Epilogue
DUTCH
August
It took me a bit longer to finish The Passage than I expected. In the end, I had an arsenal of women who ran my life and I wasn’t mad about it. My new agent, Brooke Laredo, was a pitbull. Petra Jerome was my lawyer, and of course Monte kept me on track with edits.
But the queen was her.
I stood on my porch where I had a bird’s eye view of Phoebe sitting on the dock, her legs dangling off the front as she tipped her head up to the sun. Her blond hair had lightened in the summer sun and her golden skin took on a light honey hue.
She suddenly straightened and turned, waving to me before returning to her sunning.
She always knew when I was looking at her.
I hurried down the stone stairs to the slip. Mouse was running up and down the water’s edge with a piece of driftwood, flinging it into the air without a care in the world.
I patted my pocket before I stepped onto the dock. “How long have you been down here?”
“Just a few minutes.” She grinned up at me and I couldn’t help but bend down and kiss her. She rolled her lips behind her teeth with a soft smile. “You taste like syrup.”
“Because someone left me a few pieces of French toast.”
“Someone thought you might like it with your coffee.”
“I sure did.” I sat down and reached under the slip for the boat launch lever that Keaton had installed for us.
The scull lightly touched down in the lake.
I’d learned how to maneuver myself into the boat without dunking myself, but I was looking forward to the boathouse Keaton was building with his crew over at Phoebe’s place.
The house was slowly coming together. Building on a lake wasn’t for the faint of heart, that was for sure.
Phoebe inched her way over to the edge of the dock right above me and I reached up for her and she neatly stepped into the boat. I used the oars to make sure we didn’t capsize as she slid into her seat.
“Good?”
Phoebe nodded. “Perfect.”
Even with our different sizes, we’d learned how to navigate the scull and found the perfect rhythm to push us out into the glass smooth water. The morning sun had some bite to it already, but we had a few hours before the late summer heat made it unbearable.
We glided past the star of my book and out to the wide open basin of Providence Lake.
She was full of mysteries, but she was undeniably beautiful in the summer.
Over the last few months we’d found a cove where we liked to float and talk.
The waters were more shallow and on a calm day like today, the water was crystal clear showing off all the rocks and shells.
Phoebe trailed her fingers into the water as I took over rowing. She’d locked her oars and I did the same, letting us drift on the barely there current.
She eased back and rested between my legs. “I’m so glad you showed me this side of you. I love when we do this.”
I skimmed a thumb over her soft shoulder and up her neck. “My favorite mornings.”
She sighed.
“I have a little news.”
“Oh, yeah?” she asked in that place between wakefulness and a light doze.
“I finished the book.”
She sat up and the boat rocked. “You did? Oh my gosh, that’s such great news!”
I reached forward and slid my feet forward so I could get closer to her. “And we got a court date for my suit against Christopher and Lana. He’s about to learn just how much shit he’s in.”
Her laugh was throaty and held a hint of the devil. “What a perfect day.”
“Maybe a little more perfect?” I pulled out the box in my pocket.
She twisted to look at me. “How could it get—” Her deep green eyes went wide as she covered her mouth.
The ring was white gold with a radiant cut yellow diamond that reminded me of her.
“Part of me wanted to wait until everything was done with Chris, but I don’t want to wait any longer to start our forever together. You’re it for me. For always. Will you marry me, Phoebe?”
“Yes.” She backed into me and the boat rocked, but I held it straight. Held her tight. And when she held out her hand, I slid it over her finger. “God, it’s so beautiful.” She twisted herself enough to give me an awkward kiss in the sunshine, on the lake that started it all for us.
The lake full of secrets and still so much beauty.
Where she told me she’d be mine forever.