Always and Forever
Page 18
We finally opened presents and had dinner. Everyone seemed to be crying today and I couldn’t count the number of hugs I received.
I was happy, though. I loved Micah and every single one of these people.
We brought in the new year at our apartment with Talon and Mallory. We could go out, and party and the guys were even offered a gig. We just chose to stay home, drinking beer while Mallory sipped sparkling cider. Our parents were at Rick and Irene’s with friends doing their thing. We were meeting for lunch tomorrow over there.
Midnight hit and Micah pulled me into his arms. He claimed my lips in a kiss and gripped my hair as I moaned against him. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
Epilogue
Micah
I leaned over the deck, breathing in the ocean air. The summer here was amazing, and I gazed down at the private beach. Talon and Mallory were down there, with Ryan tucked safely under an umbrella for shade. He was three months old now and a gorgeous mix of his parents. The entire family doted on him, and they even had people down there right now watching him sleep.
We were here for their beach wedding, which was tomorrow. The entire family was staying in the house, and it was just an intimate ceremony with a few people that traveled to see them exchange vows and us. They decided to get married after she had Ryan, and this was the perfect place. The wedding was just before the sunset and close to the water.
I was happy for my sister. She had a great guy that treated her like a princess and a baby that she adored. She admitted that it wasn’t easy to keep up with motherhood and working, but we all supported her. Talon started giving guitar lessons in addition to working at the store, and they were ahead of the game.
The house ended up being perfect for us. It was big enough for everyone with the bedrooms, and the chef kitchen had been used many times to cook great meals. We ended up buying another big grill with all the bells and whistles for the deck and lots of cookouts.
I felt arms wrap around me and smiled as I inhaled Keller’s scent. “Hi, baby.”
“It looks like everyone is having fun down there.” He kissed my bare shoulder, and I nodded. Talon was chasing Mallory to the water, and she screamed as she ran right in. “She’s so happy.”
“The happiest I’ve ever seen her. It’s great.” I smiled as my sister wrapped her arms around Talon as they moved deeper into the water. “When do you want to get married, baby?”
We put off ours so Mallory could have the baby and then plan her wedding. It was no problem since we were thinking about something in Colorado.
“Mom offered her place. Maybe this year before it gets cold or even next Spring. I know you’re mine either way.” He moved beside me and slipped an arm around me. “Would you rather do a beach wedding? We could do that soon.”
“Let’s just get through this weekend. We’ll figure it out.” We watched the waves roll in, and our family enjoy the beach enjoying a quiet moment to ourselves.
“I can’t believe we own this,” Keller said in wonder as I pulled him close to me. “Well, in part. Your dad is the best for doing this.”
“He did it for him as much as us. You know they sneak over here when Evelyn can watch over Olivia.” I smiled and looked over at him, taking in how gorgeous he was. “I love you.”
“I love you. I’m so happy.” He kissed me, and I pulled him close. “What time is dinner tonight?”
“It’s four now, so I guess in a couple of hours. Everyone is going to be here, and Mom and Evelyn will be working magic in that kitchen.” We were making it a rehearsal dinner and just a gathering for the night before. The women already did so much to get ready for tonight but allowed the wedding to be catered so they could all enjoy the day.
He slipped his hand down to mine, and I gazed at him. “We have the house to ourselves.”
“You want to do it right here?” I asked as he chuckled.
“Let’s go inside and get to our room, maybe the shower. I haven’t had a lot of time with just you.” Keller gave me the dark-eyes gaze that he knew I couldn’t resist, and I let him pull me into the house. We ran upstairs and to our room at the end of the hallway. We locked the door, and I pulled him to the bed, kissing him deeply.
“Nobody can see us, but we should be fast,” I told him, tugging at his board shorts as he shimmied out of them. I wrapped my mouth around him, and he moaned as he slid his hands into my hair. We made love hard and fast and relaxed on the bed in silence, just enjoying the moment. “The calm before the storm,” I whispered as I pulled him close. “In just a bit, this house will be overrun and we’ll be with family until the day after tomorrow.”
“Why don’t we get away by ourselves? We can go somewhere tropical and catch up on lost time. I feel like we’ve been so busy since we got the apartment. Everything just kind of built up.”
He kissed me gently. “I think that sounds great.”
“We’ll book something tonight before bed if we have time. This place is going to be crazy.” I heard the sound of voices and then the doorbell, groaning as I buried my face into his neck. “Damn it.”
“This is going to be a great weekend, baby. I can’t wait to see Mallory get married. She deserves all this, and we will be in this room all alone every night. We’ll make every second count.”
The following day, I watched my sister walk down the beach in a flowing white dress that dragged behind her bare feet. She looked beautiful, with her hair a dark red and curly with flowers in it. Mallory was smiling as she approached Talon, and I watched her before looking to the left at my new brother in law. Ryan was sleeping in Evelyn's arms as she looked on, wiping tears away along with the rest of the women.
I never thought we would be here and certainly not this soon. My sister was a mom and, in moments, a wife. I gazed at Keller as he sat by Jill and smiled. I never thought I’d love someone the way I do Keller. Next time we were at a wedding, it would be ours.
We stared at each other for a moment before I watched my sister exchange vows with Talon, giving him her heart forever.
I knew where my heart was.