“And did you know the assailant?”
I nod, and Logan growls. “What? How did you know him?”
“Do you remember when I told you how my boss made me go on those dates?” He nods. “Zach was date number two.”
“And you had no indication that he was the one stalking you?” Rodriguez asks, and I shake my head.
“I didn’t even recognize him at first. He’d changed his appearance to look more like Logan, and he used a different name.”
“Looking back at his file, this isn’t the first time he’s become obsessed with someone. There was a girl in college who filed a restraining order against him, and he went to counseling for a while.”
“Oh,” I whisper, thinking over our date again but I can’t think of anything that would have raised a red flag.
“We shouldn’t need anything else from you, Ali. Based on the crime scene and what we found in his apartment, this is an open and shut case.” He stands, and I reach out for him.
“Wait. What did you find in his apartment?”
He hesitates, his gaze flicking between Logan and I. “Trust me when I say that the two of you are better off not knowing. Move on with your lives and put this behind you.”
He holds our gazes for a moment before we nod and he tells us good-bye. When he leaves, I glance over at Logan, and he kisses my hand.
“I love you,” I tell him, and he nods. I want to say it every second of every day.
“I want you to tell me everything again.”
“No.”
He opens his mouth to protest, and I shake my head again.
“It’s in the past, and I’m not going to allow you to torture yourself with the details. I want to move forward. With you.”
He studies me for a second before nodding and standing. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his grandmother’s ring. He slips it down my finger, and I beam, happiness settling into my heart as I look up at him.
“June. Under the stars?” I ask, and he nods.
“If that’s what you want.”
“The only thing I really want is to be married to you,” I tell him, and he flashes me a grin.
“That’s good, Kitten, ‘cause there was no other option for us. You’re mine until the day I take my last breath.” He leans over me, and I press my hand to his cheek as he presses a soft kiss to my lips.
“I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
Epilogue
June
“You look gorgeous,” Carly says, beaming as she brushes her hands down her own dress and looks at my reflection in the mirror.
“I feel gorgeous,” I murmur, twisting back and forth as I take in the stunning mermaid sweetheart dress that we found when we all went to New Orleans with my mom.
Izzy steps up beside us and grins. “Logan’s going to lose his shit.”
I can’t help but giggle because that was the whole point of this dress – get my soon to be husband all worked up so that when everyone leaves and we disappear into the cabin for our honeymoon, he can’t control himself. Looking at the three of us lined up in the mirror, love wells up inside me, and I feel so incredibly lucky.
“I honestly don’t know what I would do without you two. You’re the best friends a girl could ever ask for,” I whisper, taking each of their hands in mine, and Izzy looks up at the ceiling while Carly fans her eyes.
“Jesus, don’t make me cry,” Izzy shouts but her voice lacks conviction.
“We love you, too,” Carly says, smiling through the tears gathering in her eyes. I grab a tissue off the table and pass it to her. As she dabs at her eyes, Izzy takes a couple deep breaths and meets my eyes again.
“I’m so lucky that you got stuck with me freshman year,” she says, and I laugh.
“Yeah, I am.”
She wraps her arms around me just as someone knocks on the door.
“Okay to come in?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, come on in, Mom.”
“Oh my gosh,” Mom whispers as she steps into the bedroom and covers her mouth with her hands, tears building in her eyes.
“Don’t start, Mama. If you cry, then I’m going to cry.”
She fans her face and looks up at the ceiling, trying to dry her eyes, but when she glances down at me again, her lips tremble. “Oh, I just can’t help it. My only baby is getting married today, and you look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” I sigh, a slight blush staining my cheeks as I turn back to the mirror. Well, here’s the blushing bride. Let’s go find a groom. “Are you sure you guys are okay with all this?”
They were pretty surprised when I told them I was getting married but they loved Logan from the moment they met him.
“What?”
“All the guys in leather out there?” I joke, pointing out the window where guests are milling by the back deck.
“Those sweet boys? I couldn’t be happier. It seems like you’re getting a whole family.”
I laugh. Only my mother would refer to a group of big, tatted up bikers as sweet boys.
“Are we ready to get this show on the road? They’re ushering people down to their seats,” Dad says, stepping into the room and pausing when he sees me. “Good Lord,” he whispers, his hand over his heart.
“Now, don’t go having a heart attack until your daughter says, ‘I do’,” Mom says, scolding him, and I laugh, which seems to snap him out of his trance. He shakes his head and smiles.
“I swear, just last week you were my baby girl and riding around on my shoulders.”
“Dad,” I whisper, tears welling up in my eyes, and Mom rolls her eyes.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Let’s get her in the golf cart before you both start blubbering like babies,” she scolds us like she wasn’t just doing the same thing. “Carly and Izzy, go on now. There’s a second golf cart waiting for you.”
They duck out of the room and I smirk as I put my shoes on and slip my arm through Dad’s. He tucks his arm in and pats my hand as he leads me out to the front of the cabin where a golf cart is waiting for me. There is a large white tent down by the edge of the lake where Logan is waiting for me, and I can’t wait to get to him. After the attack, this day couldn’t come quick enough, and we almost gave in and just eloped but Logan was adamant about giving me my dream wedding.
I slip into my seat, and Mom hands me my bouquet before hopping on the back as Dad sits beside me. “Ready to do this, Sweetie?”
I nod, no hesitation. “More than ready.”
He smiles and starts the golf cart, butterflies flapping around in my belly as we drive across the meadow, toward the edge of the lake where my man is waiting for me. The frogs croak, and crickets chirp as the entire yard is lit up by thousands of white twinkle lights hanging from the trees all around us. They reflect off the water as the stars wink at us from above our heads, and I can’t think of a more perfect way to marry him.
Dad stops the cart at the end of the aisle and climbs out, walking around the back to help me out. Home by Blue October starts playing, and Dad holds his hand out for me. As I slip my hand into his, he helps me out of the golf cart. My eyes meet Logan’s at the end of the aisle, and he beams, smiling through the tears in his eyes, and I clear my throat, feeling a little choked up as Dad takes my hand again, and we start off down the aisle.