Epilogue

“You look very handsome.” Elizabeth placed her hands on Dean’s lapels, and stood on tiptoes to kiss his lips.

“And you look very beautiful.” He kissed her right back, his hands circling her waist and pulling her close.

“You’ll crease my dress.” But she didn’t push him away; Dean’s arms were where she always wanted to be.

“Hey, you two lovebirds, anyone would think it was you two getting married today,” Louise said as she entered the room with Suzie, who was carrying Storm in her arms.

“One day I’ll get them down the aisle,” Suzie told Louise with a sigh. “One day.”

Elizabeth blushed and looked up at Dean through her eyelashes. He wanted to marry her more than anything, and she wanted to marry him. Yet the thought of organizing a wedding made her feel physically sick. Maybe that wasn’t the whole truth.

Elizabeth was scared. Their relationship was wonderful; they loved each other, worshiped, even. What if that changed when they got married? What if it all fell apart?

She knew she was holding on to their relationship too tightly, that she might smother it if she didn’t relax, but she didn’t know how.

“We’ll get there. One day.” Dean kissed Elizabeth once more, before saying, “We should leave. We don’t want to keep Zak waiting at the altar.”

“We do not. Do we, Storm?” Louise tickled Storm, who giggled and wriggled.

“OK, good luck, we love you. Don’t worry, we’ll be in the car behind you,” Suzie said, lifting the short train of Louise’s beautiful, fitted wedding dress. It clung to her curvy hips, and emphasized her waist, but was incredibly simple, with white lace covering the bodice.

“Thank you all so much. For everything.” Louise’s eyes misted up, and Suzie was quick to produce a tissue.

“Here, it’s a good thing we are all wearing waterproof mascara.” Suzie passed the tissue to Louise and then gave her a quick hug. “You deserve it all. Never forget that.”

“We’ll see you there,” Dean said as Louise took his arm and they left the house.

“He is one proud papa bear,” Suzie mused as she watched them walk to the first car, which was waiting to take them to the wedding venue. Karen had gladly let them use her garden once more. The difference was, this time all the flowers were in full bloom, and the scents were heavenly, especially since it was so late in the afternoon after a day drenched in hot sunshine.

“He is.” Elizabeth sighed, and placed her hand on her stomach.

“Oh my goodness, do you have news?” Suzie asked.

“No.” Elizabeth shook her head. “At least it’s too early to be certain.” She looked at Suzie, and fought back tears. “I’m scared. Scared of what having a baby will mean. What if it changes everything? Not just me and Dean, but me and you.”

Suzie smiled bashfully. “I have a secret too.”

“You’re pregnant?” Elizabeth’s excitement spread across her face.

“Too early to be certain,” Suzie replied with a smile. “I don’t want to get Kit’s hopes up. I think… He thought I would conceive instantly, and I didn’t, so… I want to be sure.”

“OK, tomorrow, we can both go and get a pregnancy test.”

“Tomorrow.” Suzie nodded, and came back to stand in front of her mom. “But today, there is something else to do.”

“Oh, get to the church. It wouldn’t do for the bridesmaids to be late.” She looked around for her purse, but Suzie didn’t move.

“Or the bride to be late.” Suzie’s words made Elizabeth forget all about her purse.

“Louise has already left.” She was missing something, she just wasn’t sure what.

“Come with me.” Suzie carried Storm into Dean’s sitting room, which Louise had taken over as she prepared for the wedding. There were clothes draped over the sofa, and make-up on the coffee table.

“What’s going on, Suzie, we’re going to be late?” Elizabeth wasn’t sure what Suzie was up to, and that panicked her.

“It’s OK, the driver of the first car is going the long way around. And Zak is in on it, so it’s all good.”

“In on what?” Elizabeth asked.

Suzie took a zipped dress bag off the door, and passed it to Elizabeth. “Your wedding.”

“My wedding?” Elizabeth didn’t understand, but a rising panic made it difficult to breathe.

“Louise and Zak have been busy arranging their wedding as a double wedding. They would be honored if you and Dean shared their day.” Suzie went to her mom, who looked shocked.

“I can’t, it’s their wedding day.”

“They want to share it with you and Dean. But there’s no pressure. Until I let Zak know you said yes, he won’t say a word to anyone.” Suzie put her arm around Elizabeth. “Mom, what’s holding you back from marrying Dean? I know you love him, and you already practically live with him. You have only been back to your house to weed your flowerbeds.”

“I don’t know, it’s as if I have this crazy idea that getting married will change everything, and I’m scared. Life is perfect just the way it is.”

“Mom, marriage will not change that. Not with Dean. Come on, this way you don’t have to worry about anything, it’s all done,” Suzie said encouragingly, while Storm babbled in her baby voice.

Suzie was right. This would be perfect. No weeks of worrying and stressing. “What’s in the bag?”

“Your wedding dress.” Suzie passed it to her, and Elizabeth unzipped it, to reveal the dress she had tried on at Bear Brides during Suzie’s last fitting.

“You’ve been planning it this long?” Elizabeth asked.

“It was Louise’s idea. She knows how nervous she was at the thought of getting married. And figured it would be doubly so for you. It really was their idea.”

Elizabeth’s hand shook as she put it to her mouth to stem the sobs that erupted from deep inside her. All she could do was nod.

“Let’s get you changed.” Suzie put Storm down on the sofa, where she wriggled around. “Here. You can play with this, Storm.” Passing Storm her favorite toy, a garish elephant that lifted its trunk and made a sound like an out of tune trumpet, Suzie watched for a moment, to check that she was settled, before helping Elizabeth with her dress.

One quick phone call to Zak, and a dress change later, Elizabeth, Suzie, and Storm were getting into the second car, and heading to the wedding. The driver handled the car professionally, keeping to the speed limit, but getting them to Karen’s house as fast as possible.

Elizabeth had no time to feel nervous. As soon as the vehicle stopped, the driver got out and opened the car door for them. In a whirlwind of action, Suzie and Storm were waiting in front of the house. Zak appeared out of a side door, and beckoned to Elizabeth.

“You want me to wait at the altar?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, Dean has no idea.”

That was when Elizabeth faltered. “He doesn’t know, what if he says no?”

Zak laughed. “Are you kidding?”

Elizabeth blushed. “I don’t want him to think I’m…”

“Elizabeth, he loves you and take it from a shifter, he will be overjoyed at finding his mate waiting to marry him.” Zak stretched out his hand. At the same time, a car engine could be heard approaching the house.

“Go, now.” Suzie shooed them. Then she stopped, and took her mom’s hand. “This is the right thing to do. You know it, deep in your heart. You’ve known it from the first day you met Dean. I saw it in your eyes, when you found out he was a shifter. So much hope, and so much love to share. You’ve never had that before. Never felt you belonged. With Dean…I see it in you. And I know you are brave enough to take ahold of that hope and love, and not let go.”

Elizabeth nodded, and somehow turned herself around, took Zak’s hand, and put one foot in front of the other as she followed him through the gate and into the garden. Karen, Scott, and Kit were waiting for her. “You did it!” Karen’s voice was a half sob, as she thrust a bouquet of flowers into Elizabeth’s hand. “It has everything you need.”

Elizabeth frowned and looked down at the bouquet. “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.”

“Because you and Dean deserve every happiness.” Kit, who was best man, kissed her cheek and took her hand to guide her to the front of the ceremony. Zak walked in front of them, his nerves evident.

“Ready?” Kit asked. The question was directed at both of them.

“We are.” Zak nodded and winked at Elizabeth. “Hold my hand.”

Elizabeth stood between Zak and Kit, each holding one of her hands as the music began to play. Her legs felt like they were going to collapse under her, and she dared not look at the sea of faces seated before them. She trembled, wanting to be anywhere other than here. Over and over she told herself this was the most ridiculous idea ever. That this was Louise, Zak, and Storm’s special day.

Yet as the congregation turned to watch Louise and Dean walk down the aisle, and the sun dipped low, casting a red glow over them all, Elizabeth knew this was exactly where she was meant to be.

She watched Dean walk down the aisle, saw him smile and say hello to young people, some with husbands and wives, some with children also, and felt a surge of love and pride. These were his children. Children he had fostered, children he had opened his heart and home to. Children who loved him in return.

When he turned his attention toward Zak, and then saw Elizabeth standing alongside him, Dean’s smile faltered, and a look of wonder came over him.

Louise leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and he looked at her quickly before his face broke into a smile.

“I thought I was only here to give Louise away,” Dean said to Elizabeth after he had passed Louise’s hand to Zak, and Zak had handed Elizabeth’s to him.

“I didn’t know.” Elizabeth needed him to know she had no idea about any of this.

“I know, Louise told me.” He chuckled, and kissed her cheek. “I wondered why the driver went all around town when it’s such a short drive.”

“Now you know.” Elizabeth looked out at all the happy faces around them. With Dean holding her hand, the faces were no longer scary. He made her complete; they were two halves of a whole.

And as they stood before family and friends, and said their vows, alongside Louise and Zak, she knew she was blessed. No matter what she thought about fate, no matter how she might struggle to accept that fate might have been cruel enough to allow a child to be born with a red birthmark on her cheek, she had to agree, if fate had a hand in her marrying Dean, and the baby she hoped was growing inside her, she was thankful. And would be for the rest of her life.

This was the best happy ever after she could wish for. Standing here, with her daughter and son-in-law, a bridesmaid and best man for another perfect couple. Her smile mirrored Louise’s. whose life had mirrored her own, as the two couples finally became husband and wife.

***

Have you read Cowboy Brother Bears?