Epilogue
Justin checked his watch for the third time in the past five minutes. He fiddled with the lapel on the new summer suit he’d gotten for today, ensuring the paperwork he’d tucked inside was safe. It was. He couldn’t wait until the ceremony was over and he could share the good news with Maddie.
But in the meantime, where was Izzy?
He checked his watch again and glanced across the yard. Tanner was standing beneath the floral-covered arch that had been set up in Mom’s back yard, his best friend Kevin at his side. Justin hadn’t met Kevin until Tanner’s bachelor party earlier this week, but they had hit it off quickly and Justin was pretty certain they had a new softball team member.
The screen door opened and Mom stepped out, Tanner’s daughter Hayley’s hand clutched in hers.
“Hey, Uncle Justin.”
His heart seized at the sweet words from the little girl who was about to officially become his niece. “Well, don’t you look pretty, Hayley.”
He moved to wrap her up in a hug and she pushed him away. “Don’t. You’ll mess up my dress.”
Yep, she was a Harper woman, no matter what her last name was.
“Are the girls almost ready?”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “Who knows? They are taking for-ev-er. S’mom looks so pretty.”
“I bet she does, honey.”
He slid his arm around his mother’s waist and she rested her hand on his chest. She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’ve done a good job raising your little sister. You can rest now, Justin.”
Tears sprang to his eyes. From the time he’d seen each of his sisters, he’d been in love. He’d taken his job as their big brother seriously.
Knowing there was someone else to love Izzy now had his heart bursting in his chest.
His gaze drifted to Rachel, who had slipped in and taken a seat with her fiancé Sawyer a few minutes ago. He hadn’t had a chance to speak to her yet, but the fact that she was here said more than words. This was a big step, putting herself in front of the entire family and all their friends. Mom had been thrilled when she’d received the RSVP card and had talked Rachel into spending the night in the cottage that had been vacant since he’d moved back home. He looked forward to spending more time with her and Sawyer and really getting to know his sister.
Hayley leaned in close. “Grandma. It’s time to go.”
Mom glanced back through the door. “I think we’re ready.”
Justin cued the string quartet that was positioned off to the side, and the gentle strains of the processional filled the air. His family had come a long way in the past year, hell, since when they were kids. He never thought he’d find himself here, giving his sister away. But she couldn’t have picked a better man to be by her side.
There was nowhere else Justin would rather be.
His mother took Hayley’s hand and tucked it in the crook of her arm to lead her new granddaughter down the aisle, a sprinkling of rose petals trailing behind them.
The door behind him opened and Serena and Alexis stepped out. Alike but so different, too. He wrapped one arm around each of them and pulled them to him.
“If you make me cry, Justin, I’m gonna hit you,” Serena said as she sniffled.
He kissed each of his sisters on the forehead and then nudged them toward the aisle. “I love you both. Very much.”
They both smacked him across the chest at the same time. It was their way, but he knew they loved him just as much. They stepped carefully down the stairs and walked toward the altar side-by-side.
A throat behind him cleared. Justin swung the door open and stepped into the kitchen where Izzy was waiting. She was… he didn’t have the words. “Oh, sis.”
Her form-fitting white gown fell easily to the floor and pooled at her feet. She looked like the ever-graceful ballerina that she was. Her hair was arranged on her head with curls framing her face. She was a grown woman now, but all he could see was his little sister, in her black and pink dance clothes, tumbling as she tried to spin in a circle. Begging her big brother to watch her dance. She clutched a simple bouquet in her left hand, the small pink flowers matching the one Mom had pinned on him an hour ago.
Izzy sniffed and swiped beneath her eyes. “Don’t you dare cry. I can take everyone’s tears but yours.”
He sucked in a breath. “I don’t care. You look beautiful. Tanner’s a lucky man.”
“And I’m a lucky woman.”
Izzy had come so far since the day she’d hobbled up the stairs of Mom’s house nearly two years ago, a career-ending injury leaving her unsure of her future. Now she had a thriving dance studio here in town. He couldn’t be prouder of everything she’d accomplished. She’d once said to him that at some point while Dad was hounding her about trying harder, his dreams for her future had become hers.
Justin smiled at the memory of sitting beside Dad at one of Izzy’s dance recitals. Sometimes it was so hard to remember the good amid all the bad. But not anymore. Justin was focusing on the positive things in his life. Like the woman and two children waiting for him to walk his sister down the aisle.
He offered his elbow. “Shall we?”
She slid her hand onto his arm and he led her out the door, careful of the train that swept the floor at her feet, and down the three stairs.
She stopped him.
“Are you okay?” There was no way she’d changed her mind. He knew that about his sister for sure.
She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. The gravity of what was about to happen wasn’t lost on him. He remembered his own wedding day, the nerves that settled deep in his gut the entire time he waited for Maddie, and how all of that faded away and the only person he could see was her from the moment she started walking down the aisle.
He’d give Izzy all the time she needed.
“I’m ready now.”
She opened her eyes and looked at Tanner ahead at the altar. A huge grin broke out on her face and she took a step toward her future, Justin at her side.
They’d barely made it halfway down the aisle before Tanner rushed toward them.
Justin laughed. “I’m supposed to bring her to you.”
“You were taking too long. I couldn’t wait another minute.”
Justin looked down at his sister, tears pooling in her eyes. He took her hand and placed it in Tanner’s. “Take care of each other.”
“We will.”
As Tanner led Izzy the rest of the way to the man who would unite them, Justin slid into the seat beside Maddie. She wrung her hands in her lap, a handkerchief clutched in her fingers. He covered her hands with his and they didn’t have to say anything. He had no doubt they both were thinking the same thing.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur of laughter and tears. A few moments later, he was leading his mother back down the aisle. “I’ll be back in a few, Mom. There’s something I need to do.”
He’d clued Mom in to what he’d planned earlier. And he couldn’t wait any longer. As he turned, Maddie was coming down the aisle, Aiden on one side of her and Sofia on the other. Justin had coordinated with Wanda to make sure Sofia would be here.
Izzy wasn’t the only one getting a new daughter today.
Justin leaned in and pressed his lips to Maddie’s. It wasn’t nearly enough but it would have to do until they were alone later. “I have a surprise. For all of you.”
Sofia’s deep brown eyes glinted with excitement. “A surprise?”
Many of the shadows that haunted Sofia had faded in the months since she had been visiting with them. Hopefully this would chase the last of them away. He scooped up the little girl, her laughter infectious as she settled on his hip. He grabbed Maddie’s hand and she clutched Aiden’s with her other and he led his family to a table off to the side.
The rest of the guests were mingling around Tanner and Izzy, so he knew he had a little bit of time. Once he got everyone settled, he withdrew the stack of papers from his pocket. “I met with Wanda yesterday.”
Maddie’s smile fell. The process to become approved foster parents had been grueling, and there were times Maddie had equated it to the months of finding out she wasn’t pregnant again and again. But this time, they were navigating this journey side by side, and little did Maddie know, they’d reached the end. “What now? Did they lose another form or did they need yet another recommendation?”
He smiled and extended the papers. “Nope.”
She unfolded the stack and he could tell the minute she saw the bright red “Approved” stamp across the top sheet. Her eyes widened and her gaze locked with his. “Really?”
“Yep, really.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s finally happened.” She leapt to her feet and threw her arms around him. The kids, reacting to Maddie’s exclamation, jumped up. “What? What?”
He and Maddie crouched down to look Sofia and Aiden in the eye. “We found out today that we got approved to have Sofia live with us full time.”
Aiden hugged Sofia and she hugged him back. And then Justin wrapped his arms around all three of them. His family. It had been a long journey, getting his family to this point, and all it had taken was a little hope that everything would work out exactly like it was meant to be. And as he looked at his two kids, he couldn’t agree more.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Justin and Maddie’s story. Chasing Hope is Book 2 in the Harper Family series. All of the stories are stand-alone complete stories with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. But come back over and over to see old friends and meet new ones.
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Turn the page to find out which of the Harpers will find their happily-ever-after next! And after that, want to read more about the Harpers? Check out the three chapter excerpt of Chasing Dreams. And want to read the series that started it all? After that you’ll find excerpts from the books of the Oak Grove series.
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