Epilogue
Ainsley
~Five Months Later~
“ I really have no desire to learn Frisbee, you know this?” I say to Lachlan out at the field.
“I do, but your brother is over there and waiting for the Frisbee. You need to throw it to him.”
Caspian came up for the weekend, which has been an interesting change of dynamics. The first time Lachlan kissed me in front of him, my brother gagged. The second time he made some noise that caused us both to look over to make sure he was all right. Now he just grumbles.
My father actually handled things like a champ, where my brother is being stupid.
“Can I hit him in the head with it? That sounds like more fun.”
He shakes his head. “Flick it.”
“I’m going to flick you,” I grumble.
This is one sport that, no matter how much he loves it and has been trying to teach me, I just ... don’t get it.
Sure, the rules are simple, and I did a whole freaking article about it, but I have zero physical ability, nor the desire.
One would think that throwing, flicking, whatever-ing a Frisbee would be easy. I can attest—it is not.
I’m terrible.
“Stand like I showed you,” Lachlan encourages.
“Stand like I showed you,” I mimic like a child, but I do it.
He snorts. “Okay, now when you let it go, flick your wrist.”
I do this every time, and do you know what happens? It hits the ground.
I let my arm fall and look at him. “Lachlan, you know I suck at this.”
“I do.”
“Gee, thanks.”
He grins. “Just try, baby, I swear you’ll get it. Just practice. Rose was able to get it down.”
Yeah, that makes me feel better. Rose has some of her father’s athletic abilities, but I do not. I’m the worst and I don’t care. I just want to sit on the sidelines, cheer him and his friends on, and drink wine with Hazel and Penelope.
That’s become our new favorite thing. We drink, laugh, and make fun of them.
“If I do this and make a fool of myself, can I go back to my friends?”
He looks over at the group of them on the sidelines. “Yes.”
“Deal.”
I take the stupid Frisbee from him, stand like he tells me, and what happens? The damn thing goes two feet and hits the ground.
“Ainsley,” he moans, running his hand over his face.
“I did what you asked, babe. It’s broken.”
“Seriously, Ainsley!” Caspian yells from the other side of the field.
I flip him off. “See, I’m good at flipping, just not flicking your stupid Frisbee.”
He laughs and then sends it across the field to Caspian. “Cas, check that out and make sure it’s not defective.”
I roll my eyes. “Clearly it’s not. Now, I love you. I’m going back to my friends.”
“Wait.” He grabs my arm before I can get far. “Just give me one minute. Please?”
When he looks at me like that, it’s hard to deny him anything. Which is why I think he uses it so much.
I stop and look at him with what I’m sure is a very petulant, very not-excited kind of look. “Why are you so adamant about this?”
“I thought maybe we could bring the girls on the team.”
I laugh at that. “I’m not enrolling in college again.”
“We’re looking for a new league.”
“Oh, I guess playing against the college kids is too easy?”
Lachlan shrugs. “Pretty much.”
“So older people are going to be a challenge?”
“More like, I’m so busy with work and my pain-in-the-ass girlfriend that traveling to Frisbee tournaments in other states isn’t working so well.”
At that I feel a little bit of triumph. At least I’m able to do some good in regard to this league.
“I’m very sorry I put a kink in your plans of total Frisbee domination.”
“You’re forgiven—after you do this.”
Seriously, he calls me a pain in his ass. “You promised I could go back.”
“And you will.”
“Lach!” Caspian calls, and the stupid thing comes back, but lands like halfway to where it should.
“See, maybe it’s a MacKinley thing.”
He smiles at me. “Stay put.”
Lachlan jogs over to the disc and grabs it. “You know what, you might be right.”
I like the sound of that. “I usually am, but what about this time?”
“There’s something wrong with this Frisbee. ”
I look at it, not that I would have a single clue what the hell would be wrong with it since I don’t know jack shit about sports.
“What’s wrong with it?” I ask.
“Rose! Can you come bring me a new one?”
“You have more of them?” I whine.
Rose comes running out before I can tell her not to bother, and he hands me the new one. “See that?” he asks, flipping it over. “It’s smooth and the air can move through it. There’s something on this one.”
Because I’m always one to want to look into things, even things I don’t understand, I take the other one.
“There’s tape on it,” I say, confused. I don’t remember seeing that when I “threw” it to my brother.
Lachlan tries to peel the tape off, but stops. “I can’t get it, can you?”
I shake my head, exasperated by this entire thing, and pull it back with no issues. When I do, I see that stuck to the tape is a ring.
A very beautiful diamond ring.
My eyes dart up to where Lachlan is sinking to his knee. “Ainsley MacKinley, I have spent a long time dreaming of this moment. I’ve rehearsed, thought of the perfect thing to say?—”
“Yes!” I yell.
“I didn’t ask you yet.”
I cover my mouth with my hand as the tears start to pool.
He grins. “I love you. My love for you is more than I knew love could be. Each day I thank God that I fell in love with the girl next door. Your smile soothes my bad days. Your love healed my broken parts. You make me a better man, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
I drop to my knees in front of him, tears now falling without a chance of stopping. “Yes, yes, yes, you wonderful man. Yes.”
He cups my face and kisses me softly as cheers and clapping erupt behind us.
Lachlan breaks the kiss and slips the ring onto my shaking finger. “ I love you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too!” Rose yells, and we both laugh, pulling her into a huge hug.
This is family. This is love and life and everything that I’ve dreamed of.
I stand, and my brother is next to congratulate us, then our friends, and both my father and Lachlan’s step to us.
I’m surrounded by everyone I love. I know that our lives have only begun, and I can’t wait for the rest.
Next is Miles & Penelope!
Single Mom just moved to town and the hilarious school principal! This one is going to steal your heart!