Epilogue
One Year Later
The tide rolls in softly. The relaxing motion and sound is medicine to my soul.
I sit on the back deck of the beach house, knees pulled to my chest, watching the water glitter under the late afternoon sun.
This place saved me once, back when I needed to feel rooted in something. Now, it’s not the escape. It’s my anchor.
Behind me, I hear the sliding glass door slide open and Cole’s footsteps thud across the planks.
“I thought you were on a call for two hours,” I say without turning.
He wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses the side of my head. “There was a change of plans, and it’s being rescheduled. I remembered you said Arden might stop by, so I wanted to come out to see her.”
I smile into my knees. “She’ll be here soon. Make sure you keep your pants on.”
“I’ll try. You make it hard.”
“I see what you did there.” I reach for my iced coffee and nod toward the horizon.
He sits down beside me and puts his hand on mine.
“This view never gets old, right? Our own little slice of heaven.”
“I’m glad you kept it,” he says quietly.
I don’t answer right away as I brush a hair out of my face. Then, I lean my head on his shoulder. “Me too. It’s crazy how things turned out. It’s like everything fell into place for this to be ours, together.”
He presses another kiss to my temple. “You built something incredible this year. You deserve somewhere to breathe. This is yours, Sam.”
I hear the front door bang closed inside.
“Here comes trouble,” I mutter.
Arden strolls out with a tote bag slung over one shoulder and a massive sunhat that’s more drama than function. “Hope you two aren’t naked. I brought lunch.”
“Fully clothed,” Cole says, standing to greet her with a hug. “Can I get you something to drink? Water, tea, coffee?”
“I’m good, thank you. Unfortunately, I’m heading to DC when I leave here,” she calls after him as he heads inside.
She flops into his chair and pulls out her phone.
“DC?”
“Just got a call from a past client, so I’m heading there. You know the drill. I can’t stay, but I’ll be back before y’all leave, though, so we can catch up.”
“Girl, you don’t stop.”
“You’re one to talk. I saw the mobile clinic on the news again this morning about that adorable kid with asthma, what’s his name? The one who said you saved his life. I can’t believe it made the Today Show! You’ re big time.”
I shake my head. “I’m not, but I am glad that it had a happy ending. He’s such a sweet kid. And his mom is just amazing.”
Arden grins. “You’re a public health rockstar now. Atlanta’s golden girl.”
I glance down at my phone. There’s a message from Kayla, one of our clinic drivers. She attached a photo of the van outside a park in South Atlanta, a line already forming.
“We have a second unit now. And two part-time docs rotating with us lowly residents. We’ve treated over three thousand patients this year.”
Arden whistles. “From an idea to a movement. God, you are your mother's daughter, for sure.”
“I can’t take all the credit, but it feels good to make a difference.” I nudge her ankle with mine.
“Hate to run, but I do have to. I’ll text to find out when I can come back over to hang once I’m done with this over-sized baby I have to coddle.”
“You better.”
She leans down and kisses the top of my head and is through the door. If I could bottle half of that woman’s energy, I would be unstoppable.
Once Arden’s gone, Cole settles beside me again, his thigh brushing mine, and one hand lazily skimming the rim of his glass.
The waves roll in slowly and steadily. The sun melts toward the horizon. It’s almost too beautiful, like the kind of scene you’d think was overdone in a movie.
He was right about this place. I do need it. But not as a lifeline to my mom anymore. She’s with me wherever I go.
Now, it’s a home base. Ours. Before, it was all sharp edges and empty spaces. With him here, it’s full and alive in a way I didn’t realize I’d been missing.
I watch the water and let the quiet sink in, breathing it all in like I want to keep it.
“Do you keep tabs on what’s happening at Good Samaritan?” I ask softly.
Cole glances at me. “Some.”
“Is it true? Did Kings finally close the sale for less than they planned?”
He nods. “It took longer than they expected. And yeah, profit was thinner than projected. But I think everyone is happy. Pope Lawson’s team moved fast once it was finalized. Concierge care’s rolling out in phases now.”
I process that for a moment. “You think it’ll work?”
“I do. Palm Beach is ripe for this type of model.”
I nod slowly, tracing the rim of my glass. “I still can’t believe how fast everything unraveled. My residency, the wing, the hospital as I knew it. Next week will be exactly a year since the vote.”
Cole stays quiet, but his hand finds mine.
“I hated it,” I say. “At first. It felt like being ripped out of my own life.”
He nods, watching the water. “I wish it hadn’t gone down the way it did. I’d change that part if I could.”
I squeeze his hand. “I know you would. But you were right, even if I couldn’t see it then. The wing, the hospital... it all needed to evolve. So did I.”
He looks at me, something unreadable in his eyes.
“This forced it. Losing that part of my world made space for something new. Something mine. It hurt like hell, but it had to happen.”
His thumb brushes my knuckles. “I know your mom would be proud of you.”
A lump rises in my throat. “I think so, too. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
“You are.”
I glance over. “So are you.”
He watches me for a second, like he’s memorizing something. “You know I never believed in forever before you.”
My breath catches as he leans in, kissing me gently.
“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I love you, too.”
He sets his glass down and stands. I expect him to reach for his phone or head inside, but instead, he drops to one knee in front of me. Right here, on this weathered old deck.
My hand flies to my mouth.
“I thought I’d wait until we were back in Atlanta. I’ve been trying to find the perfect night. But then I realized today that this is it. This is the perfect time.”
He exhales, eyes steady on mine. “This house, this island, it started as a detour. A quick stop. Just twelve days, remember?”
I laugh through the rising tears. “Actually, ten days. Tiny detail.”
“Those ten days changed everything. This is where I found you. Where I finally figured out what I want. Not deals. Not wins. You.”
He opens the box, velvet and soft and utterly simple. The ring glints in the fading light.
“I don’t care what city we live in, what title’s on the door, or how messy life gets. If you’re in it, I’m home. Sam Taylor, will you marry me?”
I nod before I can speak, tears already spilling down my cheeks. I drop to my knees in front of him, my heart full and shaking.
“Yes,” I whisper, laughing through the tears. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.”
The kiss that follows is clumsy and breathless and perfect. His hand trembles against my cheek. My fingers clutch the collar of his shirt, like if I let go, I might wake up and find it was never real.
But it is.
This love. This life. Him.
Ours.
And it’s just beginning.
If you love steamy doctor one-night stands and second chances at love, check out Doctor Second Chance , the first standalone book in the Doctor Feel Good Series. Dr. Shep Duncan is a single father with a fierce protector vibe.
Who knew a trip to the ER in a strange city would bring me face-to-face with the man who shattered my world a decade ago?
A freak accident lands me in an unfamiliar hospital. The last person I expect to see is Shep, my ex from another lifetime.
The moment our eyes lock, the world stops turning. The same burning connection between us is still there, only now I hate him with every fiber of my being.
He chose med school in another city over me, breaking promises and my heart. Now, here in the flesh, there is an intensity in him that still makes me wet.
Stuck in his city for rehab, I can't escape him or my feelings. Each touch and lingering glance erodes my defenses, devouring my resolve.
As I recover, Shep's unwavering support forces me to reconsider everything. Can I leave the past behind and make it work, or is there too much baggage and distance to undo the past?
Sneak peek of Chapter 1
Saturday, July 6
Isabella’s House, Birmingham, AL
Five of us from college are here, executing my party battle plan for our friend’s engagement party like it’s a military operation.
Because if we don’t nail tonight, I won’t sleep, wondering why everyone else gets a love story, and I’m always organizing the backdrop… and somehow screwing that up too.
“I don’t want it to be fine. I want it to be perfect,” I tell Sophie as she wrestles with the lights.
“It’s a backyard party, Elle. Not a royal wedding.”
The Birmingham heat clings to me like a second skin as I nudge the terracotta pot a quarter inch to the left. The ferns still look wrong, though, and I can’t figure out why.
A horn blares in the distance, breaking the spell for a second.
This yard might look peaceful, but we’re still in the city, and being here stirs up more complicated feelings than I’m ready to unpack.
Mostly because he’s somewhere out there, probably living his best life while I’m sweating through my tank top, alphabetizing cocktail napkins.
God, even now, ten years later, just being in this city makes me think of him.
Izzy’s getting her happily ever after. I’m the best friend who’s making sure it photographs well.
At least I’ve got that .
“It’s Izzy’s night,” I say again. “She deserves perfection.”
I nudge the pot again. If I can get it just right, maybe the rest of my life will follow.
I plant my hands on my hips and let my gaze sweep over the yard.
“Elley-Bell. We’ve been at this for over four hours.” Charity wipes sweat from her forehead. “Everyone is exhausted, and it’s hot as hell. Don’t you think we’re done? I mean, it looks good to me. Better than good.”