In the End (Lifetime #3)

by Ariadne Wayne

“Come on, Paige. We’ll find the kids,” he said.

  Nerves took hold in my stomach, and I squeezed his hand.

  “And you can meet Ella and Matt. You’ll love them, Natasha, and they’ll love you. I promise.”

  We walked toward one of the houses. As we approached, a woman came out. She wore what looked like a bridesmaid’s dress in navy blue fabric that hugged her curves. Her hair was immaculate, as was her make-up, and she smiled broadly. “Sam.”

  “Ella. You look amazing, as usual.”

  My breath caught. So this was his ex-wife? I took in her dark hair, tied neatly into a bun on her head, only a few strategically placed curls escaping. Her dress brought out the blue in her eyes, and they sparkled like her smile. Sam had broken up with her? She was a freaking goddess.

  She came closer, taking Sam’s hands in hers as he kissed her on the cheek.

  “Ella, this is Natasha. Natasha, this is Ella.”

  Dimples in her cheeks appeared as she smiled, and she let go of Sam. “Natasha, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s good to meet you.”

  “It’s good to meet you too.” I ushered Paige out from behind me. “This is Paige.”

  Her smile widened. “Hi, Paige. Finn, Georgia, and Zach are inside. They’re just getting ready for the wedding, but after the ceremony there’s heaps for you guys to do, and there’s a special table for you to sit at for the reception. They’ll be so happy to have someone to play with.”

  Paige squeezed my hand.

  “All of the kids are involved in the ceremony. Vanessa didn’t want a fuss or anything big, but when it came down to it, she wasn’t happy unless the whole family took part.”

  Sam laughed. “Sounds like Vanessa.”

  “I can’t believe she’s actually getting married here. This was the last place I thought it’d happen.” Ella shifted her gaze to me. “My darling stubborn sister vowed not to ever get married on the farm. She changed her mind.”

  I laughed. “It’s so beautiful out here.”

  Ella nodded. “We love it. It’s so good for the kids.”

  “Sam.” I looked up to see a tall, dark-haired man dressed in jeans and a blue T-shirt coming toward us. He slipped his arms around Ella’s waist and rested his head on her shoulder, kissing her neck. This must have been Matt.

  “Hey, dude.”

  “I’m guessing you’re Natasha.” He let go of his wife to shake my hand. “And Paige. Welcome to our humble abode.”

  Sam hooked his arm around my shoulders. “You gotta watch this one. He flirts.”

  Ella rolled her eyes and leaned back against Matt, raising her face to the sky.

  “Nah, you must be thinking of someone else,” Matt said, shifting his gaze back to me. “It’s good to meet you, but I’ve got to get changed. I’m Connor’s best man.”

  “It’s good to meet you too.”

  He planted another kiss on his wife’s neck and disappeared back into the house. I looked at Ella. She had a wistful smile on her face as he walked away. The love they had for each other was palpable.

  “I should gather these kids up and work out who goes where. Vanessa’s getting ready in her room, and you wouldn’t believe it, Sam, but she’s turned into a real little bridezilla.”

  Sam laughed. “I could believe it. She’d be crazy fussy.”

  Ella grinned. “Yep. It was so nice to meet you, Natasha. Catch up later?”

  “Sure.” I nodded.

  As she went back toward her house, Sam tickled my neck with his index finger. “You okay?”

  “Great, actually. They’re nice people.”

  “Yeah, they are.” He looked down at Paige. “Do you want to sit at the kids’ table? You don’t have to; you can sit with us.”

  Paige’s eyes were wide, and she gripped my leg tight.

  “How about we just see how we go?” I said.

  Sam pecked me on the cheek as Ella reappeared, her daughter in tow. Georgia was younger than Paige, and she smiled shyly at my daughter.

  “See you soon,” Ella said as she walked past.

  “Let’s go find a seat,” Sam said. He ushered us towards the chairs, greeting a tall man in a suit. “Hey, Connor. Tash, this is the groom. Connor, this is Natasha and her daughter, Paige.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Connor stepped forward, grasping my hand to shake.

  “You too. This looks lovely.”

  He grinned. “It’s perfect. We didn’t want anything too fussy, and we’ve got all the best people here.”

  “Daddy.” A little girl in a navy blue dress sprinted toward him, and Connor shook his head as she threw herself at his legs.

  Bending, he scooped her up. “What are you doing here, little miss? Aren’t you supposed to be with Mummy?”

  She giggled, cupping his face in her hands and planting a kiss on his nose. It was the most adorable thing I think I’d ever seen.

  “She’s gorgeous,” I said.

  “This is Isabella. Also known as Little Ella.”

  The little girl clapped with delight.

  “Isabella.” Ella’s voice came from behind us. “Oh, you little madam. She was with the other kids, and all I heard was ‘Dad’ and she was off. Such a daddy’s girl.”

  “I can keep her with me if it’s easier.” Connor sounded bemused.

  Ella nodded. “Maybe it’s a good idea. I’ll go and appease the bride.”

  “She’s not that bad, is she?” He laughed.

  “Once today’s over, she’s your problem.” Ella grinned. She turned and headed back toward the house. Matt appeared from the other direction, this time dressed in his suit.

  “You scrub up okay for a farm boy,” Connor teased.

  Matt laughed. “Are you ready? Got everything?”

  Connor nodded. “Everything’s sorted.”

  “Anywhere you want us to sit?” Sam asked.

  “Just wherever. It’s all pretty informal,” Matt said.

  Sam grinned. “Really? I heard Vanessa had gone all bridezilla.”

  Connor’s laugher filled the air. “Only as far as the bridal party and her dress are concerned. The rest of the details she left to me.”

  “Come on, then.” Sam took my hand and led us to the nearby chairs.

  So far, so good.

  Despite the warm welcome, nerves still gripped me as we sat and waited. More people appeared, and Sam didn’t really know Connor’s family, so we sat in our little bubble together.

  Paige fidgeted. “When do I get to play with the other kids?”

  “Soon. The wedding’s due to start in a few minutes, and then you’ll be able to see them.”

  She looked up at me. “Are you going to marry Sam?”

  I blinked. Where the hell had that come from? And in earshot of Sam?

  “Uhh it’s a bit early to be talking about that. We’re still getting to know each other.”

  She nodded.

  Sam placed his hand on my arm, his head on my shoulder. “I heard that.”

  “I didn’t know what to say.” I laughed.

  “You’re right. It is early, but not too early for you guys to move in with me. If you want.”

  I turned my head, and received a kiss. “I know that’s what you want, and I just have to get my head around it. It’s a big change”

  “No rush.”

  Music played. I didn’t know what the song was, but the notes were slow, long and sweet. Two little boys headed up the aisle toward Matt and Connor.

  “There’s Finn.” Sam nudged me, pointing to the bigger one.

  Finn grinned as he reached the front, and Matt took a hand of each of them to hold, smiling down at Finn and then the other boy.

  “The other boy’s Zach.”

  I nodded. Sam’s boy did look like Sam. I could see Ella in there, with the darker hair and blue eyes, but the expression on Finn’s face came straight from his father. Zach was similar to Finn, but had a stronger resemblance to Matt.

  Connor stood with Isabella by his side. The li
ttle girl was tucked half behind her father’s leg, looking out at all the guests.

  Ella came next, with Georgia and another little girl. Matt beamed as his wife approached.

  “You saw Georgia. The other girl’s Molly. She’s Connor’s niece.”

  Vanessa appeared. I shifted my gaze to Connor. The agony of fighting tears was obvious in his face, and the love he had for her radiated from him.

  “Mummy.” Isabella ran toward her mother, breaking the tension of the moment as the bride and groom both laughed. Vanessa took her daughter’s hand, and together they walked to Connor. It was such a sweet and touching moment, and I slipped my arm around Paige and squeezed her waist.

  Sam reached into his pocket and produced a tissue. “Thought you might need this.”

  I kept one arm around Paige, and slid the other between Sam’s arm and body. Watching this, the declaration of love between Vanessa and Connor, melted me, and I leaned on Sam’s shoulder as they exchanged vows.

  “You okay?” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

  “It’s lovely.”

  “Those two were meant for each other,” he murmured.

  I swung my gaze to him, and looked into his eyes. There was so much emotion in them. Maybe it wasn’t just Connor and Vanessa meant for each other.

  We were meant to be together too.

  FROM WHERE WE SAT, Paige’s giggles carried through the air. I’d know them anywhere. She and Georgia had immediately taken to each other, and they cackled as Finn, sitting opposite them pulled faces.

  Sam chuckled. “I was the class clown too. He’s a lot like me.”

  “He looks like you.”

  “When he’s pulling faces? Or his normal face?”

  Snickering, I rolled my eyes. “I can see he’s yours. His brother and sister are very similar, but his features are closer to yours.”

  Sam rubbed my back. “I love that. Ella says she sees it sometimes, and more as he gets older. I see the odd expression, but he is a lot like Georgia and Zach. We should go over there, I’d really like you to meet Finn.”

  “I’d love to.”

  He grinned, his eyes lighting up. “Come on, then.”

  Leading me to the children’s table, he squeezed my hand. “Finn, this is Natasha.”

  When Finn raised his face to look at me, I saw Sam. They were a lot more alike than I’d seen at first, but there was a large amount of Ella in there too. “Hi, Natasha.”

  “This is the girlfriend I told you about.”

  He nodded, as if he was interested in grown-up-type stuff. “Sam’s my dad,” he said.

  Sam’s face froze, and he blinked a few times like he was struggling.

  Squatting, I smiled at Finn. “I know he is. I heard you have two dads.”

  Finn nodded. “I only have one mum though.”

  “Paige only has one mum too. Have you guys all been having fun?”

  He nodded. “We had so much food, but I want some cake now.”

  I reached for Sam’s hand again. It trembled in mine, and I took a deep breath. “I want cake too. They must be cutting it soon.”

  He nodded. “Auntie Nessa got a chocolate cake so we can all have some. Gran wanted fruit cake, but Auntie Nessa told her that fruit cake was from the olden days.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing. “Well, I like chocolate cake, and I like fruit cake, so I’m all good either way.”

  Finn grinned, and I saw he was missing some teeth, just like Paige. They were both growing up so fast, and I had pangs for Sam who must miss out on those little things. The tooth fairy had visited Paige several times, and I’d delighted in her reaction.

  “I just like the icing.” He laughed, and that reminded me of Sam the most—the same glint in the eye, the same curve of his mouth.

  “Me too.”

  Sam let go of my hand, and rubbed my back.

  “Mummy, I had so much to eat,” Paige said.

  I grinned. “I did too. The food is so good.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Georgia’s going to show me her room after we have cake.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  “Paige is my best friend.” Georgia beamed.

  I nodded. “That’s also awesome. I’m so glad you guys are getting along.”

  “They’re about to cut the cake.” Sam nodded. “Let’s get back to our seats.”

  We sat back at the table, his arms around me from behind, his head resting on my shoulder as Vanessa and Connor cut the cake. Vanessa was radiant with happiness, laughing loudly as she fed Connor the first piece of cake she’d cut.

  “I love seeing them so happy,” Sam murmured, kissing my ear. “I’m kinda happy too.”

  “Only kinda?”

  He squeezed my waist. “Okay, very happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

  This was perfect. Everything was. A little part of me had been waiting for the crash back to reality, but the more we got to know each other, the less that seemed likely. He wasn’t Dean. He was Sam, who had shown me what it was like to be with someone truly good.

  “I’ll go and get us a drink.” He gave me a tender kiss before walking toward the bar set up at the end of the marquee.

  Coming toward me was the bride, bunching up the skirt of her dress in her hands so she didn’t trip over. She smiled as she sat next to me. “You’re Natasha, right? Sam’s girlfriend.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m glad he’s found someone. He’s a good guy.” Vanessa smiled.

  I grinned. “I think so. Thank you for inviting us. It’s been such a beautiful wedding.”

  “Thank you. I always thought I was the run-away-and-get-married-in-a-registry-office kind of girl. But this was nice.” She looked down at her dress, and I got the feeling that it wasn’t the type of thing she usually wore.

  “It was lovely. You look amazing; your dress is gorgeous.”

  “I’d feel far more comfortable in jeans.” She laughed. “But the photos will be awesome, and Connor keeps looking at me weird. I don’t think he’s ever seen me wear a fancy gown.”

  I laughed. I could relate to that. My wedding to Dean had been very small with just friends attending, and I’d worn a maxi dress I’d picked up in the mall. “It’s been great to meet Finn too, and Ella and Matt. The children seem to have absorbed my daughter into their little group.”

  Vanessa laughed. “You and Ella will get along like a house on fire. She’s all about her kids, and she’ll love that they’ve got someone else to play with.”

  “She seems really nice.”

  “It must be weird, spending time with your boyfriend’s ex. Ella and Sam get on well enough now, but it’s taken a while to get there.”

  I nodded. “It’s a little strange. But Sam’s face when he saw Finn was worth everything. I can see how much he loves that boy. Ella and Matt seem very happy too.”

  Vanessa wrinkled her nose. “Ella and Matt were destined for each other. I dunno. I always thought Ella had a magic vagina or something. She never had any trouble getting boyfriends, but Matt’s the one.”

  “Looks like you found your one too,” I said.

  Vanessa sighed. “Connor and I have been through some rough stuff, but we’re together and happy. That’s all that matters. I guess maybe some of that magic vagina stuff rubbed off on me.” Vanessa made a gagging noise. “I should have thought that out before I said it.”

  All I could do was laugh. These were such good people, so down to earth, and I loved being here.

  “What are you talking about?” Sam walked toward us, a smile on his face. He rubbed my shoulder as I looked up at him.

  “How small your penis is,” Vanessa said.

  He chuckled. “Don’t ever change, Ness.”

  “Seriously, I don’t know how big it is,” she said, shaking her head at me. “I just love winding him up.”

  Sam leaned over and kissed the top of my head while maintaining eye contact with the bride. “Congratulations, by the
way. For a girl who looks so much like a boy, you sure are pretty in your wedding dress.”

  Vanessa burst out laughing. “Touché, douchebag.”

  There was a closeness between them, and for a moment, I felt left out before Vanessa tapped me on the knee. “Sam is such a better person now than he was when he was with my sister. They weren’t right together. You’re lucky—you get him when he’s not quite so douchey.” She stood, and hitched her skirt. “How on earth Mum and Ella talked me into wearing this I’ll never know.”

  As she left, Sam sat beside me and slipped his arm in mine. “Sorry to leave you alone with her. I don’t want you feeling like I’ve dumped you in it.”

  “She’s sweet. I think she definitely calls a spade a spade.”

  He laughed. “She does. Whatever else is going on in my life, I always know where I stand with Vanessa.”

  “You seem close.”

  Sam shrugged. “We never used to be. I helped her out when she needed it. It changed things between us.”

  “The whole family seems nice. I’m so glad we came.”

  Sam’s gaze shifted to Ella, surrounded by children, including my own. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind since my mother asked it, but why did they break up? For him not to have met Finn until he was three and a half, something big must have happened and yet Sam and Ella seemed to have such a friendly relationship.

  “I don’t know how she does it,” I said.

  “Does what?”

  “She’s got all those kids under control, runs her house, and still looks like she walked out of a clothing catalogue. Ella’s perfect.”

  Sam didn’t say anything, but there was a sadness in his eyes, and he fixed his gaze on his ex-wife as she disappeared into the distance. “Yeah, she is.”

  At his words, a hard lump formed in my throat. Was he still in love with her? I was a shadow in comparison, constantly tripping over all the balls I had to juggle. I was so disorganised, ran late for work all the time, ran late to pick up Paige. My house had always been a jumble, and there was no way I kept on top of everything. In comparison, I was a mess.

  Sam turned his head to meet my eyes and raised his hand to cup my cheek. When he ran his thumb down my face, my body came alive. Why did I want him so much when I struggled with my previous thoughts? Meeting Sam had changed my life, and for the first time I was with someone who just seemed to want me for me. Was it all in my head?