Epilogue

Julie linked her fingers with Gavin as they stood on the sandy shores of Crystal Lake and glanced out over the water.

Funny how much they’d griped about having the picture of them as toddlers in their swim diapers hanging on the walls at both of their parents’ homes, but when deciding on a wedding location, they’d looked at each other and knew it was the perfect place to start the second phase of their life together.

After taking that moment to allow the photographer to recreate a fully clothed picture of them staring at the water—which was a pinch blurry through the layers of white tulle—Julie turned toward Gavin.

He lifted the veil off her face and secured it back with the other layers covering her blond curls. She bit her lip, and he grinned ear to ear, handsome as ever.

Yes, June was a nice month for weddings, but how could they do it any time other than Christmas? After eight months of long-distance dating, which wasn’t easy but also included some of her very favorite memories with Gavin, Julie was offered a job in San Antonio that put her in charge of three labs. It didn’t get any better than three-labs-worth of tumors and weird growths to dissect.

Especially when she factored in living with Gavin, in the beautiful house they’d bought and moved into last month.

Kylo Ren was adjusting to the change, and speaking of the disgruntled ring bearer, he was glowering from his perch on the train of her wedding dress.

Their families beamed from the first row, as did the football players crammed into the chairs behind them. Even though they’d attempted to space out the seats to accommodate the guys’ size, they were still shoulder to shoulder, dapper in their suits.

If anyone had told Julie that she’d have a wedding in the cold, she would’ve scoffed. Since her internal thermostat still ran low, several space heaters surrounded the area, and the tent just down the beach was even toastier.

But for this part, she’d happily endure the cold. With the help of a faux fur wrap.

“Here, I’ll hold your bouquet,” Niki whispered from Julie’s side. She had a matching wrap, but her dress was long and ruby red, which matched her lips and complemented her skin tone. They’d spent most of their morning getting ready together, telling each other how beautiful they looked.

Jason Holt leaned in from Gavin’s other side and asked if he needed him to hold anything. His gaze remained on Niki the entire time, though, so to say there were ulterior motives involved would be fair.

To say the spark between them had caused Gavin grief this past week would also be fair. Ever so slowly, he was sorta coming around to the possibility.

“Shall we get started?” Preacher Abbott asked.

“Yes, and can you put the pedal to the medal?” Grams hollered, and Granny Frost uttered an “Amen.”

“We’ve just been waiting for this moment for twenty-six years,” Darlene said.

Then Mom chimed in. “And it took enough effort to get them here; we want to make sure it all goes off without a hitch.”

“That’d probably be easier if you let the preacher do his thing,” Gavin said, and several people chuckled. Then he locked eyes with her. “Admittedly, I’m in a bit of a rush myself.”

Julie squeezed his hand tighter, conveying she agreed without speaking so they could do the damn thing already.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Kory and Tony. She hadn’t been in the best place when Kory admitted his feelings for his best friend, so once she’d renewed her faith in friendship and love, she’d given him a call and encouraged him to take a risk.

Now he and Tony were happily more-than-friends and planning a wedding of their own.

As for anyone else who was here at the wedding, looking for love—or perhaps just a kiss—clumps of mistletoe adorned the archway she and Gavin stood beneath, garnished the bouquets, and strands of the influential plant wound around the strings of white twinkle lights that lined the aisles and added a glow to the entire ceremony.

Julie soaked it in, so much happiness coursing through her she felt like she was glowing as well.

Gavin’s vows included promises of never stealing her plastic shovel, always making time for her, and vowing to let her talk for however long she wanted as she showed him disturbing work pictures. And of course that whole loving her forever thing that caused her heart to expand.

Hers included not ruining his sandcastles, always being on the sidelines for him, never forcing him into an elf costume—but no promises regarding a Santa one—and that no matter what, they’d find a way to spend each and every Christmas together. Plus the loving and cherishing thing, which she’d done for so long it was second nature.

They exchanged rings—Gavin’s other hunk of glittery jewelry winked in the sunlight as he slid the diamond band onto Julie’s ring finger. The guys didn’t often wear their Super Bowl “World Champions” around, but today, they were all blinged out, proudly showing off a symbol of their hard work and success.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Preacher Abbott said, and she and Gavin both glanced up at the king of all clusters of mistletoe dangling over their heads. They giggled, and then Gavin cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a heated kiss.

The cheers from the crowd reminded her of that day, just shy of a year ago, in the locker room, when everything in her life had fully clicked into place.

They strode down the aisle hand and hand, and after a quick glance to ensure no one else would hear her, Julie lifted onto her toes, moved her mouth next to Gavin’s ear, and whispered, “So, I was thinking that tonight, once we’re all alone…”

Gavin’s pupils dilated, and the arm he slid around her waist secured her flush against him. “Uh-huh?”

“That perhaps…” Julie batted her eyes and stuck her lips out in a slight pout. “My smoking-hot husband could do me nice and hard.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up, and his voice came out gruff as he dragged his scruffy chin across her cheek and sank his teeth into the shell of her ear. “Why, Mrs. Frost, I thought you’d never ask.”

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