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His smirk eased the hurt in my chest, flooding me with happiness I’d never thought existed. “So what about meeting me barefoot on the beach to repeat our own vows?”
I released a slow exhale, taking back that curse I’d rained down on my sister’s head. “A thousand times, yes.”
Micah half-rolled off the bed, grabbed his slacks, fishing for something from the pocket. He returned, brushed his lips across mine, gentle yet searing. “Next week?” he murmured, zero trace of teasing in his voice as he slid an engagement ring onto my left hand.
A tear slipped down my cheek as I nodded, unable to speak or chide him for the ridiculous size of the diamond.
“I’ll promise to honor and cherish you the rest of my life, Jasmine,” he stated with conviction, his dark blue eyes swelled with love and wetness.
I smiled through my tears and leaned up to kiss him, knowing I could trust my Sir.
Epilogue
Jasmine
It ended up being two weeks to the day that I met Micah on the beach as he’d asked of me. A borderline cool breeze blew in off the ocean, rippling my hair I’d left down to flow as free as the white sundress I wore for my wedding day. No shoes or sandals protected my feet from the sand.
Micah’s welled eyes studied me as Dad and I drew nearer where he stood with a Justice of the Peace, my mom, his parents, Sean and a plus-one, and Liz’s family. Dina was in Europe somewhere on her own honeymoon, but I hadn’t been about to wait an entire month for her to get home for me to take Fox as my last name until death parted Micah and I.
He’d put a ring on my finger, and I’d refused to give him time to back out. Not that he would. The man was smitten with me, same as I was with him, and we couldn’t wait. Didn’t want to.
Sure, we’d married quickly, but what about our whirlwind romance hadn’t been fast?
When you knew, you knew. Why waste time and put off starting our forever we both desperately wanted?
Sean’s flavor of the month sighed as I hurried past the two men. I couldn’t imagine Ron—or was it Rob?—would last very long. He was too much of a pushover. Micah’s little brother needed someone with a stern hand, a man who could say no to him.
But those thoughts could definitely wait.
The love of my life smiled at me as though I lit his world like the sun every morning shining over our bed through blinds he left open. Surprisingly, with his warmth beside me while falling to sleep, I rarely needed a night-light.
“Damn, Jasmine,” he murmured when I finally stood in front of him.
Dad handed me over, and I clasped both of Micah’s hands in mine with a death grip. Nerves fluttered my belly, but I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. We exchanged our vows while barefoot on the beach, fulfilling one of my dreams. I hoped to do the same with dozens more in the coming years.
The man officiating declared us husband and wife, and Micah swept me up into his arms, spinning me around, our mouths fused together. Liz had captured a picturesque image of us in that moment, sunshine glinting in my hair, a hazy-white aura around us, cradling us both as though the rays wrapped us in love.
I grew teary-eyed over the image she showed me on her phone once we celebrated in the basement of that Italian restaurant where Micah and I had gone for our official first date. I’d put on sandals and wore a sweater since the Indian summer’s sunshine couldn’t keep us warm.
We rented out the entire basement area but didn’t bother with any music beyond the Italian opera seeping from hidden speakers. At least there was a small bar area in the corner with someone manning the station for those of us who drank.
Liz’s older son ripped around the room, giggling as his daddy chased him. My conservative parents held glasses of water while Micah’s mom sipped on white wine. His dad held a tumbler half-filled with ice and amber liquid. He would end up in an early grave, but that was what happened when stubbornness ruled rather than better sense. At least Micah knew when to bend a bit.
His greatest act of loosening his hold on control had been in giving up trying to stifle his desire for me. He’d made a good choice, as had Dina, in gifting me her job.
I owed her one.
Maybe I would name my firstborn after her if we ever decided to have kids. That wasn’t something near the top of our to-do list. We wanted to enjoy each other without the added stress of responsibility for another little human for a few years. Neither of us cared either way if we produced a vomit and shit factory anytime soon.
But to eventually hold a tiny, smitten image of my love and smother it with affection?
I hadn’t hesitated to jot that item down undersomeday.
Sipping my wine, I studied my husband—God, I adored that word—as Sean got all up in his space, lips moving as always. I snickered and shook my head. Micah needed to just give in already.
“Never thought I’d see the day, Jaz,” Liz stated quietly.
I turned to find her studying me as she rocked side-to-side with my sleeping nephew. I set aside my wine and held out my hands.
