Page 70 of Just Like in the Movies
Epilogue
Llewellyn
We were married. Really, truly married now. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch, and now we were down at the park where Mike had first apologized to me to get our wedding photos done. It had seemed appropriate, since it was this place as much as any of them that had started us down to the road leading to today.
River looked adorable in his little tux, but not as adorable as his father. Mike stood to one side with the baby held face-out in front of him so out little boy could see all his family gathered around. It had taken almost two whole days of intense discussion, but we’d finally settled on River Dean West for his name, I’d be changing mine to West as soon as we were back home in L.A. so we’d all be the same.
Llewellyn West. Just saying the name in my mind made a thrill run over my skin. I wassolooking forward to the first time I got to sign something.
"Lew, focus!" Our photographer—Wulf, one of Mike's friends from L.A.—snapped his finger in front of me, then laughed when I jumped and blinked at him. "I don't think I've ever seen a couple so... besotted with each other."
"Besotted?"
"That's the only word for it. Now, last chance to add or delete shots and then we have to start taking the photos or we're going to be late back to the wedding supper."
Sighing, and with a glance for my new husband and our baby enjoying themselves over in the shade of a clump of trees, I took the list and glanced down it. "Looks fine." I really wished Maddie was here to be a part of this. To meet her great-grandson and play the grand dame during the reception.
"Good." He slung his camera bag over his shoulder and waved to his assistant. "Let's get you some beautiful memories."
Mike looked up as we got close. "We ready?"
I nodded and held my hands out for River.
"Nope," Mom said, swooping in to scoop him out of Mike's arms. "Wedding photos first, then family photos." She glanced back and forth between us. "In case of explosions."
"She has a point," Mike said.
"Yeah." The two families had been playing 'pass the baby' for the last two days and my arms really missed him. It was a good thing he was a social little guy, even at only four months. Also a good thing that both mine and Mike's parents had been frequent guests in our little apartment—with all the strangers around, I'd worried he'd be fussy, but if he got upset and one of us was busy, one of the grandparents would dive in and save the day.
Mike took my hand and kissed me quickly on the lips, and then we followed the photographer over toward the pond and the bridge over it. Kind of where it had all started, really—I could see the picnic tables we'd sat at that first night from our spot in the middle of the bridge.
"Smile, you just got married!" the photographer said and the camera clicked.
I glanced up at Mike, careless of the camera clicking away, and smiled broadly at him.
"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" he joked.
"No. Just thinking. I'm glad we got our second chance."
He laughed and cupped my jaw with his palm, ignoring the photographer's exasperation. "I'm glad you gave me one. Thank you."
"You're welcome." I kissed him then, the first in what I hoped would be a long series of happily married kisses. It had been a whirlwind year, but we'd still managed to get our happy ever after.
With pictures finished—including some with the baby—we piled back into the limo and the cars and headed off to the reception. Mike had insisted we go all out and, along with matching suits, we had a four tier wedding cake with custom figures on top, an open bar for the reception, and we were having the dinner and reception in the biggest hotel in Portland. I'd used some of my 'Maddie Money' to pay for things, Mike had used some of the money he'd gotten for his part in the Laydon action movie, and our families had also chipping in a little, though I'd put serious restrictions in place on how much they were allowed to spend.
My dream wedding.
I could hear soft music playing as we gathered for our entrance—like I said, we went all out. This was the only time I planned to do this, it was damn well going to be done right. We walked in to a swell of music and applause from everyone we'd invited. I saw Mrs. Costner sitting at a table near the kitchen, Mr. McAllister beside her.
"Mike." I elbowed him. "Mrs. Costner did make it to the wedding after all."
"Did she?" He craned his neck to look then I saw his eyes widen. "Her hand looks kinda high up on his thigh."
"You sure that's his thigh she's holding onto?" I countered and snorted a laugh when he choked. "Hey, those two are a hot item, you know." I swept him off to the front of the reception hall before his head exploded. We had a sweetheart table for three set up there, with our parents close by on either side to help with the baby.
"Oh my God, don't show me things like that anymore," Mike muttered under his breath and held my chair out for me.
I settled River on my lap and made him wave at his grandparents. "Where's the Moses basket?" I whispered to Mike.
