Chuckles came from the peanut gallery, but all I saw was Kennedy.
“And a few minutes after that,” she said, “you flipped me the bird and walked away.”
“I was a fool to think walking away from you was possible. Every time I tried, I found myself right back where I am now. Standing in front of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Desperate for more. For everything.” I trailed off, shaking my head as I fell into her eyes. “When we first met, I thought I’d found a worthy adversary. Turns out, I found the missing piece to the puzzle of happiness instead. These people behind me, they’d done everything they could to make me feel loved, but it wasn’t until you thawed my heart that I could see just how rich I really was. And, as you can tell by my rambling, awkward words, I’m really nervous right now because I want to ask you to marry me.” I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a ring that had been given to me the week before.
Kennedy took one look and gasped, her gaze flying first to mine, then Maxine’s. “Is that Nan’s ring?”
I nodded. “When I asked her for her blessing, she gave it to me to give to you. After seeing how much she loved her husband, I couldn’t think of a better way to start our life together, than by honoring theirs.”
With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, Kennedy held out her hand. “I’d love to marry you, Joe Channing.”
I slipped the ring onto my new favorite finger and kissed her with the promise of years of happiness ahead.
Epilogue
Kennedy
Joe and I were married in a quiet ceremony followed by a raucous party hosted by The Hutton Hotel. We traveled the world for our honeymoon, stopping at all the famous landmarks he’d already visited, then heading off on our own adventure.
The Scottish moors weren’t foggy the day I saw them, but they were so beautiful tears sprang to my eyes. The Eiffel Tower was inspiring. Westminster Abbey sent chills down my spine.
As I took in the soaring architecture and glorious stained glass, I caught Joe staring. “What?” I asked, raking a hand through my hair in case it had turned into a frizzy disaster without me knowing.
“You should know by now that you drawing attention to your hair is always, always going to send my thoughts right into the gutter.”
With a wicked smile, I threaded both hands into the locks and tossed my head back, giving them a flirty shake and him my best sex kitten stare. “I like it when your mind is in the gutter.”
“You do realize we’re in a church, right? And you’re putting my eternal soul at risk by doing these things to me?”
“When we first met, I didn’t think you had a soul. I thought you were sent straight from Hell.”
“And now?”
“I had my doubts until I saw you walk into this cathedral unscathed.” I leaned into him, resting my head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“Very funny, Doctor Channing.”
My new name had me wiggling with happiness like Delores with gossip. “Really though. Why were you looking at me like that?”
“Because, as beautiful as this place is, the only thing I want to look at is you.” He leaned in to whisper, “Plus, I’m imagining what those lips will look like around my cock. Like all the time. Can’t get the image out of my brain. Scratch that. Don’t want to get the image out of my brain. It’s that good.”
We hiked through rainforests. Rode camels through deserts. We visited ancient wonders and modern marvels, finally settling in a resort in Belize where the water was so blue it didn’t look real. Our room, if you could call it that, was a beautiful structure without walls, solitary and right on the edge of the water. Gauze curtains fluttered in the wind. We slept when we wanted. Swam when we wanted. Ate when we wanted.
Made love when we wanted.
We wanted to do that one a lot. A lot, a lot.
A month after we returned home, I waited for Joe in our backyard. Stretched out in a chair, my skin still bronzed from our travels, I stared into the sky as my heart counted the minutes until he found me. A box sat on my lap, plain, white, and full of promise.
“There’s my gorgeous Penny,” he boomed as he strolled in after