Epilogue
Maisie
Three Years Later
“Ryder James, do not torment your poor auntie,” Charlotte scolds the two-year-old red-headed hellion in my lap, who is currently playing patty-cake with my face.
Not that I much mind. In fact, I’m rather enjoying this little game of ours. His mother, on the other hand, is not quite so amused.
“He’s fine, Char. We’re playing.” I smile at Ryder, his hair and eyes so much like his mother’s it’s uncanny. The rest of him, however, is all River.
“You’re teaching my son it’s okay to smack people in the face,” she needlessly points out.
“I am doing no such thing. Besides, this is the first time I’ve seen him in four months. If I want to let him play patty-cake with my face, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I tell her matter-of-factly.
This adorable little creature in my lap has my whole heart.
A heart that nearly broke last year when Charlotte and River decided to move to New York to pursue Char’s dream of working in the literary field.
Not that it didn’t pay off. River got a better job.
Char basically landed the job of her dreams. And Ryder.
.. Well, from what I hear, he’s thriving.
And then there’s Lyric and Kai, who moved back to Lyric’s hometown after he finished his master’s program last year.
She wanted to be closer to her parents, as well as Dalton and the girls, and after his grandmother passed two years ago, I think Kai was ready for a change, too.
Like Char and River, they seem to be doing really well.
In fact, Lyric landed a job teaching in the same school as her mom shortly after they moved.
I truly am so happy for them. But I miss them, too.
I miss all of them so much. We used to be a few minutes’ walk away, and now we’re spread so far out that gatherings like this are few and far between.
Really, it’s only holidays and special occasions where we’re all together.
Though this weekend is neither a holiday nor a special occasion, but when Lyric invited all of us to stay with them for the weekend, I could not turn down the opportunity to sit on the beach with my best friends.
My eyes slide to Lyric, who’s watching the exchange between me and Char with a smile on her pretty face, her hands currently resting on her overly swollen belly, which is on full display given that she’s wearing a two-piece bathing suit.
Needless to say, a lot has happened over the last couple of years. Char and River got married shortly after they announced her pregnancy. It was a small and intimate ceremony, but no less grand than the much larger wedding of Kai and Lyric that took place two months after Ryder was born.
As it stands, I am the only one left who is neither married nor has children.
And truly, I’m okay with that. The settled-down home life was always more their style, anyway.
Well, Lyric’s style. River had to tame Charlotte first. Not that it took much effort.
She was eating out of the palm of his hand within five minutes of meeting.
“What?” I hitch a brow at Lyric.
“Nothing.” She chuckles. “Just thinking about the day when you have kids of your own.”
“Ha. Ha,” I deadpan. “The only kids I plan on having are the ones you two keep popping out.” I kiss Ryder on his forehead and then set him on his feet when he starts to become restless in my lap.
Smiling, I watch him run across the sandy beach and practically propel himself against his father’s leg, who is standing at the edge of the water.
“You say that now,” Char disagrees.
“While marriage and babies look great on both of you, Macallan and I aren’t there yet. He’s knee-deep in his clinical rotations, and honestly, it’s not going to slow down for the foreseeable future. What little time we do get together... Well, let’s just say I’m not ready to share him just yet.”
“Dr. Stewart. Who would have thought.” Charlotte follows my gaze to where Mac is standing on the beach with Kai and River, the three of them laughing and talking about Lord knows what, Ryder now firmly held in his dad’s arms. Those three gossip like a bunch of teenage girls when they get together.
As if sensing me staring, Macallan’s eyes slide in my direction, locking with mine, a grin instantly touching his lips.
“I love you,” I mouth, just needing to say it and for no other reason than I want to.
“I love you,” he mouths back, turning his attention back to Kai when he addresses him directly.
“Who would have thought many things about that man,” Lyric chimes in.
“Indeed.” I’m inclined to agree, knowing he has pretty much surprised me at every turn.
When we first met, he was a self-absorbed manwhore who hurt me more than any other man had hurt me before.
Mainly because he was the first man I ever actually felt something for.
Today, he stands before me as the man of my dreams. Kind and loving.
Hard-working and determined. A talent in the bedroom that far surpasses anything I’ve experienced before him.
And a heart that I will forever cherish.
And that is my favorite part of him. How passionately and wholly he loves me, in a way I never imagined I’d be loved.
“How much longer does he have with his clinical rotation?” Char asks.
“A year and then once he graduates, he will be doing residency for another three after that.”
“Who knew it took so much to be a doctor.”
“At this point, he’ll be thirty before he’s a full-blown doctor.”
“Close. I think he’ll be twenty-nine when he finishes his residency.”
“That’s insane.” Char shakes her head, causing her ponytail to sway.
“It is. But he loves it so much.”
“And you? How are you liking your new job?”
“It’s... hard,” I admit. “Working for the county, the things some of these kids have gone through...” I shake my head. “I just have to keep reminding myself that I’m helping them in some small way.”
“In more than just a small way,” Lyric disagrees. “You know how vital it is to have someone to talk to when you’re struggling, especially as a child. Don’t discount everything you are doing for those kids.”
I nod, not sure what to say. As rewarding as my job is, it’s even more challenging.
And while some days I come home ready to bawl my eyes out, I do take some comfort in knowing that our sessions will help them.
Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day.
One day, my words will have an impact, even if they don’t know it yet.
I would know because I’ve been through it myself and have come out on the other end stronger for it.
“Are you and Macallan going to stay in Virginia once he finishes his residency?”
“I think so. Both of our families are there. My job is there. Not saying that we’ll never leave, but I don’t see it happening in the next few years. I like being close to Jackson, too. Did I tell you he’s dating someone and that he brought her home to meet my mom and dad?”
“Stop it. Jackson?” Char openly gapes.
“I know, right? I was quite shocked myself. He’s never brought a girl home... Ever.”
“Must be serious,” Lyric offers.
“I think so. He seems quite smitten with her.”
“Do you like her?” Char asks.
“She’s nice. Beautiful, of course. And a wicked tongue. I’ve never seen someone go toe-to-toe with Jackson the way she does.”
“Probably why he likes her.” Char snorts.
“Probably.” I’m quick to agree.
“Speaking of liking people... It seems Prince Charming is heading this way,” Charlotte announces, and I quickly follow her line of sight to see Macallan heading up the beach toward us... alone.
“Hey.” I smile up at him when he stops in front of my chair, towering over me.
“Hey.” He grins, extending a hand to me. “Wanna take a walk?”
“Now?” I cock my head to the side, gesturing to Char and Lyric.
“We won’t be long,” he promises.
“Fine.” I feign annoyance as I take his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet.
Entwining our fingers together, Mac leads me down the beach in silence. It’s not until we’re out of earshot of our friends that he abruptly stops and turns to face me, something off about his expression.
I narrow my gaze on him, something about the way he’s looking at me causing my pulse to spike.
He almost looks... nervous.
“Maisie,” he starts, taking my other hand so that he’s holding both of mine in his.
“Macallan...” I say back when he doesn’t say anything else. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine. Just... give me a second.” He blows out a shaky breath. Yep, definitely nervous.
“Okay,” I reply softly, waiting anxiously for him to continue.
“Five years ago, I walked into a party and saw you. The most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. I didn’t know it at the time, but you would one day become the woman who my entire world revolved around.
A woman who I would love more than I knew was possible.
I wish I could say that I was smart enough to snatch you up right then and there and never let you go, but we both know that’s not the case.
” He lets out a light laugh that shakes with nervous energy.
I open my mouth to say something, anything, but find myself floundering for words.
“It wasn’t until a couple of years later that everything changed,” he quickly continues.
“That you took another chance on me and that day, well, it will forever be one of the best days of my life. You are everything to me, Maisie Rose. The way you smile, the way you light up a room, the way you make even the simplest moments feel special—it all made me realize that love isn’t just a word, it’s a person.
It’s you. You’ve been my best friend, my biggest supporter, and the person who makes me want to be better every single day.
I’ve laughed with you, grown with you, dreamed with you—and I can’t imagine doing any of that with anyone else. ”
My heart is pounding so violently that I’m pretty convinced at the end of this speech, there’s going to be an entirely new cavity in my chest. Because my heart, she knows where this is going, even if my head hasn’t accepted it yet.
“I know life won’t always be perfect. But I also know that as long as I’m holding your hand, I’ll have everything I need. Because home isn’t a place to me anymore—it’s wherever you are.” He releases my right hand to dig something from his pocket, lowering to one knee as he produces a ring box.
“Macallan.” The first of my tears breaks free as he takes the ring from the box and holds it up to me.
“Maisie Elizabeth Rose, will you continue to make me the happiest man on the planet and do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?”
I let out a sob, my emotions so all over the place I can barely distinguish one from the other. All I know is that I feel happier in this moment than I have in all the moments that have come before it.
“Yes.” I nod furiously, watching Macallan slide the gorgeous diamond on my finger before he rises to stand before me.
“I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world,” he promises, taking my face in his hands.
“You already have.”
And then he kisses me.
Sweet and slow.
And I melt into him.
“Woo Hoo!” Lyric says.
“’Bout freaking time,” Char chimes in.
We break apart and I turn to find all of our friends gathered around us, clapping and cheering. Charlotte with her phone in hand, recording the whole thing, and that’s when it dawns on me. This was the reason...
The reason why we had an impromptu get-together when we never have before. The reason Macallan insisted on coming, even though it was the only two days he’s had off in weeks. The reason we came to Lyric’s... Because Macallan knows that the beach is my favorite place on earth.
He planned it all.
“You all knew about this.” It’s not a question as I meet Kai’s gaze, the closest thing I have to a brother outside of my actual brother.
He nods once, a smile growing on his lips. “Congrats, Mais.”
“Of course, we knew.” Char slips between me and Mac, forcing him to take a step back as she wraps her arms around me.
“Char nearly gave it away a hundred times.” Lyric chuckles, joining in by wrapping one arm around me and the other around Charlotte.
“I had no idea.” I laugh, but it comes out more as a sob as tears continue to flow.
“We love you, Maisie,” Lyric says, kissing the side of my head.
“Already she’s vying for maid of honor.” Char knocks Lyric with her hip.
“I am not!” Lyric feigns offense.
“Shut up. You’re both my maids of honor.” I sniff. “I love you, girls.”
“And we love you.” It’s Lyric who replies.
“Not to intrude, but if I could steal my fiancée back for a moment.” Macallan’s deep voice fills my ears seconds before Lyric and Char release me, and I’m pulled into his embrace.
“I can’t believe you did all this.” I look up at his handsome face, struck by just how perfect he is.
“Well, I didn’t do it alone.” He looks over my head at my friends before his brilliant teal eyes come back to mine. “I love you, Maisie. Now and forever.”
“Now and forever,” I mirror his words. “I love you.”
When his lips touch mine again, I feel overwhelmed and overjoyed and honestly, about seconds away from bouncing out of my own skin. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hold on tight, knowing that no matter what happens in life... The good or the bad, this man has me. And I him.
Forever...
The End