Page 23 of Crushing on the Mountain Men

I’d purchased a bouquet of daisies for my friend. Her favorite flower.

As she and Edgar stepped off the ATV, I couldn’t help but smile.

She was wearing a soft pink sweater and white pants with pink boots.

Edgar had a green sweater and black pants.

“It’s what we wore on our first date,” she said.

I remembered after she’d almost given up on a dating app. I’d convinced her to try Edgar, as I’d liked the look of his picture and his friendly comments on his profile.

They held hands and moved in front of me.

“You, Davin, and Creed can sign the license,” she said.

“Won’t your family know you’ve already married then?” I wondered how they would pretend they didn’t need a licence.

She shrugged. “The priest at the church said it could be between us.”

“Then let’s get you married,” I said.

I felt tears, and swallowed them away, before stepping in front of my friends and my wonderful boyfriends to conduct the ceremony.

***

“So while Tina said she wanted to get married in a hot-air balloon when we were in middle school, I’m glad she met someone who makes her dreams a reality on the ground,” I said, concluding the ceremony.

“You are now married.”

I took several pictures, and then Creed took some of me with the happy couple, before we all enjoyed a champagne toast.

After Creed took them back to their car, then returned, he and Davin each took one of my hands.

“It was beautiful, wasn’t it?” I asked them. “I didn’t expect to get so emotional.”Davin kissed my cheek. “It’s where we met. Someday we will have our wedding here, too.”

Creed kissed my hand, and I hoped it would come true.

Epilogue: Kailee

OneYearLater

“By the power invested in me by the online church,” Kenny said. “I now pronounce you both married to Kailee.”

Creed pulled me against him for a long kiss as the sun set in the clearing. I loved the feel of his dark suit against my soft white wrap dress.

Then I was spun around to kiss Davin, and I stroked his soft beard. He was also wearing a suit.

Only Kenny and the three of us would know which name was officially on the legal certificate.

“Congratulations!” Ellen tossed birdseed over us. “You’re married!”

Kenny and Ellen had been dating for about six months. He’d asked her out on his last day of physical therapy.

“I need more PT if I have to walk up here again,” he teased while taking pictures.

“Good thing you are dating a good one,” I said. “Now we want more pictures against the sunset. Hurry.”

“Bossy,” he muttered. “And to think we’re stuck as partners.”

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