Epilogue
That night at dinner…
Walker tapped his wineglass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention. They were sitting around the large table they had been using for months, and it was great being able to sit down to a family dinner like this.
Axel leaned back in his chair and put one arm along the back of Maisie’s.
When she turned and smiled at him, he swore he was the luckiest son of a bitch alive.
How he had gotten a woman like her to fall in love with him was a bit of a mystery, but he was so glad she did.
He never imagined himself finding someone that he wanted to settle down with, but from the moment he met her, he knew it was her.
“Okay, so you’ve all been very patient so far,” Walker began. “And I appreciate your patience because it was nice to have all of us here and getting caught up on not only the progress with the resort but also seeing for ourselves that Maisie is okay.”
Beside him, Axel saw her blush as she nodded to thank Walker.
“When Jace and Kelsey first reached out to me about the resort and the possibility of getting a group of investors together, I kind of thought it was crazy. But deep down, there was always a part of me that wanted this place, but I had a completely different vision for it.”
Harlow groaned loudly, and they all laughed.
“What Harlow is trying to say with that sound is that she showed me that what made the Lakeview Harbor Resort special was the simplicity of it. I kept thinking it had to be new and better and more upscale, but now that I’m seeing it all come back to life, I remember exactly how I used to feel on those summer trips.
And honestly, I can’t wait for our first guests to arrive and to know this next generation of kids could find some of their best friends and make the greatest memories here. ”
Damn. Axel wasn’t prone to crying or getting emotional, but right now, he actually felt like he could shed a few tears.
“You all know I looked for more property around here to do some things I originally wanted to do, but that turned into a bit of a nightmare,” Walker went on, and again, there was groaning.
“But once I let it go, something crazy happened. I started seeing listings for properties just like this one—old and outdated resorts. Most had been abandoned and would require a ton of work.”
“I think I see where this is going,” Milo said with a knowing grin.
“Harlow and I put an offer on one that’s located right across the Massachusetts border.”
Everyone started talking at once, including Axel.
“What does this even mean? Why wouldn’t you tell us about it?” he asked.
Harlow stood up next to Walker. “Honestly, it’s small, and we’re using it as a little test.” She looped her arm through Walker’s and snuggled close.
“We wanted something that wouldn’t be in competition here, but if it’s successful, then we’d potentially sell it and take the profits and invest in the property here and expand. ”
“Holy crap, you guys,” Slater said, shaking his head. “That’s incredible.”
“Plus, we knew you were all only on board because this resort holds such significant memories for all of us,” Walker pointed out.
“Connor, you know you’re going to start out with the restaurant here, but you’re going to want to have something of your own in town if you decide to stay.
And Milo, your life is back in Seattle.”
“For now,” he said vaguely.
“And Slater, we know you’re doing your own spin on the adventure guide thing here, but it’s never going to hold the same appeal as you’ve had in the past. I mean, it’s beautiful here, but the terrain isn’t the same as you were getting in the Midwest and Alaska.
You always said you’d get things started here and then train a team to take over. ”
Then he looked at Axel and he braced himself for the speech about how they knew he couldn’t afford to invest, so they didn’t want to put it out there to him.
“And Axel, you said this was where you wanted to put down roots,” Walker said with a smile.
“For the first time ever, you seemed at peace here. We didn’t want to pull you away because…
this place? It’s yours. I always knew that I could come and go and do whatever I was doing, but when I came back, you’d be here taking care of it all. ”
He was speechless.
“He’s right,” Harlow agreed. “You’ve touched every inch of this property and…” She paused and looked around as if waiting for everyone’s agreement. When she looked at him again, she seemed almost excited. “And we wanted to ask if you would be the manager of the resort!”
“Um…what?”
Everyone was nodding. “She bullied me into letting her be the one to ask,” Walker said with amusement. “But this resort? This project? It wouldn’t be what it is without everything you put into it, Axel. You put your heart into it in a way none of us could.”
“You are the heart of this resort,” Connor added. “You’re the only one who has literally put everything they had into this project. It’s only fitting that you be the one to make sure that the vision we all had…stays.”
Holy. Shit.
He turned to look at Maisie, and he saw tears in her eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s an absolutely perfect job offer,” she whispered.
Then he glanced at his friends. “But…I don’t know anything about running a resort. I can fix anything or build whatever we need, but the day-to-day running of it? I’m clueless.”
“There are going to be management teams,” Milo explained. “A team for lodging, a team for the amenities, a team for maintenance, a team for the grounds…you’ll just be the head of it all. And you’ll have a team too.”
It felt like the temperature had gone up ten degrees in the room. He grabbed his water and quickly drank it down before looking at Maisie again. “What about you? We don’t even know if there will be enough business here for you.”
“Actually…” Harlow interrupted. “I’ve got several clients who are eager to work with you, Maisie. I think once you put the word out, your business will grow.”
“I’m closing on a house next week,” Connor added, “and you already know I’m going to gut it and start from scratch, so I’ll need your expertise there.”
“And I’m thinking of buying a place too,” Slater chimed in.
“I know this all may not be a permanent job for me, but I’m part of the business, so I’ll always come back.
It might not be bad living in a cabin now, but I’m feeling a little cramped.
And after everything Connor and Harlow described, most places are going to need some work, and I don’t know shit about decorating, so… ”
“Then there’s the restaurant,” Connor said, grinning. “If I’m going to do it, I’m either going to build or take whatever property I find down to the studs and will need to hire you for it.”
“Oh my goodness…” She looked at Axel, and their gazes met and held in a silent discussion.
Are we really going to do this?
I really want to.
I really want to, too.
Then let’s do it.
“I hope you all know what you’re doing because Maisie and I are in!”
There were cheers and congratulations, and more wine was poured. It was a total celebration, and Axel stood with Maisie by his side and knew nothing would ever be better than this.
Walker tapped his glass again to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, now that that’s settled, there is one more thing.”
They all stared at him.
“I asked Harlow to marry me, and she said yes!”
More cheers, more congratulations, and even more wine was poured. Harlow showed everyone her ring, and the two of them looked beyond happy.
“But you all said that there wasn’t an engagement,” Slater said when there was finally a lull.
“Well, we knew if we said we had an announcement, that was going to be the first thing you all thought of. And we knew what we wanted to ask Axel and didn’t want to take away from that moment.
” She smiled at him and Maisie. “I hope you don’t mind that we sort of piggy-backed on your big celebration. ”
“Are you kidding?” Axel asked with a laugh. “This is all so damn incredible. For all of us. We’re family, and we should all be celebrating everything together. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re all so damn happy for you two.” Raising his glass, he said, “To Walker and Harlow!”
Everyone repeated that, but then Connor added, “And to Axel and his new role, and Maisie’s many new ventures! To Axel and Maisie!”
And everyone repeated that before Slater added, “And to Connor on his new house!”
This sort of thing went on far longer than it needed to, but it was awesome. Everyone was just happy to be supporting one another.
As it should be.
He was here with his family.
And he and Maisie were home.