remy called, "Wait!"

A chaotic wind pummeled me the moment the door flew open. The forceful gust tossed me in my seat, the seatbelt the only thing holding me in place. My hair and dress flew up and swirled all around.

Hours of work to get it right were whooshed away in two seconds.

I was supposed to wait for the rotors to slow, but in my excitement, I opened the door too soon and allowed the wind to rush at me. I struggled to push my dress down, but it blinded me and caught in my hair and lips. I dropped my bouquet and tried to spit the tulle fabric away from my mouth.

Everyone could probably see my naked legs under my dress, my garter belt, everything. They were all watching my dream blow away because I didn't have enough self-control to wait for the rotors. How totally mortifying.

Over the chaos, I heard laughing and Magnum shouting my name.

Then his hands were there forcing the fabric down, his body blocking the wind as I regained my vision and saw his beautiful face.

His chocolate skin, whiskey eyes, wavy hair with golden highlights, full lips smiling at me. He was a freaking dream come true in a tuxedo.

"I got you." He unbuckled the seatbelt and lifted me up.

"Mag, wait!"

He started running, carrying me down the aisle to the arbor. The guests were laughing and clapping .

I landed on my feet with his hands on my waist to steady me. My chest heaved as I peered up at him. "Oh no! My headpiece fell off." My special golden crown that Stella had made to match the dress and provide a nod to my Chinese heritage. I tried to wrangle my loose locks and the veil that somehow remained attached to my hair, but the wind was still blowing into my face.

Mag switched our positions so the wind was at his back and blew in my direction. My hair and veil were suddenly out of my way and billowing out behind me.

"You have never looked more beautiful." His eyes were glossy, his white teeth gleaming in the sunset.

"This is probably all very bad luck." We didn't follow any of the traditions for the bridal entrance, and now we'd be cursed with misfortune in our marriage.

"Hey, we make our own luck. Me and you. Everything we need is right here." He motioned between us with his hand.

I nodded and turned to face the guests for the first time. A sea of friendly faces stared back at me, and I laughed at how silly I'd been, trying to make this perfect instead of accepting the reality. Life was messy. Things didn't go as planned, but you rolled with it.

I looked him in the eye. "Okay. Let's do this."

Then I saw Stella shuffling full-speed down the aisle in her red bridesmaid's dress. "Wait up. Hold up, now."

She was out of breath when she reached us and plopped my head piece on my head, digging the combs into my scalp. "A queen's gotta have her crown." She slapped the bouquet in my hands. "And her flowers. "

With a hair toss, she turned and strutted back to her place in line with Brandy and Celeste, my other bridesmaids. Sylvie, my maid of honor, smiled patiently which gave me confidence that this was all going to be okay.

After the laughter died down, Mag said to me, "Can we start now?"

"Yes, sugar, go ahead," Stella waved her hand.

There was more laughter as we turned to the officiant.

I was surprised to see the judge from our fake wedding standing there. "We are gathered here today to join Wren and Magnum in matrimony. Again." She winked and raised her lip at the same time in the corniest move I've ever seen an older lady make.

Holy shit. I glared at Mag, but he was grinning. "What did you do?"

He pressed his lips together and shook his head slightly. Total poker face, but I knew he'd planned this.

"These two love birds came into the courthouse two years ago," the judge continued, "and I married them, but you see, the wrong name was on the paperwork, so today, we got that all sorted."

I glanced at Gavin—who was standing behind Vander, Mag's best man—and he was smirking. He obviously knew about this and kept it from me. Julian and Jameel, who were also groomsmen, looked guilty too.

"Join both hands."

I was still glaring in shock at Magnum.

"She said to join hands," he prodded.

"Oh. "

Sylvie held out her hand, and I gave her my bouquet. I took a deep, centering breath and faced Mag again. I could do this. Exciting and terrifying at the same time.

"A marriage is not just a ceremony but a promise to put the other's well being before your own, to think of them in all your choices, and to willingly receive their deepest thoughts and intimate experiences."

It was so odd to hear the same words as the first time from this new perspective. How could it have been two years already?

I guess traveling the world together took most of the time, then we waited for Kenny's trial to be over. He was safely behind bars for the rest of his living days, and the victims were all safe and recovering from their ordeal. Then the dress took a while to be finalized. I'd gone all out on this champagne colored princess gown with extreme bling adorning the silk bodice and the extensive layers of tulle that had flown all around in the helicopter. Another decision influenced by Stella, but I absolutely loved the gown. It was worth every penny to wear it today.

Whatever the reason we'd waited, Mag was faithful and steadfast through it all, and I was completely certain he was determined and ready to make this commitment to me today.

"Do you, Magnum, take Wren to be your eternal partner, a witness to your life, your anchor in the storm, and the home of your heart for this lifetime and beyond?"

"I do," he said, deeply and with absolute confidence. Some hoots and hollers rose up from the crowd of guests and our wedding party .

The judge nodded at him and turned to me. "Do you, Wren, take Magnum to be your eternal partner, a witness to your life, your anchor in the storm, and the home of your heart for this lifetime and beyond?"

"I do." My voice shook with the depth of emotion I felt making that promise to Mag, my forever love.

"Exchange the rings and repeat after me. I give you this ring as a symbol of my unending devotion and to declare that I have chosen you above all else now until the end of time."

I took his ring from Sylvie and slipped it on his left ring finger. More hoots from the crowd. Most of them had assumed Mag would never get married, but here we were. It was truly happening.

"You belong to me," the judge said.

I looked up at Magnum and said, "You belong to me."

He took my fused engagement and wedding ring from Vander and worked it onto my left ring finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my unending devotion and to declare that I have chosen you above all else now until the end of time." He cleared his throat, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "You belong to me."

"You may share your vows," the judge said.

Mag cleared his throat again, struggling with the emotions. "Wren, you brought love to my life and filled a dark void that I'd carried with me for too long. I promise to climb mountains and slay dragons for you, whenever you need me, I'm there. I'm eternally yours, body, heart, and soul."

"Wren?" the judge said.

I had to choke back the tears. This was my chance to redeem myself after all the lame things I'd said the first time. I didn't want to stutter or stumble. "Mag, thank you for giving me wings to fly while keeping me safe in your arms. Thank you for trusting me with your life. I will always share the most honest and sacred parts of myself with you and gratefully accept what you share with me. I will hold our love in my heart and protect it forever."

A few catcalls rang out from the guys, and I realized they may have misinterpreted what I said. Mag just smiled and nodded as he looked at me like I was the center of his universe. He knew what I meant.

"Very good. Then by virtue of the law granted to me by the State of California, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride. Again."

When Mag leaned down and pulled me close this time, I knew it was real. It was forever. It was everything, and the beginning of the rest of our lives together.

When his lips pressed to mine, I was fully gone, surrendering to the overwhelming warmth and love that was zipping through my body. I barely heard the cheering from our guests as he finally ended the kiss.

In my ear, he whispered, "I saw those white panties under there."

My face burst into flames. "Hush." Mag had a thing for white cotton panties, and I occasionally wore them for him. Today I'd picked a beautiful pair with bows on the hips and pearl accents.

"I love them. They're for me." He kissed my cheek as he pulled away.

"Everything is for you. Always. "

We walked down the aisle holding hands, and then we celebrated with an elaborate party full of family and friends, both lost and found. It was the best day of my life.

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