EPILOGUE
Six months later
Erin pulled the faux fur shrug around her shoulders. The December air carried a chill that was too cold for the simple white gown Erin had chosen to wear for this special day. She was thankful that Aunt Betty had agreed to let Erin borrow the warm wrap. Turning this way and that, Erin looked at her reflection in the mirror above her dresser.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Aunt Betty asked, coming up behind her. She smiled warmly at her in the mirror.
Erin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she met her eyes. “Good.”
Aunt Betty raised herbrows. “No jitters?”
Erin shook her and turned around to face Aunt Betty. “No jitters.”
Aunt Betty put her arms on Erin’s shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. “You don’t know how happy that makes me. I’m sure you two will make lots of good memories together.”
Erin was sure there would be plenty of wonderful memories. After six months of taking things slow with Logan, she had no doubts about marrying him. They’d spent the time since the fundraiser rekindling their friendship and uncovering their romantic feelings toward one another. Aunt Betty had agreed to watch the children every Friday night so they could go out for weekly dates, and when Logan finally decided to pop the question, he did so only after asking Samantha and Parker for permission first. He’d done everything right, and Erin couldn’t be more thrilled that this day was finally here.
The door to her bedroom opened, and Anne Marie’s head poked inside. Her eyes widened when she saw Erin, and she gasped. “Oh, my goodness.” She stepped inside the room and shut the door behind her. “Logan is totally going to cry when he sees you.”
Erin laughed. “What are you talking about?”
“You look amazing.” Anne Marie waved her hand at Erin. “He’s going to get choked up when he sees you.”
Erin brushed a curl back from her face. She really hoped Logan liked the way looked with her hair pulledback in a simple bun and her simple makeup. “You think so?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s going to be sweet.”
Sweet seemed like an appropriate word for today. They’d opted for a small ceremony in the backyard with just a small crowd of close friends instead of something grand. Erin imagined Logan standing under the flower arch they decorated for today. Her heart skipped a beat. “Have you seen him?”
A sly smile crossed Anne Marie’s face. “Yep. He looks so handsome, and you’re totally going to cry too.”
Erin’s mouth fell open. She turned to Aunt Betty, wide-eyed.
The woman nodded slowly. “You’re going to cry.”
Erin sighed as she plopped down on the corner of her bed. Great. She hadn’t even seen her husband-to-be and she could already feel the tears forming in her eyes. She pressed the backs of her fingers to them to wipe the tears away without smearing her makeup. She wasn’t crying because Logan was going to look handsome—though she was sure he was going to look amazing—but because she still couldn’t believe she was marrying her best friend.
By God’s grace, they’d been able to work through their past hurt and found a second chance in each other. Erin knew he was going to be a great husband and father to her children. She couldn’t wait until they said their vows.
“I’m so sorry I made you cry,” Anne Marie said,walking over to Erin. She rubbed her hand over her back. “That’s not why I came up. I’m actually here because everyone’s ready.”
Erin nodded and stood. She smoothed out the front of her wedding dress. “Samantha?”
“I had to bribe her not to walk down the aisle yet. She’s practically bouncing up and down at the back door.”
“And Parker?” Erin asked.
Anne Marie pressed her lips together as she smiled. “He’s having a heart-to-heart with Logan. I only heard a few snippets, but it was adorable. He’s going to be a great dad.”
The tears were back. Erin waved her hands in front of her face to keep them at bay. She was too afraid to ask any more questions, or really speak at all, for fear that the tears would transform into full-flown crying before she’d even left her bedroom.
“Are you ready?” Aunt Betty asked.
Erin dabbed her eyes once more and nodded.
Anne Marie led the way down the stairs, keeping a lookout as they made their way into the kitchen, to make sure no one saw the bride before they were supposed to.
“Finally,” Samantha said when she spotted Erin. “I’ve been waiting for forever.”
