Epilogue
THEO
THE FOLLOWING SUMMER…
The sun glinted off the blue water and a light breeze rustled through the tropical foliage.
Waves crashed against the sand, their soothing rhythm lulling me into deep relaxation.
A bead of sweat dripped down my back, but I didn’t mind the heat.
I was stretched out on a lounge chair on a beach in Hawaii, watching the love of my life.
Penelope’s easel was wedged into the sand to keep it steady. Dressed in nothing but a pink and orange bikini, with a palette in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, she tilted her head, scrutinizing her work.
She’d captured the beach beautifully, adding her signature touch of magic to the scene. I didn’t know how she did it, but her paintings always had a certain glow, as if she could see the beauty of the natural world in a way the rest of us couldn’t.
Our wedding had gone off without a hitch. We’d kept with what had become a Haven family tradition and had it at Salishan Cellars. The winery had been the perfect setting, and the weather couldn’t have been better.
Watching her walk down the aisle had been an intense experience.
It had hit me just how close I’d come to missing out on the best thing that had ever happened to me.
A few wrong moves—a few different choices—and I’d have been heading to South Carolina, alone, convinced I was meant to be that way.
That I didn’t need anyone else. It wasn’t worth the risk.
But Pen? She was worth everything.
She’d been stunning on our wedding day. But to be honest, I was enjoying her on the beach in a bikini just as much.
What can I say? My wife is hot.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Are you bored?”
I grinned. “Not even a little bit.”
“Are you sure? I can finish this later if you want to do something else.”
“Baby, I’m good. Take as long as you want.”
“What do you think so far?” She gestured to her painting with the brush.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty happy with it.”
“You should be.”
She used her forearm to brush a strand of hair off her face and managed to swipe her cheek with blue paint. She didn’t seem to notice. Still grinning, I shook my head. She was so damn cute.
I half dozed in the sun while she worked, cracking my eyes open every now and then to appreciate her painting—and her curves in that bikini.
The beach started to get busier as people found places to sit around us.
As much as I would have loved to be on a private island, alone with Pen, we were teachers, not billionaires.
And neither of us minded. We’d spent the week snorkeling, sightseeing, lounging on the beach, and eating delicious food.
Slow, lazy mornings, tangled in the sheets together were the best part.
It all had me thinking. We were starting a new season of life together, and that was great. But was I ready for the next big thing?
I was. Gazing at my wife as she painted, I imagined her with our baby in her belly. I thought about what it would be like to bring a new little Haven home with us. I wanted that. I wanted to have a family with her.
But was she ready? I wasn’t going to push her into anything. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was ready. And I hoped she would be, too.
She stepped back from her painting and tilted her head again. “I think it’s finished.”
“I love it.”
“Thank you. I kind of love it, too. Are you ready to go back to the room? It’s getting a little windy.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
I stood to pack up our things, when a couple walking close to the waterline caught my eye. They were hand in hand, and I squinted, wondering if I was seeing things.
“Pen, is that…?”
“Is what?” She looked around and gasped. “Oh my gosh. It is! It’s Jeremy and Ashley. Are they—”
As if to answer her question, they stopped to share a long kiss while the water lapped at their feet.
“We knew it!” Pen said, then covered her mouth. But they were too far away to hear her.
“We called it,” I said. “I wonder why they were keeping it a secret?”
“Who knows? Maybe they wanted privacy.”
“Or maybe they were trying to stay just friends.”
“And caught feelings,” she said with a shrug. “It happens.”
We watched as they walked farther down the beach. Then I held out my fist, and Pen bumped it.
We weren’t bad at this detective stuff.
I helped her pack up our things and carried the canvas and easel back to our hotel. Our room had a balcony with a stunning view of the ocean. I propped her still-wet painting against a wall so it could dry and tucked the easel into a corner.
“What should we do next?” she asked. “Do you want to go swimming? Or are you hungry?”
“I could eat.” I sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her. “But first, come here.”
Drawing her close, I slid my hands around her waist. She draped her arms over my shoulders as I brought her in for a kiss.
“You have a little paint on your cheek.”
“Do I?” She tried to pull away, but I held her tight.
“Just a smudge.” I kissed her again. “I’ve been thinking about something.”
“Yeah? What?”
I felt a strange ping of nerves, a lot like I used to feel before taking the field. The hit of excitement made me smile. “Now that you’re my wife, maybe it’s time we work on changing your name.”
“To Haven? Oh, I definitely want to. I’ll figure out all the paperwork when we get home. I’m sure it will take some time for the students to get used to it, but they will.”
“Not to Haven.” I cupped her cheek. “I mean to Mommy.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “You mean?”
I nodded. “Pen, I want to have a baby with you.”
She took a trembling breath, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Theo.”
“If you’re not ready, it’s all right. I’ve just been thinking about it a lot lately. I want a family with you.”
Pushing me down onto the bed, she threw herself on top of me. “I would love to have a baby. I want that so much.”
I rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply. “How about now?”
“I don’t think I’m fertile right this second, but we can certainly practice.”
“Practice makes perfect.”
She giggled as I took off her bikini and ditched my shorts. We came together to the sound of ocean waves crashing on the beach outside. Her body melded with mine as we moved in a steady rhythm, her whimpers and sighs music to my ears.
Later, we lay in bed together, our bodies sated. Her head rested against my chest, and I traced slow circles on her skin.
Leaning in, I kissed her head. “I love you, Pen.”
She nestled in closer. “I love you, too. So much.”
Looking up at the ceiling, I smiled. I remembered another time when I’d been looking up, only then it had been at the sky over a football stadium. I’d been hit with the crushing realization that my career was over, and my life would never be the same.
And thank goodness for that.
I didn’t regret the end of my pro-football career or the struggles that followed. I certainly didn’t regret becoming a teacher and coach. As much as I’d loved the rush of being on the field, I was where I was meant to be.
Best of all, I had Pen.
My best friend. The love of my life. My wife.
Seriously, marry your best friend. I highly recommend it.
My smile grew. Penelope, my wife. It didn’t get much better than that.
Except it would. Hopefully, we’d add to the Haven family chaos with babies of our own.
Taking a long, slow breath, I kissed her head again. I loved her so much. Our life together was just beginning, and the best was yet to come.
Keep reading for a preview of book one, Protecting You.