Page 64 of Slow Kind of Love

Epilogue

They decided to get married as soon as possible and picked June 1st as the day to make it happen. Link rented a villa on Lake Como in Italy, not far from a town called Bellagio, and with the Alps as their backdrop, Elise couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful place to start the next chapter in her life.

She sat on the terrace her room, dressed simply in a sleeveless light blue sheath, that fell to just above her knees. With her hair falling in long waves, subtle makeup expertly applied by cousin Rose, and a single strand of pearls around her neck, she looked as beautiful as she Link made her feel.

She blushed, remembering his urgent words of love whispered in her ear the night before, when he’d snuck into her room, stripped her naked and showed her how much he loved her. Twice.

She glanced back over the lake and sighed. “How did I end up here?”

A soft knock brought her head around and she watched as Boone crossed the bedroom to join her. Her son was dressed in a pale blue dress shirt and cream slacks. They’d been in Italy for a week and it showed. Everyone was tanned. Everyone glowed. Everyone was happy.

Poppy. Benji. Heather and Reg. Rose.

She got to her feet and Boone smiled. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“Link’s dad is here.”

“I heard.” Link had stopped by the room, against Rose’s express wishes, an hour earlier. “I think Link is secretly pleased.”

“We might be grown men, but at the end of the day all we want is our parents approval.”

“Were you very disappointed in yours?” A knot formed in her throat and Elise glanced away.

“Dad was a mean son-of-a-bitch. But there were times he wasn’t all bad and I had you. You were the mom all the kids wanted. Not once did you ever disappoint me. I’m just sorry you felt you had to wait so long.”

“For what?” Puzzled, she turned back to her son.

“To find happiness.” Boone held out his hand. “Speaking of that, we need to head downstairs.” He winked. “It’s time.”

Elise slowly exhaled. She smoothed down the front of her dress and took her son’s arm. He lead her down the stairs of this grand villa they’d called home for a week. They’d stay two more days and would leave for Africa. Elise Avery on safari.

Elise Major.She liked the sound of that.

Their plan was to honeymoon for six weeks. First Africa, then New Zealand and Australia and then to Bali. They’d decided to split their time between Grove Manor and Crystal Lake, and with only a few details left to smooth out, her future was decidedly settled.

As Elise walked down the hall to the back garden where the ceremony was to take place, a moment of uncertainty washed over her and she hesitated in the doorway.

But then she spied Link waiting at the end of the path, there among a host of roses and lush greenery. Surrounded by her close family and friend, that slow smile she loved so much curved his mouth and he winked.

She realized the moment of uncertainty wasn’t so much about fear, but of feeling like she didn’t deserve all this happiness.

The moment didn’t last long. She smiled at the man she loved, held onto the son who meant the world to her, and as Benji furiously waved from his seat beside Poppy, she took one step toward that future. And then another.

And as the late afternoon Italian sun bathed her in light, she disappeared inside it, already saying the words that would change everything.

I do.

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