Epilogue
Caroline
Keys clutched in my hand, I stand on the back porch of the charming two-story Victorian house that’s now mine.
It’s the future site of my event planning business.
Aurora prances around the overgrown garden, her tail wagging excitedly.
I can already see it, wedding parties mingling on the lawn, couples exchanging vows with the stunning lake view as their backdrop.
It’s not just a house; it’s the career that I’ve been dreaming of in a place I’ve come to love unconditionally.
I’ve always wanted my own venue, and now everything I ever wanted is right here in Blue Alder Cove.
It’s been three months since my Dear Red letter. Three months of living in joyful bliss as Tom’s girlfriend. We’ve made it work, even with our schedules. He’s come up to Charlotte on his few days off. I’ve come down to BAC, and in between, it’s been a lot of texts and video calls. But not anymore.
Maggie’s moved into Jake’s house, and temporarily, she’s offered her house to me.
And I’ll be a busy little event planning bee, renovating this place to get it venue ready for the fall wedding season.
Not me personally, of course. I’ll be recruiting two small-town men who are handy at this sort of thing, Jake and Tom.
And Maggie’s very excited to help me with decorating the place and sharing it with her blog subscribers.
I twirl my keys around my finger, a smile tugging at my lips.
It feels surreal, owning a property that’s so far from the hustle and bustle of Charlotte.
I have current clients who are ecstatic about offering a “small-town venue” for some of their events, though.
My entrepreneurial spirit is practically thrumming with excitement, ready to dive into this new project and make it my own.
The crunch of tires on the gravel driveway draws my attention to the front.
I walk through the house, past the dining room, living room, and staircase to the front door.
Tom steps out of his truck, his flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows with worn jeans.
He’s been my rock through all of this, supporting me every step of the way.
I can’t help but run out the door, jump into his strong arms, and pepper his cheek with kisses.
“Hi,” I say, when I finally stop kissing him.
“Well, I’ll say. I like this. Me coming home after a long day, and you, a beautiful woman, welcoming me like that. A man can get used to that.”
I chuckle, burying my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the woodsy scent of him. “Better get used to it, Firefighter. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
Tom’s arms tighten around me as he laughs, a sound I absolutely love to hear. “That’s what I like to hear, Red.” He leans in and kisses me on my head. “Show me around, tell me everything you have planned.”
I squeal and tug him toward the house. His arm wraps around my shoulders, and we step through the front door.
I guide him through each room, painting pictures of how I envision them transformed. An office, wedding suites, and turning the kitchen into a catering space.
We continue the tour, me chatting away excitedly, and as he listens, his thumb strokes my hand. His attention is completely on me, scanning each room like he’s imagining what I’m describing. His support means the world to me.
By the time we reach the back porch, my cheeks are flushed with exhilaration. I rest my head on his arm as we take in the view. I point out where I’d add a gazebo and my plans for fixing the garden.
We step down the porch, and I walk backwards, pulling him to the right spot. “And right here is where the magic happens.” I spin around to face the lake. “It’s the perfect place for a wedding.”
“What about an engagement?”
“Oh, absolutely! Can you imagine getting proposed to right here? It would be—” I turn on my heels to face Tom again.
He’s down on one knee, a velvet box in his hands. “Caroline Tate, I have one more dream I’d like to come true.” He opens the box to reveal a vintage emerald ring.
My heart is beating so quickly, it feels like it’s going to explode. “Tom,” I whisper.
“You have made me want to be a better man since the day I met you. And every day, I want to continue to love you the way you deserve to be loved. You’re my everything, and I want to spend my life with you until my last breath. Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” I pull him up, my hands shaking as I throw my arms around his neck. I can hardly believe this moment, the one I’ve dreamed about, is really happening. The man who loves me for me, all of me, proposed to me. “I love you, Tom,” I whisper in his ear.
“I love you too, Red.”
I hold out my left hand, excitedly. Tom grins and slips the emerald ring onto my finger. Then he cups my face in his hands. He pulls me in for a kiss, the kind that makes your toes curl and sets your heart on fire.
“I can’t wait to start our life together,” I say, pressing a featherlight kiss on his lips.
He wraps his arm around my waist as we face the house. “Well, where do you want me to start working?”
“Like right now?”
“You said it yourself, ‘You can’t wait.’ The quicker we get the renovations done, the sooner you become my wife.”
“Okay, Firefighter. Let’s do it! Together.”
He pulls me in close to him. “Together.”