Page 114 of Beautiful Disaster

He sets me down in the bathroom, where I find my clothes and a steaming mug of coffee waiting. “Chop, chop. We have an appointment in an hour.”

“What appointment?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Fine…”

I quickly chug down my coffee, shower, and get dressed. After I put on my shoes and coat, Mason’s tugging me again to his truck. We drive into town and pull in front of the County Clerk’s office.

“What are we doing here?”

Mason turns to face me, cups my face, and pulls me into a kiss. “We’re going to get our marriage license. Once we receive it, we’ll have a quick ceremony at a justice of the peace. Later, we can focus on a real ceremony with your family. But since we can’t marry in Italy, I want to make sure we’re legal here. While this is for love, I want to make sure we have all our legal documents in order in case something happens to one of us.”

This is it. This is what I’ve always wanted. I never dreamed I’d marry a man, but this is my happily ever after. I’ve finally found my love, my partner, my everything. And he’s so much better than I ever imagined.

“Jinx?”

Worry is etched on his face.

“I’m not having second thoughts, babe. I’m just… fucking floored. Let’s do it!” My eyes water, and he brushes away a couple of tears. He kisses me again, and we leave the car to start our new lives.

Chapter 32

Jinx - Epilogue

Six Months Later

I absently twist the simple gold wedding band around my ring finger, sitting in Mason’s living room, staring at all the boxes tucked to the side.

We’re leaving for Italy in two days, and I’m a fucking mess of emotions. I’ve lived in Colorado for three years with the best family anyone could have. I know I’ll see them again, but I’m going to miss my brothers, Sugar-Sweet Ranch, my apartment, and all the stupid animals. I’m going to miss riding Waffle through the snow along the mountainside, next to the rushing river, and my place to unwind. But there will be other places in Italy to unwind. I’m sure I’ll find my special spot to get away.

Waffle and Black Beauty are in quarantine before they leave the States. They’ve been there for a while. Mason set it up so that once we reach Italy, they’ll be on their way. They won’t need to be quarantined again. They’ll just get another check-up and come to their final home.

I’m going to miss Mason’s home, too. I thrived here thanks to him.

At the same time, I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life with Mason. My husband. It still sounds weird in my head.

Mason kisses the top of my neck from behind. “They’re pulling up the drive, Precious.”

I swallow the huge lump in my throat and stand.

This is goodbye. At least for now. Mason wanted to celebrate at his former restaurant, but after he sold it to that corporation, I never set foot in it again. I couldn’t. The guilt was too much. He always understood. So, we decided to have a nice dinner at his place for the last time.

He lets me open the door, standing back, giving me space. I don’t know how he always knows what I need, but I’m grateful for it. As soon as my brothers knock, I open it.

When they step in, I can’t hold back the tears anymore. We circle each other in a group hug, sniffing, and one of us whimpers. Probably me.

“I’m going to fucking miss you guys,” I say.

“Fuck, Jinx. We’re so going to miss you, too,” Aleks says, crying the hardest.

Julien, who’s more stoic than all of us, nods in agreement, but even he’s cracking. “You’re going to have an amazing life, Jinx. I just know it. And we’ll come to visit often. That’s a promise.”

“We love you,” Tink says.

Foxy pats my back and is the first to pull away. “Thanks for protecting us all those years.”

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise me, but when we all separate, they gather Mason in a family hug, too. It’s easy to forget Mason had been alone for a long time until me. No family, barely any friends. I love how my family finally accepted him and made him theirs, too. It wasn’t easy for guys like us, who’d been hurt by older men for so long.