Falling into our bed, I make myself comfortable in my personal little nook under Logan’s arm. My head rests on his chest while my arm stretches across his firm stomach.
“How are you doing?” he asks as his fingers trail along my arm.
“I just feel so lost. Like I don’t even know how I am supposed to feel.”
“There aren’t any rules out there that say you are supposed to feel a certain way, babe. There is no right or wrong way to feel about everything.”
“I know. There is just so much confusion going on in my head, and I don’t know how to even begin to sort it out. Does it make me feel better and safer knowing that creep is no longer a threat? Absolutely. Does the fact that I know Jane will never be taken away from me make me beyond happy? Definitely. But I would never want these things at the cost of my sister’s freedom. And at the same time, all I can think is that she is better off locked away because she will be clean and I won’t be worried about her killing herself with drugs. How sick is that? That I think my sister is better off in prison after she murdered someone. God, the words still seem so foreign.”
“There is not one single thing wrong with how you are feeling. If there is, then there is something wrong with me too. I am over the moon knowing that Jane is staying with us, but I wouldn’t ever dream of wishing this future on your sister.”
My arm tightens around his midsection, and my lips press against his bare chest. This man has been a blessing beyond belief since he walked into my life.
“I don’t know how I would have survived this without you.”
“That is something you will never have to worry about. But, for the record, I think you would have done quite well because you, Brenna, are one of the strongest women I know.”
“There are still a lot of hurdles in our future,” I say, thinking about the upcoming court dates and trial that I imagine Lynne will go through.
“And we will conquer each one of them together.”
I fall asleep knowing that I never have to spend a second worrying about being alone and find comfort in the fact I will forever have Logan by my side. A few months ago, my life was headed in one direction where I was living in a constant replay of my day-to-day life. But then my life took a surprising turn, and my direction changed literally overnight. Some of the best things in life are unexpected.
Epilogue
Logan
“You sure got lucky when you found this one. Your mother would be proud of you, and I know she would have loved Brenna.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I say as my eyes meet my father’s in the mirror.
I took Brenna’s advice, and after much deliberation, I reached out to him and was surprised that when I actually sat down with him, he wasn’t the monster I had envisioned in my head. He was just a sad, lonely man with a broken heart. Brenna once asked me how I would react if I ever lost her, and I knew, without a doubt, I wouldn’t survive. A life without her beautiful smile wasn’t a life I wanted to live. The same thing happened to my father after my mom’s death.
He has been working on repairing his relationship with Tanner and me ever since I made contact. I have Brenna to thank for that because, without her, I never would have taken the initiative and made the first move.
“It’s time,” Tanner says, coming to stand behind our father.
I straighten my tie in the mirror and can’t stop the smile that stretches across my face. I am still unsure how I was able to convince Brenna to marry me, but I did, and I need to get out there before she has the chance to run.
The first time I laid eyes on her, there was a magnetic pull, but at the time, I was otherwise engaged, and I assumed she was involved with my brother. My loyalty to Tanner was tested, and there were times when I was ready to throw our brotherhood out the window because I wanted her so badly. All bets were off the moment I learned their relationship was completely platonic, and the rest is history.
Brenna and Jane have taken over my life in the best way possible. They are my world, and I would do anything to make them smile.
The past year has been bumpy with all the legal issues, and I know as we wait to find out her sister’s sentence that Brenna has been stressed to the max. Jane has been seeing her counselor regularly, and the difference it has made with her is amazing. She knows that her mom has gone away and won’t be back for quite some time. Of course, she doesn’t know the details of the situation, but she’s smart enough to know she isn’t away on vacation.
Brenna used to visit Lynne weekly in the beginning, but after a few months, she stopped accepting visitors, claiming it was becoming too hard on her, and she didn’t want to cause Brenna any further pain. She still writes letters to her sister, but they remain unanswered. And while my reunion with my father turned out amazing, the same couldn’t be said about her and her mother. At the end of the day, she knows that she did all she could, but at some point, you have to know your limit.
When I asked Brenna to marry me, we both decided we wanted something small that included just our close friends and family. So here we are at our cabin in the mountains with the ones most precious to us as we prepare to say our vows to one another.
We make our way outside to the archway that was recently added to the backyard, and I take my spot at the end with my brother by my side. Taking his cue, Jordan starts the song to begin the ceremony. Everyone stands from their seats and turns to watch as my beautiful bride exits the house.
Claire comes down the walkway first, and I’m sure she looks great, but my eyes are unable to leave Brenna. She makes her way toward me—way too slow for my liking—with a bouquet in one hand and the other clasped around Jane’s. Her dark brown hair is gathered to the side with big curls cascading down, and the smile on her gorgeous face is one for the record books. My attention leaves her for a moment to take in the sweet little girl walking with her. While Brenna chose a classic white dress, Jane, of course, went with a frilly pink number.
When they finally reach me, I hold out a hand to Jane and wait for Brenna to pass her flowers to Claire before taking hers. We turn toward Uncle Richard, who is officiating the ceremony, and bring Jane to stand in front of us because this day is for the three of us.
“Family and friends,” Uncle Richard begins, “today, we come together to celebrate the love that Logan and Brenna share. Not only for each other but also for Jane. While their story isn’t a typical one, it is still beautiful nonetheless.” He continues with his speech, but his words fade out as I focus on nothing but my girls.
I can no longer recall what my life was like before they entered it, and my future holds nothing but them. My days begin and end in the best way imaginable—with Brenna in my arms.
We repeat our vows and exchange rings, making the ceremony as quick as possible. When it comes time to kiss my bride, I pick Jane up in my arms and kiss her cheek before meeting Brenna’s lips in a brief kiss. I will get the kiss I crave later on, but we chose to keep it simple for now because we wanted to include Jane. She is just as much a part of this day as we are.
“May I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Logan Tate,” my uncle says, and everyone stands to cheer and clap.
Brenna smiles up at me and glances out at our friends and family. “There is something Jane and I would like to do before we end this.”
I eye her curiously, unsure what is going on. She takes a manila folder from my aunt and turns back to face me with tears in her eyes. Jane is bouncing around in my arms, and I lower her back to the ground so I can figure out what is going on. My uncle, brother, and Claire have joined the rest of the family, so only the three of us stand together.
“Since today is a day for celebrating and unity, we wanted to make something else official while we were at it.” She opens the folder and pulls out a stack of papers, passing them to me.
My eyes scan the documents, but freeze when one single powerful word sticks out.
“Is this what I think it is?” I ask in disbelief.
In my hands is som
ething I have dreamed about for the longest time, and my heart is on the verge of leaping out of my chest.
Brenna nods her head. “We were hoping that you would agree to make us an official family.”
A little hand tugs at my fingers, and I bring myself to my knees, giving her my full attention. “Will you be my daddy forever?”
I blink, unable to believe that what I planned to be the best day of my life just got a million times better. I bite back the tears threatening to fall and nod my head. “There isn’t anything I would love more.”
With a scream, she throws her little body against mine, and I stand with her in my arms. I kiss her head and pull Brenna into my arms as well. Cheers erupt once again, and I guarantee there isn’t a dry eye around.
Brenna finalized her adoption of Jane months ago, and while I have wanted to make her mine, I never brought it up. Since the day at the lake—what seems like many moons ago—when I overheard Jane telling Brenna she wanted me to be her daddy, I have hoped and prayed for it to become a reality.
“Does someone have a pen?” I ask, and in seconds, I have ten to choose from. I take the one closest to me, which comes from my father, and I sign my name to every line that has been efficiently tagged.
We pass the papers off to Uncle Richard, and he leads the group inside where enough food and drinks are ready to supply an army. Jane follows, skipping along beside Tanner, and it gives me a moment alone with my wife.
“Are you happy?” she asks, circling her arms around my neck.
My thumb caresses her cheek. “There isn’t a word to describe how I feel right now. I don’t think this day could get any better.”
She bites her bottom lip and looks up at me through her lashes. “I bet I can prove you wrong.”
“There is only one thing you could say and …” I trail off and cock my head to the side.
Is she?
There is no way that I would ever have this much luck.
“You’re pregnant?”
She pulls her lip between her teeth again and nods. My hands slide back behind her head, and I crash my mouth to hers. Wetness coats our faces, and I know it’s a combination of our tears mixing together.
“Ever since the day you agreed to go out with me, you have made me the luckiest man on earth. I never expected to find my forever after one lunch date, but man, am I happy I did. I love you so fucking much, Brenna.”
“I love you too, Logan. And I love every unexpected moment of our story.”
* * *
The End.
Acknowledgments
My wonderful parents – You guys have always been my biggest fans, no matter what I am doing in life. I have become the person I am today because of the love and support you two have shown me.
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Ryan – I couldn’t ask for a better (sometimes) assistant or friends than you. You have been by my side for so many years that I can no longer remember a time when you weren’t around.
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Sarah – My Louise. None of this would be possible without you. Over four years ago, we set about on this crazy adventure and I could never have dreamed how far we would go.
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Jenn – Thank you for all of your help and advice over the past few months. Sprinting with you is likely what’s responsible for this story being finished.
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Ashley, Judy, and Becca - Thank you all for beta reading and helping me to shape this story into what it is.
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To the readers and bloggers – There isn’t enough thanks in the world to express how grateful I am for every like, share and review. My favorite part of this career is meeting all of you beautiful people along the way.
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Last but certainly not least, my love - While this book was inspired by the role I chose to take on for my nephew, the love story was all fiction. I could never have planned for how much of it would become a reality when you entered my life. Without knowing it, you became my Logan and showed me exactly how perfect the unexpected things in life can be.
About the Author
Brandy Michelle has been a lover of books since she was a young girl and always dreamed of creating her own. She began her writing career as half of the author duo, Michelle Louise, and is now working on solo novels. The sunny state of Florida is where she calls home with her nephew and two fur-babies. When she doesn’t have her nose stuck in a book or her laptop, you can find her outside soaking up the sun.
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www.authorbrandymichelle.com
www.facebook.com/authorbrandymichelle
www.twitter.com/authorbrandym
[email protected]
Books by Michelle Louise
Pieces Series
Loving You to Pieces
Picking up the Pieces
Falling to Pieces
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Truesdale Series
Treasure Me
Convince Me
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