Page 188 of Holiday Hire

He rises and reaches for me. I take his hand and stand next to him. He says, "Let's go home, baby girl. After all..."

I arch my eyebrows.

"It's Christmas!" he shouts gleefully.

I laugh, wondering how this man, who loves me so hard, could ever have been put in front of me.

EPILOGUE

Alexander

Early June

"By the power vested in me by the great state of Texas, I now declare you Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Cartwright. Sir, you may kiss your bride," Santiago, the wedding officiant, declares.

I'm overflowing with happiness. I stare at my beaming wife, who's made a more beautiful bride than I could have ever imagined.

Her hair is in a French twist, curling around her face. Her fitted, white lace dress has a low back and a small train, perfect for the June weather. The sun shines over the lake, and our family surrounds us.

I reach for her and kiss her until her knees weaken, holding her close to me, and the others cheer loudly.

I pull back and realize I've never seen her look so happy. She lights up my life like she has since the first moment I saw her, even when I didn't realize it.

We walk down the pink carpet until we reach the end. The guests all take their turns giving us their congratulations and then we go into the tent.

The interior is dotted with regular tables and several tall cocktail tables. Music plays softly in the background, and my bride continues to beam as she talks to her mom.

A caregiver is with her, making sure she's okay. But since she got to Texas, the home we chose for her has provided better medical care. She's been allowed to leave more often with a caregiver, and it was a big deal to Phoebe that she was here.

The boys run up to us, each grabbing Phoebe's hands.

Ace exclaims, "We have a surprise for you!"

"Yeah, you're going to love it," Wilder adds.

Phoebe's eyes widen. "Oh, what is it?"

"You have to come with us," Wilder insists.

She looks at me. I hold my hands in the air, fibbing, "I don't know anything about this."

Her eyes narrow. "Why do I feel like you're lying?"

I wiggle my eyebrows.

She laughs. "Okay, where are we going?"

"Actually, you have to close your eyes," I say.

I take out a white scarf and tie it around her head, covering her eyes.

"Wow. I don't know if I should be nervous or excited."

"Be excited! Be really, really excited!" Ace answers.

"Yeah. You're not going to find this anywhere in the world. Well, very few places," Wilder adds.

She laughs again. It's both anxious and animated, and I love everything about it.

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