Epilogue: Two Years Later
“This is the life,” Gabe said on a sigh as he relaxed back into the hammock.
Rachel snuggled into him, the sides of the hammock causing her to be practically on top of him. “It is. We should get one of these things.”
“And put it where?”
“We can figure out a way to hang it on the balcony.” Rachel rested her head on his chest.
Since Gabe was down for any plan that put Rachel in his lap, he said, “Okay. We’ll figure it out when we get home.”
Rachel turned her head up toward him, and Gabe was just about to press a kiss to her lips when he heard a loud voice.
“I can’t take any more heterosexual affection this weekend. Please. Just stop.”
Gabe smirked at Camille. “You’re the one who brought a guy as your date to this thing.”
Ben, who walked out onto the long wood porch behind Camille, said, “Thanks for referring to my wedding as ‘this thing.’ Some best man you are.”
Gabe shrugged. “Don’t hassle me. I’m finally enjoying myself.”
Ben let out a laugh. “You’re such a dick.”
Gabe laughed too. The truth was, the events Ben and Ryan had planned for the week leading up to their wedding had been pretty fun, but Gabe wasn’t going to let him know it. He’d initially balked at having to spend an entire week doing wedding activities, but it had been important to the couple. “I’ll just be glad when you guys are married so you’ll stop having to prove how much better you’ve gotten at party games.”
“We will never have to stop proving that,” Ben said seriously.
Gabe chuckled again. “Well, for both your sakes, you may want to stop anyway. The two of you still suck at them.” Gabe could just make out Ben’s glare in the soft light that filtered from the lanterns lining the porch and the small bit of sunlight that hadn’t fully disappeared over the horizon. “Where is the bride-to-be anyway?”
“I don’t know. She was right behind me,” Ben said as he moved back toward the door that led inside the enormous and extravagant cabin Ben had rented out for them for the week before his wedding. Just as he reached the door, it abruptly swung toward him, not giving him time to grab it. The wood smacked him in the face, causing him to immediately double over.
Gabe jumped up and rushed over to Ben, moving him back gently so he was out of the door’s path.
“Oh my God, what happened?” Ryan said, her voice laced with alarm.
Ben straightened, but his hands still cupped his nose.
Ryan took one look at him and burst out laughing. “Oh shit. This is perfect.”
“I fail to see the humor,” Ben replied, even though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
“I hit you with a door,” Ryan said through her laughter.
Ben dropped his hands. He had a welt already forming from the bridge of his nose to his hairline, but he was smiling.
Gabe couldn’t get over how fucking nuts his friends were.
Ryan moved forward and slid her arms around Ben’s neck. “It’s like coming full circle. We really are meant to be together.”
Ben put his hands on her hips. “Were you doubting that?”
“No. But it’s nice to have a sign.” Ryan pushed up onto her tiptoes as Ben lowered his head.
Camille took a step toward them. “That’s going to—”
Ben groaned when their noses pressed together as they kissed.
“Hurt,” Camille finished.
Jace and Aly approached the porch hand-in-hand. They’d gone to the main part of the hotel to call home since the reception was better there and they wanted to Facetime the twins, who were staying with her parents. The twins had just turned a year old, and Jace had practically had to drag Aly away for them. They’d opted not to come for the whole week and instead had just flown into Colorado that morning and were leaving the day after the wedding.
“How are Gabe and Gabrielle doing?” Gabe asked them.
“I don’t know who those people are, but Justin and Bella are fine,” Jace answered.
Gabe sighed loudly. “One day, you’ll smarten up and accept their true names.”
Aly laughed as Jace walked up onto the porch and shoved Gabe. “Save those names for your own kids.”
Gabe’s eyes widened as he jerked his head to where Rachel was sitting up in the hammock. “Ixnay on the babay-ay… how the fuck does pig latin work?”
“Smooth, Gabe,” Ben joked.
Gabe looked over at Rachel and their eyes locked. The slight quirk of her lips told him she knew what his words were: a joke. They’d been talking about the possibility of kids for a while, and Gabe had considerably warmed to the idea. Still, “Let me tackle one major life change at a time. I still have to convince her to not stand me up at the altar in two months.”
Everyone looked over at Rachel, who merely said, “I can’t make any promises.”
Gabe sighed heavily as if he was extremely put out before turning to Camille. “If she bolts, you’re going to have to step up and take one for the team.”
“You mean by going after her and convincing her to give me a shot? Because that’s what my team would want me to do.”
“You’re so selfish. Where’s your date anyway?”
Rolling her eyes, Camille said, “Kellan isn’t my date. He’s my escort for the week.”
At her words, everyone’s gaze swung to Ryan. “Nice,” Ryan muttered.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the kind that puts out. At least not for chicks,” Kellan announced as he walked out onto the porch. He watched Ben rub his hand over his nose, and said, “What the hell did I miss? Is this some weird straight-guy athlete thing? Do we all get to punch him in the face?”
“Ryan hit him with the door,” Camille explained.
“On purpose?” Jace asked, genuine curiosity evident in his tone.
“No, asshole,” Ben groused.
“Let me take a look,” Aly said as she moved toward him.
“I’m fine,” Ben said, even though he willingly let Aly lead him closer to the light so she could inspect him.
“Shut up and let me look,” Aly said, her doctor voice making an appearance.
“What time do we have to meet your family for dinner?” Gabe asked Ben.
“In about forty-five minutes,” he answered before hissing as Aly pushed on his nose.
“It’s not broken, but that welt is going to look fantastic in your wedding pictures tomorrow.”
“I’ve survived worse,” Ben said as he stood up straight.
Ryan moved to him and put her arm around his waist. “It’ll give the pictures character.”
“There will already be a character in them. Gabe will be there,” Jace teased.
“Your jokes have taken a turn for the worse since you became a father. You better hope that one doesn’t take the remaining shreds,” Gabe joked as he pointed to Aly’s stomach.
Jace glared at him, and it took Gabe a second to realize why. “Fuck.”
Aly walked over and smacked Jace on the arm. “I thought we were waiting to tell people until after Ben’s and Ryan’s wedding.”
“I had to tell someone. It’s not my fault he’s a moron,” Jace argued.
“You’ve known me my entire adult life. If you haven’t learned by now that I can’t keep a secret, then who’s the real moron here?” Gabe asked.
There was a flurry of activity after that. Everyone rushed toward Aly to hug her and wish them congratulations. Gabe stood off to the side, surveying the scene. He was going to have that one day: everyone wishing him well because he was having a baby with an incredible woman. And he wasn’t going to have Gabe Jr. with just any incredible woman, but the beautiful one who’s soft brown hair fanned out over her shoulder as she turned to seek him out in the small crowd. Gabe was really a lucky son of a bitch.
Rachel walked over to him and right into his arms. They held one another as they gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes. “You really do have a big mouth,” she whispered.
Gabe ducked his head down so his lips were aligned with hers. “The better to kiss you with.” And with that, he ghosted his lips over hers.
The kiss consumed him, as it always did whenever his lips touched hers. But it was also more. It was a pact. A promise. That this was just the first step of many for them. That this relationship that was born out of a one-night stand would go on to withstand the test of time.