“You look beautiful, Reese. This place is amazing. Blake showed me around.”
“Thanks.” I give her a smile. The room grows quiet.
“I’ve clearly messed this up,” she blurts out, surprising me.
“Then you fix it,” I respond. “When you mess up, you fix it. It’s that easy.”
“You sound like your dad.”
“Thank you.” Mom nods. It still feels awkward between us, but maybe in time, that will change. The ball is in her court. If she wants to fix it, then she’ll have to do the work.
“You look beautiful too, sweetheart. Blake told me you’re going to college in the fall.”
“I’m not going to be an architect,” Angel rushes to say.
“That’s okay.”
“I’m going in there!” I hear Blake shout seconds before the door swings open to reveal my handsome husband standing there in his suit.
“You can’t see the bride before the wedding!” Betty shouts at him. Linda and Marth start pulling on him, trying to get him out of the doorway. Blake’s eyes lock with mine.
“She’s already my wife,” he growls, breaking their hold.
“I knew it!” Betty declares. “You owe me twenty bucks, Marth.”
“I do not! Linda already confirmed they were married. She got it out of the clerk up at the courthouse.”
“Oh, I bet she did. Little hussy,” Betty huffs.
“I can’t help it if men love me.” Linda fluffs her hair.
“Can you get everyone downstairs for me, Angel?” I want a moment alone with Blake before the ceremony starts.
“On it!” She hops to. She’s been taking her maid of honor duties very seriously. I think it’s her way of trying to make up for past mistakes. Honestly, I hold no ill will toward her. If she wants to make it up to me, she’ll go and live her best life for herself.
It takes her a second, but she gets everyone out of the carriage room, leaving Blake and me alone. The second the door closes, he’s on me.
“You look fucking beautiful.” I don’t get a chance to respond. My feet leave the ground as he kisses me. “Everyone is going to know you’re mine.” He kisses me again possessively.
“The ladies giving you a hard time?” His hold on me tightens. They like to poke at him. He takes everything they throw his way in stride.
“They keep saying if I fuck this up that they’ll put you on that app again. I’m going to buy all the dating apps and delete them,” he grumbles.
“How about don’t fuck this up and you won’t need to worry.”
“Never. Not a thing I won’t do to keep you.”
“I know. Like trying to knock me up?”
“We have seventeen bedrooms,” he points out.
“If you think I’m having that many babies, you’ve lost your mind.”
“Okay, how about you meet me in the middle?” he counters. His eyes look hopeful. I’m not opposed to a big family. I’ve always wanted that. Seeing all the Justice men together makes me long for it. I love how close they all are.
“We’ll see. Let’s see how this first one goes.” Blake’s whole body goes hard. “I’m pregnant.”
“Reese.” He whispers my name. I swear I see a sheen of tears in his eyes.
“You’ve given me everything I could have ever dreamed of. I love you, Blake Justice. I’m proud to be your wife, and I can’t wait to have all your babies.” I kiss him, knowing I’ve found my very own happily ever after.
EPILOGUE
MANY, MANY YEARS LATER
“M arth, where are the green glasses? Tammy is coming over today, and we have to use the good china,” Linda says.
“I put them away in the hutch near the front window,” Betty replies.
Linda shakes her head. “Why are glasses in the hutch with the quilting supplies?”
“Because all the notions are from the brand that uses the green clover, and the green glasses match.” Betty pats her recently rinsed hair with its bright blue tint. Her mannerisms say everything her words don’t. Where else in the world would green glasses go if not in the oak hutch with all the green notions?
Linda starts toward the door, but Marth stops her with a pat on her back. “I got it. You have the bad hip, remember?”
Linda does remember and sits down with a sigh. “I should get that surgery, but my daughter keeps warning me off of it. Once you open yourself up, she says, there’s no telling what the doctor is going to want to do.”
“Linda, that’s something between you and your doctor, not you, your doctor, and your daughter.” Betty sets a ham on the table and shakes a finger at Linda. “Say the word, and we’ll concoct a plan for you.”
“We are good at getting people to do what we want.” Marth carries over the glassware.
Linda picks up the pitcher of margaritas and pours a glass for everyone. “Speaking of our last success, are you all going to the spring gala at the January George mansion?”