Jax's Game: Book 1 of The Checkmate Series

Epilogue

Harriet stood in front of the mirror, trying her best not to cry as she looked over her white gown. The vintage, floral lace A-line dress with the deep V-neck and flutter sleeves molded to her curvy body. The blonde fanned her face as she tried not to cry.

She looked like a princess. Her hair was beautifully curled and topped with a flower crown. She took one more look at herself.

"You look so pretty, Harry," Ember said, dressed in her own pastel lavender dress with her hair curled and a little flower tucked behind her ear.

Harriet smiled, sucking in her tears as she kneeled, eye to eye with her about-to-be stepdaughter.

"Not as beautiful as you, Miss. Em," she winked, kissing her cheek.

"Daddy is going to cry," she told her. Harriet laughed.

"We will see. He can't cry though or else I am going to cry."

She could hear Cameron laugh in the background, "What a," she paused, "...wimp."

"Yeah, we don't want to use the P-word, Cameron," Harriet chuckled, sending a look to her friend.

She got up, turning around to look at herself one last time before she went outside and walked down the aisle. Harriet couldn't believe the day had come. She was marrying the love of her life.

"I am going to fucking cry any moment now," she whispered to herself.

Harriet combed her hair one last time before turning to her best friend and soon-to-be stepdaughter. They were in her old bedroom at the manor getting ready for the wedding.

The two of them had moved back here. Harriet loved the gardens and the memories she had made there. Jax and her decided it would be perfect for them to get married at home, as Harriet had fallen in love with the meadow. The trees, pond, and flowers everything were perfect. Jax agreed, but he would be fine with anything.

The wedding was small, with less than one hundred people, but nonetheless perfect. Themes of pastel purple were what she wanted. So, the bridesmaids were dressed in gorgeous colour, and wildflowers covered everything.

"Alrighty, Mrs. Alderidge, time to marry the man," Cameron interrupted her, handing her a bouquet of flowers.

A knock came at the door. Harriet walked up to the door opening it. Atticus sent her a warm smile, dressed in a grey suit, clean-shaven with short blonde hair pushed back.

"Isn't the best man supposed to be with the groom?" she joked.

"Yeah, but Jax told me to come to see you and say hello quickly before running back and telling him what you look like."

Harriet chuckled, "Of course he wanted you to do that."

She gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for everything," she said to him, patting his chest.

"You deserve everything, Har," he told her, fixing her glasses on her nose and fingering a curl.

"I am trying my best to not cry." Atticus laughed, placing his hand on her hip and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're not particularly good at it. Jax is getting antsy. He didn't like spending the night without you."

Harriet chuckled, "Of course, he didn't. That man can't go a second without me."

Atticus rolled his eyes.

"Ok, I need to go marry that fucker now. See you at the altar, Atticus."

She bid her farewells as she walked down the hallway with her bouquet of wildflowers in one hand and Ember's hand in the other. The little brunette had begged for months to be part of the wedding, and Harriet couldn't say no.