EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Frisco stood next to Mark on the lawn of the officers’ club on North Island and looked over at the patio where Birdie and Maddy were singing while they fussed with the flower arrangements. “Maddy sounds just like her mom.”
Mark swayed side to side as he rubbed his son’s back. “I know. The only difference is Maddy’s a lot louder than Birdie when she sings.”
“Good thing your hearing isn’t great.”
“Tell me about it,” Mark replied. “Hey, did you realize that four years ago this month, I met Birdie in this very place.”
“That’s right, it was Josh and Maryann’s wedding.” Looking at his friend’s face, he realized that Mark was as smitten with his wife as he was when he’d first set eyes on her. “What’s the secret to a happy marriage?”
Mark ran his hand over his neck and then adjusted the carrier his son was in. “I’d say find someone who makes love easy. Birdie and I are far from perfect, but at the end of the day, I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. She’s a warrior and shows me every day how much she loves me and our family and, in turn, I love her as if there’s someone working twenty-four hours a day to take her away from me.”
Frisco rocked back on his heels and grinned. “I get it, man, because I love Brooke today more than I did a year ago.”
“You can multiply what you feel now by every year you’re married. Imagine how you’re going to feel in twenty years.”
“Shit, I can’t imagine it because it already overwhelms me.”
“Just gets better, man.” Mark looked down at his son and grinned. “Looks like Ben is ready to join the conversation.”
Frisco looked over and saw the kid’s eyes open and close several times. “I’m going to have to get one of those.”
“Highly recommend it.”
Frisco heard his name and looked up to see Max Bishop walk toward him with his kids. “Looks like Max brought the circus.”
“Brother,” Max called out as he scooped up his youngest son, Evan. “We’re here to help.”
“It’s all set up,” Frisco called out.
The Bishop twins ran at him full throttle, and Frisco crouched down and braced himself. As the three-year-olds tumbled him to the ground, he let out a laugh. “Easy on the groom,” he called out.
“What a grom?” they asked in unison.
“Groom,” Max corrected. “Remember, he’s getting married today and that’s what he’s called,” Max said as he let his youngest down.
“Like Mommy and Daddy,” Alex said.
“Yes,” Max confirmed.
Gemma scrunched up her nose and held Frisco’s face. “Sorry you have to kiss all the time.”
Frisco looked up at Max and saw him shrug. “Only if I’m lucky.”
“No lucky,” Alex said as he scrambled off and took his sister’s hand and scampered over to Birdie and Maddy.
“Can’t believe you found someone to take you on,” Max commented.
“Me either,” Frisco said as he stood. “But she has and doesn’t seem real interested in getting rid of me anytime soon.”
“Nothing better than finding a lifetime teammate,” Max said as he watched his youngest run after his siblings. “Rory makes my life interesting, and I can’t imagine a day without her.”
“Same,” Frisco said as he saw Bryce pull into the parking lot. “I’m going to check in with Bryce and make sure he was able to complete the mission I sent him on earlier.”
“We’re going to head out soon, so we’ll see you in a couple of hours,” Mark said as he walked toward Birdie.
“Roger that.” He saluted Mark and Max and headed in Bryce’s direction.
“All set, sir,” Bryce called out.
“Egg McMuffin?”
“Check.”
“Envelope?”
“Double check.”
“Flowers?”
“Of course.”
Frisco slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. “Can’t thank you enough.”
“My pleasure.” Bryce looked down at his boots and then looked up with a small smile. “Never would’ve guessed that the roses you sent her a year ago would result in a wedding.”
“I knew from the moment I saw her picture that she was the one. Turns out she agreed with me…” sweeping his arms over the area, he nodded, “and here we are. It’s like joining the Teams, you’ve got to go in with a no-quit attitude.”
“Agreed.” Bryce checked his watch. “Time to get you back to the house so you can get cleaned up for the wedding.”
“Couldn’t ask for a better wingman,” Frisco said as he pulled out his keys and headed for his truck.
“I know, sir.”
Letting out a bark of laughter, Frisco took one last look at the lawn of the officers’ club and calculated how much time he had until he could legally call Brooke Foster his wife and decided he could last. It was going to be close, but he’d manage it.
***
Brooke sat in the limo and looked out at the officers’ club and smiled. “Guess we should get out so I can marry that dirty boy of mine.”
Piper leaned forward and peered out the window. “You sure about this?”
Brooke pivoted her head and gave her friend a curious look. “Yeah, why are you asking?”
“It’s my job as your maid of honor to offer you an out. Not that I think you’ll take it, because, as far as I can tell, no two people have loved harder than you and Frisco.”
“He’s easy to love,” Brooke replied. Pressing her hand against the window, she leaned forward and saw her father and brother. “Do you think it’s weird to have Chance and the rear admiral both walk me down the aisle?”
“No, I think it’s perfect.”
Shifting, she moved closer to the door. “Let’s get this thing started, because there’s a wedding cake I’m dying to eat.”
“Priorities, important to have them,” Piper responded as she got out of the car.
Brooke fussed with her dress and then looked up to see her brother and father with identical expressions. “If you two start with the waterworks, then you have to go sit down.” Wagging her finger between the two of them, she frowned. “I expect better out of you both; buck up and don’t get weepy.”
Piper fixed her train and grinned. “The bride has spoken.”
Chance looked over at his father and shrugged. “Let’s get bossy pants down the aisle so Frisco can deal with her.”
The rear admiral nodded at his son. “Good plan.”
Standing up straight, Brooke gave them both a benevolent smile. “Just think, after today, I’m going to be a married woman and someone else’s headache.”
“Yeah, that’s never going to be true,” Chance replied. “We’re always going to be connected.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“I second that,” her father added.
Piper moved ahead of them and signaled to James, who was coordinating the wedding, that they were ready to start. Looking back, Piper motioned Brooke closer. “Come here.”
Brooke stepped up to her friend. “What?”
“Who is that super handsome man in the second row?”
Brooke looked at who Piper was pointing at. “That’s Ace. He was on Frisco’s platoon.”
“Introduce me to him at the reception.”
Brooke looked at Piper’s sparkling eyes and nodded. “You got it.”
“Oh, here we go,” Piper said as the music started. When James signaled, she took her first step toward the lawn that would lead to the ceremony.
Taking one last long breath, Brooke prepared herself and then said, “He’s a good man, and I’m lucky to have found him.”
“He’s lucky to have you,” Chance replied.
Clint Foster looked down at his daughter, and his face split into a huge smile. “I couldn’t have done better if I picked him out myself.”
“That’s our cue,” Brooke said as she saw James point in her direction. She started to walk toward the grass, and when she caught sight of Frisco in his dress whites, she felt herself choke up with happiness. I love you more than I ever thought was possible, she thought as she moved in his direction.
When she was finally in front of him and her father and brother stepped away, she took his hand and knew everything was right in the world. “Thank you for loving me and making me believe in magic.”
“Sweetheart, you make it easy.” He looked over at the reverend and grinned. “Let’s get hitched and start on our happily ever after.”
“Yes, Frisco Jones. A thousand times, yes.”
THE END