Zane (Halversons #8)

EPILOGUE

Kelsey smiled at the woman who approached the desk, a large coffee cup in her hand. “How’s it going, Eva?”

Eva covered her mouth as she yawned. “I’m still getting used to this shift.”

“It’ll be worth it once you do,” Kelsey assured her. “I am so thankful I’m on the same shift hours as Zane.”

Nodding, Eva sank down on the stool at the desk and took a sip of her coffee. “I like still having my evenings free with Dougie. I just have to get used to sleeping through the day. And I need to tell my mom not to call us until after three.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, their conversation eventually turning to what had happened on Kelsey’s shift. There were others also in the process of going off shift, so they each took their turn passing on any pertinent information about the residents of the care home where they all worked.

Once that was done, Kelsey clocked out and gathered up her stuff. After saying goodnight to the others, she headed out to her car. Sliding behind the wheel of her small SUV, she took a moment to just breathe.

It hadn’t been the easiest shift. One of her residents had died. And though it had been expected, it had still been heartbreaking because he hadn’t had family present when he passed.

Unfortunately, working where she did, accepting death had become part of her life. It didn’t make it any easier, however.

After she’d experienced the death of one of her residents for the first time, Kelsey had questioned whether she wanted to continue on with the job, knowing it was probably just the first death of many. Zane had encouraged her to use her faith and love for people to make the days of the residents more enjoyable, whether they had many or few left.

So that had been her goal each day she went in to work. To show joy, love, gentleness, and caring to the residents, some of whom had no one come to visit them. The deaths hadn’t gotten any easier, but she no longer struggled with them as she once had.

Finally, she put her car in gear and prepared for the thirty-minute drive home.

Once she’d passed the nursing exam, after taking it for the second time, Zane’s family had offered her a position in the clinic. However, if she’d agreed to the job, she would never have seen Zane. She’d wanted hours as close to his as possible.

The closest hospital was in Coeur d’Alene, so she’d looked for other options since she didn’t want to drive an hour to and from work. The care home she’d ended up getting a position at was in a town about halfway to Coeur d’Alene.

It had taken some getting used to making the drive in the dark since she got off at midnight, but now she did so in the comfort of the vehicle Zane had purchased for her. He hadn’t been happy with the idea of her driving her little car on the winding roads at night, especially during winter.

Worship music played from the speakers as she drove, and as she sang along, Kelsey felt the stresses of the day fall away. As she neared Serenity, anticipation began to build.

In the year since that afternoon in her room, life had changed completely. Well, not completely. Zane still didn’t have his memory back. They were still in Serenity and still living in the big house with Lee and Rori, who was soon to have their first child.

Job wise, she no longer stocked shelves, and Zane was back to work as a chef. But this time in his own restaurant, with Hudson and Kayleigh as silent partners.

Also, her relationship with Zane’s family had improved greatly, for which she was very grateful. It had taken some work for them to get beyond their rocky start, but they’d built a relationship that Kelsey was thankful for.

As she pulled her car to a stop in front of the house several minutes later, she saw that Zane’s car was already there. That wasn’t unusual. Though the restaurant closed at eleven, he usually stayed until midnight doing the restaurant related business he didn’t have a chance to do while it was open. His commute back and forth was much shorter, so he was always home before she was.

Their days had fallen into a similar pattern to what they’d had in Tampa, and she enjoyed it as much now as she had then. It also made sharing a home with Lee and Rori fairly easy. Because of their opposite schedules, each couple had plenty of alone time.

As she approached the front door, Zane swung it open, letting her know that, as usual, he’d been watching for her. She picked up her pace, eager to reach the man she loved.

Once she’d stepped into the foyer and he’d closed the door behind her, Zane drew her into a hug. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Kelsey leaned against him, grateful to be reunited.

After a couple of minutes, Kelsey lifted her head for his kiss, and Zane did not disappoint. Then, hand in hand, they made their way up to their room, where they showered together.

“Ready to eat?” Lee asked after they’d dressed in their pajamas.

“I am,” she said. “I’m starving.”

Unlike in Tampa, they usually ate their main meal together when they got home from work. Most nights, Zane brought food home from the restaurant, but there were times he made them something once he got home.

Because Lee and Rori’s room wasn’t close to the kitchen, they didn’t need to worry about being too quiet as they set about plating the food that Zane had left to warm in the oven. Soon they were seated at the breakfast nook together.

Zane laid his hand on the table, palm up, and Kelsey didn’t hesitate to put her hand on top of it. His fingers tightened around hers as he smiled at her, his brown eyes shining with love she hadn’t been sure she’d ever see from him again.

“I love you,” he said.

Kelsey never tired of hearing those words from him, unable to completely let go of the fear from those early days following the accident when she’d wondered if he’d ever say them to her again. “I love you too.”

With a gentle squeeze of her fingers, he bent his head and said grace for their food.

“We’re fully booked for the next week,” Zane told her. “Unless we get some cancellations, from the moment we open on Wednesday, our tables will be full.”

“That’s wonderful!”

The restaurant had only been open for three months, but it was already doing extremely well, thanks to a famous actor who had shown up with his wife and four kids a month earlier. On Kayleigh’s recommendation, they’d decided to give it a try.

The kids had loved the experience so much that the actor had shared his endorsement of the restaurant all over his social media. From that point on, the reservations had grown. It was a blessing after all the hard work Zane had put into it.

It had taken nine months for him to find a location around Serenity that would be suitable. There had still been plenty of work needed to create the welcoming, comfortable, yet elegant interior he’d envisioned.

Having their dreams unfolding at the same time had been a bit hectic, but Zane had resolved to always give their relationship precedence.

So, while he might have made more money if he’d been open seven days a week, he chose to close the restaurant on Mondays and Tuesdays. The care home had also been willing to give Kelsey those days off, so they spent that time together, unwinding from their busy careers.

“You still up to going to Mom and Dad’s tomorrow for the barbecue?” he asked.

Kelsey nodded. “What’s Labor Day weekend without a barbecue?”

Zane chuckled. “Exactly.”

“Are you cooking for it?”

“Nope. Mom said that they were going to take care of everything.”

“Can you imagine if Rori went into labor on Labor Day?” Kelsey said. “That would be hilarious.”

“I don’t think she wants that.”

“No, that’s true. She said she wanted to be able to enjoy the holiday, and then she could go into labor.”

It was going to be odd to have a baby around all the time, but Kelsey was looking forward to it. Though she and Zane had both agreed they wanted to have kids, they weren’t ready just yet. So, in the meantime, they’d enjoy being aunt and uncle to yet another niece or nephew.

Once they were done eating, they cleaned up their dishes, then locked up and turned off the lights on the main floor before going up to their room—formerly her room. Lee and Rori had given them free rein to change anything they wanted to in the room, so over the past year, they’d repainted and brought a few more of their things out of storage.

If someone had asked her if she’d be happy living with other people after getting married, she probably would have said no. But, for whatever reason, this worked out well for them. Plus, she enjoyed being close to her best friend. They had a lot of fun with Lee and Rori.

Maybe it was because, growing up, she’d lacked a community of supportive and loving people. Having found it there in Serenity, she was happy to keep those people close. One day, they’d move out on their own. But for now, she didn’t want to mess with a good thing.

Since they had a full day ahead, they didn’t stay up as late as they might have on other nights. Once they were ready for bed, Kelsey curled up against Zane and listened as he read a chapter of the Christian suspense book they were working their way through.

After he finished the chapter, they put their phones aside and turned off the lights before cuddling together and spending some time in prayer. It was her favorite time of the day, and the last things Kelsey did each night before sleeping was to thank God for sparing Zane’s life that night in Tampa and bringing them even closer together.

It was something she would never take for granted.

~*~

Around one the next afternoon, Zane and Kelsey made their way out to the family home for the barbecue.

“I can’t wait until the leaves are fully turned,” Kelsey said. “And all the fall events start up.”

“We might have to miss some of it this year because of our schedules,” Zane told her.

Kelsey sighed. “Yeah. But hopefully there will be some activities that we can enjoy together. I’m just glad the ladies were willing to have our Bible study on Tuesday evenings.”

Sundays were often exhausting for them as they got up early to go to church and then still had to go to work afterwards. They’d missed out on a few of the casual family get-togethers, but it was the price they had to pay for their careers.

That was why they always tried to attend any gathering that worked with their schedules.

“Whoa,” Kelsey said as they drove up the winding driveway to the house, which was located about ten minutes outside of Serenity. “Are we late?”

“Nope.”

“Well, it looks like everyone else is here already.”

They were, but he let the comment slide as they got out of the car. Hand in hand, they walked up the porch and through the front door without knocking.

“Where is everyone?” Kelsey asked. “It’s so quiet.”

“Probably outside, since it’s such a nice day.” He was glad for that, because if it had been raining, his plans would have been a little difficult to pull off.

The kitchen held signs of the meal that was to come, but there was still no one around.

“This is weird.” Kelsey glanced around. “Usually this place is bustling with activity when we all get together.”

“We’re not eating for a couple of hours, so there’s no rush to get food ready just yet.”

Butterflies came to life in his stomach as he approached the door that led out onto the large porch and the expansive multi-level deck. He hoped she liked what he had planned and wasn’t mad that she hadn’t had a say in the planning.

As they stepped out onto the porch, Kelsey came to a stop before taking a couple more steps. Zane stayed where he was, letting her hand slip from his.

“What is this?” she asked, staring out over their family and close friends who were all gathered there, smiling and cheering. Past the group, on the lowest deck, was a large arch covered in autumnal flowers and greenery.

While she was distracted, Zane lowered himself to one knee, grateful that his leg had regained its full strength after the accident. Then he waited for Kelsey to turn back toward him.

When she did, her eyes went wide as she spotted him. “Zane, what’s going on?”

“I know we’ve done all of this already, but I don’t remember it, and I want this memory. I really want to do it again, this time before God and our family.” He held out his hand to her. “Kelsey, would you renew our vows with me today?”

Tears flooded her eyes as she placed her hand in his. “Yes. Always yes.”

The cheers and claps of his family and friends were raucous as Zane got to his feet and pulled Kelsey into his arms to kiss her.

“Save some of the kissing for later,” Rori exclaimed as she came toward them, her belly leading the way. “We have a ceremony to get ready for!”

“Get ready?” Kelsey asked.

“Yep.” Rori took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “We’ve got someone to help with hair and makeup, and we have dresses to change into.”

When Kelsey glanced back over her shoulder at Zane as Rori led her away, he nodded, then blew her a kiss. He had his own preparations to make.

Since it wouldn’t take as long for him to get ready, Zane stayed out in the backyard to make sure that everything was as he’d planned. He’d had to rely on his family to do the setup since he hadn’t wanted to alert Kelsey that anything was going on, which is what his leaving the house without her would have done.

“Everything look like you wanted?” Kayleigh asked as she and Hudson approached him.

Zane glanced around, taking in the white folding chairs and the flowers and ribbons that they’d worked hard to put together. He’d given his sister the idea of what he wanted, along with a budget, and set her loose. She had not disappointed. In fact, he thought she may have exceeded what he’d had in mind.

“It looks wonderful. Perfect.”

“We also have a photographer here. She’s upstairs taking pictures of Kelsey, Rori, and Carisa as they get ready.”

He’d thought of doing something super simple, but then he realized that part of why they’d gone so simple previously was because there hadn’t been anyone they really wanted present. That wasn’t the case any longer, so he wanted to share this moment with those closest to them.

Plus, he really did want the memory of committing to Kelsey before friends and family and slipping a ring on her finger.

Putting his arm around Kayleigh’s shoulders, he said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done to pull this off. I really appreciate it.”

“Anything for you, brother.” She gave him a hug, then relinquished him to Lee, who took him into the house and down to the basement where the guys were getting ready.

Since he hadn’t had a strong opinion on clothes for the wedding, he’d left that to Kayleigh as well. She was by far the most stylish of his siblings, though Lexi and Carisa were also pros when it came to fashion.

Kayleigh had taken responsibility for the men while Carisa had chosen the dresses for her, Rori, and Kelsey. He and the guys had had a chance to try on their outfits, but that hadn’t been the case for Kelsey, so he hoped that her dress fit and that she was happy with it.

Gareth joined them a few minutes later, since he was also standing up with Zane. Though he could have picked any of his brothers, Zane had appreciated the input Gareth had given him when he and Kelsey were struggling and wanted him standing up with them as they renewed their vows.

It didn’t take long for them to get dressed in the dark gray pleated slacks and white long-sleeved shirt that Kayleigh had chosen for them. Each of the men also wore a colored vest. Zane’s was a deep dark green, while Gareth wore maroon, and Lee was in a burnt orange vest. The ladies who were standing up with Kelsey would match the men they were paired with.

“How are you gentlemen doing?” Pastor Kennedy asked as he joined them once they were dressed.

“We’re ready to get this show on the road,” Lee told him.

“Perfect!” The pastor rubbed his hands together. “How about we say a prayer together before we join the others?”

After a short prayer, the men left the basement and returned to the backyard. The photographer took a few pictures of them, along with his parents, then it was time for the ladies to join them.

Because it wasn’t a traditional wedding, there wasn’t going to be a giving away of the bride. Instead, the men lined up by the back door.

When the door opened and Carisa stepped out, Gareth offered her his arm and they walked up the aisle to the string quartet version of Ode to Joy that flowed out of Bluetooth speakers strategically placed around the yard. Next, Rori came out, her burgeoning belly filling out the front of her dress.

Lee rested his hand on her stomach briefly before offering her his arm. They moved more slowly than Carisa and Gareth had, with Lee carefully helping Rori carefully descend each level of the deck.

Finally, Zane turned his attention to the door in anticipation of Kelsey’s appearance. When she stepped through the door, she took his breath away. Not because of the beautiful champagne colored dress she wore that fit her perfectly, or her flawless hair and makeup, or even the earrings and necklace he’d picked out for the occasion.

No, it was the expression on her face. Her beautiful smile and the light of love in her eyes when she saw him.

Approaching her, he said, “You look gorgeous.”

She rested her hand on his chest. “And you, my love, are so handsome.”

“Ready to do this?”

“Oh, yes.”

She shifted her bouquet, which was made up of all her favorite fall flowers, and slipped her hand through his arm. The two of them took their time walking to where Pastor Kennedy now waited for them at the arch.

The ceremony didn’t have many of the traditional elements of a wedding, but it did have a part for them to share their vows with each other. And then he had a ring for her.

After she handed off her bouquet to Rori, Zane took Kelsey’s hands. Pastor Kennedy welcomed them and said a prayer before sharing a few words, then he turned it over to Zane and took a seat beside his wife in the front row.

As Zane gazed down at Kelsey, the rest of the world fell away, and it was just the two of them.

“Kelsey, I may not remember how things started for us, but I’m thankful for the person I was then for choosing you to marry. You are a strong, beautiful woman who has brought so much joy into my life. Every day, my love for you grows.”

Feeling his emotions start to swell, he took a deep breath. “Thank you. Thank you for sticking with me through those first few months after the accident when I’d forgotten the most important things in my life. You and my love for you. You were faithful to our vows as you saw me through the worst, patiently loving me even though it hurt you.

“I’m thankful for how God has guided us through that dark time, and I know that He will see us through all the times ahead, both good and bad. Thank you for loving me when I wasn’t very lovable. Thank you for being willing to walk into the future, hand in hand with me.

“Today, as we stand before God and those we love, I vow to love you, and I will strive to be the husband that God would have me be. One that cherishes our love and guards it against anything that might try to tear us apart. I want the love we share to reflect God’s love for us.

“Kelsey, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You hold my whole heart in your hands.” He cleared his throat. “I can’t wait to see where God takes us. I love you.”

Zane hadn’t given much thought to what he was going to say since Kelsey wasn’t going to have opportunity to prepare her vows ahead of time. So he just spoke from the heart.

“My turn?” Kelsey asked when he stopped talking. As he nodded, she took a deep breath. “I might have panicked about speaking publicly with no advance notice, but in this case, I have so much to say. I’ll keep it short though, just in case Rori goes into labor.”

There was laughter from their family, but they quickly quieted so Kelsey could speak.

“I never knew what love was until I met you. Even before we dated, I could see that you were a good man, treating everyone with respect. From the people bussing the tables to the head chef. And when you told me you loved me, I was sure I was the luckiest person in the world. I still feel that way. Blessed. Fortunate.

Her fingers tightened around his. “The day you woke up and didn’t remember me or our love was the worst day of my life, because it felt like I’d lost you. But I refused to give up hope, though. Even through the difficult weeks that followed, I held onto hope because if there was even a chance you might love me again, I couldn’t walk away.

“When you told me you loved me for the first time after losing your memory, I knew all the heartache and struggles during those weeks had been worth it. Being loved by you is the most amazing thing. From that moment on, you’ve never given me a reason to doubt your love, and I’m thankful for that. And not only did you bring me into a physical family—who I’ve come to love—but also into a spiritual one. A true blessing.

“I’m so thankful for you teaching me what real love is and for your never-ending support. And thank you for loving me enough to point me to God. You hold my heart, now and forever. Through the good and bad. Through the ups and downs. Through all of it, I’ll be there at your side, being the wife God would want me to be. I know we’re going to make it. I love you so much.”

As she finished speaking, Zane reached into his pocket and pulled out the simple band that he’d bought to compliment the two other rings she wore. “I don’t remember when I gave you your rings for the first time, though I do recall the second time.”

Kelsey’s smile grew just a bit as he gave her a wink. They’d each returned the other’s rings to their rightful place the night they came together again physically, which had been shortly after that conversation in her bedroom.

“I’m giving you this ring today as a promise that I will always love you, cherish you, and give you precedence over everyone in my life but God.” He slid the ring on her finger to join it with the other two already there. “Always and forever.”

“Always and forever,” she echoed with a beautiful smile.

Moving close, he wrapped his arms around her and bent to kiss her.

More whoops and cheers erupted as they kissed, then Zane picked Kelsey up and spun around with her, his joy in the moment spilling over. Kelsey laughed as she locked her hands behind his neck.

“Before you take flight,” Pastor Kennedy said as he joined them again. “Why don’t you all gather round as we say a prayer for Zane and Kelsey?”

As his family and friends encircled them, Kelsey slipped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him with a smile, her gaze full of love. “Thank you for this. It’s amazing, and such a surprise. I had no idea.”

“That was the plan,” he told her. “You’re happy with everything?”

“I am.” She went up on her toes to kiss him. “I’m so happy. Forever doesn’t feel long enough to be with you.”

Zane agreed.

The accident had been a devastating moment in their lives, but it had led to something wonderful. Though his body still bore the scars of that day, his heart was fully healed because of God and Kelsey’s love for him. God had taken a tragedy and written a beautiful story for them, with many more chapters to come.

~*~

Dear Reader ~ Thank you for reading Zane and Kelsey’s story. This one was a tough one to write. At times, I didn’t really like Zane much, to be honest, but he definitely grew on me as he traveled the rough journey of having to reconcile his memories and emotions of four years ago with the present he no longer recalled. And the wife he didn’t remember… or love.

Zane’s story was a messy one, with him resisting what he knew was right and letting his emotions dictate his actions. Like many of us, he didn’t want to let go of something that he felt was important to him.

I pushed through with writing this because I knew that redemption and reconciliation was coming for Zane and Kelsey. Their emotional, spiritual, and physical brokenness was healed by the Great Healer. This story was also a reminder to me to be open to God’s plan. To let Him work in and through me.

I hope that you were encouraged and uplifted by this story, especially if you’re struggling with seeking God’s will in your life.

Also, there was a sneak peek of a story that will come sometime next year as I start a new series in this book.

We have two more books in The Halversons series, which is just amazing to me! Thank you again for reading my stories and supporting my books. You’re the reason I can continue to publish them. I appreciate you!

~ Kimberly

Coming early 2025