Epilogue

"You know, when I asked you to look out for my brother while I was gone, I didn't mean you had to do it forever."

Mattie looked at her best friend—now her sister-in-law—and smiled. "Well, I did promise. And you know how seriously I take promises."

There was a glimmer of sorrow in Jessica's eyes as she raised her champagne in a silent toast. For an instant, Mattie wondered if there was something going on in Jessica's life that her friend hadn't told her about. Then the moment passed, and Jessica said, with mock solemnity, "Thank you for making my brother happy."

"Trust me, I've been waiting a long time for this."

"You know, he always did want to be part of your family."

"Watch it, I might start to worry that he married me just for that," she teased, even though she didn't really believe it.

But looking out across her father's lawn, she could see why. Brad's parents—who'd nearly had a fit when she insisted on holding the reception in her father's backyard rather than the country club—sa