Searching for Winslet (Fallport Rescue Operations #5)

Epilogue

TWO MONTHS LATER…

Jett fiddled with his wedding ring as he stared at his bride chatting with his parents and grandma. It had been a bigger wedding than he’d wanted. It had started out with just his family, Tammy and her broad, and Winslet’s mom. But there were too many people in Fallport he couldn’t leave out. Zeke and all the guys at Search and Rescue.

Weston and Haven.

Chuck and Renee.

Zeke had served as his best man. Tammy as the matron of honor.

And Chuck officiated the wedding, which turned out to be quite humorous.

“Hey, big brother.” Evelynn plopped herself on the barstool.

Holding a wedding reception at On The Rocks was an interesting venue choice, but Zeke insisted. And it was free, so who was he to argue. Besides, Zeke had been so many things to Jett and his family. No way would Jett say no.

“Hey, yourself,” Jett said. “Having a good time?”

“Hell yeah.” She lifted her wineglass and tapped it against his tumbler. “How the heck did you luck out with the likes of Winslet? She’s amazing.”

“I keep pinching myself, wondering when I’m going to wake up.”

“Don’t fuck this one up.”

He laughed. “I won’t. She won’t let me.”

“Good, because I’m keeping her.” Just then one of Evelynn’s kids came running across the bar, yelling something about what his older brother had done. “Shit. I better go find out what that’s all about since his father is too busy hanging on Chuck.” She smacked her forehead. “Does everyone have a man crush on that one?”

“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.”

“Ew. Gross.” Evelynn slipped from the barstool and chased off after her kids.

Jett caught Winslet’s gaze as she strolled across the room in her wedding dress. It wasn’t a traditional dress, although it was white. It was strapless, came to her knees in the front, and hung at her ankles in the back.

Oddly, she wore white sparkly tennis sneakers.

Whatever made the woman happy.

He couldn’t have cared less. If she wanted to wear jeans, he would have been fine with that. He just wished she didn’t make him wear a freaking suit and tie. That he could have lived without.

“Hi, husband.” She smiled.

“You like saying that, don’t you?”

She nodded, setting her water on the bar.

“Still not feeling well?” She’d woken the last few days with a sour belly.

He chalked it up to nerves. Meeting his family right before the wedding hadn’t been ideal. But she had been called to work a crime with the FBI. His sister had classes and couldn’t come down.

Things were hectic.

And his family could be a lot. Well-meaning. Kind. Generous. Loving. But ballbusters. The entire lot of them.

“I’m fine.” She leaned in and kissed his scruffy face.

At least she didn’t ask him to shave. He’d grown accustomed to his new beard.

“Then how about a glass of wine or champagne to celebrate?” He checked his watch. “We’ve been married now for over an hour.”

“Are you counting the minutes because you’re feeling like I’m the old ball and chain?”

“Never.” He jumped from the stool and eased between her legs, nuzzling his face in her neck, kissing the tender spot right under her ear. “I’m literally the happiest man in this room.”

“I don’t know. Chuck’s pretty giddy about making everyone laugh at our wedding. At your expense.”

“I’ll get him back for telling the story about how I fell off the ATV into a pile of mud and nearly lost the ring trying to propose to you.”

“I doubt that,” she whispered. “I believe he’s got something else in store for you.” She cupped his face as Chuck clanked his glass.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please,” Chuck said into a microphone.

“What’s he doing now?” Jett looped his arm around Winslet and braced himself for God only knew. Chuck had an arsenal of funny stories on everyone in this room.

Winslet included.

But he’d told all the good ones already on Jett, so he had no idea what this guy had up his sleeve.

Winslet shrugged.

“Winslet asked me to put together this little presentation for everyone,” Chuck said, pointing to a computer and then to Zeke, who was putting up a screen.

“Sweetheart, what have you done?”

“Just watch, honey,” she cooed, kissing his neck. A single tear dribbled down her cheek. She swiped it with a delicate finger.

“I had to reach out to Jett’s family for some baby pictures,” Chuck said.

Jett groaned. “Sweet Jesus. This is going to be embarrassing.”

“Hey, there’s some of me too.” She pointed to the screen as one appeared of her and her sister in some big bathtub. They were covered in bubbles and had taken markers or something and rubbed it all over the walls. And themselves.

More images of their respective childhoods flashed on the screen.

And then of them together.

It was honestly very sweet. It touched his soul in ways he didn’t expect. Winslet was his wife. No. She was his partner in life. His soulmate.

“This is the first picture of Winslet and Jett as man and wife,” Chuck said proudly. “And let’s all congratulate them as they embark on this new journey.” The image on the screen changed.

It was black and white. No. More black and gray. It looked like a blob.

He’d seen this before, though his brain couldn’t remember where, or what it meant.

“Raise your glasses,” Chuck said. “To Jett and Winslet and their new family.”

His breath left his lungs in one big swish. His heart jumped to his throat.

Everyone in the room erupted in cheers. His mother screamed something about being a grandma again.

But he wasn’t sure of her exact words because he was sure he had wax in his ears.

Winslet wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I know we talked about this for like in a year, but I guess this is what happens when I go off birth control and we aren’t always careful about?—”

“I know how babies are made.” He cupped her face. Tears burned his eyes. But at least they were happy ones. “I love you and this is the best news ever.” He kissed her hard. He didn’t care that half the room surrounded them, and this was definitely the kind of kiss that should be done in private. “I can’t believe you told Chuck before you told me.”

“That’s a funny story.” She pointed across the room. “Look.”

He tilted his head and laughed. Hard. “Well, shit. Renee’s pregnant too?”

“The only reason I told Chuck was because Renee and I took the tests together. They weren’t even trying. They were done. But when he caught us, I had to let the cat out of the bag, so Renee could surprise him, and this is what we came up with.”

He dropped his forehead to hers, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “You are going to be a fantastic mom. I can only hope I’ll be as good a dad.”

“Are you kidding?” She smiled so wide he fell in love with her all over again. “I wouldn’t have let you knock me up if I didn’t know you’d be the best.”

Jett had finally found home.

Thank you for taking the time to read Searching for Winslet. Please feel free to leave an honest review.

Grab a glass of vino, kick back, relax, and let the romance roll in…