Epilogue
FALL AND WINTER were difficult for Aiyla and Ty as they bullied their way through Aiyla’s rehabilitation, physical therapy, and learning to live with a prosthetic limb. Between the pain and adjusting to needing help every single day, mood swings came too frequently—for both of them. Tears of frustration and tears of sadness were mixed with reprieves of laughter and closeness. It was not an easy road. Aiyla mourned the loss of her leg more than she’d anticipated, but Ty was always there for her, and Ace was a godsend for both of them. They’d made it through the worst of it together, with the endless support of family and friends and constant reminders from their I-Really-Do-Love-You box. Spring arrived with beautiful bluebells and wildflowers, restoring beauty to their land, and by late spring, with the worst behind them, their emotions settled and their love was stronger than ever.
Aiyla stood before the mirror in their bedroom admiring her wedding gown. Jillian and Jax had created the perfect dress, with soft macramé detail around the neckline, leaving her shoulders bare. The gauzy silk bodice had a sheer crocheted lace waist and fell to a maxi skirt with two high side slits, stopping a few inches from the ground, allowing for easy movement. It was elegant and simple, and perfect for her and Ty’s wedding day. She opened the doors to their sleeping porch and walked into what she and Ty thought of as the most peaceful room in their house. She needn’t have worried about feeling sexy, or about how their lovemaking would change. Ty was just as loving and as sensual as ever. He never hesitated to kiss her stump, or touch her like he used to, and because of that, those worries had disappeared.
The air was crisp and fresh, and voices floated up from the creek where Ty and their family and friends waited for the ceremony to begin. She couldn’t believe their wedding day was finally there. She’d dreamed of the day their lives would no longer revolve around her recuperation and her leg. Things had normalized so much lately, and her leg had become as much a part of her daily routine as brushing her teeth. Sometimes she worried about getting a sore spot and not being able to wear her prosthesis, and before they went out, she always did a mental accessibility check, but those things were part of their lives now—as would be quarterly CT scans for the next twelve months.
“Is Auntie Aiyla wearing her show leg today?” Danny’s voice drifted into the bedroom.
My show leg. They’d begun calling it that for her nephews and Phillip’s sake, and the name had stuck. She had several prostheses, and yes, today she was wearing her show leg, which was the one that looked most like a natural leg. Most of the time she didn’t bother with her show leg, but wore the one that showed the hardware because it felt less cumbersome. The boys called that one her bionic leg. Ty had found a goat-inspired prosthesis for mountain climbing, and they were hoping to be able to try that out sometime in the next year. She also had a prosthetic called a Cheetah, made just for running. She hadn’t tried that one out yet, but one day…
“Yes, my little man,” she said to Danny as she came into the room. Danny, David, and Phillip wore khaki shorts and button-down shirts. They looked adorable. “Today I’m wearing my show leg.”
He peeked between the slits in her dress and touched it. She was used to that. Children were curious. They stared and asked questions, and sometimes strangers—adults and children—shied away from her. But in those times, she reminded herself of how other people were scared of what they didn’t understand and how lucky she was to be cancer free. How lucky she was to have caught her cancer early, and to be alive.
Danny wrapped his arms around her legs and smiled up at her with the same big baby blues as his mama. “I love you, Auntie. Happy wedding day!”
She bent down and kissed his mop of dark hair. “I love you, too, honey. Thank you.”
“It’s time,” Shannon said as she came into the bedroom carrying Aiyla’s headpiece in one hand and Charlotte Sterling’s latest erotic romance in the other. “By the way, this book? There are no words for how awesome it is. I might need to borrow it for some…research.”
Aiyla laughed. She’d been shocked when Charlotte had called Ty and asked for her address. When she’d received an autographed copy of the book, she and Ty had scoured it for the office scene. Sure enough, the whole thing was on the page, including the mad make-out session they’d carried on while they’d thought she was typing.
Danny darted out the door and Cherise called after him, “Slow down!” Her sister was stunning in her royal-blue above-the-knee dress.
Shannon put a hand on her hip and whistled. “Damn, girls, you two are gorgeous.” She set the headpiece, a wreath of pretty flowers and greenery, on Aiyla’s hair and said, “My brother is one lucky man.”
Aiyla teared up, as she’d been doing all day. “I’m the lucky one. I not only have an amazing sister and the most incredible, loving, sexy, soon-to-be husband, but I have his—your—wonderful family, too.”
The three of them hugged, sniffing back tears. Cherise broke away, glassy eyed and fanning her face. “Stop. No tears! We’ve cried enough these last few months for a lifetime.” Cherise had come to stay with them for a week one month after Aiyla had left the hospital, and she’d come out again over New Year’s and a few weeks later to see Aiyla try on her wedding dress for the first time. Their visits had been wonderful, even if tearful.
They all fanned their faces, breathing deeply.
“Everyone is ready,” Shannon said excitedly. Her peach dress gave her a vibrant appearance. “You should see our men. They all look nervous, and Nate has Skype all set up so Ms. F can watch the whole ceremony.”
She’d finally told Aiyla why Steve called her butterfly. Because he said I flit about from one happy thought to the next. It was the perfect endearment for her.
“Okay, time for the rundown,” Cherise said. “Something borrowed?”
“Check.” Shannon pointed to Aiyla’s bracelet. “The bracelet my dad gave my mom on their wedding day.”
Aiyla’s heart fluttered wildly, remembering when Maisy had offered it to her. May you and Ty have a marriage as long and happy as we’ve had. We love you, honey.
“Something blue?” Cherise waggled her brows.
Aiyla lifted her dress, revealing a pair of sky-blue lace panties.
“So hot,” Shannon said. “Something old?”
Cherise and Aiyla exchanged a thoughtful glance. Aiyla touched her necklace. It was a locket her mother had given Cherise when her sister was a little girl. Inside was a picture of the two of them with their mother.
“And something new,” Aiyla said, and lifted her dress, revealing her prosthesis. “I think I’m ready!”
They all squealed, and after another group hug, Aiyla closed her eyes, sending a silent message of love up to her mother. She’d felt her mother’s spirit around them since the moment she’d gone in for her surgery. She didn’t feel her presence as strongly these days, but she sensed that was because her mother knew she was going to be okay. Aiyla knew she was going to be okay, too. The amputation had taken her leg, but it had also given her a sense of invincibility. Was there anything she and Ty couldn’t get through? Was there anything she couldn’t handle?
As she headed outside and stood at the top of the walkway Beau and Ty had built for their nightly walks down to the water, she knew they were going to be okay, too. Better than okay. Ty was right. She was fierce in her own right, but together they were unstoppable.
TY HAD CLIMBED the highest mountains, he’d traveled all over the world, and he’d never been happier, felt more complete, or more in love than he did as he watched his beautiful bride walk down the aisle on her sister’s arm. She was beyond stunning in her bridal gown, but she could have worn rags and she’d still outshine every other woman on earth. She was walking slowly and steadily, stable, and pride showed through her glassy eyes. She had done just what she’d said she would and had used their wedding as motivation to push through her healing process. She was confident, funny, sexy as sin, and even after all they’d gone through, she was still as adventurous as ever—and looking at him like she wanted to run into his arms—the way he wanted to run into hers.
She hugged Cherise and they both wiped their teary eyes, and then she turned toward Ty, and his insides turned to mush. He was sure everyone could tell, as tears rose in his eyes for all they’d gone through and all they had to look forward to.
As they said their vows, his hands itched to hold her, and his lips burned to touch hers. When they were finally pronounced husband and wife, he captured her luscious mouth in a soul-reaching kiss as everyone cheered and clapped. He pushed his hands into her hair, taking the kiss deeper and loving her until the claps quieted, and then he kissed her longer—until Sam put a hand on his shoulder and tore them apart.
“Dude, you’ve got little eyes on you.” Sam motioned toward the three boys, who were scrunching their adorable faces.
Ty’s gaze swept over their friends and family, and up to the house, where the walls were filled with photographs from Saint-Luc, Colorado, and their journey from the race to becoming Mr. and Mrs. Ty Braden. He gazed deeply into the eyes of his beautiful, loving, strong wife, and said, “The kids better get used to it, because I plan on kissing you a lot. Here’s to the rest of our lives, baby cakes.”
He lowered his lips to hers, not caring how many eyes were on them and knowing nothing could ever tear them apart.
Ready for more Bradens?
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I hope you have enjoyed getting to know the Bradens at Peaceful Harbor as much as I’ve loved writing about them. If this is your first Braden book, you have many more love stories featuring loyal, sassy, and sexy heroes and heroines waiting for you. Each of Ty’s siblings has their own book. Search for The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor on your favorite retailer and start with , Nate and Jewel’s love story.
The Bradens are just one of the series in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Each Love in Bloom book is written to be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or as part of the larger series. There are no cliffhangers and no unresolved issues. Characters from each series make appearances in future books, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. You might enjoy my other series within the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. You can start at the very beginning of the Love in Bloom series absolutely FREE with or begin with another fun and deeply emotions series like the Remingtons, which begins with , also free.
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