Epilogue—Nine months later
Wyatt tugged on the ends of his jacket sleeves, more nervous than he’d ever been. More than when he’d flown across the Pacific Ocean with Deirdre at his side so she could meet his daughter. More than when he’d met Emma for the first time. More than when he’d worked his last day as Chief, and more than when he’d walked into his beginning criminology class at the university the next Monday.
He was getting married today, and he had no right to be this nervous. He’d done this before, after all, and Deirdre was going to show up.
She’d wanted a beach wedding, and Wyatt hadn’t objected. She’d wanted it in September, when they’d started dating again, and Wyatt was fine with that. She’d wanted it to be small and personal, and Wyatt had said he’d try.
Unfortunately, he’d been Chief of Police in Getaway Bay for a very long time—and for their entire engagement. The news of his marriage to Deirdre had been on the local news and in the local newspaper for weeks now.
The whole town was coming. In fact, they were showing it on television.
“Ready, Boss?” someone asked, and he turned toward his brother.
“I can’t find my cufflinks,” he said, glancing down at the table in front of him. He and Deirdre had planned a family-only ring ceremony to take place before the wedding. That way, she got the private moment she wanted, and the people on the island who’d loved Wyatt got to participate too.
“Take mine,” Scott said, already unbuttoning his links.
“I can’t take yours,” Wyatt said. “Jenn got these for me, specifically for the wedding.” His daughter wasn’t there, because she was pregnant and due any day now. Her doctor had not allowed her to fly for so long over open water for the wedding. Deirdre had said they could do it at another time, but Jenn wouldn’t hear of it.
“They’re literally right there,” Scott said, picking them up from the corner of the table. “You’re blind, man.”
“I’m nervous,” Wyatt said, looking at his brother before focusing on the cufflinks.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just had a lot of changes in my life recently.”
“It’s going to be great.” Scott took over and got the cufflinks on. “You look great. We’re waiting for you.”
Wyatt looked at himself in the mirror and decided this was as good as it was going to get. “Okay. I’m ready too.” He followed his brother out into the main room, where the small group Deirdre had wanted waited.
She stood there, and she rendered Wyatt mute. She wore a white gown that seemed glued to her upper body, with straps that went over her shoulders and left a lot bare. The skirt flared at the waist, and flowed to the floor, covered with lace and beads and everything shiny.
Her hair was curled and pinned back on the sides, and she positively glowed from within. Wyatt had been worried about having the ceremony in front of cameras and the whole island, but now he knew it didn’t matter.
When he was in the room with Deirdre, the whole world narrowed to just the two of them.
He walked past his mother, his brother and his family, his sister and hers, as well as a few of Deirdre’s friends from her job. Norma and her husband were there, both of them sniffling, and Deirdre had invited her ex-husband and her daughter, and they both stood nearby too.
But it was really all about Wyatt and Deirdre. He reached her and drew her into a hug to a collective sigh from the guests.
There was no pastor or preacher here. He waited outside at the altar, along with the other invited guests, cameramen, and the island.
But here, Wyatt said, “Deirdre Bernard, I love you with my whole soul. I’m so glad you’re going to be my wife, and that I’ll get to share the rest of my life with you.” He took the ring accompaniment piece he’d bought to go with her engagement ring from Scott and slipped it on her finger.
Together, they looked at the new piece, and Wyatt loved the way it curled around the larger diamond, almost making a floral arrangement.
“Wyatt Gardner,” she said, twisting to get the ring from her daughter. He knew things weren’t perfect between Emma and Deirdre, but he also knew they’d get better the more they worked through things. He’d only met the girl twice now, and he refused to make a judgement on her.
“I love your smile. I love how dedicated to people you are. I love how freely you love. I’m so glad we got as many chances as we did, and I can’t imagine my life being as happy as it is now without you in it.”
She presented him with a dark gray wedding band, with a rim of gold along both edges. “I’ve wanted to be your wife since the day I met you.”
With the ring on his finger, Wyatt felt like everything inside his life had finally settled. Not a single piece was out of place, now that Deirdre was in his heart. He leaned down and kissed her, and he couldn’t wait to establish a new normal with her as his wife.
Their closest friends and family cheered, and Wyatt hugged his brother and then his mother, ending with his sister while Deirdre embraced her daughter and her friends.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s go get this done.” They faced the doors that led to the beach hand-in-hand, and they took the first step toward forever…together.
END