Epilogue
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“I told you, I don’t want to celebrate my birthday,” Kenzie said with a broad smile.
“And I told you, this isn’t for your birthday.”
“Where are you taking me?” She wiggled in the seat beside Eli as she lifted her hand to her blindfold.
“No peeking,” he told her for the umpteenth time since they’d left the airport.
“Why are you looking at me?” she giggled, knowing that she got caught. Again. “You should be watching the road.”
“I am watching the road. I’m a great multitasker.” He reached across the console and placed his hand on her knee before dipping his fingers beneath her dress.
“Oh,” she gasped as her legs parted for him. “Yes, you are.”
He ran his hands up and down her smooth, soft thigh. With each pass he went a little higher until finally, the side of his pinky brushed the cotton of her panties. Slowly, his fingers grazed the inside of her thigh, moving all the way down to her knee and then back up again, letting his pinky make feather-light contact before trailing his hand back up her leg. Over and over he teased her until she was breathless and whimpering with need.
“We’re here,” his voice was gravelly with desire as he parked his truck and his finger grazed once more over the cotton that covered her sex now damp with arousal.
He turned toward her and felt how tight his slacks were and cursed beneath his breath.
“What’s wrong?” she asked through pants.
His plan had been to distract her until they got to their destination. But his plan had backfired. He’d gotten plenty distracted himself.
With the hand that wasn’t between her legs, he guided her hand over to his ever-hardening bulge. “This is what’s wrong.”
Her fingers tightened around his shaft and the naughty smile he loved so much lifted on her lips. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Well, I try not to have a hard on around your grandmother,” he said dryly.
“My grandmother?!” she ripped the blindfold off in a panic and her head turned back and forth in an effort to see what he was talking about.
“Over there.” He pointed to the pergola that he’d ordered to be delivered about a hundred yards into the field that they were parked at the edge of.
She squinted at the group of people that were gathered beneath it. “My grandmother’s there? Where are we?”
“We’re at Happy Trails. This is the field where Kenny rides on Monday and Friday.”
“What?” Her head spun toward him. “What are you talking about? How do you know when Kenny rides?”
“Because I visit him once a month and that’s all he talks about.”
“You visit him?” Kenzie sniffed back tears. “Every month?”
“Of course I do. That’s my buddy. I love Kenny.”
Kenzie launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck.
He could feel the tears that were soaking into the shoulder of his shirt as he rubbed her back. “Do you want to know why we’re here?”
“Oh my gosh!” She sat back in the passenger seat and wiped her cheeks. “Yes! I forgot that we were…Why are we here?”
“Well, when you told me last night that you wished that we had gone back into the chapel and got married, I figured I’d give you another shot. This time with the wedding you want, if this is what you want.” He pointed to the pergola. “Not only is Kenny here, so is Theo, your grandmother, my family, and Lucky and Deanna.”
“Lucky and Deanna are here? They just got married yesterday.”
“I know, and I told them there might not even be a wedding. But they’re not leaving for their honeymoon for two weeks anyway.” He shrugged and then refocused on why they were here. “Look, I know that for the last twenty years this has been a day you’ve wanted to forget. But, I promised that I wanted to spend every day for the rest of my life making you happy. I don’t want there to be a day that you dread. A day that you wish wasn’t on the calendar. So I thought maybe we could make today a day with different memories. It can be our anniversary.”
Kenzie was staring at him, her jaw open and tears running down her face. Eli’s heart was pounding in his chest. He knew that this had been a risk, but he thought at this point, what did he have to lose? He and Kenzie deserved happy, and he wanted to make sure every day was happy.
“Or this can just be our engagement party.” He gave her an out. “No pressure.”
“No!” she shouted so loud that it even surprised her. Her eyes widened as she laughed. “Sorry, I was just in shock and then…” She shook her head. “I want to marry you. Today. Now. Here.” The tears started flowing again, and Eli pulled her into his arms.
“What about the marriage license?” she mumbled into his shoulder.
“Evan is dating a girl that works at the county clerk’s office. She brought everything we need to fill it out and she’ll file it as soon as she gets back.”
Kenzie leaned back and stared into his eyes. “How did you plan all this?”
“I told you, I’m a good multitasker.” He grinned.
“Yes you are,” she sighed dreamily as a blush rose up her cheeks.
He leaned forward and kissed her knowing that every time his lips touched hers after this, he’d be kissing his wife. And even though the road to get here had been long and windy, deep down he always knew that this was where they’d end up. She was his heart, his home, his life, and now she would also be his wife.
The End.