Epilogue
One month later…
The wedding venue was getting crowded, Kaia thought as she perused the crowd gathering in the gardens of the Viceroy Hotel in Solana Beach, where Hunter and Emmalyn were about to tie the knot. She'd been sent to check on the timing of the ceremony while Emmalyn and Lexie were touching up their makeup in the dressing room. The wedding planner had told her they were about fifteen minutes away from starting, and she could see some of her friends beginning to take their seats.
"Nice dress," Ben said, coming up behind her.
She smiled at her brother, who was one of Hunter's ushers. Unlike his usual look of faded, ripped jeans and a T-shirt or jacket, he was wearing a black suit with a maroon tie. "You clean up pretty well, too."
He gave her a wry smile. "Can't wait to get out of this thing."
"I'm glad I ran into you. What's the latest on Dad?"
"I just talked to him this morning, and his friend, Bill Sharp, is going to move into his second bedroom. Bill needs a place to stay with reasonable rent, and Dad could use a roommate."
"I still can't believe you got him to agree to that." They'd been trying to figure out a way to get their dad more help and companionship without making him feel like he was weak or a burden, and that had been a tremendous challenge.
"Well, Warren played a big role," he said, referring to his father's neighbor. "All three of them served together, and he told Dad he'd be doing Bill a big favor, that Bill had little money, and he needed someone to look out for him."
"And what did Warren tell Bill?"
"That Dad needed someone to look out for him, and that he could use a roommate."
"They both get to keep their pride," she said with a laugh.
"And look out for each other. It's a win-win-win, the third win being us. We don't have to worry about him being alone."
"It's a great resolution to his situation. Thank you for making that happen, Ben."
He shrugged. "I'm glad it worked out. How are things going with you and your new roommate?"
"Jax is not living with me—at least, not officially," she said with a laugh.
He grinned back at her. "This is the first time I've seen one of you without the other in a month."
"It's been a crazy, wonderful whirlwind," she said. "It's funny how you meet people in the strangest ways. If Walter hadn't walked in front of Jax's car, if I hadn't been right behind him…who knows if he would have ever spoken to any of us?"
"He would have eventually gotten there. Now, it doesn't seem like we can shut him up."
"Jax is loving his new life." Without the burden of secrets, Jax had realized he could be himself, and the response to his easygoing charm was very positive. He had also started playing at their impromptu gatherings, sometimes jamming with her brother, who also liked to play the guitar.
"He told me he's thinking about playing professionally again."
"He's working on some ideas. Mostly, he's just writing songs and creating an album that may or may not go anywhere, but he's enjoying the process again."
"I'm glad. He's very talented, both singing and playing. What about Wren? Has he talked to her? I saw some new tour dates for her coming in the fall. I guess she's going to go it alone now."
"They've spoken a few times. She and I actually had lunch the other day."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really? What was that like?"
"It was weird at first, but as we warmed up to each other, the tension lessened. I don't think she's used to talking to people who don't care about her fame or want anything from her. She did tell me that I should hang on to Jax, because he's a great guy and one of the best men she's ever known."
"Is she still clean?"
"So far so good, but I'm sure it will be a lifelong challenge for her." She paused as she saw Jax and the wedding planner walking to the guitar set up next to the arch. Emmalyn had asked Jax to play at the wedding ceremony, while a band would take over the reception. "Looks like we're getting close to starting."
He nodded in agreement as his gaze swept the crowd. "It's nice to see everyone here."
