Page 85 of The Billionaire Love Match

EPILOGUE

six months later

When the knock came, Colt practically jumped out of his tux. He’d been expecting it, but was so anxious that his nerves were shot. The photographer followed him to the door. Though he’d been used to cameras following him, it still bothered him. Even for a day like today. He put his hand on the knob.

“Who is it?”

“Shut up and open the door, Colt.”

Still standing behind the door, he whipped it partly open, and heard a squeal. “Not all the way! You can’t see my dress.”

He chuckled. “Well, give me your hand, Casey. I can see that, right?”

“Yes, you most certainly can.” She stuck her hand through the opening and he kissed her fingers one by one. “Mm...that’s nice. Maybe a little too nice.”

“I can be really nice,” he said. “You’ll see.”

She giggled. “Colt, the photographer’s right there.”

“And I’m sure she understands. Does she look as beautiful as she sounds?” Colt asked the photographer. She nodded.

“You know, I’m kinda tired of you being on the other side of a door,” she said.

“We could open it, Boots,” he said.

“No! It’s bad luck. Just wait. You’ll see me in an hour.”

“A whole hour? I may not make it.”

He moved from kissing her fingers to kissing her knuckles, then turned her hand over and kissed her wrist.

“You better,” she said, her voice breathy. “So, um, Colt.”

“Yeah?”

She squeezed his hand. “I did something and you can’t be mad. Because it’s our wedding day, so I get a pass.”

“That sounds ominous. Casey, what is it?”

“I’m going to close the door and you turn around. I’ll wait right here, though, okay? Come back in a minute?”

“Um, okay.”

She squeezed his hand one more time. The photographer slipped through the door and out into the hallway with Casey, closing the door behind her.

Colt turned to see his mother standing near the other door.

He froze, his stomach feeling suddenly sour.

“Colton,” she said.

“What are you—how did you get here?”

“I flew. Casey invited me at our last little lunch.”

He knew he should have discouraged Casey from having weekly lunches with his mother. Colt hadn’t spoken to his mother since the end of the show. Casey kept insisting that family was family and worth loving, even if it was hard. Even if you needed very clear boundaries.

“I hope...I hope that’s okay,” his mother said. “I couldn’t stand the thought of missing my only son getting married.”

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