Epilogue
Charlotte Keli Cassidy-Barrett
Red lips, serious glam. I smiled at myself in the mirror as I tossed my lip brush to the counter. I was channeling Keli Marlowe’s look on my wedding day, but I felt one hundred percent like myself.
Charlotte Cassidy, soon to be legally Barrett for life.
“Oh, Charli,” Gwen brushed her tears away as she came up behind me. “You’re so beautiful.”
I turned. “Thank you, Gwen. Look at you, maid of honor. You’re stunning.”
“Thanks. But more important than how gorgeous we both look today is the fact I have my best friend back for good.” She hugged me and I tried not to cry. Even though most of my makeup was waterproof, I still didn’t need any tears. Getting all red and blotchy from crying was a real concern with my fair skin and I wanted flawless wedding photos. I was determined to live the entire bridal experience I’d missed out on during our first go-around. The go-around with Trent didn’t count, it was a fake courthouse thing that meant nothing. I wanted this to be perfect for Cade and me—something beautiful we would remember forever.
“Can we come in?” Violet popped her head through the partially closed doorway of my suite at the recently renovated Sweetbriar Inn.
“Yes. Oh, my goodness, you’re all stunning.” While Gwen was my maid of honor, each one of Cade’s sisters was a bridesmaid.
My wedding colors were shades of black and silver. Gwen was in a deep black beaded strapless sheath, while Cade’s sisters wore matching dresses in shades running from dark gray to a light sparkling silver. They looked like an ombré midnight rainbow.
I had told Cade our second wedding would be big, and I’d meant it. I’d rented out the entire inn. But since Cade’s Grandma Rosemary still owned it, she cut me a sweet deal. This place was gorgeous—an old Victorian mansion at the edge of town. After her husband died, she shut the inn down and retired from running it. Holly was currently working on restoring it back to its former glory and she’d moved into one of the suites.
Black and white roses covered nearly every surface. Flameless candles and twinkly lights provided sparkly illumination, and all the guests were dressed in black. But not me; I was in white silk and lace. My hair was in a fabulous French twist and my veil was a work of art. My dress even had a train; when I walked down the aisle, I would be followed by ten feet of beaded lace.
I looked up as Dahlia entered the room along with her sister, Delphine, and mother, Rosemary. “We have something for you.”
I turned and beckoned them in with a huge smile. “What is it?”
“You’re about to become a Barrett again, but we wanted to give you something from us. Something all us girls have.” Cade’s sisters circled around me. Tears threatened to spill but I blinked them back.
Dahlia placed a pale pink jewelry bag into my open palm.
“Thank you.” After inhaling a deep breath, I opened it. Strung on a delicate platinum chain was a single, perfect pink pearl. I looked up to see that they each had a matching necklace around their necks, and I immediately wanted to wear mine too. “Oh gosh. Help me put this on, Gwen. Please.”
Gwen took it from me and fastened it. I’d never had a mother or a sister or an aunt. I grew up with the best dad ever and wonderful brothers and I never lacked love and affection, but standing here right now, I could feel what I had missed out on.
“These came from a necklace Cade’s grandpa gave me after we got married,” Rosemary explained. “A couple years ago, I decided I wanted all my girls to have a piece of it.”
She held her arms up and I hugged her. “Welcome back to the family, Charlotte. We missed you.”
“I missed you too. All of you. So much.”
I bit the inside of my cheek hard. I was not going to cry. No way.
“Are you ready?” My dad’s voice in the hall made us all stand at attention.
“Yes,” I replied. This was happening. I beamed at every face in this room. “I am about to burst!” I couldn’t help it, I twirled. Then I stumbled over the train and almost went down. But Gwen caught me before I could fall.
“Girl, I warned you about this. Trains are not for the faint of heart. And definitely not for spinning.”
“Let’s do this,” Rose took my hand. “A girl can never have enough sisters. I’m so happy.”
“We all are.” Violet leaned in and kissed my cheek
“There is no getting away this time,” Lily added. “We won’t let you.”
“I’m here for good,” I promised. “I love you all.”
I watched as they all made their way to the entrance of the ballroom where Cade waited, then took my father’s arm.
“I love you, princess.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
The music started and my smile grew bigger. For a second, I got worried because my face was in real danger of freezing in a permanent expression of my joy.
As I got ready to marry the man I had loved forever, my eyes were dry, but my heart was full.
Maybe tonight was Cade’s turn to cry. Tears filled his eyes when I took my place at the start of the rose petal-covered aisle.
“I love you!” I shouted, making him smile through his tears.
“I love you too, Charli.”
We had strayed from the path we began so many years ago, but with each step down this aisle I knew we’d never lose our way again.
This time was forever.
And when my father placed my hand in Cade’s, my soul sighed in contentment, knowing it was finally back home where it belonged.