She considers this seriously. "You know what? It was better. It was real and messy and completely perfect."
"Just like us," Griff says, pulling me against his side.
"Speak for yourself," Logan rumbles. "I'm a paragon of organization."
"Says the man who's still wearing someone else's tie," Xavier points out.
"Minor detail," Logan dismisses.
As the last of the candles flicker and the lights cast everything in soft gold, I find myself curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace with my three husbands. The venue feels different now: not just Emma's wedding location, but the place where we finally stopped fighting the inevitable and started building something beautiful.
"So," Griff says, his fingers playing with my hair, "honeymoon plans?"
"Somewhere warm," I say immediately. "Somewhere tropical where we can lie in the sun and pretend this winter nightmare never happened."
"A cruise," Xavier suggests. "Multiple destinations, luxury accommodations, room service."
"Sold," Logan says. "When do we leave?"
"Just like that?" I ask, amazed by their instant agreement. "No debates about cost or logistics or..."
"Sweetheart," Griff interrupts, tilting my chin up so I'm looking at him, "we spent months debating and overthinking and nearly lost you because of it. No more debates. Your happiness is our only priority."
"Besides," Xavier adds with a rare grin, "what's the point of having money if you don't spend it on the people you love?"
I kiss each of them in turn: soft, sweet kisses full of promise and possibility. Outside, Pine Hollow is digging out from the blizzard that changed everything. But inside this circle of warmth and light, surrounded by the men who love me enough to fight for me, I'm exactly where I belong.
"I love you," I tell them, because the words never get old.
"We love you too," they chorus, and it sounds like a promise, like a prayer, like the beginning of forever.
The fire crackles in the hearth, snow continues to fall gently outside, and somewhere in the distance, we can hear the rumble of snowplows clearing the roads that will take us home.
But we're already home. We have been since the moment we stopped running from what we wanted and started building something worth fighting for.
Universe, I think drowsily as I settle deeper into their arms, you really outdid yourself this time.
EPILOGUE
XAVIER
The crisis call comes in at 6:47 AM on a Tuesday, which is exactly the kind of timing that makes me question whether the universe has a personal vendetta against people who try to run organized businesses.
"Dr. Blackwell," I answer automatically, because six years of emergency calls have conditioned me to assume that early morning phone calls mean someone is dying.
"Xavier, thank God." It's Miranda Castellano, the bride whose wedding is scheduled for this Saturday, and her voice carries the particular brand of panic that means I'm about to add "crisis management" to my list of Tuesday morning activities. "Our caterer just called. Their entire kitchen staff has food poisoning. Four days before my wedding. FOUR DAYS."
I sit up in bed, my brain immediately shifting into emergency mode while Logan and Griffin continue sleeping beside me. Savannah's at her early morning yoga class, which means I'm flying solo on this particular disaster.
"Okay," I say, reaching for the notebook I keep on my nightstand for exactly these situations. "Tell me everything. What caterer, how many guests, what kind of menu, and do we have any advance prep that's already been completed?"
"Bella Vista Catering. Two hundred guests. They were doing passed hors d'oeuvres, a seated dinner with three entrée options, and a dessert station. The prep was supposed to start today, but their head chef is in the hospital, and apparently half their staff called in sick overnight."
I'm already running through our emergency vendor contact list in my head. Miranda's wedding is one of our larger events this month, with a guest list that includes some fairly prominent local families. This is exactly the kind of crisis that can make or break a venue's reputation.
"Miranda, I need you to take a deep breath," I tell her, while simultaneously texting Logan and Griffin to let them know we have a situation. "This is exactly why we have contingency plans. Give me two hours, and I'll call you back with solutions."
"Two hours? Xavier, my wedding is in four days, and I don't have any food!"
