He smiles down at me and then he lifts me up by the waist. And I wrap my legs around his body as he carries me into the bedroom, toward the bed.
I rip that shirt of his off and I tug down those pants, eager, ready, thrilled.
"Oh shit," I say, "I think I should call my mom and sister."
“You saying that in this moment?" he asks with a chuckle.
"I think they'd want to know I'm engaged and that Grandma's okay. Maybe reverse that order," I say with a laugh.
"I know we're half naked, but there will be plenty of time to finish this business," he says, planting a kiss on my nose.
I reach for my phone, happy to tell the Rough girls my good news.
EPILOGUE
ANCHOR
Thank God I didn’t leave Home that morning when I left her house. As I was leaving town, I saw that park her great-great grandfather built and knew Lemon was the one for me.
I was scared, a man who had no roots, but I had a woman who did. Who was willing to grow a family tree with me—and I realized how much I longed for that. I made a dash for that hospital, grabbing a bouquet of roses on my way, ready to declare my truth—that Lemon was mine.
After we decided to get married, the next question everyone had was, when?
The where was easy.
Lemon and I agreed that Stout Lake was the perfect place to say I do.
After all, it's where we met.
However, setting a date was a little bit more complicated. Between birthdays and anniversaries and graduations and dance recitals, it was hard to find a day in the upcoming months where everyone Lemon loved was free.
Eventually I had an idea. "How about the 4th of July?"
When I tossed it out, I half expected Lemon to say no way, she's not sharing our romantic date with the rest of the country, but her eyes lit up.
"The 4th of July on the lake is always the best," she said with a grin. "Anchor…" She wrapped her arms around me, kissing me. "You're brilliant."
Her parents agreed. Apparently the Rough family has been going out to Stout Lake every year since forever for a big old 4th of July party.
Fireworks, barbecue, swimming in the lake, the whole nine yards.
Since Lemon and I are not exactly fussy people, we didn't need a church wedding and tuxedos and high heels.
It all seemed too good to be true, but it wasn't.
All those fears I had about joining a family that had its shit together faded when I realized that I actually had won the family lottery, I didn't need to be scared of being enough. They accept me with open arms, just as I am.
Everyone in Lemon's family has their own problems, their own issues that they're working on. They're no different than me in that.
The only thing we are different in is that they've always known since the beginning that the people they loved most in the world had their back, and thankfully, most of them haven't had to suffer the same kind of loss I had as a little boy.
I say most of them because Plum and Reuben have experienced deep, heartbreaking loss, and it trickled through to everyone in the family in turn.
Reuben's wife Lou Anna was someone everyone loved and adored. Losing her when Plum was just two years old was a heartbreak this whole family was never prepared for. And I hope the family doesn't have to experience it again anytime soon.
Today, the wedding is here, and the sky is blue, it’s getting hot with the sun shining bright, and there is a bluegrass band on the lawn, getting everyone in the party spirit.
"How you doing?" Reuben asks, joining me in the kitchen of my lake house. The men are here getting ready for the ceremony that's going to start any minute. The ladies are over at the Rough house.
"I'm doing okay," I say. "A little nervous, but I think that's mostly because I don't like so much attention."
"Says the guy who was a reality TV star," Reuben says with a grin.
Reuben and I get along well. Lemon’s other brothers may like to tease her and joke about the fact she's uptight, but Reuben doesn't ever treat Lemon like that. He is more gentle, softer with her, and it endeared him to me right away.
Of course his little girl Plum made it easy, but she's not here right now. She's with the ladies getting ready, probably in her flower girl dress.
I’m dressed in my wedding clothes and am just waiting until it’s time for me to see my bride. Even though we're not wearing tuxedos, Lemon did say we had to have ironed khakis and polo shirts.
"When I got married," Reuben says, clearing his throat, taking a swig of his beer, "I wasn't nervous; I was excited. Lou Anna was pregnant with Plum and I know everyone thinks we got married just because we were going to have a baby, but I knew I was going to marry her even before that."