His eyes find mine and his hands are on my cheeks. "I love you, Abby. I'm sorry I just told everyone your real name."
"I don't care," I say, laughing. "The only thing I care about is you and me, us."
Plum is clapping. "That was the best circus finale in the whole wide world," she says, and I laugh. She's right, this was the best show on earth.
Epilogue
Bartlett
One month later…
* * *
Most girls might not want to get married in a barn, but Abby's not most girls, and this isn't any regular barn.
It's a hundred years old and it's been updated quite a few times. A few decades ago, my dad put in pine floors, insulated windows, and electricity. It's heated now, and it's a better venue than anywhere they've got down in town.
Besides, it's nestled in the woods here on our family's land in our mountains. I don't think there's any finer place to get hitched. And the fact that my bride-to-be thought the same thing, well, it warms my goddamn heart.
“You ready for this?” Rye asks.
My brothers are surrounding me, and Rye looks at me like I'm a fool, but that's only because he hasn't met a woman who changed his goddamn life.
I feel sorry for the man, if I'm being honest, because meeting Abby made my world so much better, so much brighter, and Rye hasn't had that pleasure yet. "More than ready," I say. "This is going to be a good fucking day."
"Yeah, I bet you'll be fucking, all right," Graham says, joking.
"Hey," I growl. "Don't talk about my wedding night like that."
The boys get the picture. And besides, my father and my grandfather are walking over with silver flasks of whiskey. "Do you need a strong drink before you say I do?" my dad asks.
I take a pull on what he offers because it seems like a gentlemanly thing to do, and my grandfather slips me an envelope.
"Something for a nest egg," he says. "Congratulations, grandson. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks, Gramps," I say, appreciating Grandpa Reynolds in ways he may never understand. His integrity and honor are part of the reason us boys are all standing here today.
He taught my father what it meant to be a real man. And my father showed us boys what that meant too. And now, well, now I'm ready to really man up and become a husband. Abby's husband. Damn. I think it's time.
Everyone I know and love in town is here. My Rowdy cousins from Burly have come, and my other grandpa, Crockett, is here. My Uncle Angus showed up too. Somehow most of them are in ties and suit coats to boot. Though I know my mother had plenty to do with that. Their mama, my aunt Dolly who died a long time ago, was my mom’s best friend and ended up her sister-in-law. Now, Mom makes it her mission to make sure the Rowdy boys are looked after to some degree, in respect for Dolly. I know if my aunt Dolly were alive, she’d be the one singing at my wedding today because she had the voice of an angel, and everyone in this town knew it.
Well, the Rowdy boys may be in suits and ties, but they're wearing their cowboy boots – which I’m sure would actually make their mama proud, truth be told. I smile, shaking their hands, all of us clapping one another on the backs.
And then it's time to walk my mother down the aisle. We have a local harpist playing in the corner. There are flowers everywhere. I don't even know where Fig and Lemon and Abby found so many flowers in February, but they did. And everything's red and pink and white because, well, it's February 14th. Somehow I'm getting married on the most romantic day of the year, which, well, Abby wanted it so I was going to give it to her.
"You look so handsome, Bart," my mom says, holding my hand as I walk her down the aisle.
"Well, you look pretty beautiful yourself, Mom," I say.
"You know, I didn't think you’d get swept off your feet so fast. You were always the sensible brother. You know that? But..."
"What?" I ask.
"You also are a momma's boy."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No," she says. "It means you're sensitive in ways your other brothers aren't. And it means Abby's really lucky to have you, Bartlett."
When we reach her seat, I give my mom a big old hug. I kiss her cheek and I tell her how much I love her. "So damn much," I say.
"I love you too, sweetheart. Now go make me proud."
"I will," I tell her.
I take my place next to Pastor Andy, and I watch as my sisters walk down the aisle.
I decided not to have any groomsmen because, well, they were all going to be groomsmen – all those brothers of mine. So I figured we'd keep it simple. The girls wanted a chance to wear pretty dresses, and so we decided to give them that.