Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
His laugh pulls me back into the moment, and I clear my throat.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He stands and lifts me into the air, spinning me around. I hear laughter and hollering with cheers of congratulations behind us. When we stop spinning, he places me on my feet and kisses me tenderly.
“I love you, future Mrs. Kincaid.”
I’m grinning like a fool, and I don’t have a single care. “I love you too.”
He turns us to face his family, only it’s not just his family we’re facing. “Mom? Dad? Chloe? Rodney?” I turn back to Merrick. “How?”
“Baby, it wouldn’t have been fair to propose to you in front of my entire family and not yours.” He shrugs.
“You’re amazing. Thank you.” I launch myself at him, and he catches me easily as I hug him tightly.
“Go hug your family,” he tells me.
It’s not lost on me that my family and his are gathered together. I hug my parents, then his, and I lose track of who’s next. All I know is that these people, they’re mine. An amazing man brought them into my life, and I will love them as I do him for all of my days.
After hugs are passed out, we gather around to eat. The Kincaid men and my family were busy while we were on our walk. The perfect distraction to get me away from the cabins so they could get set up. We all eat and laugh, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our engagement.
Once the kids are fed and tucked into bed, there’s soft music playing as we all take a spot under the twinkle lights and turn it into a dance floor. Merrick is holding me as we sway to the beat of the music.
“Mer?” I lift my head from his chest.
“What’s up, gorgeous?”
“I’m really glad we decided to stay real.”
He chuckles. “Me too, baby. Me too.”
EPILOGUE COURTNEY
Courtney
Tears shimmer in my eyes, but I blink them away. Even happy tears are not allowed today, at least not until after the ceremony and pictures. The last thing I want to do is destroy my makeup on my wedding day.
“You look beautiful, big sister,” Chloe tells me, blinking away her own tears.
“Stop. Both of you.” Mom dabs at her eyes with a tissue. “I’m so happy both of my girls found their forever. That’s all I ever wanted for both of you.”
The heaviness of how my relationship with Merrick started sits on my chest. He and I have talked a lot about me coming clean, and he said he’ll follow my lead. My heart and my gut are telling me that I can’t walk down that aisle without spilling my guts.
“Hey, can you go grab Dad and Rodney?” I ask Chloe.
“Are we making a run for it?” she asks.
I laugh and playfully roll my eyes. “No. The only place I’ll be running is down the aisle to Merrick.”
“Phew. All right. I’ll be right back.” She winks and leaves the room to grab her husband and our father.
“What’s going on?” Mom asks.
I smile, hoping to reassure her. “Nothing. I just want to talk to the four of you before walking down the aisle.”
She raises her brow but doesn’t comment. Thankfully, Chloe enters the room with Dad and Rodney in tow.
“Hey.” I wave awkwardly. “Y’all might want to sit down for this.”
“You’re pregnant!” Mom shouts, not out of anger but out of happiness, if the smile on her face is any indication.
“No.” I laugh. “Just have a seat.” I continue to stand. Partly because the sleek white silk dress I’m wearing is easily prone to wrinkles, and partly because I’m too nervous to sit still. The four of them take a seat on the long leather couch, and I take a deep breath before blurting out my truth.
“It was all fake. Merrick and me, in the beginning, it was fake.” I pause, waiting for one of them to say something, but they all keep their mouths locked tight, so I keep going. “Mom, you were on me constantly to date and to find a date to their wedding.” I point to my sister and new brother-in-law.
Another pause. Still nothing. Exhaling, I continue, “I was at work and looking at a family picture that Jordyn had on the desk, and my eyes landed on Merrick. He was the only single brother left, and his name fell from my lips, accompanied with the lie before I knew what I was doing.”
Again, no reply. Just their rapt attention.
“Merrick walked in, and one thing led to another, and he offered to help me. We were just supposed to hang out a few times, and then he was going to be my date to the wedding, and then we would part ways, and I could tell you all that we broke up.”