I shrug. “I’m used to it. We’ll double up on security at the house, but otherwise, I’m prepared for anything, as long as you’re with me.”
“I’ve waited such a long time for someone to say that,” she whispers.
“And I’ve waited my whole life for you.”
She leans up and presses her lips to mine. It’s a whisper of a promise that fills me with love and…serenity.
She chose me.
And I’ll make sure she never regrets it.
Epilogue
Serena
Two months later
We get married in our back yard with Bodi as West’s best man, Holly as my maid of honor, Lindy our flower girl, and Joey the ring bearer. It’s a Sunday afternoon in early April, a couple of weeks before the playoffs are supposed to start. There are more people than we initially wanted, but they’re all people we care about.
The rest of our roommates.
West’s parents and my family from South Georgia.
Jayne’s boss Kelly.
Coach Teller and Viggo.
Assistant coaches Quinn and Panzetti.
Mr. Carrier.
A handful of players on the team.
Banks and Aspen.
Adele and her husband.
My friend Lacy flew in from New York.
About sixty people, which is more than we wanted but not a single person we felt like we could leave out.
And it’s the best day of my life.
Joey looks adorable in his little tuxedo, and West—holy shit, can that man rock a tux. It’s a back yard wedding but we opted for formal. Because we can. Because we wanted a nice mix of fancy andcasual: Fancy clothes, casual setting. There’s gourmet food, a champagne fountain, and a huge cake. We asked people not to bring gifts but some did anyway, and my heart is so full it might just explode.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about, angel?” West asks, sliding an arm around my waist.
“How perfect this is.” I lean into him.
“It is.” He kisses me and we smile at each other. “I’m just sorry I can’t take you on a honeymoon until hockey season is over.”
“That’s okay. I’m excited for you and the rest of the team.”
He looks around for a moment and nods. “Yeah, turns out moving to Atlanta was the absolute best decision I could have made.”
“I’m really glad you did.”
“Hey, guys, are you ready to cut the cake?” Holly asks.