Alibi by Nicole Edwards

Epilogue

Saturday, March 20, 2021

From the moment Travis told his familythat he intended to officially marry Gage, they’d come up with a dozen suggestions as to how they should do it. At the church, at the resort, in the park. Full wedding party, half wedding party, no wedding party. Decorations, a big reception afterward, color schemes, themes. He’d pretty much heard every variation there was from small and basic to a wedding to rival the royal family.

As was the case with most of the debates with his siblings, there’d been some arguing and bartering, maybe a little bit of bribery thrown in. Admittedly, Zoey was pretty good at that, but Travis had stood his ground.

In the end, his idea was simple: him and Gage by the magnolia tree at his parents’ house. He gave them the option of getting on board with the idea or making themselves scarce for the big day. They eventually gave in, realizing he wasn’t going to back down.

Travis wasn’t looking for some grand gesture; he only wanted to fulfill his wife’s wish, and he wanted his husband to know he was committed for the long haul. As far as he was concerned, no one had to attend except for Gage and Pastor Bob.

Although his sisters-in-law had been disappointed that they wouldn’t get to plan a big to-do, they had rallied behind him. But he should’ve known putting his foot down didn’t necessarily mean he would get everything he wanted. They’d snuck in a few things without his consent, but since they’d kept it simple, Travis could honestly say they’d had the right idea. And they were all there, seated behind them in rows of chairs. Kaleb and Zoey, Zane and V, Ethan and Beau, Braydon and Jessie, Sawyer and Kennedy, Brendon and Cheyenne, plus all twenty-three of their kids. His mother and father were also there, as were Kylie’s father and stepmother.

For Travis, that would’ve been plenty, but someone had slipped in a few additional invitations. Several of Travis’s cousins, aunts and uncles, and some good friends were also in attendance. There to help keep the little ones in line during the ceremony, or so he’d been told.

And fine, perhaps it was better this way. His entire family there to witness them pledging their love to one another.

But there was one attendee he hadn’t expected. According to Gage, the magnolia trees likely wouldn’t produce flowers for years. While they were already several years old at this point, having been transplanted from whatever farm they were grown on, it would still be a while before their flowers made an appearance. Yet there it was, a single bloom on the magnolia tree, the flower open fully as though seeking the warmth of the sun. As far as he knew, the other three trees had yet to produce a single flower, and Travis couldn’t help but think it was a sign.

So, beneath the warm Texas sun on a beautiful spring day, Travis and Gage exchanged their vows.

Nothing elaborate because, again, it wasn’t about the pomp and circumstance. He held himself together, kept a smile on his face throughout. But it was when the rings were brought forward that Travis got choked up.

At their wife’s request, Gage had taken their rings to a jeweler in the neighboring town, along with Kylie’s, and had them melted down together and two new rings created. The result was two platinum bands, each with three tiny diamond chips across the center. While the largest diamond and the other smaller ones had been saved for the girls, Gage had decided the three diamonds—signifying the three of them—would be a reminder that even without Kylie with them, she was still in their hearts, still part of them.

When Pastor Bob proudly pronounced them husband and husband, Travis kissed his groom and held on to Gage for long minutes afterward.

Today was a day he would always remember, a good day. And while they were still grieving, would be for quite some time, these were baby steps to moving forward.

<<<— STAYTUNED—>>>

I hope you enjoyed the fifth installment of the Off the Books Task Force. As you can imagine, this one was the hardest one for me to write. I shed more tears than I can count through every page, but that doesn’t surprise me since the Walkers have kept me on an emotional roller coaster all these years.

There’s definitely more to come for Brantley and Reese, JJ and Baz, Trey and Magnus, and the rest of the task force. Each book in this series is a full-length novel involving a new case and the continuation of the relationships between them all. And I promise not to keep you waiting long for each installment.

If you enjoyed Alibi, please consider leaving a review.