Epilogue
“You may kiss your bride.”
For the second time in her life, Celeste found herself waiting for a man to kiss her for the first time as her husband. The last time now seemed an eternity ago—a distant, unwelcome shadow in a neglected corner of her memory. Less than a year and a half removed, the shattered marriage that had begun with that first wedding kiss belonged to another life, a different Celeste. The Celeste Brodie now kissed with a dizzying combination of relief, joy, and impatience was a strong, independent woman who kissed her new husband back with equal fervor and without a trace of the shy trepidation that had tainted that first kiss. This Celeste was confident and proud and aware that she would never again feel that fear or pain because she wouldn’t tolerate it. And be
