Merry with a Brewmaster (The Love Beach Holiday Collection)

Epilogue

WELLS

EASTER

“ E verybody ready?” I ask as Haven and Vienna stand together in the kitchen with Easter baskets in hand. The sun is shining but it’s deceiving as it’s an unusually cold spring day, especially with the breeze off the ocean.

“Yes!” Haven cheers and Vienna grins, bopping the pom-pom on my daughter’s hat.

“Why don’t you girls go get in the car. I forgot something upstairs,” I say, earning a suspicious look from Vienna, but she doesn’t press, instead grabbing her gloves from the counter and leading Haven outside.

Jogging upstairs, I pull the small plastic bag from my closet and empty the Easter eggs onto the bed. I’d ordered them online, stuffing all but one with candy and other little trinkets for an egg hunt on the beach.

I smile as my gaze lands on the largest one.

It’s pink and heavier than the rest and holds a lot more than candy.

“Daddy! Come on!” Haven yells, and checking the eggs one last time, I put them back in the bag before heading to meet my girls.

The trip to the beach is quick, Haven chattering the entire time about everything and nothing. Her endless stream of commentary does nothing to settle my nerves, and as we park and climb out, it takes everything in me to act like this is simply the fun day I’ve made it out to be.

“Are you all right?” Vienna asks, sliding her glove off to press her palm to my cheek.

“I’m good, Siren,” I murmur, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm.

So good.

And in a few minutes I’ll be even better.

“Come on, you guys!” Haven whines as she waves her hands at us before taking off toward the water.

My smile is easy as the waves crash along the shore, my breathing easier as we go. It’s perfect, and with each egg I drop in the sand, I feel my heart beat a little faster.

“All right, you two,” I start, winking at Haven as her eyes flit over the sand, her lips curving up when she spots the egg before returning her gaze to mine. “Do you each have your baskets?” Vienna holds out her basket and pretends to stretch.

“No cheating,” Haven tells her and Vienna mock gasps.

“I would never!” I snort and then school my expression when Vienna glares at me. I love seeing her all riled up.

“Of course not,” I grin and she narrows her eyes. “On your marks, get set, go!” I call as Haven races up the beach, Vienna right on her heels, giggling as they bump into each other on the uneven sand.

Haven is on a mission, making quick work of snagging almost all the eggs.

Except for one.

“Haven is the champion!” I call out as my daughter races toward me, throwing her hands in the air and doing a little victory dance at her nearly full bag of treats.

“She’s ruthless, this one,” Vienna says, wrapping her arm around Haven’s shoulder and grinning down at her with so much love and affection it’s almost too much to handle.

“Did she let you get any?” I chuckle as Vienna hands me her bag, the contents including three small eggs and one large pink one.

Holding it in my hand, I let the bag fall to the ground as I pop the egg open and pull out a black velvet box. Vienna gasps as I drop to one knee, Haven now almost holding her up as she sways a little.

“What are you doing?”

“Making you officially ours.”

“Please say yes,” Haven whispers, her eyes filled with tears as Vienna pulls her against her chest.

“I’m gonna make him ask me first.”

“Deal.” Haven giggles without letting go.

I laugh, tears filling my own eyes as I take the ring from the box and reach for her left hand.

“I didn’t want to wait,” I admit, swallowing the lump in my throat so I can get through the rest. “ We didn’t want to wait. You’ve brought so much joy and happiness into our lives, Vienna, made our house a home even if it’s because you use every single pot and pan in the kitchen and subject me to impromptu dance parties.”

“You love it,” she teases and I nod.

“I do. And I want a lifetime of that and so much more. I want to do this forever, Siren. Will you marry me?”

“Only if you promise to wear the shirt.”

“I promise.”

She grins and I can only imagine what she has in mind for us.

And I can’t wait.

“Then, yes, Wells Reiser, I will definitely marry you.”

“And me?” Haven asks as I slide the ring on Vienna’s finger and stand.

“And you,” Vienna says softly, brushing her hand over Haven’s cheek, “because I loved you first and I knew it’d be forever,”—her gaze meets mine and she smiles—“that we’d be forever.”

I can’t argue with that.

And for once, I don’t want to, instead cupping her face and kissing her senseless, the way I plan to every day of our lives.

THE END