His parents enter the room a moment later, followed by Garrett and Zara. Garrett’s carrying a large white box with the Picnic & Treats logo on the side.
Joanne hurries over to me, wearing the same proud smile I’ve seen directed at her sons and me plenty of times over the past two years. “Congratulations, Jess!” My mother-in-law gives me a big embrace. She’s the mother I never had. The mother I dreamed of growing up. Granny would have loved her.
Garrett puts the box on the dining table and opens the lid.
I peer inside, and a surprised laugh bursts from my lungs. “This is incredible. Is there any reason the cake looks like it came out of a fairy tale?”
The cake resembles the cut off base of a tree trunk, with red-and-white-spotted mushrooms scattered around it. The window and door on the side of the trunk complete the look. The cake is adorable.
“Keshia had a conversation with Lia over Zoom, and they decided this was the way to go,” Zara explains, trying to hide the grin twitching on her mouth. “They decided it was the only way to celebrate both you and Garrett hitting theNew York Timeslist in the same week.”
“That would explain it.” Lia loves fairy tales as much as I still do. “Tell Keshia I love it. It’s perfect.”
Troy’s by the kitchen island, talking to his brothers. I take the moment to appreciate the man who I love more with each passing day. If not for him, I’m not sure where I would be right now. His love and kindness and determination saved me when I was struggling to breathe and save myself. That same determination was the driving force behind us becoming emotionally healthy. As individuals. As a couple.
And nineteen months after I was released from the hospital, after my life was finally back on track, I agreed to be his wife.
We had been hiking, just the two of us—and Bailey. It was something we’d been doing regularly during hiking season. A recommendation made by our couples counselor.
We’d stopped at the top of the hiking trail and looked out over the forested valley. Troy hugged me from behind and kissed my neck. Nothing new there. Hiking is an aphrodisiac for Troy. The man gets horny as hell every time we hike together. Just the two of us.
“Do you know what I want to do?” he murmured in my ear.
I laughed, the sound carrying on the light wind. “I know exactly what you want to do.” I turned in his arms and rubbed against him.
He dropped to his knee, which wasn’t what I was expecting. “Jess, from the first day I saw you on the beach, you had my heart. Through all the ups and downs and challenges and joys, you’ve had my heart.”
He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. The diamond sparkled in the sun, much like I imagined the tears that sprung to my eyes did.
“Now I’m hoping you’ll be my wife.” He’d grinned at me, the hope in his expression more breathtaking than the view.
I glance at the rings on my finger. It wasn’t hard to say yes to that. We were married two months later, thanks to Emily, our super-efficient and brilliant wedding coordinator.
I walk over to join him and his brothers by the kitchen island. He pulls me to him, his body warm and strong against mine. My bulwark from the storms that still try to bring me down from time to time.
He captures my mouth in a sweet kiss that doesn’t leave his brothers groaning. They do, though, walk off, giving us a moment on our own. Ason our ownas we can be when in the middle of a party with friends and family.
Olivia, Lance, and Nova enter the living room. Four-year-old Nova rushes to Troy. He scoops her up in his arms and gives her a big hug.
Lance is holding his wife’s hand and looking blissfully happy. Olivia is glowing, but that might have something to do with her being six months pregnant.
“Hi, Nova,” I say to the little girl who I adore as much as Troy does. “Love the braids.”
“Daddy did them,” she explains, seemingly proud of that fact.
“Your daddy’s very talented.” Apparently, Lance has some impressive hair-styling skills I didn’t know about. I thought Olivia was the one who was always braiding Nova’s hair.
I hug the two people who’ve also become my close friends.
Troy lowers Nova to her feet. She gives me one of her extra-special hugs and runs off to visit with Butterscotch.
“I just heard from the realtor,” Troy tells Lance. “The couple agreed to our price. They’re buying the house.”
“That’s great!” The two men fist-bump, huge smiles on their faces.
Troy eventually got to do as he’d hoped when he originally wanted to buy Iris’s house. He and Lance bought a house last year that needed major work and renovated it, showcasing their talents. But instead of the money going to Olivia like Troy had planned, they decided to donate the proceeds to an organization in Oregon that supports widows of first responders.
Olivia and I congratulate and hug our husbands. We know how important the project was for them.
