“I promise, QT. It’s only the beginning.”
Epilogue
Ready
One Year Later
In the back entryway of the church she’d grown up in, Quinn fanned out her delicate veil on both sides while waiting for the ceremony inside to start.
“Relax already, will ya?” Ava waved Quinn’s hands away from her dress. “Hello, I did your hair and makeup. You couldn’t look any more beautiful if you tried.”
Smiling in spite of herself, Quinn released a pent-up breath. “Thanks for being here with me, girl. It means a lot.”
Ava feigned a shrug. “Well, I do kind of have a magazine to run now that my business partner’s about to drive across the country on her honeymoon. But with a little tweaking, I managed to fit you in—even on the Fourth of July.”
“Considering you’re getting to stay at a gorgeous lake house for two weeks, I wouldn’t exactly say you got the short end of the stick.” She nudged her. “And you better not forget to feed Trooper while we’re gone.”
Ava rolled her eyes but then leaned a shoulder into Quinn’s. “You sure Cooper doesn’t want to throw one of his business comrades into the deal? I mean, I did practically set you guys up, after all. Wouldn’t hurt to return the favor.”
“Set us up?”
Her arms unfolded at Quinn’s yeah-right expression. “Oh, c’mon. Who talked you into making a move? Moi.”
“More like you had me making a fool of myself half the time.”
“Well, it worked, didn’t it? Cooper’s head over heels for you.”
The feeling was more than mutual. Was she really marrying him today? A year had flown by, and yet some days, she would’ve sworn she was reliving those first weeks of falling in love with him all over again.
“So, listen, I was thinking.” Ava fluffed out the petals in her bouquet. “Now that our magazine is running its fifth issue, maybe it’s time to splurge a little. You know, buy new desk chairs for the office.”
Quinn cracked up. “What is your obsession with desk chairs?”
“Girl, when you sit on a piece of furniture for forty hours a week, you start to bond with the thing, literally.” Smiling, she squeezed Quinn’s hand. “And at least my randomness sidetracked you for a few minutes, right?” She nodded to the double doors opening into the sanctuary.
Quinn’s pulse spiked as music billowed into the corridor. Dad came from one side while Aunt Loraine ushered in from the other and prodded Ginny forward. “You’re up first.” She motioned Ava to the doors. “You next, dear.”
Ava winked at Quinn and whispered, “Just follow my lead.”
Right. She chuckled until a clear view of Brayden and her soon-to-be husband at the end of the aisle diminished the entire church to just them.
In a tux tailored to fit him perfectly, Cooper breathed in at the sight of her. His eyes came to life above the blue and silver tie she’d spent years praying over before ever knowing the man who’d wear it.
She swallowed, overwhelmed by an answer to prayer God hadn’t given up on even when she had.
Her grasp around Dad’s arm tightened as he cupped a hand over hers. “Ready, sweetheart?”
To live the life she couldn’t have imagined? “More than ever before.”
***
If this book encouraged you in any way, would you take a moment to support it by leaving a review on Amazon?
***
Ready for Chase and Livy’s story? For exclusive firsthand peeks into new releases and behind-the-scenes bonuses, visit crystal-walton.com.
Want a Free Book?
Crystal’s giving away a free book, along with exclusive bonuses from the heart-melting stories you love. Tap the image to grab your copy of Your Story Matters and enjoy more behind-the-scenes content: crystal-walton.com.
Behind The Scenes
Writing can be a lonely journey, which is why hearing from you is such a blessing. Shoot me a message any time. I’d also greatly appreciate your support in leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads. Even just one sentence allows me to keep writing more stories. I can’t do it without you!
Thanks so much for reading Just Maybe. Tap here for a special behind-the-scenes note about this book, including casting pics, soundtracks, recipes, and more.
Have you read Drew and Ti’s story yet? Download Begin Again and escape into a sparks-flying, opposites-attract clean romance full of small-town charm, broken characters, and deep undertones of grace that'll win your heart.
Ready for the next in the series? Grab your exclusive content at crystal-walton.com and be the first to hear when the next book releases. And join me on Facebook for fun and giveaways.
Books By Crystal Walton
Home In You Series
Still Falling (A Prequel)
Write Me Home (Book 1)
Begin Again (Book 2)
Just Maybe (Book 3)
Standalones
Arms of Promise
The Unveiled Series
Eyes Unveiled (Book 1)
Light Unshaken (Book 2)
Hope Unbroken (Book 3)
About The Author
Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband, David. Crystal writes contemporary clean romance fueled by Starbucks’ venti green teas. She’d love to connect with you at http://crystal-walton.com.
Acknowledgements
Dave, what would I do without my adventurous husband, encouraging me to take leaps when I’d rather cling to the safe shoreline? Thank you for holding on each time we jump off a new pier in this life together.
Erynn, my characters and I would be lost without you. Thank you for trusting my heart as a writer and knowing how to draw out pieces of the story till they reflect what I carry inside me. I’m so grateful to have you as my editor and friend, even when you distract me with endless memes of a certain blue-eyed hero. ;)
Melanie, girl! Another book down. Another stretch along the journey. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to lean on your friendship through the struggle of infertility, the doubts of being an author, and the days when “adulting” barely seems feasible. Thank you for all your input and encouragement while I was pushing through Cooper and Quinn’s story throughout my first trimester, when all I wanted to do was binge watch Netflix. ;) Thanks for being such an awesome critique partner and the sweetest of friends.
Charity, Rachel, Vicki, and Kris, thanks so much for sharing your time to read and critique this manuscript. Your fresh perspectives and suggestions continue to help me build stronger stories. I’m so grateful for each of you.
Ruth, your creativity and enthusiasm are always a blast. Thanks for coming up with such a fun name for Quinn’s old blog. Hilarious and perfect!
My amazing launch team—Girls!—you keep me going so many times. For real. Your excitement and encouragement are a huge part of what makes plodding through the rough times of being an author so much more bearable. I can’t thank you enough for being so excited about Cooper and Quinn’s story and sharing in all the pre-release buzz.
My readers on Facebook and my newsletter list, it was so much fun brainstorming ideas with you for this book—from characters’ names to grammar pet peeves to funny country sayings. Thanks for adding your fingerprints to this fun story. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of your input show up on the pages!
To all my fellow grammar lovers, this one was for you. I hope you had as much fun twitching with Quinn as I did while writing it. The struggle is real.
For anyone who’s ever walked through the pain of infertility or the loss of a child, you’re so near to my heart. I just want you to know I'm standing alongside you in this journey of pressing on toward hope and restoration, day by day.
Just Maybe (Home In You Book 3) Page 24
