Page 128 of Pick Me This Time

EPILOGUE

DAPHNE

A Few Months Later

Colors exploded across the sky, lighting up with inky darkness with a fireworks display the likes of which Allisburg had never seen before. As they went off, the familiar strands of Auld Lang Syne filled the air, the local band ringing in the new year in spectacular, traditional style.

Tears stung the back of my eyes where I stood against Sterling’s side, his arm draped around my shoulders and both of our heads tipped toward the sky. All around us, locals and tourists alike whooped, singing along with the band. They raised their glasses with whoever they’d come out to the farm with for the party.

Meanwhile, gasps of delight rang out from children who oohed and aahed at the fireworks, most of them perched on their parents’ shoulders. The atmosphere was so jovial and festive. Food trucks, mobile bars, and coffee vendors were set up around the perimeter.

We’d strung lights up in the trees just like Mrs. North used to do for the fall festival, and we’d hired some local entertainers for the kids as well. An entire inflatable obstacle course had kept them busy for the hours leading up to this point, and we were surrounded by fairies, unicorns, and tigers, the face-painters having excelled at their task.

Northfield Farms was lit up and alive in a way the property hadn’t been for years. It was icy cold, but there wasn’t so much as a breeze. With the bonfires we’d lit scattered across the area where we were hosting the party, the cold didn’t seem to be bothering many.

All things considered, I felt like our first attempt at turning the farm into a destination again had been successful.

“We should do this every year,” I murmured as I glanced up at my boyfriend, admiring his handsome profile just like I always did.

Over the last few months, Sterling had grown a bit of a beard. He kept it neat and short, but I thought the dark scruff on his jaw was beyond sexy.

He moved his eyes to mine, and I smiled at the soft expression in them. Happiness danced across his features, as relaxed as I’d ever seen them. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Yeah, I think maybe we should. It turned out to be a bigger party than I thought it would, though. It feels like the whole town came out.”

“And most of the residents of our neighboring towns,” I agreed. Sighing happily, I looked around. “This is the start of a new tradition, my love. I can feel it. It’s going to be amazing.”

He winked at me. “You’re amazing. None of it would be happening if it wasn’t for you.”

“Nonsense. It was a team effort.” I leaned into him once more, resting my head on his shoulder. The last of the fireworks raced across the sky to the roaring delight of the crowd. The grand finale was everything we’d promised it would be.

Best of all was that this really had been a team effort. Sterling was in the process of starting a Christmas tree farm in the next field over, and while speaking to Rachel about it a month or so ago, she’d mentioned that good quality Christmas trees right here in town would be great, but a true New Year’s Eve party would be better.

Allisburg had never had anything like it. So, I’d started putting out some feelers. The band had volunteered to perform and the various food and drink vendors had been excited for the opportunity. We’d hired an entertainment company for the kids’ stuff, but the face-painters were volunteers as well.

Everyone I’d mentioned it to had said they would be here and that they would help with whatever we needed.

Because the town banded together, we’d managed to get it all organized in a couple weeks. So far, it was going down without a hitch—and it really wasn’t breaking the bank to put it on. Sterling had bought the fireworks and paid for the kids’ stuff, but outside of that, the party hadn’t cost us much at all.

I’d been worried about the expense, but Sterling hadn’t been, insisting that it would be worth it.

He’d been right.

I grinned at him. “Now that it’s officially a new year, do you have any regrets?”

He arched a steep eyebrow at me and planted a fat kiss right on the tip of my nose. “Regrets? About?”

“Moving home. Becoming a farm manager instead of an investment banker. I don’t know. Perhaps saying no to your high school sweetheart?”

“Welllll,” he teased, dragging out the word before he grinned and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t have any regrets. You?”

“None whatsoever,” I said, searching the crowd until my gaze landed upon my brother. Eric had been talking to a woman for the better part of the party, and I was curious about her, but mostly, I’d just been checking to make sure he wasn’t within earshot. “I’m glad about everything that happened last year, but I’m happiest that Eric finally pulled his head out of his ass.”

Once that had happened, it’d been smooth sailing for Sterling and me. He laughed, shaking his head at me. “That’s what made you the happiest? Not when you saw me running toward you at the airport?”

I shrugged, giggling as I pretended to think about it. “Well, now that you mention it, that made me pretty happy too.” I dropped the act, cupped his face in my hands, and looked up into those gorgeous, sparkling eyes. “I love you. Nothing and no one have ever made me happier than I was when I saw you that day, but I also know how much it meant to you when Eric bought you that beer after.”

“Fair enough. I still can’t believe that he’s finally onboard.”

It turned out that all it had taken for my brother to support our relationship was for Sterling to give up absolutely everything for me and move back to Allisburg. Personally, I felt like it’d been a bit much to expect, but Eric insisted that it was the only thing that could’ve proven to him how serious his friend was about me.