Author's Note: A few of you mentioned that this story seemed short—I can assure you, it's anything but as it is 124,000 words. As I researched how to write a novel, one of the suggestions was that it should be between 40,000 and 100,000 words, so this is well over that mark. Also, it was supposed to end after their summer of love, but I kept going. Maybe I should've ended it there. This was never supposed to be about Alex's restoration of the inn, but I couldn't stop myself from dabbling in a restoration project. For a similar storyline, check out Sand Point Road and Three Nights at the Haystack.

Enjoy this looooong final chapter.

"Stop fussing with your hair!" My mom swats my hand. "The curls are going to fall."

"Is that how it works?" Instead of touching it, I flick it over my shoulders with a quick twist of my neck. "Like when flower petals brown if you touch them too much?"

"Exactly." She reaches into her purse, pulling out a jeweled, blue broach. "I wanted to give this to you—it was your grandmother's."

"It's beautiful." I take it from her and stare at the gems embedded in the antique broach. "Why have I never seen it?"

"I've had it locked up for a special occasion."

I open the pin and try to stick it onto my lapel. "We've had other special occasions."

She takes the broach from me and pins it perfectly in place. "None as special as this."

"Is there a rule about getting all gussied up for a grand opening?" I ask as I tug off my best pair of jeans.

"Yes." Without looking my way, Piper hands me the black dress I bought last September. "And who uses the phrase 'gussied up' anymore?"

I pull it over my head, then zip the side. "If we're late, I'm blaming you."

"I'm not the one who needed to have sex this morning," she retorts.

"Oh, really?" I arch my eyebrows and let out an audacious laugh. "You didn't beckon me back to bed after I'd already gotten up and had two cups of coffee?"

She steps into her heels. "You're the one who came back upstairs."

"With no intention of getting into bed again." I fasten my earrings. "That was all you, babe. Don't try to deny it."

"Anyway, we're going to be late." She sidesteps my observation and heads downstairs. "Is your mom riding with us?"

"No." I'm two steps behind her. "She wanted to get there early."

"This is the big day." Piper turns to me and pulls my hair from under the collar of my dress. "Ready?"

I smile. "Ready."

I take one last look in the mirror along with a deep breath, then make my way to the porch and morph into the savvy businesswoman I've become.

"Is catering all set up?"

"Everything but the cold stuff." Neemah drapes an outdoor table with a starched, white tablecloth. "You look great, by the way."

"Thanks." I fiddle with a borrowed cufflink. "Where is everyone?"

"Cece is in the kitchen with Wyatt and Tim, the twins are finishing up out here, and Boone is making sure the music is hooked up."

I glance at the chairs in the lawn. "Hey, Brian—they need to be at more of an angle."

He shifts two chairs. "Like this?"

"Yeah." I return my attention to Neemah. "Have you seen Piper?"

She shakes her head. "I think she's still upstairs."

"Everything looks great." Bill Chapman steps outside in khaki linen pants and a short-sleeved, light blue button-down. He eyes me. "So do you. The cufflinks are perfect."

"Thanks." I tug at my collar. "It's entirely too warm to have this thing on right now. I'm gonna..." I hitch a thumb over my shoulder, then walk to the kitchen. Maybe if I keep moving, I won't be so nervous. "How's everything going in here?"

"Just finished washing and separating the lettuce," Cece responds.

"What about the Champagne?"

Wyatt holds up two bottles. "We thought we'd uncork four for now and use the little stoppers to keep them from losing their bubbles."

"Make it five just in case." I breeze by him, peeking into the cooler. "How many bottles of white do you have on ice?"

"Six in that cooler, and another six in the fridge," Tim answers.

I close the lid. "What about beer?"

"Four cases," Wyatt replies. "The Corona is in the second cooler with the Tecate, and the Budweiser is in the third one with the Narragansett."

I look inside the other two ice chests. "They aren't going to stay in these things, right?"

"When have we ever hosted a party and not put the beers either behind the bar or in those fancy silver tubs?" Wyatt asks with a modified eye roll.

I survey the rest of the kitchen. "It's just important to get this right, guys."

Cece puts her hands on my shoulders. "We've got this, Alex. Trust us."

I sigh, knowing she's right; it's just hard to let go of control especially since I've been running a business for four years.

"It's not like this is our first rodeo," Wyatt adds. "Go make yourself useful somewhere else."

I exit the kitchen as Trina enters through the front door. "Hi!"

"Hey." I walk up to her. "You look great."

She has on the light blue linen dress that Piper picked out. She holds both my hands. "So do you."

Once again, I tug at the collar of my blouse. "I'm sweating in this jacket."

"Let me guess, you've been moving around too much." She makes her way towards the kitchen.

"Probably." I follow. "But's also 85 degrees out there."

"There's a nice breeze." Ben steps inside with two silver bins that I assume are for the iced down beer and white wine. "It'll cool down in the next hour."

I take off my blazer, hanging it on the back of a kitchen chair. "It can't be soon enough."

I pull my hair off my shoulders and fan my neck. "Why's it this fucking hot in early May?"

Piper squeezes my hand, then releases it. "Just about the only thing we can't control is the weather."

I jog up the three steps onto the porch as someone opens the door. It reminds me I need to install the ramp tomorrow for rolling luggage and wheelchairs.

My mom greets us on the porch, eyeing her watch. "Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get here."

I toss a look in Piper's direction.

"You look lovely," my mom says through a wide smile as she holds the door open. "Everyone's inside."

"Holy shit." I glance around the check-in area and into the lobby that's more of an extension of the restaurant. "Who set all this up?"

The candles on the mantle are lit and there's a huge bouquet of flowers on the round table with white votives around them. It smells like clean linens, which pleases me greatly because it means the kitchen ventilation system is finally working properly.

"We did." Ben smiles as he and his brother approach us. "I hope you don't mind."

I shake my head and watch Cece direct Trina and Wyatt in the restaurant. "It's gorgeous."

"For a grand opening, you have to go all out," comes a voice from behind.

I turn to see a grinning Bill Chapman enter with his wife. Piper gives them a quick hug and I shake both of their hands. If it weren't for her father finding a silent investor, the inn wouldn't be in commission.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" My mom calls several times until Brian whistles. "Thank you, hon." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "I was fortunate enough to have lived in this house when I was a child, and I remember every nook and cranny as if it was yesterday."

Cece comes around the corner with a tray of filled Champagne glasses, and everyone plucks a flute from it. When she runs out, Wyatt is right behind her with another tray.

"A fire destroyed my parents' home in 1969, and it was too expensive to fix back then, so we abandoned this beautiful home and moved to the Sticks," my mom continues. "For years this house has been left unattended, and then my daughter took interest in restoring it to its former glory."

All eyes are on me, which makes me fidget. Piper runs a soothing hand down my back.

"For the past nine months, almost everyone in this room worked on restoring the old Victorian home, but no one has given it more time and attention than Alex."

Everyone applauds, and I lower my head though I can't help smiling.

"And here we are on opening day of The Inn at Oyster Island." She holds her glass high and everyone follows suit as they continue cheering. "To success, prosperity, and friendship—may they be with us all the days of our lives."

The guests clink their glasses with one another and express their appreciation for such a warm toast.

"You did this, babe," Piper whispers in my ear. "Congratulations."

"Everyone, take your places," Shana calls over the ringing of a bell. "Please take your seats. Thank you."

The crowd of about 50 people seem to take their sweet time getting settled as I wait on the deck with sweaty palms. I wish Piper was here to calm me. Soft music begins playing and Trina twists around and smiles at me before walking down the center aisle.

My mom straightens the broach on my lapel. "You ok, hon?"

I crack my neck from side to side. "Have you seen Piper?"

"Not yet."

I tug at the shirt sleeve poking out from under my blazer. "I wonder if she's as nervous as I am."

"What are you nervous about?" she asks. "This is what you've wanted for years, Al. Isn't it?"

"Yeah," I sigh. "But I could do without all the attention."

She playfully slaps me. "Tough cookies."

Ben nods at me from his spot in front of the crowd and the music switches to some other nondescript, wordless tune.

"That's our cue." My mom lifts my chin. "You've never looked more beautiful."

I smile. "Thank you."

She squeezes my hand. "Here we go."

I walk arm in arm with my mom down the aisle, taking in the smiling audience and knowing they're here to celebrate me. I've never been good at taking compliments or being the center of attention, and this is just about as uncomfortable a situation as I can imagine, but here I am, doing it all for the woman I love.

We reach the first row, and my mom presses her cheek against mine, whispering, "Love you."

I repeat the words to her, then take my place next to Trina and on the far side of Piper's best friend, Polly.

As the song rounds out and another familiar one begins, all eyes turn towards the Chapman home and wait for Piper and her dad to step outside. I clasp my hands together and take in a few deep breaths of familiar, salty air as I wait for my first glimpse of her. A few seconds later, Piper steps onto the deck with her arm through her father's. She takes my breath away.

She never let me see her white dress, but if I had to pick out the absolute perfect wedding dress for her, this would be it with its clean lines and simplicity. The strapless dress hugs her curves and flares out at the bottom. Half of her hair is pinned up, the other half curls slightly on her shoulders. Her smile seems a little forced, but as she and her father begin walking down the aisle, she seems to loosen up.

It isn't until Piper is three rows from the front when she finally meets my eye, and that's all it takes for her lips to tug up in the most genuine, relieved smile I've ever seen. I shake my head, marveling at how beautiful she is and trying to return her perfect smile, but it'll never match the brightness of Piper's.

Bill wraps his arms around his daughter then kisses her cheek. He winks at me before taking his place in the first row next to Piper's mom.

"You made it," Ben says into a microphone with a toothy grin.

I take both of Piper's hands into mine and stare into her deep blue eyes—eyes that have had a hold on me since we met five years ago.

"Everyone, please take your seats," he says to the crowd.

I wanted Ben to be a big part of our wedding, but Piper and I agreed to only have one person standing up for each of us, so he got ordained on the Internet. From what I've heard, he's been practicing his lines all week.

"Thank you all for coming together to celebrate the marriage of Alex Pearl Vause and Piper Elizabeth Chapman," he begins. "I've known Alex my entire life, and I can assure you, I'm going to take a good licking for using her middle name."

The audience laughs, and I can't help joining them. Now that I'm in front of the woman I love, my nerves have calmed and I feel like myself again. Piper has always had a way of soothing me through the years with just a touch or a simple look. I've never been so thankful for it as I am today.

We decided testimonials would be better than readings, so Trina says a few words about me, followed by Polly speaking about Piper. They both touch on how our relationship came to be, then it's time for our vows. I've practiced mine at home, but no one has heard them, including my mom.

"Piper," I let out in a shaky breath, but my lips curl up as her name crosses my lips. "I never imagined you and I would make it past the summer we first met let alone five years after that. We've lived apart for most of that time, which might put a strain on most relationships, but not ours. Our distance probably made us stronger; more committed, but I'm glad those days are behind us."

The audience chuckles.

"You've helped me grow into so much more than I ever thought I'd be; you had faith in me when I didn't even have it in myself. Piper, your love has become my anchor. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life earning your love. I promise to honor, cherish and respect you for the rest of our lives. I'm the luckiest woman in the world, babe."

Piper wipes a tear off her cheek, and my hand quickly follows, fingertips gliding across her jawline.

Ben directs his attention to her. "Your vows, please."

"Alex…" she gets out through a choked sob that morphs into laughter. She takes a deep breath and starts again. "Alex, you are my safe harbor. You're my best friend, my confident, my lover and most importantly, my equal."

I have to fight a sudden outburst of tears upon hearing those words. I bite my lower lip to try keeping them in check, but it stings too much and I feel a wet warmth drip down my cheek. Since I was a child, I've been searching for what I want most in my life, and I didn't realize what that was until this very moment—to be someone's equal—to be Piper's equal. Now I understand that has nothing to do with power, social class or my position in life; it's about mutual respect and understanding. Her acknowledgment of that opens my heart more than I thought possible.

"I want my heart to be your shelter and my arms to be your home. I love you more than you'll ever know, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing you in big and small ways what you've come to mean to me. You've captured my soul, Alex. Thank you."

Her little thank you at the end sounds like she's just finished a speech, which makes me chuckle. I'm grateful for the levity, because the gravity of this moment is enough to make me crumble with joyous tears. I'd rather not break down like that in front of my family and friends.

Ben turns to me. "Do you, Alex, take Piper to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," comes out with light, giddy laughter—like I can't believe we've reached this point in our lives.

He turns to her. "Do you, Piper, take Alex to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

She nods, smiling from ear to ear. "I do."

"Now it's time for the rings." Ben turns to Trina, who steps closer and presents the ring to me.

I smile as I slip the simple silver band with five embedded diamonds onto her finger and repeat the lines Ben tells me: "Piper, I give you this ring as a sign of our love for and commitment to each other. I promise to support you, care for you, and stand alongside you always." I finish slipping it all the way on, then look up at a beaming Piper.

She does the same with her ring, and though we're both crying, it's the happiest moment of my life.

"This is the best part," Ben says. "You may now kiss the bride!"

I wrap my arms around her waist and Piper strings hers over my shoulders as we press our lips together in a mostly chaste, five-second kiss.

Ben clears his throat. "It's my privilege to now pronounce you partners for life!"

The crowd cheers.

I pull back and smile. "We did it, babe."

She lets out a joyous laugh and rubs her nose against mine. "We did."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the joined souls of Piper Chapman and Alex Vause!"

We lock hands, then face the audience to their claps, cheers and whistles. The music pipes up, and we walk hand in hand down the aisle.

This moment is surreal to me. I knew the day would come when we'd open for business, but now that it's here, I feel like I'm floating and watching things happen from a cloud above. With every step I take to inspect the rooms, I consciously feel my foot hit the floor; feel my breath escape my nose. This is a day I'll cherish forever, and I want to remember every single moment.

We arrive at the Captain's Suite on the third floor and I open the door. It's my favorite room at the inn for more than just the spectacular view—the oyster painting hanging above the fireplace was the original drawing Piper presented to me in the Fall. I walk over to it, unnecessarily straightening it, then step back with a nostalgic smile.

"It's perfect," my mom says from behind.

I glance at Piper and smile. "It is."

Just like in the other rooms, I make sure the linens are in place and that each room has two robes and a supply of toiletries that Loralie and Trina's mom made exclusively for the inn. I know my mom has already inspected the rooms, but this walk-through is sentimental for me before welcoming our first guests.

"Everything seems to be in place," Piper says as she stares up at me. "Ready?"

I nod. "Yeah."

We head downstairs where the guests are still sipping Champagne and snacking on hors d'oeuvres. I move behind the counter ready to formally check-in our overnight guests. "Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, I'm happy to welcome you as our first guests at the inn." My lips tug up and all that anxiousness I felt earlier fades away.

"We're excited about our stay," Carol states.

Bill smiles and hands me his Visa. "I'm assuming you'll need this."

"Thank you." I slide it through the credit card apparatus and the light turns green. "You'll be in the Captain's Suite tonight, which has a soaking tub and an unobstructed view of the Sound." I grab two, gold keys that dangle from a pewter, oyster-shaped keychain that Piper found online and bought in bulk. "Breakfast will be served from 7 until 9 a.m. in the restaurant, and we'll have an hour-long happy hour exclusively for hotel guests tomorrow that begins at three."

My mom is hanging on my every word. She and I have rehearsed how we'd greet guests several times, and I know she's eager to get her turn; however, she wanted me to welcome our first official guests.

"If you need anything past 10 o'clock at night and before six o'clock in the morning, here's the number where you can reach me." I slide my freshly printed business card across the shellacked driftwood counter. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I think we're all set," Bill says, then turns to his wife. "Shall we?"

"Yes." She links her arm through his.

"Can I come with you?" Piper asks. "I want to see your reaction to the suite."

"Sure," her dad replies. "Anyone else?"

"I'm good." I raise my hand. "I'm sure your daughter will report back."

She grins. "I will."

I watch the three of them jog upstairs, then turn to my mom with a wide grin. "One down, seven to go."

"You did great, hon!"

I switch places with her. "Your turn."

I'm not one of those women who has dreamt about her wedding day since childhood. In fact, until I met Piper, there was never a point in my life when I thought I'd tie the knot. I knew I was gay at a young age, but I didn't know any gay couples personally and I didn't think it was possible to marry another woman until hearing about the federal law a few years ago. Still, no one in my life was married to a member of the same sex, so it was never a thing for me to wish for.

"Mazel tov!" Nicky hugs Piper and I simultaneously. "You look gorgeous—both of you. I think the photographer should send a picture of you to Out magazine, the wedding edition."

I get a good laugh out of that.

"Thank you," Piper responds. "I'm glad you could make it."

We intentionally planned our wedding two weeks prior to Memorial Day when all the summer guests arrive, and we didn't expect so many people would accept the invitation. After all, it's a pain in the ass to get to and from the island for just a singular event.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Nicky replies. "Let me grab you some bubbly."

"Oh, those vows!" My mom dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. "You two had me in tears the moment you looked at each other."

I rub her back and chuckle. "I see that's still the case."

"I'm the mother of the bride." She swats at me. "Let me have my moment!"

Piper hugs her. "I'm so happy, Diane."

My mom holds her tightly. "So am I, kiddo."

For the next 30 minutes, we receive congratulatory handshakes, hugs and kisses from the guests, and I lose Piper in the mix. Nicky brings me a flute of sparkling wine, which I suck down and request another. I wouldn't mind being just a little buzzed with all of this attention on me.

Shana taps my arm. "Ready for the first dance?"

"Yeah. Have you seen my wife?" Fuck it feels good to say that word, and I'm sure I'm grinning like a fool.

Shana scans the crowd, then points towards the bar. "Over there."

I observe Piper for a moment. That dress really is perfect for her, and her hair is exactly as I pictured it when she told me she was going to do a 'half-up do.' She's in a conversation with her younger brother who must've said something funny, because she tosses her head back with laughter, exposing her neck—oddly one of my favorite body parts. She's so full of joy. I try to etch this moment into my brain so that when we argue or disagree about something, I can come back to this image. I meant every word I said in my vows, and I intend to make good on my promise to earn her love every single day.

"Is this thing on?" Ben says in the microphone that produces a high-pitched sound. "Whoa!"

Boone makes a few adjustments, and he tries again. "Hello, everyone? Can I have your attention?"

I finally make my way to Piper and run my hand down her arm until our fingers latch. She looks up at me with a toothy grin. We've practiced our first dance two or three times, but it's not like we're doing a certain style. We're just going to sway to the music, and if I'm feeling particularly bold, I'll twirl her a couple of times.

Finally, the crowd quiets down and Ben speaks into the microphone again. "Well, it looks like I've gone from minister to DJ."

They all get a kick out of that, especially the older guests.

"Before Alex and Piper share their first dance, I have to let them in on a little secret." He glances at us with a pronounced smirk. "You won't be dancing to the Stevie Wonder song you picked out."

I give Piper a confused look. "Did you know about this?"

She looks equally puzzled. "No, did you?"

I shake my head. Just as I'm about to question Ben, Wyatt steps outside with his guitar strapped over his shoulder.

My eyes widen. "What's he doing?"

Wyatt played and sang in public one time, and that was five years ago at the last farmer's market of the season. Of course he sounded amazing, but his stage fright got the best of him and despite Cece's encouragement, he never sang in front of anyone other than us locals around the bonfire again.

Ben passes the microphone to him. "Here you go."

"Hi, everybody." He gives a quick wave and swallows hard. "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Wyatt Easton and I've known Alex my whole life. She uh…she means a lot to me." He pauses and wipes his palms on his dress pants. "I don't typically play in front of a crowd, but my friends convinced me to do a little something for this special occasion." His eyes meet mine as he strums a few notes. "If I mess up, don't kill me."

I let out an incredulous laugh. "I don't believe it."

Ben gestures for us to step onto the makeshift dance floor on the deck while Wyatt plays a few more chords until finding the right ones. I immediately recognize the rift—it's the same song Piper and I picked out but arranged differently.

I take her left hand in my right and begin swaying to the intro. "This is it."

She juts her ear towards Wyatt. "You're right; it is."

He begins singing the familiar lyrics.

You are the sunshine of my life

That's why I'll always be around

You are the apple of my eye

Forever you'll stay in my heart

"Wow." Piper looks truly stunned but pleased by this turn of events.

I place a kiss just below her ear. "This is pretty fucking cool."

"I can't believe he agreed to play."

"We'll get to the bottom of it later." I tug her closer. "For now, I'm going to enjoy this dance with my wife."

I feel her smile against my cheek. "I love the sound of that."

I twirl her once, the crowd cheers, and then we return to dancing cheek to cheek.

When the song ends, I hug her. "If I didn't mention it earlier, you look gorgeous."

"So do you," she whispers in my ear. "But I have to admit I'm looking forward to taking that suit off of you later tonight."

That sends shivers down my spine. Piper and I agreed we wouldn't have sex for a month before the wedding. It was definitely not my idea and I fought against it fairly hard, but she won in the end by telling me how special it was going to be on our wedding night. I have no doubt she's right, and I can't wait to make love in just a few hours.

Wyatt smiles. "Thank you."

The crowd claps and cheers, and I can hear my friends' voices above all the others. This was a big deal for Wyatt, and I need to tell him how appreciative I am.

I hold Piper's hand and approach my friend. "I can't believe you did that!"

She's the first to hug him. "What a wonderful surprise!"

I get in there for a hug of my own. "Seriously, Wyatt, we can't thank you enough. I know how scary that must've been."

He bats his eyes. "Anything for you, Mrs. Chapman."

"Still Vause, asshole." I playfully shove him. "Hey, can we get this guy a shot or something?"

I've already told my friends that neither of us intend to change our last names. If we decide down the road to have children, we'll discuss it, but we aren't a traditional couple by any means, so we didn't feel like one of us should take the other's surname.

We spend the next half-hour either dancing or watching others dance and I have my third glass of bubbles when Piper's father approaches with hands in his pockets.

"Hi, Alex, may I have a word?"

The morning after the grand opening, I kiss a snoring Piper goodbye and make my way to the inn at 5 a.m. I didn't get any calls last night, so I assume the guests didn't run into problems. Nevertheless, I want to be there before they make their way down for breakfast.

When we get into the groove of things, I plan to meet Cece or Neemah at the inn at 6 a.m. daily and help with any food prep they need while tending to guests' needs as they arise. My mom will eventually begin work at that time, but I feel strongly about being present more often than not for at least the first month.

I step inside and take it all in. It's the first time I've been alone at the inn since everything is in its place. I walk into the lobby, running my hand across the back of one of the leather chairs and admiring the bouquet of flowers that sits on a round table in the middle of them. It smells like gardenias and lavender with a hint of new leather—exactly what I'd hoped. I cross the room to the restaurant where every chair is perfectly tucked into the tables. We shoved two tables together to make it large enough for a party of six to eight, so if we don't have that many guests at one time, we can separate them and have additional seating. Wyatt sanded and stained the wooden bar yesterday morning, and I'm glad it's not sticky like I thought it might be. I ordered eight bar stools but only six have shown up so far; other than that and a few other tiny details, everything is perfectly in place.

Every set of guests but one are summer residents of Oyster Island. It's not that I didn't advertise the inn appropriately to "the outside world," it's just that I wanted people familiar with the island to buy into the idea of a hotel here. There were a few skeptics (i.e. the Blooms) when the project began who were concerned that the island would become more commercial and less private. Piper is the one who figured it would be a good idea to open reservations up to the Oyster Island homeowners before the general public. For the first night only, I gave them a steep discount. From here on out, they'll get 10 percent off the rack rate if they stay at the inn rather than at their homes.

"Good morning." I twist around to see Bill Chapman standing in the lobby with a coffee mug in hand.

"Morning. How was your room?" I'm eager to hear from all the guests but none more so than Piper's father.

"Incredible," he beams. "The mattress was firm but not too firm, the pillows were plush, the ocean breeze kept us cool, and the gas fireplace kept us warm."

A huge weight is lifted off my shoulders upon hearing this good news.

"I'm not a big fan of lavender soap, but Carol loves the bath products," he continues. "Don't be surprised if she steals them."

I appreciate his way of sneaking a little bit of humor into our conversation.

"I didn't think about what scents men would like." I walk over to him. "I'll come up with a more masculine line or tamp down the lavender by the end of the month."

"The coffee is decent." He takes a sip. "But you might consider an espresso machine for the restaurant."

I pull the notepad I've kept with me for nearly nine months out of my back pocket and jot those two things down. "I priced them a couple months ago. Let's just say for now, we're going with drip coffee."

"Give Miles Mortimer a call. He might be able to help you find a pre-owned one that's still in good shape."

Mr. Mortimer has been extremely generous with his time and old restaurant equipment. I didn't want to bother him again, but maybe Bill is right and he has an old espresso machine he wants to get off his hands. Otherwise, I'm going to have to save my money if I want a commercial-grade machine.

I walk towards the kitchen and make a waving motion for him to join me. "Might as well put a pot on now."

"Do you have one or two of those big coffee dispensers for the lobby?" he asks. "One for regular and one for decaf might be a nice touch that way anyone who doesn't feel like making it in their hotel room can get a quick cup down here."

"I think Cece bought one." I peek into several cupboards, finally locating them on the bottom shelf of the pantry. "Here we go."

"Perfect."

I set them on the counter, and then fill the coffee pot with water. "It's going to several pots to fill these huge things."

"Just do one pot at a time." He shrugs. "You can always add more when necessary."

I scoop coffee into the filter. "There's so much to learn."

Sometimes the thought of running the inn with no retail or hospitality experience makes me anxious to the point of getting clammy hands and sweating on the back of my neck. I worry I'm going to wing it when I should be nailing it.

He touches my sleeve. "You're doing a great job, Alex."

"Thank you." I nudge my glasses, appreciative though a little self-conscious when hearing his words of praise. I decide to ask a question that's been on my mind since September. "I've been meaning to send you an e-mail but time got away from me over the last few weeks," I begin. "When does the investor expect the first payment?"

"I'd have to check the paperwork," he replies, putting the lid on the coffee canister. "With deals like yours it's usually after the first 90 days. I'll confirm this afternoon."

"No rush." I turn the coffee maker on. "Unless he needs the first payment next week."

Bill chuckles. "It's definitely not that soon."

Blythe Baldwin and her husband come downstairs followed by the Marchands then the Holts. Cece and Neemah arrive through the kitchen just as I was about to text them to find out their ETA. Everyone overwhelmingly approves their rooms, and the only complaint I get is from Mr. Baldwin who wishes his had a bathtub instead of a shower.

"Three rooms don't have tubs, sorry about that," I say. "I'll make that clearer in the room descriptions online."

"It said that as plain as day on your site, Alex." Blythe lightly slaps her husband. "Don't listen to this old coot!"

He gets a chuckle out of that, putting me at ease.

Piper and I did extensive research about operating a restaurant as part of the inn, and we settled on a limited breakfast menu exclusively for hotel guests every day except Sundays when brunch will be open to the public. We also debated whether to include breakfast in the room rate or not, and I decided to go with a bed & breakfast package rather than lumping the first meal of the day in with the regular rate. My research shows that I can make more money that way.

Trina gladly quit her job as a deckhand on the ferry in favor of being a server at the restaurant, and until we get super busy, she's the only waitress besides me. Wyatt jumped at the chance to be the evening bartender, which fits in nicely with his lifeguarding schedule during the day. Piper trained both of them more than I did, but I took them to several high-end restaurants in and around Branford this spring so we could observe what good and bad service looks like. Trina is also taking an online hospitality class with me that wraps up next week.

I grab the menus off the printer, then hand half to Trina. "Ready for our first service?"

She nods. "Let's do this."

The breakfast menu will evolve as we learn what guests like and what takes too much time to prepare in the kitchen. For now, we're serving Neemah's cinnamon rolls with orange-cardamom icing; pancakes with homemade sausage, toast and my mom's jam; steel-cut oats with a choice of toppings; and avocado toast with tomato and a poached egg. Piper and I have sampled each dish plus four more creations that Neemah and Cece prepared a few weeks ago, but we settled on these four options. Although I won't make a public statement about it, if a guest has a special request for any meal, we'll gladly accommodate their wish.

"Everything was delicious, Alex," Mrs. Marchand says, rubbing her belly. "Was the bread homemade?"

"I'm glad you liked it," I respond through a proud smile. "And yes, it's homemade. We're going to experiment with different types of bread, but I thought the seven-grain was a good choice with the avocado and poached egg."

"It was simply delicious. You don't happen to sell it by the loaf?"

I hadn't thought about selling bread, though we will sell my mom's jams. "Let me check." I make my way to the kitchen. "You guys are slaying it back here."

Neemah smiles. "Awesome, thanks."

"They love every dish you've put out so far," I begin. "Mrs. Marchand wants to know if we sell the bread by the loaf."

"I guess we could." Cece opens the pantry. "We have like 25 slices."

"Let's put something together for her—maybe 10 slices or so."

Cece pulls it out. "You got it."

I learned a great deal about hospitality from staying at inns across New England, and I know giving things away can enhance customer loyalty and elicit good reviews. With that knowledge, I'm going to give Mrs. Marchand a mini-loaf of homemade bread on the house.

"Why didn't you wake me up when you left?"

I turn to my left and see a disheveled Piper standing with her hands on her hips looking adorably petulant.

I grab the coffee pot. "Good morning, sunshine."

She follows me down the short hallway. "I wanted to come with you this morning."

I lift an eyebrow. "You can cum with me tonight."

"I'm serious."

I enter the dining room and approach the Holts. "Can I offer you a refill?"

"No, but I'd love a glass of water."

"I'll be right back with that." I turn to Piper. "Would you mind?"

She sticks a thumb to her chest. "Me?"

We've discussed how much Piper can and should help out at the inn, but we didn't land on anything permanent. She promised to assist with whatever I needed, but I can't put her on the payroll until I'm confident about how much money we're bringing in. She didn't seem interested in the money, but she insisted upon working for free as I get things up and running.

"Don't worry about it—I'll get it," I reply.

She stops me with a hand on my arm. "No, I'll get it, but can I please talk to you first?"

"Piper, hello!" her mom says, getting up from her seat. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, mom…dad."

"Why do you look like you just rolled out of bed?" her mom asks. "Your hair is…"

I give her a look, then move to the next table. "Can I top off your coffee?"

"Please," Blythe responds. "Decaf for Tom when you come back, dear."

"Be right back." I walk to the kitchen.

"Order up!" Cece rings a bell, and Trina grabs the two plates.

"The pancakes look delicious," I take in a big whiff. "They smell good, too."

I fill a glass with ice water, then pick up the decaf coffee pot. "I'll make another pot of regular when I come back." I deliver the drinks to the appropriate guests, noticing Piper is still chatting with her parents.

Finally, she walks away from them and moves to the lobby, crooking her finger when she catches my eye.

"I have things to do, babe," I say through a light huff. "What is it?"

"You took off this morning without even leaving a note," she says just above a whisper. "Since when is that how we do things?"

I shift my weight from one leg to the other. "You're upset?"

"Yes!"

I had no idea she'd be genuinely mad at me for leaving without her. "I'm sorry." I take her into my arms, kissing the top of her head. "I couldn't stop thinking about if the guests enjoyed their stay at the inn last night, and I thought you'd know where I was."

"I totally get that, but I don't want this to become a thing." She pulls back, brushing my hair across my forehead. "I know you'll want to spend a lot of time here, but please leave a note or wake me up to say goodbye from now on."

That's an easy enough request to accommodate. "Done."

"Good." She kisses me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I release her. "You feel like helping out around here this morning?"

She nods. "Put me to work."

We get through the breakfast rush and by 10 a.m. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I walk through the gate to the front yard so we can have some privacy. I half-expect Bill to give me a lecture about how to treat his daughter now that we're married. That wouldn't be terrible, but it's totally unnecessary; I've always treated Piper with the kindness and respect she deserves.

"That was a beautiful ceremony," he notes with a straight-lipped smile.

"Thank you." I stop near a row of tall hedges. "Wyatt's song was a surprise."

"A lovely one at that."

"It was." I glance at my feet, which are beginning to hurt in these heels and wait for the lecture to commence.

"I've enjoyed getting to know you over the years, Alex," he begins. "Since we met, I've found you to be a dependable, hard worker and a straight-shooter."

I give him a light chuckle about being a straight-shooter, though his words are kind to be sure.

"You take pride in everything you do." He lifts his chin. "And you treat Piper with the utmost respect. That's all a father could want for his daughter."

I look him in the eye. "I'm standing here as a newlywed, so it's no secret that Piper means the world to me."

"Yes, I know." He shoves one hand in his pocket. "You'll notice when it comes time to open the gifts that my wife and I didn't get you anything."

I wave a hand in a universal no gesture. "You've already done so much for us; a gift is totally unnecessary."

"Oh, we got you a gift, it's just not something you can open per se."

I give him a quizzical look.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while." He lets out a short breath and tilts his head. "When you and I first talked finances in my kitchen five years ago, I knew you had what it took to become a decent yet shrewd businesswoman. When I found out you didn't have the capital, I decided to back you." He pauses. "Alex, I'm the silent investor."

My eyes shoot open. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The $100,000 loan for start-up costs? It's from me—well, it's from the finance company I own," he says. "You've been paying 40 percent of your earnings monthly for the past four years, and I've invested that money in the stock market. Let's just say I've made a pretty penny," he chuckles.

I shake my head vigorously. "I don't understand…"

"My gift to you is that you never have to pay another cent." He takes a step closer. "And what I've made in the market is for you and Piper to do with as you please. Now, I recommend keeping the money in low-risk stocks and bonds, but that's entirely up to you and your wife." He grins almost as if he's proud of trying out that word for the first time.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. My eyes sting with threatening tears and my cheeks heat up. I feel a little dizzy and am completely dumbfounded.

He places a hand on my elbow. "You ok?"

"Thank you but that's…it's entirely too much…I could never—"

"Tough," he interrupts, hand still on my arm. "I know you're not fond of taking handouts, which is why I didn't make this offer in the past few years. I wanted you to have some skin in the game, plus I didn't want to offend you."

"I appreciate that, but—"

"Please let me finish," he says with a hand in the air. "Alex, you have exceeded my expectations as a businesswoman. You've never missed a payment; in fact, you pay your 40 percent a few days early each month. You treat your employees well and pay them handsomely. The inn has been fully booked in the spring, summer and fall, and the online reviews are astonishing." He pauses. "You're the kind of person I'd want working for me, though you've proven you don't need to work for anyone but yourself."

I shake my head again. "I'm honored, sir, but…it's too much to ask."

"You didn't ask—that's the beauty of it," he comments.

I swallow hard. "I'd never do such a thing."

"You're an honest woman." He smiles. "Another thing I love about you."

I've never heard him say love when referring to anything about me, so there's another thing that has completely amazed me. I scrunch my lips to the side and lower my head, begging my eyelids to contain the tears that have been threatening to fall since this conversation started.

"I've already drawn up the paperwork and the transaction will happen on Monday," Bill mentions. "If you refuse, I'll simply change your name on the forms to Piper's. Either way, you're getting this gift."

"I don't know what to say." I pull a deep breath in through my nose and look up at him. "No one has believed in me the way Piper has and now you…" A fucking tear trickles down my face.

He reaches to wipe it away. "You've given us a lot to believe in, kid."

I throw my arms around him and cry. As if this day wasn't emotional enough, now I've basically been given a check worth more than a hundred thousand dollars. It's too much. I let the tears fall and pray to a God I don't believe in to let everyone remain in the backyard at the wedding reception. I don't want to be seen like this. Other than my mom and Piper, no one has seen me break down.

"There you are!" Of course Piper finds us. She glances from me to her dad then back to me. "What's going on here? Why are you crying?"

I pull back and wipe my snotty nose with the back of my hand. "I'm not crying because I'm sad."

Bill hands me a handkerchief. "I was telling Alex about your wedding gift."

Piper's arm glides around my waist. "Wouldn't you rather if we opened it together?"

"It's not something you can open," he chuckles. "I'll let Alex explain." He kisses her cheek, squeezes my arm, then walks away. "Oh, one more thing. I love you both…very much."

She knits her brow. "What's he talking about, Al?"

"His gift…your dad is forgiving my loan." I sniff, and then realize she probably doesn't know the first part that took me by surprise. "He's the silent investor—your father is the person who lent me $100,000 for the inn."

Her head shoots back. "My dad?"

I nod. "His gift to me is that I don't have to repay another dime." I use the handkerchief to dry my eyes under my black rims. "And his gift to us is that he invested the money I've paid back over the years. It's all ours."

"What?" comes out like a shortness of breath. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," I sigh, not believing this is really happening. "I tried giving it back, but he refused."

"He'd never renege on a deal." Piper brushes a strand of tear-soaked hair out of my face. "Wow. That's amazing."

"I don't know what surprised me more—his generosity or his comment about loving both of us."

"That part shouldn't be a surprise." She kisses me. "He's liked you from the beginning and started loving you not long after I did…In a very different way of course."

I let out a wet laugh. "Of course." I take one more cleansing breath and remember there's a slew of guests waiting for us on the other side of the fence. "We should get back to the reception."

She issues one of her thousand-watt smiles. "Our reception."

I've learned more today than I ever thought possible. First, Piper considers me her equal—she always has but today was the first time she verbalized it. Second, I'm about to be a wealthy woman. Third, Bill Chapman respects me as a businesswoman and loves me as his daughter-in-law. I'll never call him dad like some spouses might—I have one real parent who I love almost as much as I love Piper. But I have to admit—I've grown to love him, too.

I knew our wedding day would be spectacular, but everything about it exceeded my expectations. The ceremony was touching, the reception was fun, the food was delicious, and the gifts were personal. I still can't wrap my head around Bill's gift to us—that's going to take some time to sink in.

"I can't believe we've never stayed here." Piper drops her bag in the entryway and surveys the familiar Captain's Suite. "It's unfathomable."

I place my suitcase next to hers and chuckle. "I wouldn't make money by staying at my own inn, babe."

"Still…" She takes my hand and glances up at me. "Today was everything I'd hoped it would be."

I lean down to kiss her, one hand on her hip the other on her cheek. "It was."

She steps back, holding both of my hands. "Let me look at you one last time."

"What do you mean, one last time?"

Her lips quirk up as she eyes me in my wedding suit. "You're going to be naked in less than ten minutes."

I can definitely get behind that. "Can we make it five?"

That gives her a good laugh, and then she sobers. "You looked beautiful today, Alex."

"Just today?" I close the distance between us, kissing the tip of her nose.

Her hand glides up my arm. "You're beautiful every day, but you know what I mean."

"So do you." I kiss her more properly. "Especially today."

We don't waste time talking for the next few minutes. My lips latch on to hers, then make their way to her neck, her collarbone and ultimately her breast. We slowly undress each other, but before Piper takes off her wedding dress, I'm determined to go down on her while it's still on. Watching her writhe above me in a white gown is such a turn on that I feel myself getting wet. I know she wouldn't want me to touch myself, so I refrain, but she won't have to put in much work to make me cum the way I just did for her.

"Wasn't it worth the wait?" she asks as I kiss my way up her body.

"I don't know." I lie on my side facing her. "Sex with you is always spectacular."

She kisses me. "But newlywed sex is even better."

I grin as she shimmies down my body. If I thought watching Piper writhe above me was erotic, this tops that tenfold. She must've known I'd like it if she was still in her wedding dress while she fucked me, because the angle we're at right now allows me to see her whole body in the mirror. I've always thought she was gorgeous, but today was a whole new level of beauty. I'm almost embarrassed that an orgasm rolls through me after less than five minutes, but Piper seems pleased with herself.

"Does that make you proud—making me cum so quickly?" I ask through heavy breaths.

She kisses my inner thigh. "Not just the speed, but also the force. That was a good one."

"It was." I reach for her.

She steps out of her gown and lays next to me. "I love that we still make each other feel good."

I kiss her jawline. "That will never change—at least on my end."

"Mine, too." She stares into my eyes with a trace of a smile. "I love you so much, Alex."

I run my fingertips down her cheek. "Not as much as I love you."

"That's debatable."

We make love throughout the night like we did when we had sex the first time. While nothing is new, it feels a little different—like we're one body. I can't imagine loving anyone more than I love my wife, and I can't wait to spend a lifetime showing her what she's come to mean to me.

Author's Note: Epilogue coming soon.