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“That’s wonderful,” Daisy said, laying a hand on his cheek. “You deserve to be happy.”
“You make me happy, Daisy.”
“How ’bout we spend a while making each other happy?”
“When’s the next stop? I want off this train. Now.”
“We just left, silly,” she said. “But if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, you might be interested to know I got a sleeper car for this leg.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet. “What are you waiting for?”
They more or less ran to her room and ducked inside after hanging the “do not disturb” sign. She fell into his arms for one of those momentous kisses she’d been referencing. The kind that changed your life and that you could never, in a million years, get enough of.
“Please tell me we’re heading west,” she mumbled into his lips.
“So we can tell people we rode off into the sunset?”
“Exactly!” She laughed. “You know me so well.”
“I wanna know everything about you,” he said thoughtfully. “Starting right now.”
EPILOGUE—Three months later
The hospital waiting room brimmed with Parkers. Fragrance from congratulatory flowers overwhelmed the small area, and mylar balloons coated the ceiling.
Three months had passed since Noah had tracked down Daisy’s train and declared his love. In that time, she’d overseen the remodel for her space at Parker Place—that was what they privately called the strip mall—bought a house, launched her new brand, gotten engaged, and planned a wedding. Well, to be fair, her mom had done the lion’s share of the work on the wedding, but she’d helped.
Daisy paced the waiting room floor. The baby wasn’t due until next week. Emma was supposed to be good and pregnant for the wedding, not recovering from giving birth. And while Daisy worried a little about the ceremony, she was more concerned for her sister and soon-to-be niece. Dirk kept them updated with periodic updates, telling them what a champ Emma was and that it shouldn’t be long now.
“There’s no chance this will take two days, right?” Daisy asked.
“I hope not,” Kate exclaimed. “No, she should have it sometime today or tonight.”
“You’re going to have another cousin soon,” Lucy cooed to Connor, her two-month-old baby boy.
“I’m going to be a grandma again,” Sophie said.
“Great-grandma trumps both,” Nana said, proudly wearing a T-shirt that read, “Mom, Grandma, Great-grandma. I just keep getting better and better.”
“I feel like we were just here for Lucy’s baby,” Lizzie said. “We’ll be on a first-name basis with the staff soon.”
“How much longer do you think?” Bella asked. After her dad’s funeral, she’d moved in with Edward and Sophie and blended seamlessly with the family.
“First babies can take a while,” Lucy said. “But surely any time.”
After what seemed like forever, Dirk came out to announce the arrival of Hannah June Davidson. Emma’s baby. Daisy swiped at the happy tears. Emma had wanted this for so long, and Daisy was over the moon excited for her.
Everyone took a quick turn to congratulate Emma and introduce themselves to Hannah. Emma’s day in the spotlight was short-lived though. There was another monumental moment for the Parker family just around the corner.
* * *
Two days later, the Parkers were gathered together again. Beautiful fall mountains made a lovely backdrop for the wedding. Every shade of red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves engulfed the log cabin at the base of the Smoky Mountains. And the October sun bouncing off the trees gave the impression they’d caught fire.
Sophie Parker had once again outdone herself, coordinating a day to remember. Everything was picture-perfect and meticulously organized. While the men welcomed and escorted guests to their seats, Daisy and her sisters lounged in a room designated for the bride’s family.
“Thank goodness you gave up the idea of hiking to the top of a mountain for your wedding,” Kate said.
“Well, between Noah’s best man being in a wheelchair and three of my sisters having tiny babies, I figured that wouldn’t be feasible,” Daisy said.
