The Christmas Romance Wish (Love, Laughs & Mystery in Coco Key #5)

Epilogue

Alex is behind the wheel of his Sprinter van which is set up for camping. We just left Utah and crossed the state line into Wyoming. It seems odd to go north to get to the south, but this is our honeymoon road trip.

We have everything we need to get to Coco Key. Sweet and salty snacks? Check. A killer playlist with me in charge of the radio? Check. A few fun stops planned along the way? Check.

As we pass snow-covered fields and mountains in the distance, I say, “I’m finally looking forward to a belated Christmas in the tropics.”

“Tired of the cold weather?” Alex asks.

“No. I’m your winter girl. It’s more like even though that’s where I grew up and it’s a beautiful, special place, I finally have a place to call home.”

I now understand what it means when people say home is where the heart is. But that’s only part of the story. With the love I have for this man, I know we could survive anywhere—including a winter day stranded on the side of the road. Also important is thriving, and I found my place—the ranch, Holidayle, and the community there. I felt instantly drawn, rooted, and like I can breathe again .

Alex glances at me and then returns to the road.

“Home is Eaglewood Acres, so long as you’re there,” I say.

He whoops. “I’d turn this van around and take us back, but I’ll admit that I’m tired of the snow. I could use a break.”

“But only for a week because we have some writing to do.” In light of our getting married and the various weather-related challenges we’ve faced, my editor gave me an extension on Alex’s book.

As we cruise across America, we don’t go too far off the interstates, camping in Wyoming and Nebraska before finally stopping at a hotel in St. Louis. We do a little sightseeing, most notably checking out the Arch before spending a full day exploring Nashville’s musical history and going on a food tour, sampling popular dishes from several prominent restaurants. We stay at the romantic Hermitage Hotel. The next day, we press on to Atlanta. There we check out a botanical garden and visit an aquarium.

Heading through Florida, I reflect on all the miles we’ve covered. My favorite stops have been the RV parks. The people are so friendly and helpful. They’re quaint and quiet, often family-run, and make me think about mine and the one I’d like to start with Alex.

I say, “While there are things I love about cities, I realize that now I’m just a visitor. I appreciate the restaurants, shops, and cultural stops, but I’m craving the country.”

“We’ll be back before you know it. And if you need a little excitement, there’s always skydiving.”

“Is there anywhere else you want to stop before you meet my family?” I ask.

“You say that like I ought to be having second thoughts.”

“My brothers are a lot.”

Alex tilts his head, thinking. “Nope. I’m excited to meet your family, see where you grew up, and put my feet in the water.”

Biting my lip, I say, “There’s one more place I’d like to stop before we get to Coco Key.”

“Anything for you. ”

“You might not like it.”

“Try me,” Alex says, a great sport about hitting some boutiques and shops as we’ve traveled south.

“I don’t know if it’s your thing.”

“You’re my thing so whatever you want.”

“Disney?” I say, more a question than a statement.

“That would be a full day stop and have us arriving New Year’s Eve night. How about we go there on the drive back? Don’t forget about that.”

“But I’m going to be over here finalizing the manuscript.” However, getting to Coco Key on New Year’s Eve night is later than my brothers are expecting. Puffing a sigh, I say, “You’re right. Let’s look at our itinerary for the way back and maybe we can squeeze it in.”

“You grew up in Florida, I take it you’ve been to Disney before.”

“Yeah. I’ve, uh, been there.”

Alex lifts an eyebrow. “Why do you say it like that?”

“No reason.”

“There’s a reason.”

“I’ve been there a few times.”

“So three?”

“Several.”

“The general understanding of several is more than two or three but not many.”

“Right. Not many.”

“Emmie, how many times have you visited Disney World?” Alex asks, deadpan.

I sink in my seat. I’m not ashamed, but he’ll know the request to stop is because I’m getting nervous. “I’ve been there umpteen times,” I mumble.

“Fourteen?”

“Umpteen.”

“How many is that? ”

Okay, I can’t keep this from him. “I’ve been to Disney seventy-four times.”

He almost swerves the van.

I add, “Not including Epcot and some of the other properties.”

“You were a princess. That’s why you’re nervous for me to visit because as soon as you step into the palace, the crown will appear and I’ll—” Alex pulls off at a scenic viewing area.

“What are we doing here?”

Silently, he gets out of the van and opens my door. Wrapping his hands around my waist, he helps me down. Without a word, he takes my hand and guides me to a vista of a broad marsh, dotted with saw grass and cattails. A stork wades in the shallows and stares at us for a long moment.

Alex turns to me and says, “Emmie, I made a vow to you. Nothing is going to scare me away. Not an overbearing family. Not your past princess life. This is our story now. We’re costars.”

I sink into his arms, a refuge, home. Even though I helped design the Marry Me app, nothing could’ve prepared me for this kind of love and connection.

He whispers into my ear. “You’re mine and I’m yours. Always.”

Having heard the entirety of Alex’s military career and seeing him in action with the guys, I didn’t expect him to have this soft side, but I like that it’s reserved just for me.

We get back on the road and spend the night in Fort Lauderdale. We take a sunset gondola trip and dine at one of my favorite Cuban restaurants. When I was a kid, Chip used to come up here for business and we’d stop in and get the same sandwich.

I tell Alex a little more about the mysterious will Chip left my brothers.

“Now that sounds like a page out of a work of fiction,” Alex says.

“I’d expected nothing less from Chip than to send Magnus, Royal, Ryan, and CJ on a treasure hunt, but so wrapped up in work, I didn’t think much of it.”

“What about you? Any businesses to repair? Crowns to recover?” he asks, indicating the will.

“He left me with the commission to write his story, including the outcome of my brothers’ search for the treasure.”

“How’d that turn out?”

I half-roll my eyes. “You might say my grandfather’s insistence on the reality of the crown and CJ’s belief that our parents were still alive is what drove a wedge between them all. From what I’ve gathered, the will brought them back together. I doubt they found any treasure though.”

“No?” Alex asks with an air of disbelief.

“I was the princess and the boys were the pirates. We were all characters in Chip’s feature film—playing our roles. I suppose, in his mind, he didn’t want to let that go.”

“And how about now?”

“Remember earlier when you said nothing would change our status?”

Alex sets down his fork. “I stand by that.”

Pushing my plate away and sitting up straight, I prepare to tell him the last truth I’ve kept to myself. “Remember in the parking lot when we were talking to Tad?”

“And you gave him the business?”

“I mentioned that I’m fungible. I do not have a fungus. What I meant was that my grandfather also left me his fortune and some properties. Chip left the ones on Coco Key to my brothers, but he had a major portfolio, including Almeida Enterprises. In the financial world, it’s kind of a big deal. It’s taken me a while to accept it, but I finally understand my grandfather’s legacy.”

Alex’s eyes widen.

“And before you say anything about how I’m spoiled, I’d like to use it to help keep your land and the Holidayle Sleighbell Lakeside Hotel from falling into Tad Tobin’s greedy hands if necessary. ”

“I wasn’t going to say you’re spoiled or criticize you, Emmie. It’s honorable you want to help out. But remember the thing we talked about early on about nonfiction and truth? Is there anything else I should know?”

Nodding, I say, “Yes. There is one more thing. I was crowned Miss Manatee when I was eighteen.”

His dimple plays peekaboo. “Is that a Coco Key thing?”

“Very much so, but that means I do actually have a crown.”

We both burst into laughter.

The next morning, we’re awake at sunrise. After a quick breakfast, we cruise past Miami before rush hour traffic. Soon, we leave the mainland. Turquoise water and white sand brackets the road on both sides.

As we span bridges and go through the Keys, memories pop up and I tell Alex stories from when I was younger.

When we pass the Welcome to Coco Key sign, bedecked in Christmas swag and bells, something stirs inside and it’s not the dread that I usually feel when I come back here. It’s more like something draws me in instead of repelling me.

To my surprise, most of the buildings have been repaired from neglect and storms. The post office slash town hall slash police department is freshly landscaped and has candy cane decorations with blue bows out front.

Like the tour guide on the Jolly Trolley, I point out places of interest. “There’s the church with its Nativity scene—I helped paint it. That’s the Treasure Chest. They sell everything from souvenirs to plungers to paperweights to oil pans.”

“A general store.”

“You can also get pink plastic flamingos there.”

“That’s very specific.”

“Looks like Rosalie fixed up Island Blooms.” I tell him about the florist and her ginormous family. “The women all have names that begin with variations of Rose. Rumor has it they also operate the Coconut Wireless...which is also in the business of rumors. ”

“Then I shouldn’t say anything incriminating in front of them.”

“Not unless you want it repeated.”

We pass a restaurant that looks like a pirate ship. “That’s the Plundering Pelican. The last time I was here, it looked like it had been plundered. I’m guessing the Owens family sold it or fixed it up. Last but not least, that’s the Sip & Scoop. My brother and his wife own it now.” Both are outrageously decorated for Christmas and New Year’s with lights, tinsel garland, clusters of sparkly balls, oversized presents, and, of course, some island flair with surfing Santas and neon lights around the palm trees.

“I could go for some ice cream, but first—” I go quiet.

Alex slows the van as a crowd of people stands in the street outside Beans & Books, a new coffee, chocolate, and bookshop, holding a banner sign that reads Congratulations!

They throw confetti at the van, clap, cheer, and hoot.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say we’re at the start of a parade.”

“I think this is for us.” Alex puts the van in park and cuts the engine.

We get out and my brothers and their families swarm us.

Isla, Royal’s wife, whom I met once briefly in New York, and now extraordinarily pregnant given her petite frame, hollers, “Family hug.”

Alex and I are sucked into the group like we’ve been here all along. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting this love bomb. My brothers are always happy to see me, but this is something different, something new.

Everyone is talking at once, asking about the wedding and the honeymoon road trip.

Harley, Ryan’s arch nemesis and now his wife, asks, “Are you hungry, thirsty, need to sit down?”

My brow furrows. She’s never been this nice to me and she’s also pregnant, so I feel like those questions would be better directed at her.

“I’m good. Glad to get out and stretch.” I’m about to introduce everyone to Alex, when Isla, who is like a one-woman town welcoming committee, gushes about how happy she is for us.

“Who would have thought that all the McGregor siblings would be married? Alex, if Emmie didn’t warn you, you’re now part of a crazy family.”

“More like eccentric,” Royal says.

“Enthusiastic,” Ryan adds.

“Excellent,” Magnus corrects.

I shake my head. “Nope. Crazy.”

Isla bounces and says, “Okay, so Alex, get ready to take notes. I’m Isla and am married to Royal. Yes, that’s his real name.”

“I thought Emmie was the princess.”

“Technically, Lola the Sassy Sea Cow is the Queen of Coco Key, so the role of the princess would be occupied by her manatee pups,” Harley says.

“The Sassy Sea what?” Alex asks.

Gripping his upper arm, I move us away from the dock. “She’s been known to splash.”

Isla continues, “Royal and Ryan are twins if you couldn’t tell. And we’re having twins. Royal and me. Not Ryan. He’s married to Harley and they’re also due to have a baby soon.”

To his wife, Royal says, “So far, you’re doing better than the last time you introduced us. I was Mr. McGrumpy.”

“And I was the flirty athlete and not necessarily seen as reliable.” Ryan holds an adorable one-year-old in his arms. Something I never thought I’d see. I’d dubbed him as least likely to be a dad, so things do change.

“The first two parts are still true.” Harley pecks her husband on the cheek.

“Don’t forget about Magnus and Lally,” I say.

“Yes, the vet and the vet,” Isla says.

My oldest brother and Alex shake hands.

“What about me?” CJ opens his arms wide for a bro hug with Alex .

“Ah, yes. The youngest of the brothers and the wild card,” Isla says.

CJ introduces a beautiful woman named Jolie who kisses Alex and me on each cheek in the European style of greeting.

“That’s just about everyone. Magnus, Lally, and their dogs.” I point to the pack of canines. “Royal and Isla, Ryan, Harley, and Luke. And of course, CJ and Jolie,” I say, offering a recap in case names and faces got lost in the chaos.

“It’s nice to meet you all and thank you for the warm welcome into the family.” The depth of meaning in Alex’s tone tells me that finally having a big wild family is his Christmas wish bonus.

“But you haven’t met everyone,” CJ says.

My heart does something funny. No, I suppose Alex never will meet everyone—not our parents or Chip. Something strange happens to a family when the elders are no longer with us. Roles change, but no one can ever replace them.

As if sensing the combination of overwhelm and incredulity, Alex takes my hand. His grip is firmer than usual, but I’m not going to run off to my room or Hidden Hammock Beach—my escape when I was younger.

The crowd surrounding us parts until I have a clear view of Beans & Books. “I could go for a pick me up right about now. I wonder if they have peppermint mochas.”

My brothers and their wives fall into lines on either side of us forming an aisle. To Alex, I say, “I do wish they’d been at our wedding and I’d been at all of theirs. But there’s still time to celebrate.”

He answers, “After all, it’s New Year’s Eve.”

But instead of everyone offering more congratulations, two figures emerge from the books and coffee shop. They’re older and also holding hands. It’s strange because it’s like my family almost funnels us toward them.

I blink a few times because they look somewhat familiar. Tilting my head, I wrack my brain, thinking about all of Chip’s friends, but they’re a bit too young. Could be newcomers to Coco Key.

“Emmie,” the woman says.

Her voice is strangely familiar.

The man repeats my name. His low tone is also one I’ve heard before, but I can’t place where.

Then my gaze floats across my brothers’ faces, their statures. The slope of Royal’s nose. The cut of Magnus’s jaw, Ryan’s eyes. CJ’s mouth.

My heart goes still.

“Mom? Dad?” I ask.

Everyone nods.

No sooner do my parents race toward me, do I hiccup.

My mother wraps her arms around me tightly like she may never let go. My father wraps his around the both of us. Soon, I sense another group hug happening, but my busy brain races and tries to take flight, desperate to make sense of what’s happening.

My mom and dad are alive? CJ was right? My family is whole again?

This must be a dream or a figment of my imagination.

A hand lands in mine and slowly draws me free. “She might need to breathe, guys,” Alex says in an even tone.

Magnus must recognize this too because he gently has everyone give us space. If it were up to Isla, we’d probably stay in the big family hug all day.

I have so many questions, but before I can ask any of them, I hiccup.

“Are you okay?” my mother asks.

I nod.

Royal says, “This happens when she gets excited or nervous.”

“Or both,” I say around another hiccup.

“And if what the Coconut Wireless says is true, the only cure is a kiss,” Ryan teases.

“Ry, you can’t tell our mother and father?—”

But before I finish, my dad says, “ We’ve missed so much.”

“We are so sorry,” my mother adds.

Everyone filters toward the dock and the outdoor area that’s part of Beans & Books.

Still hiccupping, I sit down. “How long, where, what—?” I’m not sure what to ask first.

“It’s a long story, but we thought you should find out in person,” CJ says.

“Yeah, I’m glad you didn’t tell me over the phone.” Then I snap my fingers and hiccup at the same time. “Is this why you wanted me to come home for Christmas so badly?”

My brothers nod, looking more than a little sheepish, but I can’t be mad at them for not telling me sooner. I was the one who was reluctant to come back to Coco Key. Had my mother and father shown up on my doorstep, I’d probably have much worse than a case of the hiccups. No, this is exactly where and how it was supposed to happen—with all of us together, exactly where it started, during Christmas when we were visiting Chip and they went missing.

Magnus says, “Having mom and dad back was always your wish.”

“I don’t know what to say or think or feel. But wow. Mom, Dad, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Isla, Lally, and Harley appear with refreshments for everyone as my brothers and parents relay the treasure hunt and their rescue.

“It’s remarkable. All this time...” Tears well up in my eyes.

“We’ve been waiting to see you again,” my mother finishes.

“And not a day passed when we didn’t think about you,” my dad adds.

At last, a sob busts loose, along with more hiccups. I’m a crying mess, but my parents don’t care and draw me in for more hugs.

When I finally get myself together, I say, “I now have the ending for the biography Chip asked me to write.”

My brothers, except CJ, didn’t know about that and they ask questions. They tell me about the treasure hunt. Before I escape to words on the page, I want to live my real life, right here, right now.

Even though Main Street in Coco Key doesn’t see much traffic, Magnus suggests we move the gathering to the Driftwood. Isla and Royal arranged a family reunion-New Year’s Eve party on the grand lawn.

Before I leave the dock, a snuffle sounds from behind me. Lola emerges from the water. Her big eyes gaze up at me from her sweet face. Just like I did when I was a kid, I lie down on my belly on the dock and lower my hand. She flaps her flipper. I always wanted to hold onto it, or turn into a mermaid and explore the ocean with her. Instead, we brush hand to flipper. I apologize for the hiccups and thank her for being part of the family reunion—CJ did say she played a part in recovering the crown, but I’m not sure what’s fiction and what’s nonfiction—other than my love for all these people here, Alex especially. With a little swish of her tail, Lola disappears underwater.

“No fair, she didn’t splash you,” Ryan says.

He tells Alex about her water pranks while they walk up to the resort. Little Luke toddles between them, holding his daddy’s hand. Then he pauses and reaches for Alex’s to take. My brother, his son, and my husband span the road. Seeing Alex being so sweet with the little boy makes my heart swell.

Somehow though it doesn’t overflow. It just gets bigger. Maybe I’m not the Grinch, after all. Or am I?

My parents walk on either side of me before we find a place to sit outside the Driftwood. For the next few hours, I don’t let them out of my sight. My mom and I even use the ladies’ room together. Dad asks me loads of questions about my writing, keenly interested.

While I catch up with them, Alex and my brothers make their rounds, getting to know each other. Mostly, he talks to Magnus.

I’d seen loads of pictures of my parents, but was so young when they went missing, I never knew the nuances—the way my father looks at my mother. The different smiles she wears, each relaying something different: interest, excitement, warmth.

I also never considered how we’re alike, and the qualities we share. My mother’s voice and mine are remarkably alike. Dad and I have the same hazel eyes. When I look at both of them I see aspects of myself, which is totally new to me.

We talk for hours, through the sunset, while eating dinner, and well into the night. Still, the hiccups persist, which is getting annoying, to say the least.

But it’s not like I can break away for the cure.

Not until Isla announces the countdown to midnight is starting.

What a whirlwind of a day. Of a month. Of a year.

Thinking back, I never expected to be in Coco Key, and with this family that’s more than doubled in the last three hundred and sixty-five days.

We count down from ten as I think about the year ahead, but before I wander too far into the future, Alex’s arm is around me.

And when everyone hollers, “Happy New Year,” his lips are on mine.

The kiss is as good as the first, better even because now we’re fully a part of each other’s lives—past, present, and future.

My thoughts go silent. The bah humbugs hum. I pour all my love into this exchange at once simple, something we do every day, and a deep expression of my affection and appreciation for this wonderful man.

When we part, I take a deep breath. “And just like that the hiccups are gone.”

“Glad I could help.”

I lift my gaze to his, sparkling in the light as fireworks boom overhead. “You’ve helped me so much. Granted wishes, brought me home, showed me what love is. Thank you.”

He salutes me. “Just doing my duty, miss.”

“I prefer to be called Your Majesty, Princess, Royal Lady of the Circle of Mad Mojo, Order of the First Degree, Queen of Eaglewood Acres.”

We both laugh.

“You’ve helped me too. I’d never told the entirety of my story to anyone. I trust you, Emmie. That hasn’t always been easy for me.” He glances over his shoulder at everyone cheering on the New Year. “And now I have a great big family.”

Thinking of Alex with Luke earlier, I say, “Any thoughts about starting our own?”

His eyes brighten. “I’m ready when you are.”

“And now we have our story to tell.”

“I can’t wait to get to the happily ever after.”

“I think that’s the first line, how it starts.”

And we kiss again.