“Can my wife come to me?” he asked.
“She’s not your wife yet,” Cora said.
Teri giggled.
“Are you ready for this?” Cora asked.
“Yes. I want to be with him.”
Cora let her go, and James held out his arm. He’d offered to give her away, and after she got Cora’s acceptance, she agreed.
Music filled the room, and she walked toward her man. The love of her life. The one she wanted to be with for the rest of hers.
Damon stepped toward her as James stopped.
“Take care of her,” James said.
“Always.”
She smiled as he took her hand. Like every single time before, the connection was electric between them. The fire was a constant, and she knew it was never going to dissipate. This was their life, for the rest of theirs.
The priest began, but she didn’t hear it, her gaze on Damon the whole time. By the time he announced them man and wife, and to kiss the bride, Teri wrapped her arms around Damon as his lips pressed to hers.
She heard the cheers and applause, but she didn’t care. All that mattered to her was her man, the love of her life, and their future.
He broke the kiss to stroke her cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Whole,” she said.
“Me too.”
He took her hand, locking their fingers together. United. Together, exactly how they were supposed to be.
Epilogue
Two years later
“Mommy is baking cookies,” Damon said, lifting his son, Elijah, into his arms.
“Cookies.” Elijah clapped his hands and Damon felt so much love fill him.
They were at the park as he liked to spend as much time with his son, tiring him out. He and Teri had learned the hard way with their son. Elijah was a very energetic soul. He liked to run around and create all kinds of havoc for them, but he loved him so much and wouldn’t have him any other way.
Pressing kisses to his son, he laughed as kids ran around. It was Halloween night, and ever since the school had let out, kids were running the streets in full costume. He’d had no choice but to make a second candy run to the store.
Putting his son on his shoulders, he held him tightly, so there was no risk of him falling.
Two years he and Teri had been happily married. He walked to his house, which was kind of hard to miss. They may have gone a little overkill on the directions, but for the past two years, they were constantly adding to their collection.
Halloween-themed fairy lights hung across the house. He’d turned the front yard into a graveyard, complete with headstones and hands coming out of the ground. All of it spooky, and he found it cute.
A cauldron of candy was stacked near the front door, and he saw they needed a top up.
As he entered his home, the scent of spices and sweet treats filled his senses. Teri had been taking baking lessons from Skylar, and she’d enrolled on a decorating course as well. Entering the kitchen, he saw the counters were laden with scary ghosts, scared cats, ghouls, and houses.
“Wow,” he said.
He took a cookie and handed it to Elijah, who immediately started to nibble.
His heavily pregnant wife turned toward him with a smile.
She was covered in flour and icing.
Teri got to her feet and held her hands out for Elijah, who wriggled into her arms. “How was the park?”
“Great!” their son called out before going back to eat his cookie.
“How is my daughter?” he asked, running a hand down her stomach.
“She is doing well.” Teri giggled as he pressed his lips against her neck.
“I wore him out. He will sleep all night through.”
Elijah already looked tired.
Their doorbell rang. Some of the neighborhood kids knew Teri was the cook at the diner, and to them, candy was no good.
Teri grabbed a tray of cookies and went to the door.
Damon had guessed it. They wanted his wife’s home-cooked goodies. The tray of cookies was gone within seconds.
“Next year, we’re dressing up,” Damon said. “See if they come to the door so freely then.”
Teri laughed. “Who would we go as?”
He pulled her close, kissing her. “Ourselves back from the grave.”
“You’re evil.”
“No. I’m in love.”
He saw the sparkle in her eyes just before he kissed her. Life couldn’t get any better than this.
The End