He kisses the top of my head, slow and soft. “It’s always perfect with you.”
As we lie there with the little Christmas tree glowing softly, I give a silent thanks to the creep who approached me in the coffee shop that day. Without him, I might never have met my soul mate.
EPILOGUE
Hope
The day after Christmas is calm and quiet, in a way that feels almost surreal after the chaos of yesterday. The tree still twinkles, the last crumbs of cookies are wiped away, and the clubhouse smells faintly of pine and cinnamon.
Frost, Mom, Paige, Amy, and I are gathered around the table with notebooks, pens, and mugs of coffee. Somehow, our morning gab session has evolved into a full-blown wedding planning session.
“Okay, so, when are we thinking?” Mom asks, looking at Frost and me with an amused smile.
I shrug, a little overwhelmed but secretly thrilled. “Maybe… summer? The weather will be warm, and flowers will be in bloom.”
Frost shakes his head immediately. “Nope. I don’t want to wait that long.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Frost grins with mischief in his eyes. “Valentine’s Day,” he declares. “That’s our day. Our wedding day.”
I laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. “Valentine’s Day? I love it.”
Amy leans forward with her elbows on the table. “Isn’t that… a little cliche?” she asks, eyebrow raised.
Frost glances at her, unimpressed, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Cliche is perfect for me,” I say, smiling at him. “Just like in one of my novels.”
He takes my hand across the table, squeezing it, and shakes his head. “No. Not perfect foryou… perfect forus.”
I blink, my chest tightens, and I realize he’s right. It isn’t just my happily ever after, it’s both of ours.
My parents cheer, Paige claps excitedly, and with a grin, Amy mutters, “Yeah, okay. I approve.”
Planning a wedding in a month and a half… What could possibly go wrong?
Frost
“Well, well, well. Look who’s in a fuckin’ hurry.” Chaos leans against the bar, grinning like an idiot. “Valentine’s Day? Damn, brother. You got her knocked up or you just whipped?”
Amy sneaks up behind him and smacks the back of his head.
“OW! Jesus, woman!”
“You deserved it,” she mutters.
Eagle crosses his arms. “Man’s in love, and he doesn’t want to wait. Never thought I’d see the day Frost would sprint down the aisle, though.”
Dad coughs into his fist. “Told you he’d fall first.”
“You done?” I ask calmly.
Chaos lifts his hand like a kid in class. “No. I have at least twelve more?—”
Eagle slaps his hand down. “Shut up, son.”
I look at all of them, my brothers, my family. They’re all loud, annoying, and nosy, but loyal to a fault. They might give me shit, but they know how happy Hope makes me.
