He sighs and shakes his head slowly. “I gotta hear you say it, babe. I am a lawyer, after all.”
“Yes,” I say, laughing and crying at the same time. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Adventure-Greg.”
EPILOGUE
Rose stares at herself in the full-length mirror. “I don’t mean to sound vain, but I really love this dress.” She turns left slightly and right, enjoying the sparkles coming off the sequins sewn into the bodice.
“Me too,” Amber says, standing next to her sister while holding out the side of her own gown. “This one’s not too shabby either.” She tries not to grin but fails, her smile practically glowing.
“It’d better not be, considering what you paid for it,” Emerald adds, nudging both of them out of the way with her hip to get a better view of her own fancy garb.
Amber steps between her sisters and wraps her arms around their shoulders, drawing them in close so they can stare at their reflections together. She sighs with happiness. “We look delicious. Like a giant pile of vanilla frosting.”
“You look like frosting,” Rose says. “I look like a mermaid.” She smooths down the white satin material that hugs her every curve. The months of vacation she’s spent with Greg, traveling the world, hiking up mountains and through forests, relaxing by the beach and sightseeing in cities, have both firmed up her physique and cleared her mind, preparing her for what’s ahead.
Amber rolls her eyes. “Stop bragging about your hot bod, would ya? Some people just had babies around here. We can’t all look like savagely tanned supermodels.”
“Yeah,” Em adds. “Fluffy dresses are better at hiding this stubborn baby weight.” She pats her tiny belly, hardly visible through the layers of embroidered white organza.
“And it’s good for showing off your ginormous boobs, too,” Amber says, poking at her sister’s cleavage.
“Hey, hands off the merchandise,” Em says, turning away. “I just got them all tucked in and now they’re falling out again.” She lifts out the top of her dress, checking to make sure there won’t be any wardrobe malfunctions at the big event.
“How much time do we have?” Rose asks, turning away from the mirror to find her makeup. “Should I put on my mascara now?”
“I don’t know,” Amber answers. “Are you done crying yet?”
Rose rolls her eyes and sighs, walking over to the window and pushing the curtain aside. “I want to say yes, but then this happens.” She gestures out at the view.
Amber and Em join her, looking beyond the glass to the front yard of their childhood home below. “Can you believe it?” Rose asks. “They’re all here for us.” More than two hundred brightly dressed guests mill about, sipping drinks and eating hors d’oeuvres.
“Look,” Amber says, pointing to a man wearing a tuxedo. “There’s my guy. Is he hot or what?”
“Yep. Almost as hot as my guy,” Em says, pointing to the tuxedoed man standing next to her sister’s fiancé. The girls can’t see their tattoos from up here, but Ty’s unkempt hairdo and Sam’s beard make them both easy to spot.
Greg’s more sedate look sets him apart, sending Rose’s heart hammering again. She never gets tired of looking at him and still can’t believe he’s all hers.
Amber pushes Em’s finger down. “Please. Don’t embarrass yourself. We both know who bagged the hotter babe in the Stanz family.”
Rose reaches between them and points. “Talk about babes . . . look at those adorable baby cakes.”
The three sisters gaze down at Amber’s and Emerald’s children all dressed in white. The tiny ones are in strollers being watched over by their three grandmothers—Carol, Barbara, and Sally. Emerald’s older daughter, Sadie, and Greg’s niece Linny are standing watchfully nearby, the two of them fulfilling the dual roles of flower girls and babysitters.
“Beautiful,” Emerald says. “Dammit, now I’m crying again.” She wipes away the happy tear that escapes, sniffing loudly.
“I thought our hormones were supposed to calm the hell down once the babies were born,” Amber says, dabbing at her eyes with a lace handkerchief.
“Look at our moms,” Rose says. “Can you believe it? They’re all in dresses and heels.”
“Better take a bunch of pictures, because this is probably the last time it’ll ever happen,” Amber says, chuckling.
“Maybe we should have spread our weddings out,” Em says. “Had three parties instead of one?”
Rose and Amber shake their heads together. “No, thanks,” they say in tandem.
Em grins and lifts her voice. “You’re right. One giant party to rule them all.”
Amber throws out her arms. “And then off into the wild blue yonder we go!”
Rose loses a bit of her good cheer at her sister’s words, backing up to sit on the edge of her bed. “Aren’t you guys at all worried about our futures?”
“What’s to worry about?” Amber asks, turning to face her. “You’re starting vet school an hour away, and Greg is going to be by your side the entire time working from the home office of that giant house he bought for you guys . . .” Amber shifts her focus to her other sister. “Em is getting her new home built a hundred yards from here that includes a studio so Sam can work at home; and Ty and I are going to run the Red Hot empire from our gorgeous condo in the city. But we’ll be back all the time . . . every holiday and long weekends too, I promise. Our futures are so bright we’re going to have to wear shades, babe.”
“Yeah, but . . . marriage? Are we crazy?” Rose looks at her sisters as a sliver of panic slips in. “I mean, think of all the years we’ve lived with women who never wanted to be tied down by men. Are we doing the right thing? Is it worth the risk, giving our hearts away like this?”
Amber sits on Rose’s left and Em sits at her right. Em is the first to speak. “I’m one hundred percent sure we are doing the right thing, and I haven’t even been on a vacation with Sam yet. You’ve traveled with Greg and Linny for six months. You know them almost as well as you know us, and vice versa.” Her voice softens. “And even after all that time, you still love them to pieces.”
“Seven,” corrects Amber. “Seven months. Don’t forget the month in the cabin.” She wiggles her eyebrows at Rose.
“Yeah, talk about putting the cart before the horse,” Em says, snorting with suppressed laughter.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rose asks, fighting the smile that memories of that trip always bring.
“If that wasn’t a honeymoon, I don’t know what was. All alone up in the mountains for an entire month, no kids, no responsibilities, a case of champagne . . .”
“Who told you about the champagne?” Rose asks, trying to sound indignant.
“Red. He said he gave you and Greg an early wedding gift—full access to his wine cellar—and an entire case of his best stuff was missing.”
Rose shrugs. “What can I say? We wanted to splurge a little.”
“Well, now you can splurge all you want, since you’ve got ten million bucks in the bank,” Amber says.
Rose frowns. “So do you and Emerald. But you know I’m not spending that money on champagne.”
Amber rubs her back. “I know, I know. I’m just yanking your chain. I know you have tuition to pay for and a future vet clinic to build.”
“And don’t forget about Brian,” Em adds. “We’re all chipping in to help him out with that therapy program.”
“I still feel terrible that he was having such a hard time and we never really bothered to get to know him,” Rose says. “The poor kid was in crisis just down the road from us.”
“That’s pretty generous, considering he burned your clinic to the ground and called you the b-word.” Amber snorts.
Rose gives her sister a scolding look. “We’re way past that at this point, aren’t we?”
“I know, I know. Yes we are.” Amber sighs. “I’m glad we’re helping Brian. He’s a good kid. Confused, but good down deep, thanks to Smitty being there for him all those years.
I just wish Smitty hadn’t left, though, you know? I feel like we drove him away.”
“No we didn’t, don’t be silly,” Em says. “I got an email from him this morning. He loves being in the air force. He’s bummed he couldn’t be here for our big day, but he’s having a ball. He said he’s found his true calling as an aircraft mechanic. And it was good for him to get away from all the stuff at his house. It was high time his parents started taking care of Brian for a change, and the only way they were going to do that was if Smitty left.”
“I miss him, though,” Rose says. “He’s been a part of our lives forever, and now he’s not here. Everything is changing so much.”
“He’ll be back. Everyone always comes back here,” Em says, walking over to look out the window again. “This place is special.”
“More than special,” Amber adds, going over to join her sister. “It’s heaven on earth. I love the big city, but I’ll never be fully away from here. This is where we grew up. It’s our one true family home. Our mothers and our fathers live here now and will always welcome us back no matter what.” She sighs with happiness. “It doesn’t matter how busy I get or how successful Ty and I become, there’s a lot to be said for unconditional family love. I’m never going to take it for granted again.”
Rose walks over to be with her fellow brides. “You’re right. No matter where we go, no matter how much our lives change, we always have Glenhollow Farms, the people who live here, and all the wonderful memories we made together.” She dries her last tear. “I think I’m ready to put on my mascara.”
Amber and Em turn, the three sisters facing each other in a circle. Amber speaks first. “A year ago, Red Hot walked into our lives and turned everything upside down. But I don’t regret it one single iota. I found the love of my life, started a family with him, and began a career that makes me feel amazingly accomplished and fulfilled.” She looks at Em and then Rose. “We all found these things. We’ve all started down paths to our adult lives, to our new futures. And we’re doing this together, just like we’ve done everything else. The miles that separate us won’t make a bit of difference.”
Rose nods. “Agreed.”
“Yes,” Em adds, lifting her chin.
Amber continues. “We were wrong to think Red, Cash, or Mooch had done something purposely to hurt our mothers all those years ago, and I’m glad we finally got to the bottom of everything.” She looks at Rose. “It doesn’t matter to me that some genetics expert doctor can tell from a photograph that you’re related to Darrell; like Red said, it doesn’t matter who donated the DNA that makes us who we are. The only thing that matters is that we all love each other equally, and that we want nothing more than to love and support one another.”
Rose nods. “And that’s exactly why those three men and Paul will be walking us down the aisle today, regardless of the fact that we will never have DNA tests done.”
“Exactly,” Em says. “They’re our family. And you’re my sisters.” She holds out her arms and the other two happily join her in a group hug.
“Damn. I’m glad I didn’t put any mascara on yet,” Rose says, pulling out of the hug and wiping at her eyes again.
Amber fans her face with her hand, looking up at the ceiling. “Me too. Holy moly, talk about emotional moments.”
“Did you hear that?” Em asks, her ear cocked to the window. “The music; it’s started.”
Rose rushes over to the dresser, grabbing the mascara. “Just give me five seconds.”
Amber checks her hair one last time and then lifts her bouquet from the large box by the bedroom door.
Emerald makes sure her bosom is completely contained within the confines of her bodice and looks up to grin at her sisters. “My boobs and I are ready!”
A knock comes at the door. “Come in!” sings Amber.
Red sticks his head in the room. His hair is neatly combed and slicked back. “Fathers of the brides here, checking to see if they’re ready.” The door pushes open farther and Mooch steps in past Red. “Better get down there quick before all the champagne is gone.” Cash is the last one to enter the room. He stares at the girls and smiles. “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Would you look at you three pretty girls . . . Angels in white.” He lifts a hand to wipe a tear away, his chin quivering.
Red’s voice is gruff as he elbows his bandmate. “That’s enough of that. Come on, ladies.” He waves his hand to hurry them along, the silver rings on his fingers glinting in the light. “There are three anxious guys downstairs worried someone might be changing her mind.”
Amber walks over first, pausing to kiss each of the three men on the cheek as she passes. “See you downstairs.” Her dress makes swishing sounds as she maneuvers around them.
Emerald is next. “If any of you see my boobs trying to escape, warn me before anyone else sees.” She kisses them on the cheeks as she passes.
Red holds his hand out to Rose. “Last but not least.” She slides her palm into his.
“Not by a long shot,” Mooch adds, putting his hand at her back as she walks by.
Rose stops, staring at the three men who are not her fathers but who love her as a daughter just the same. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Red asks.
“For being who you are. For being here for us today. For loving our mothers enough to forgive them.”
Red kisses the back of her hand. Cash leans in and kisses her on one cheek as Mooch kisses the other.
“There was nothing to forgive,” Mooch says. “Love like ours happens once in a lifetime, and it comes with bucket loads of understanding. We were young. Careless.” He touches her shoulder gently. “Just do us a favor and learn from our mistakes. Never walk away from something as good as what you have with the people you love.”
Rose pats him on the cheek as the warmth of his wisdom and caring flow through her. “I won’t. I’m ready.” She looks at each man in turn. “Walk me down the aisle?”
Mooch holds out one arm and Red holds out another while Cash opens the door wider. He grins and gestures out into the hallway. “Come on, family . . . it’s showtime.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elle Casey, a former attorney and teacher, is a prolific New York Times and USA Today bestselling American author who lives in southwest France with her husband, the youngest of her three children, and a bunch of cats, dogs, and horses. She writes in several genres, including romance, suspense, urban fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, dystopian, and action/adventure.
Elle Casey, Rose
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