Epilogue
NATE
One month later…
Sweat gathers between my brows.
My heartbeat echoes in my ears.
The silence stretches throughout the house.
I check over one shoulder, then the other, but there’s no sign of them.
My blood pumps in overtime as I hoist my blue-and-orange gun over my shoulder, the name Shockwave engraved in small letters above the drum.
I have two darts left. It’s now or never.
I jump up from my crouched position next to the couch and lunge toward the love seat, but there’s no one hiding there.
That’s when I hear it—the hushed giggles. They float over me right before the closet door bursts open, and Teagan and Maren bolt in opposites directions.
I spin to escape Teagan’s shot. Maren’s whizzes past my ear as I dive onto the couch cushions, hunching into a front roll like a ninja.
“Get him! Get him!” Teagan squeals, and her steps quicken as she nears, her gun aimed at me.
The clicks of their guns go off in sync, and darts rain onto me, thumping against my arm, knee, and stomach.
I croak dramatically, disappearing into my defeated character like a Hollywood star. Teagan always gets a kick out of my theatrics.
“Man down. Man down!” I slide off the couch and sprawl out on the floor.
Maren and Teagan come around to stand in front of the Christmas tree, where they high-five and celebrate their third victory in a row.
“We’re unstoppable!” Teagan bounces in place, rattling the homemade ornaments on the tree. A few stray icicles decorate the red skirt underneath it, and one string sticks to the bottom of her shoe.
When I’d suggested we take down the tree, since Christmas was last weekend, Teagan and Maren both insisted that we keep it up through January.
I couldn’t deny them. Not when they wore matching expressions of excitement, their cheeks rosy and bright.
The pair launches into karaoke of one of their favorite country songs, and my grin stretches far and wide.
This is what I always wanted out of my life. Not the pictures. Not any degree of fame.
I wanted a family. A true home with roots. And I almost gave up.
But it was worth the years of wandering. It all led me here, in my living room with the two loves of my life.
Mom saunters into the room, a covered dish in her hands. With all the noise, I didn’t hear her come in. “Another win, girls?” she asks, wearing an all-knowing grin.
“Duh!” My daughter continues bouncing and celebrating, and it makes me laugh.
Mom holds up the pot. “I made your favorite, Teagan, honey—sweet potato pie. Should we share with your father and Maren?”
“It would make Daddy feel better about losing.”
“Sweet burn.” Maren nudges her shoulder, and I shake my head.
I have two monsters on my hands.
“Let’s eat.” Teagan claps, and I intercept her on her way to the kitchen.
“Maren and I have to get ready to go, remember, kiddo?” I tilt my head, trying to telepathically remind her what we’re up to tonight.
She’s easily distracted with Nan-Nan’s goodies.
My daughter glances at me first. I tighten my lips and glare at my mother.
Maren’s gaze bounces between us all.
“Oh,” Teagan draws out with an overzealous nod. “Right. The big karaoke night.”
“It’s the first one of the year, and it’s very important that we’re not late.” I pat her shoulder.
“We can be late.” Maren shrugs and bends at the waist to gather rogue darts.
“We don’t want to miss the good songs.”
“Since when?” She snorts. “And what constitutes as good—Dorothy’s screeching or Greg’s mumbling?”
“Classics,” I joke, but my nerves scramble like a pack of raccoons under a spotlight.
Thankfully, my mother intervenes. “No, no. Nate’s right—very important not to be late. This pie will be here for y’all later.” She exaggerates a wink in my direction, and she nearly gets us caught.
The only thing that saves us is Maren’s back turned toward us.
Teagan skips into the living room—I hadn’t noticed she left. I’m out of sorts.
“Um.” I clear my throat, and all three women stare at me. “Thank you,” I tell my mother, but it comes out as more of a question.
I need to get a grip before tonight. It has to be special. I can’t botch it because I’m more nervous than I ever was for any test, speech, or photography assignment combined.
“Guess I’ll shower and change.” Maren places both hands on my damp chest and kisses my cheek. Then she hugs Teagan and Mom before offering a parting smile.
The rest of us stand frozen.
With the click of the door, I hitch my hands onto my hips. “That was a close one.”
Mom clutches her chest and bursts into tears.
“What’s all that for?” I ask and scoop Teagan into my arms.
“I’m just so excited.”
“Me too, Daddy.” Teagan nods. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face!”
She follows it up by mimicking expressions of shock, joy, and more. It makes me laugh, but also, a ball of emotion lodges itself into my throat.
I have their blessings. My father and Sabrina also offered their well-wishes. Dixie cried, but it wasn’t because of any reservations. On the contrary, she’s wholeheartedly on board.
I couldn’t be more grateful to have so many people surrounding us with this much love.
An hour later, Maren and I are on our way to the Tap in my Jeep, my family following behind us incognito since we’re taking a detour.
“Be honest—how many slices of pie did you have after I left?” She playfully narrows her gaze.
“Only like, half a bite.”
“Traitor.” “That’s not going to fly while I’m staying with you and Teagan. All food will be shared.”
“Deal,” I say, grinning.
I don’t like that she discovered mold in her house last week, but I’m more than happy to move her in with Teagan and me while it’s treated.
After tonight, I’ll be glad to make it a permanent arrangement too.
Maren points to our left, where I should turn for the Tap, but I whizz past it. “Where are we going?”
“Taking the scenic route.” I ease into the high school parking lot.
I check the clock on my dash—we’re right on time.
Dixie already confirmed that she and Barrett are in position, the decorations handled. Owen’s on video duty, and Addie, Caroline, and Austin are at the Tap setting up an intimate reception to celebrate.
The song of the crickets echoes across the quiet night. They serenade us as I open the metal gate with a squeak, my breaths releasing in quick bursts.
“What are we doing here?” she asks, snuggling into my side to stave off the cold.
“You’ll see.”
As we reach the track, familiarity settles with warmth into my bones like a smooth, expensive whiskey.
The sun dips behind a few clouds, and dusky yellow streaks dot the stadium like spotlights, illuminating the parts of the bleachers that hold so much meaning for Maren and me.
With my hand in hers, I lead us toward our spot, where she and I would spend so many evenings together once upon a time.
The string lights flicker to life and bounce off Maren’s eyes like they’re dancing. Soft music echoes through the speakers, thanks to Addie and Owen’s connections to the school. The flowers sway in the wind, their petals waving at us to join them.
Maren’s quiet as I guide her up the steps.
“What is all this?” Her voice cracks.
I can’t take it any longer. I’d rehearsed this moment no fewer than a hundred times. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that’s annoyed my mother because of the number of times I asked her to critique me. Even Teagan threw her candy at me, and she never wastes gummy bears.
But all of that goes out the window. I can’t wait another second.
“This is where our love story started, Lightning,” I say, and I drop to one knee, where I present her with a ring. “And this is where I want our forever to start too.”
Maren’s hands fly to her mouth, and the wind lifts her hair from her shoulders, revealing tears in her eyes.
“I had the world at my fingertips—quite literally—and I felt empty. I experienced it all through a camera lens and no one next to me to appreciate it with.” I swallow to wet my dry throat.
“The truth is, I was lonely, wandering from one new town to the next. It was fun for a while, but then I started to realize that all the people I met had families. Friends. They were part of communities. I didn’t have any of that, and I traveled the world to find something that was here in Sapphire Creek all along.
” My thick swallow echoes between us. “Most of all, I found you again. You’re my home, Maren.
I love you so damn much. What do you say? Will you marry me, Lightning?”
A tear slips down her crimson cheek. “Yes.”
“Yes?”
She nods, but her smile quickly falters. “Wait. You don’t think this is too fast, do you? I hope you don’t think I’ve been rushing you. When I asked to stay with you, I truly only meant while my house is treated for the mold. I wasn’t suggesting—”
“It’s not too fast.” I grin. “In fact, it’s too slow, considering I wanted to propose the second I stepped foot into this town again.”
She cups my cheeks and plants a firm, searing kiss to my lips that heats me up from the inside out. The cold evening no longer exists. Winter itself is nowhere to be found, not when she’s kissing me like this.
Not when she feels like summer, my favorite season.
“I love you,” she whispers against my lips. “And I can’t wait to marry you, Nathan. Nothing would make me happier.”
I’ve barely slid the ring onto her finger before our families storm the bleachers, a wild tribe of cheers and tears and applause.
“Everyone wave to the camera!” Owen jumps up from where he was crouched nearby, taking his duty to be discreet far more seriously than I expected him to—like a damn good friend.
While the women gush over the ring—as if they weren’t the ones who helped me pick it out—my dad claps me on the shoulder. “You did it, son. You’re finally marrying your girl.”
“It’s felt like a lifetime in the making,” I whisper.
The echoes of our families’ cheers practically follow us to the Tap. Inside, more celebrations ensue. Maren dips her head into the crook of my neck, but Caroline and Addie drag her free.
“No hiding, Mar.” Caroline throws her hand in the air. “It’s your night!”
Another round of applause sends ringing through my ears, like we’re rock stars after a wild concert, with everyone patting us on the back and offering their congratulations.
Someone slips a beer into my hand.
The women huddle around Maren to gawk at the ring.
At one point, while the servers bring more food and refill our drinks, Maren sneaks back over and slips her arms around me. “I want to take a trip together—you, me, and Teagan.”
“I love the sound of that. Any ideas where you want to go?”
“Everywhere.” She giggles and rests her temple on my shoulder. “But we can start with one new place. Maybe we can spread out a map and throw a dart. Or an axe. I’ve gotten really good at axe throwing.”
“Am I ever going to be invited to one of these axe throwing nights?”
“It’s for girls only, McAllister.” This comes from Addie, and Caroline stands next to us as well, her expression as serious as the other two girls’.
“Don’t even try to fight it,” Owen adds.
He and Austin join us too, completing a misshapen circle of old friends.
“We’ll do our own thing.” I exaggerate a scoff.
“Oh, Lord help us.” Addie tilts her head to the ceiling. “You guys cannot be left unsupervised.”
Owen shrugs, like there’s more truth to that statement than not—and I can’t argue. “Hey, remember the time we hopped on the freight train by your house?”
Beer nearly shoots from my nose. With eyes watering, I say, “God, we had not thought that through. The train didn’t stop until we’d reached the next county.”
“And my dad had to pick us up.” Owen barks a laugh.
“For such a quiet man, he sure had a lot to say that day—at a loud volume. Still haunts me.” I shudder as nostalgia grips me by the heart.
Our circle grows bigger as Scarlett and Matilda wiggle their way into the middle. “Is it Mr. Darcy?” Matilda snorts.
Scarlett’s eye visibly twitches. “It’s a real man. I’m seeing an actual man, and his name is Foster.”
“Then why didn’t I know about him until today?”
“Because you never let me get a word in edgewise.”
“Edgewise? Doth proclaim to be in love with Sir Foster.” Matilda’s idea of a British accent is tainted with her obvious frustration, as it comes out more like a Jamaican one.
The girl loves her town gossip, and the fact that her friend left her out of the loop has clearly hurt her.
Scarlett throws her head back with a groan and storms off after Matilda. Per usual, I’m not sure they ever noticed us.
“Those two fight more than any married couple I know,” Cole jokes, assuming the spots the girls just vacated, his arm slung around Ivy’s shoulders.
“It’s cute,” Caroline muses.
“We got into our fair share of arguments back in the day.” Addie nods toward Caroline and Maren.
“Especially over our celebrity crushes.” Maren smiles.
And we continue chatting, our voices and laughter growing louder as the night carries on. It’s a night full of love and family.
Maren cozies into my side, where she slips her hand around me to rest her thumb in my waistband. Her lavender scent permeates my skin, burrowing so deep into my muscles that it becomes part of me.
The heavenly smell lingers on my pillows. On my clothes. All over my house.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is the best way to start the new year—the new year. This is the start of forever with my girls. With my friends. With my family.
After years of feeling like my heart’s been displaced, lodged in my throat as a constant reminder that something’s missing, I finally feel like everything is right again. Like my heart has clicked back into its place, and it beats to a calming rhythm.
I breathe more fully.
I live and love more deeply.
And it’s all thanks to coming home to Sapphire Creek—to Maren.
Thanks for reading!