SWNOVELS Chapter A False Start: Epilogue
Three years later…
I’m sitting in the most uncomfortable folding chair of all time. But I don’t give a flying fuck because I got here early enough to get a front-row seat to my girl’s graduation. I’m about to be dating a doctor.
Talk about overachieving.
And fuck, I’ve never been happier to be overachieving in my life.
The rows in front of the temporary stage they’ve set up down by Emerald Lake start to fill, and I get some dirty looks for the number of seats I’ve blocked off in the front row. But ask me if I care.
Eventually, music plays through the big speakers, and butterflies dance in my stomach. She did it. I’m so goddamn proud of her it makes the bridge of my nose sting.
When we first got back together, she spent the last two months of her semester living close to campus in her apartment. She wanted to move in with me right away, but I convinced her to finish the year out strong. And she did, and then we spent the weekends together fucking like rabbits during her study breaks.
Then that summer, we got to work on our property. Something that still sounds like music to my ears. We designed a small, simple house, and put a blue tin roof on it. A rancher with huge banks of windows looking out over the valley that bursts with wildflowers every summer.
She told me it was a waste of a field. But I reminded her of all the incredible things those wildflowers can do. She just rolled her eyes at me, but I don’t care. I get to see them out my window every day. I get to walk through them with her, and life doesn’t get any better than that.
I train my horses and work on our farm, and she goes to school. Until today. Today that ends, and she gets to bring some horses of her own back to the property. She’ll rehabilitate them at our place and still put some hours in with Mira at Gold Rush Ranch. She has a whole plan, and I’m just lucky enough to be here and stand witness to it all coming together for her.
But first, I’ve got a surprise of my own.
“Hey, man.” Stefan slaps my shoulder, and I stand to hug Mira. The rest of the Gold Rush crew filters in behind them. Billie, Vaughn, Violet, Cole, Hank, Trixie. Even my parents, Joan and Doug, are here, positively beaming like she’s their own. Everyone who loves her is here to watch her walk across that stage today—the family she chose.
The group chats as they find their seats, but my knee bounces as I stare at the stage. My heart is about ready to burst for the woman I love. And when the ceremony starts, everyone else falls away for me. My sole focus is on the podium, front and center. And when they get to the d last names and a girl who shines from the inside walks out in her blue gown to accept a diploma, I let out a loud, borderline inappropriate whistle.
Nadia’s eyes find mine instantly, and we share a look, like we both know how huge this day is. And I fully intend to celebrate the hell out of her once I rip that gown off.
As soon as she clears the stage, Stefan squeezes my shoulder. “Go. Get out of here!”
I give my best friend a mischievous grin, a punch to the shoulder, and then duck out of the ceremony.
I walk behind the stage, and my eye is drawn to where she’s hugging a friend, blissfully happy. I shove my hands into the pockets of my slacks and let her have her moment, soaking her up, watching from afar.
But like always, she knows I’m looking, and her head turns in my direction. Within moments, the rest of her follows as she jogs across the staging area toward me with an infectious smile on her face. Once she’s close enough, she launches herself into my arms, and I lift her off the ground, spinning her around.
“I did it! I really did it.” I feel her breath against the shell of my ear as she nuzzles against me, happiness radiating off her in waves.
“Always knew you would, Wildflower.” Because I did. I knew she was remarkable from the first moment I laid eyes on her.
When I place her gently back down on the ground, she whispers in my ear. “You know how there was a vote on if you looked better in jeans or football tights?”
I grunt and roll my eyes, which makes her laugh.
Her top teeth sink into her bottom lip, and she reaches up to trace the seam of my mouth with her pink manicured finger as her eyes rake over my body with a hell of a lot of appreciation. “I think you might look the most fuckable in a suit.”
I scoff. “Watch your mouth, Dr. Dalca.”
“Or what?” She gives my tie a light tug and arches a brow. Okay, my girl is ready to celebrate.
I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out two airline tickets. “Or I won’t want to go on a tropical vacation to Costa Rica with you.”
Her jaw drops. “You didn’t!”
I shrug, feeling really fucking smug about this surprise. Surprising her has become one of my new favorite past times. “I did. It was the last thing on your bucket list. It felt incomplete. We leave in a few hours.”
She holds a hand up, shaking her head with disbelief. “First of all, it’s a to-do list.”
“Semantics.” I turn away, heading to the parking lot. “Keep up, Wildflower. I don’t want to miss our flight.”
She hustles to keep up with me. “Second of all, my list felt incomplete to you?”
I promised myself I’d complete that list four years ago. Seemed about time. I glance down at her out of the corner of my eye, noting the amusement stamped on her face. “Yeah. And I just added something.”
Two somethings.
She snorts. “You added something to my list?”
“Yeah. Join the mile high club.”
And get down on one knee and beg you to be Dr. Sinclaire for the rest of your life.
“I’m actually good with that addition. Dirty bathrooms are kind of our thing.”
I bark out a laugh and reach for her hand, rubbing the spot where the ring I picked out for her will go. I’m taking her on a well-earned tropical vacation, and while we’re there, I plan to make her mine once and for all.
My girl. My reason. My Wildflower.
Forever.