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Epilogue
Emma
“And now I’d like to say a few words.”
Standing on the front porch of Anna and Jimmy Girard’s farmhouse, my dad grinned broadly at Deacon and me. Next to me at the small table for two we shared, Deacon snickered.
“Is this where your father tells embarrassing stories about you?”
I elbowed my new husband in his ribs, making him goooof. “Behave yourself. There are no embarrassing stories about me. I’ve always been the model of perfection you see here before you.”
Deacon skimmed his lips down the side of my neck. “Em, I love you beyond the telling, and tome, you’re perfect. But the rest of the world probably doesn’t see either of us the same way.”
“Hmmm. Why is that, do you think?” I turned my head to smile up at Deacon. “Why can’t they see that we’re the smartest, the kindest, and the most amusing two people on earth?”
“I guess they’re just not looking with the same eyes we are.” His arm tightened around me. “Now shhhh. Dr. Baldwin’s talking.”
I rolled my eyes. “Suck up.”
Daddy cleared his throat again, and everyone quieted, turning their attention to him. “From a young age, Emma displayed a gift for medicine. Of course, I had hopes that she would follow in my footsteps, but when the time came to decide, she chose to become a naturopath. Many people asked me if I was disappointed about that. The answer is no. The only thing that could have disappointed me was if Emma had ignored her own instincts and desires in order to please other people . . . like her father.”
There was a wave of laughter throughout the crowd.
“Over the years, Emma has continued to forge her own path, make bold decisions, and give her mother and me every reason to be immensely proud of her. When she decided to leave her job in Philadelphia for a small country hospital, I knew that again, she was being true to her own journey. Seeing the life that she’s made here in Florida has been gratifying. Being in Harper Springs this past week, and being on the beautiful Girard farm today, has been a pleasure, as it’s given Candace and me the chance to get to know so many of the people who also love our daughter. Thank you for welcoming her, being her family here, and for loving her.”
I glanced around at the guests who had gathered today to celebrate our wedding. It felt as though the entire town had turned out—which wasn’t far from the truth. In addition to our Harper Springs friends and my extended family from Pennsylvania and Virginia, Jenny and Nico had flown down from DC. Noah had driven over from Tampa, as had Darcy, Jackson and their small son. Alison Wakely was here, too, which made me very happy; she seemed to love her family practice in Bayerton and was slowly starting to make a new life. Jonah, the nurse practitioner who had replaced Jenny, was also in attendance, along with all of the nurses and other hospital folks who could be spared. Quite a few were tag-teaming their duties to let as many people as possible come to the wedding at least for a little while.
This was my community, and I felt very loved and supported today.
“A special thanks to the Girard family, of course. Anna and Jimmy not only treat our daughter as though she’s always been part of their family, but they’ve hosted this beautiful wedding. I can’t imagine anything more perfect for our Emma and Deacon.” Daddy paused, his attention shifting to the man at my side.
“Deacon, I’ve liked you from the time we first met. I remember, though, talking to Candace shortly afterward. I told her there were a few things about you that bothered me.”
I felt the slightest bit of tension in Deacon’s arm, and I squeezed his hand in reassurance.
“I told my wife that you were very intense. Very focused on your role as a doctor. Very sure of yourself and of your own opinions. I said that your passion was almost overwhelming.” He waited a beat. “That was when my lovely wife snorted and said, ‘Frazier, you just described all the ways in which Deacon is like you.’”
I giggled along with almost everyone else. Next to me, Deacon relaxed.
“Candace also pointed out that your passion extends not only to the care you give your patients, but also to our daughter. There’s no doubt in my mind, Deacon, that Emma will always be your number one priority, no matter what. You will always be hers. And that’s as it should be. From experience, I can tell you that this intentional care will make for a long and loving marriage.”
Standing near the steps, Jimmy slid his arm around Anna and hugged her to him. I thought about all of the happy marriages around us and knew that Deacon and I were lucky to have so many examples of long-lasting love in our lives.
Daddy raised his flute of champagne.
“A toast! To the bride and groom. May their love weather the storms of time . . . and in their lives, may they have just enough clouds to create a beautiful sunset.”
Clinking glasses filled the air, and there were several shouts ofhear, hear!Deacon and I both sipped our sparkling wine. When he leaned over to kiss me, I tasted the sweet bubbles on his lips.
“Enough of that smooching. Plenty of time for that on the honeymoon.” Jenny led Nico over to join us, dragging up chairs to our table. “Which is going to be . . . where?” She arched an eyebrow inquisitively.
“It’s a secret.” I glanced at Deacon. “He’s been planning it for months, but he won’t even give me a clue. He just said it’s somewhere that we can both relax and forget about everything except each other.”
