Epilogue
One Year Later
The cottage on White Gull Lane had never held this many people.
Tessa stood on the deck, watching the chaos unfold with a glass of champagne in her hand and a ring on her finger that still caught her off guard every time she looked at it.
The addition Brian had built over the summer stretched out behind her, doubling the cottage's footprint, and still it wasn't quite enough for everyone who'd shown up.
Hank and Bree were in the kitchen, arguing cheerfully about the best way to slice a brisket.
Colby had commandeered the grill, Sabrina beside him with a plate of burgers waiting to be flipped.
Dr. Hendricks and his wife sat in deck chairs, deep in conversation with Ruth from the bookstore.
Diaz had brought her husband and two kids, who were currently chasing each other around the yard with water guns despite the October chill.
And Brian was in the middle of it all, laughing at something Colby said, a beer in his hand and sunlight in his hair.
Her husband. Six months married, and the word still made her smile.
The wedding had been small. Just family, which in Copper Moon meant half the town.
They'd exchanged vows on the bluff at sunset, the copper moon rising over the water behind them.
Bree had cried. Hank had pretended not to.
Colby had given a toast that made everyone laugh and then made everyone cry, and Sabrina had threatened to divorce him if he ever did anything that romantic for her.
It had been perfect.
Bree appeared beside her, two plates of food in hand. "You're being antisocial."
"I'm observing."
"You're hiding." Bree handed her a plate. "Eat something. You've been running around all morning."
Tessa took the plate but didn't eat. Her stomach was doing something complicated, a flutter of nerves she'd been carrying all day.
"You okay?" Bree asked, studying her. "You look pale."
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Tessa." Bree's voice dropped. "I've known you for a year. You don't get tired. You get busy. There's a difference." Her eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"
Tessa glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "I haven't told Brian yet."
"Told him what?"
She met Bree's eyes. Watched the realization dawn.
"Oh my God." Bree's hand flew to her mouth. "Tessa. Are you—"
"Eight weeks. I found out yesterday." Tessa couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "I was going to tell him tonight, after everyone left."
Bree pulled her into a hug so tight it nearly knocked the champagne out of her hand. "I'm so happy for you. For both of you. He's going to lose his mind."
"In a good way, I hope."
"In the best way." Bree pulled back, eyes bright. "That man was born to be a father. He just didn't know it yet."
As if on cue, Brian looked up and caught her eye across the yard. He smiled, that slow, warm smile that still made her heart flip, and raised his beer in a small salute.
She raised her champagne glass in return. The champagne she hadn't actually been drinking.
He'd figure it out soon enough.
The party wound down as the sun began to set. People drifted away in twos and threes, offering hugs and thanks and promises to do this again soon. Hank and Bree were the last to leave, Hank pressing a kiss to Tessa's cheek and murmuring something about being happy for them that made her eyes sting.
Then it was just the two of them, standing in the kitchen surrounded by dirty dishes and leftover food and the comfortable mess of a life well lived.
"Good day," Brian said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"Great day."
"You barely touched your champagne."
She turned in his arms to face him. "I noticed you noticing."
"I notice everything about you." His eyes searched her face. "You going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to guess?"
"Depends. How good are you at guessing?"
He was quiet for a moment. She watched the pieces click into place. The untouched champagne. The fatigue. The way she'd been pressing her hand to her stomach all day without realizing it.
"Tessa." His voice was barely a whisper. "Are you pregnant?"
She nodded, tears spilling over before she could stop them. "Eight weeks. I wanted to wait until today to tell you. I wanted it to be special."
He didn't say anything. Just stared at her, his face cycling through emotions too fast to track. Shock. Disbelief. Joy. Terror. More joy.
"We're having a baby," he said.
"We're having a baby."
He kissed her. Deep and fierce and full of everything he couldn't put into words. When he pulled back, his eyes were wet.
"I don't know how to be a father," he said. "I don't know if I'll be any good at it."
"You'll be amazing." She touched his face. "You're already the best man I know. This is just one more thing you'll figure out."
"Together?"
"Together. Always."
They stood in the kitchen, holding each other, the last light of sunset streaming through the windows. Outside, the bay stretched toward the horizon, calm and endless. The copper moon was rising, painting the water in shades of amber and gold.
A year ago, Tessa had arrived in Copper Moon broken and afraid, running from a life that had nearly destroyed her. She'd found a grumpy stranger in a double-booked cottage, a community that refused to let her be alone, and a love she hadn't known she was looking for.
Now she had a home. A husband. A family growing inside her.
And a future bright enough to outshine any darkness in her past.
"I love you," Brian said against her hair.
"I love you too."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For showing up. For staying. For giving me a reason to stop running."
She smiled, thinking of that first night, the irritation on his face as she stood in his entry way, him in a towel, the coffee she’d moved which irritated him. How far they'd come from those two stubborn strangers who couldn't stand to be in the same room.
"You stopped running on your own," she said. "I just refused to let you run alone."
He laughed, low and warm. "Same thing."
"Not even close."
They cleaned up the kitchen together, moving around each other with the easy rhythm of two people who had learned each other's spaces. Brian washed while Tessa dried. He bumped her hip with his; she flicked water at him with her fingers. Ordinary moments. The kind of moments that built a life.
Later, they sat on the deck, watching the moon rise higher over the bay. Brian's hand rested on her stomach, protective and wondering.
"We should think about names," he said.
"We have seven months."
"I like to plan ahead."
"Since when?"
"Since I have something worth planning for."
She leaned into him, breathing in the salt air, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her back. Somewhere down the beach, a dog barked. A boat horn sounded in the distance. The world went on, vast and indifferent, but here in this small corner of it, everything was exactly as it should be.
"Hey, Brian?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you let me stay."
He laughed, and she felt it rumble through her. "I'm glad you stayed.”
The copper moon climbed higher, casting its warm light over the cottage on White Gull Lane, over the town that had become home, over the two people who had found each other against all odds.
Tessa closed her eyes and let herself be happy.
She'd earned it.
They both had.
Brian and Tessa’s story doesn’t end here…
If you’re not quite ready to leave Copper Moon, there’s one more moment waiting for you.
A quieter, deeper glimpse into the life they chose, the love they fought for, and what forever really looks like once the danger fades.