Epilogue
Sam
My big brother looked happier and more complete than he ever had. Ande was good for him. I just couldn't believe, out of us all, he was the one to find a woman. Always figured it would be me since I was more of a ladies man than either of them. I'd dated a few girls here and there, but nothing seemed to stick. And Nate, well, hell would freeze over first. My middle brother was too damn shy to talk to a woman, let alone make moves on one. As long as one of us was married safely and set to continue the family line, that's all that mattered.
I watched Ande and Jake drive away while I held Ian up so he could see them longer. "Well, li'l man, you ready to head home?" He nodded around a big, jaw-cracking yawn. I found Nate and Dad and Janna to let them know we were leaving. Nate agreed he would bring Janna home. Dad looked like somebody had punched him in the gut. I couldn't recall ever seeing shadows under his eyes like that.
"Everything okay, Dad?" Not like he'd tell me if anything was wrong, especially not today.
"Yeah. Just ran into an old friend I never expected to show up here. I'll, uh, see you back at the house." He sounded distracted as he tossed a wave over his shoulder and walked away. I wondered if it had anything to do with the woman I saw him talking to earlier. I glanced around, but didn't see her anywhere.
Not sure whether to share my concerns with Nate or not, I got Ian into my truck, and backed out of the makeshift parking lot. The truck jolted and metal screeched. Ian screamed. "Shhh, it's okay, Ian." I looked around, checking my mirrors, then jumped out and brought Ian with me.
A woman stared at my bumper, hands over her mouth and her high heels sinking into the ground. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry!"
I looked, not all that concerned. "It's okay, just a scratch. Not like this old girl will notice a new one." I glanced at her car and did a double take. "Yours, on the other hand, might." A brilliant blue BMW sat there with the front of its hood nosed under the truck bumper. Just from that, I could tell, the damage was going to be significant. "I guess we exchange insurance information?" I'd never had a wreck before, and had no clue how to proceed. I did know I wanted to get her name.
Ian interrupted, tugging on my shirt. "Sam, truck broke?"
"It's okay, buddy, just a fender bender. No big deal."
The woman stared at me, all wide-eyed like I'd just kicked her puppy. "No big deal? Are you kidding me?"
I shrugged. "I'm sure your insurance will cover it, right?"
"My insurance? You backed into me!" Her pale face started to pink up, making her even more breathtaking.
"Lady, I wasn't even moving. You drove right up under me." I truly didn't mean that the way it sounded.
"Oh, my God! Don't even start! Men are all alike! What's your name?"
I grinned. "Sam Quick, at your service, ma'am. Who the hell are you?"
Jake
I passed Ande her water and sat down beside her on the porch swing. She'd chosen a mountain cabin for our honeymoon, and I couldn't have agreed more. Peace and solitude sounded like the ideal way to start the next part of our lives together.
She smiled at me and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Do you think they're okay?"
"Of course. Dad and the boys have it all under control, and they can reach us if there's an emergency. We can be home in an hour, just in case." I repeated the same reassurances I'd given her on the way here. "Come with me, Mrs. Quick. I have something to show you."
She placed her hand in mine and let me help her up. Another one of the many things I loved about her. Despite her strength and independence, she was able to accept my help in little ways that felt important to me. I led her to the back of the cabin, where I'd purposely kept the door closed when we arrived.
"Ready?" She nodded, and I opened the door to reveal the table set for two, complete with white table cloth, candles, rose petals, and a bottle of sparkling cider chilling on ice.
"Jake? When did you do all this? Oh, my God, it's beautiful!" She moved forward slowly, taking everything in.
I smirked. No need to tell her I slipped out of bed when she fell asleep after we made love the first time as a married couple. "I'm just good like that."
She paused under the twinkle lights I'd stretched around the edges of the deck, her face glowing, eyes sparkling. Unable to resist, I went to her and took her in my arms.
"Why? This is so…much." The way her lips parted and her chest rose in excitement made the work more than worth it.
"I've never taken you out for a romantic dinner and dancing, or even a real honest-to-God date. I figured it's about time. The only problem was, to take you out, I'd have to share you with other people, and I'm not willing to do that tonight." I dipped down to claim her mouth. "Come on, dinner is getting cold." I led her to the table and held the chair for her.
The food tasted like dirt to me, but Ande moaned with delight at the tender steak. The chocolate mousse I'd sneaked in a cooler from the store brought on more moans, and closed eyes. It was a poor substitute for the real thing, but this incredible woman appreciated it anyway. After we finished eating, I clicked the remote to turn on the music and gathered her into my arms. Dancing was not my thing, but the way she melted into me said she didn't give a damn. I couldn't keep my hands, or lips, to myself. Before long, I was intent on far more than dancing.
"I love you, Mrs. Quick." God, I looked forward to the future with this amazing creature.