Buying Love Update ~ Epilogue

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Two Months Later …

“Edward, you’re going to wear a hole into the wood,” Carlisle, my best man, quipped. “I know you’re anxious to say ‘I do,’ but pacing like a caged animal is not going to make time go by faster.”

“Anxious is putting it mildly,” I deadpanned. “This past two months have flown by. Ava is growing like a weed and I just want Bella to be my wife. I want us to truly start our lives together, as a family. I just feel like if both of them have my name, that nothing can take them away.”

“No one is taking your happiness away,” Peter smiled. “You just need to enjoy your wedding day. It’s gorgeous outside and in less than fifteen minutes, Bella will be walking down the aisle to you.”

“Edward just wants to get laid,” Emmett snorted. I scowled at him, tossing a pillow at him. Jasper smacked him upside the head. “What? You were bitching that you were horny while we were running this morning.” Both of them were groomsmen for the wedding.

“Yeah, I’m horny, but I’ve got a newborn,” I said. “Sex is the farthest thing on our minds.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Bella got the thumbs up from her gynecologist earlier this week and me, acting like a horny teenager, wanted to be with her in the worst way. She looked at me the same way, but Ava was still puking up everything she ate and not sleeping well. Sex was truly the farthest thing on our minds.

Until tonight.

Carlisle, Elizabeth and Charlie were taking care of Ava while Bella and I were having a weekend away at the Seattle Swan Boutique B&B, in one of the contemporary villas. Bella was terrified that Ava was going to be a mess while we were gone, but my mom said that while we adored our daughter, we had to make our relationship a priority. And our wedding was definitely a moment for our relationship to become number one. So, Rose packed a bag for Bella and made all of the arrangements.

“Edward, it’s time,” said Liam, poking his head into the groom’s suite.

We were getting married on the same land as the B&Bs. The wedding was being held in one of the more rustic villas with a large backyard. I was in the lower bedroom that acted as the groom’s suite. Bella was upstairs in the master bedroom getting ready with her bridesmaids, Alice, Jessica and Rose, who was her maid of honor.

I went outside and stood at the altar. It was gorgeous, set back against the wooded land of the villa. The chairs were white with pale blue decorations, flowers and ribbons. I escorted my mom down the aisle as the string quartet played a beautiful song written by Jasper. I kissed her on the cheek, standing next to Liam, who was acting as our officiant. Jessica and Emmett came out first. The music continued and Alice and Jasper floated down the aisle. He was dressed similarly to me, with a light gray suit and pale blue tie. Alice had on a flowy dress in the same shade of blue as our ties. She held a bouquet made of hydrangea, roses and flowers I didn’t recognize in shades of blue, peach, pink and white.

Rose was escorted by Carlisle, carrying Ava in her arms. My daughter was in a white dress with pale blue bow around her waist and around her reddish curls. When she saw me, she squealed, reaching for me. I took her from Rose’s arms, cradling my sweet baby girl. “You can’t get married holding your kid, Edward,” Carlisle quipped.

“I’ll hold her until Bella’s here,” I said, my fingers gliding along her pale, alabaster skin. “Did you see Mommy? Is she beautiful like a princess?”

Ava cooed, her feet kicking excitedly. Mom got up as the music changed into another gorgeous Jasper original, taking Ava from me. Our guests stood up and I looked down the aisle. Bella was on her father’s arm. Her dress was strapless, cinched at the waist with pale blue chiffon falling away from her body. Her dress was elegant, but casual and fun. Her hair was curled with a sparkling headband. She held a large bouquet, mainly white but with blue, pink and peach accents.

My breath was blown away at how gorgeous she looked. My Bella was beautiful wearing sweatpants and my button-downs. But, seeing her in wedding dress, walking down the aisle to me, to become my wife.

Buying Love Teaser

In my office in the San Francisco B&B, I was crunching numbers with Rose using Facetime. I had opened over twenty B&Bs on the west coast in California, Oregon and Washington. I was researching locations in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for a more rustic aesthetic, with Rose looking into opening locations on the east coast. My clients loved having the personal touch of a B&B, but all of the high-end amenities of a Swan Resort. There were waiting lists extending past the two-year mark at most of the locations that were opened.

And Edward, in his brilliance, suggested offering the locations for small, private weddings. At several locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, Seattle and Port Angeles, those destination wedding services were offered by an expensive wedding planner, arranging for everything that bride and groom desired.

Swan Boutique B&Bs was becoming one of the fastest growing boutique hotel chain in the country. It was featured on several travel shows and that created even more buzz about this venture. With my attention focused on the Boutique B&B’s, Uncle Peter had effectively taken over Swan Hotels. With Edward’s support, we offered him the opportunity to make our partnership into an equal trio. Uncle Peter was the CEO of the hotel division. I was the CEO of the B&B division and Edward would be the tie-break, acting as CFO for both, utilizing his business and information technology degrees. Granted, Edward was still in school, working overtime to finish. He managed to cram almost two years of his education in one year. He had another two quarters to complete; he was going to graduate with honors.

It made for some lonely nights and some heated arguments, but the end was in sight.

Rose also got a promotion within the Swan Hotel empire, as well. She was so integral in helping make the idea take off that she was in charge of the B&Bs in Washington and Oregon. And when we expand the B&Bs to the east coast, she’d head up operations over there. Emmett, her now fiancé, was accepted into the FBI. He was finishing up his tour with the Seattle PD, closing out another human trafficking ring in Seattle and then working with Agent Dean and his team in Washington D.C. I was sad that my best friend and former assistant was moving so far away, but thrilled that she found her happily ever after and very own prince charming.

“Bitch! You’re spacing!” Rose laughed. “Have you been listening to me?”

“Sorry,” I murmured. “I’m …”

“You’ve been distracted this entire phone call. Are you okay?”

“To be honest, I’m freaking out,” I said, sitting back in my chair. “I … I think I might be pregnant.”

“You and Edward?” she squeaked.

“No, Rose. The pool guy,” I deadpanned. Rose’s lips smashed into a thin line. “Yes, with Edward!”

Buying Love Teaser

“Dad?” I squeaked. “What are you doing here?”

“Come, baby girl,” he said, taking my arm. “Let’s head back home.”

“Where’s home?” I snarled. “The hotel?”

“Bella, let’s just get out of here and we can hear what your dad has to say,” Edward said quietly, his arm around my waist. I gave my dad a glare as we made our way through the reporters and into the waiting limo. Everyone clambered in, including my father. Edward barked that we wanted to go to the hotel. I was grateful for him because if I opened my mouth, I would tell my father to fuck off. I stayed cuddled in Edward’s arms as we made our way to Swan Towers. Parking in the garage, we all got out and rode up to my father’s suite. I was anxious and sick, even though I should be cheering that Esme was found guilty.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to my daughter and her boyfriend alone,” Charlie said.

“Why should she listen to you?” Rose snapped. “You abandoned her while she was fucking recovering, you asshole.”

“Rosalie, you’re still my employee,” Charlie growled.

“No, she’s mine,” I argued. “But, we’ll be fine.” Rose gave Charlie a glower and got off on her floor with Carlisle and Elizabeth. Edward and I rode up to the top floor where my dad’s penthouse was located. It looked exactly like mine, with the layout, but the décor was different. We walked inside and settled onto the couch. Charlie tossed his coat onto the dining room table and sat down on one of the chairs. “What do you want, Charlie?”

“Enough with the attitude, Isabella,” he snapped.

“I think her attitude is warranted, Mr. Swan,” Edward retorted. “She’s not a child and the way you acted while she was in the hospital was deplorable.”

Scrubbing his face, Charlie sat back and sighed. “You’re right. I was an asshole. What I did was appalling. Bella, you are my only daughter and I abandoned you when you needed me the most.”

“What do you want, Charlie?” I repeated. “Because, if you didn’t hear, Esme was found guilty and we want to celebrate that fact. You kind of put a damper on that.”

Buying Love Update

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After a family photo in front of the tree, Christmas Eve dinner was a rousing success. Everyone enjoyed the meal that I had catered up to my penthouse suite. We sang Christmas songs, drank egg nog, had a white-elephant gift exchange and bonded as a strangely disjointed family. It was a total Norman Rockwell moment, complete with two ex-escorts, a cop, a retired cop, a US attorney, a couple of gay men, a reformed nun and Rose.

She wasn’t the reformed nun. Uncle Peter’s date, Sophia, she joined a convent when she was eighteen but decided to leave at twenty-two because of the whole celibacy thing. I wasn’t surprised. She was gorgeous with long black hair and violet eyes. Too pretty to be a nun, if you ask me. But, that was a long time ago and she was obviously smitten with my uncle.

After Christmas Eve, everyone went to their hotel rooms. There was a little too much nog in everyone’s systems, except for Edward, Jasper and me. I didn’t want anyone to drive. Edward and I were on the couch, curled up underneath a warm blanket, staring at the gorgeous Christmas tree. “Today was a lot of fun,” he said, idly playing with my hair. “I think the best thing was when Carlisle had to imitate having a baby for that movie in charades.”

“Oh, Knocked Up,” I giggled. “I thought he was going to pop a vein with all of the pushing and grunting he was doing.”

“And it didn’t help that he farted, stinking up the whole place,” Edward laughed. “But, it was a memorable moment and probably the best time I’ve had on Christmas since my dad passed.”

“I feel the same way, except it since my mom died,” I sighed, kissing Edward’s palm. “It’s nice to feel like I belong to a family again. The holidays were always so dark and depressing for me. Dad always worked and the only other person I hung out with was Rose. She usually was fucking some random guy to get her holiday cheer.”

“Esme would occasionally have a Christmas party,” Edward murmured. “It was probably the most normal I’d ever seen her. She loved the holidays, but most of us usually had to work because with the holidays came holiday parties. Last Christmas, I was on the arm of an older woman, a socialite at some charity banquet. The Christmas before, I was in Esme’s torture chamber, making sure that Esme got her holiday cheer while all I wanted to do was shove a lump of coal up her ass.”

“Ouch,” I snorted. 

Edward's Present to Carlisle spelling out 'Cullen'

Edward's Present to Elizabeth

Edward's Present to Rose

Edward's present to Uncle Peter

Edward's Present to Bella, to match her birthday necklace

Soft slippers from Edward to Bella

Inscription for Edward's cuffs from Bella
Keeper of my Soul

&

Holder of my Heart

Edward's cuffs

Edward's new journal from Bella