Epilogue
F ive Months Later
“What are you making?” Warren asked while standing in the kitchen at Emma’s house on the island.
“A drink from the bar,” she said. “My bar that I rarely use.”
“For you?” he asked.
“Nope,” she said. “For you. I’m recreating our first meeting. You’re ruining it though. Maybe I should have done this at The Retreat so you’d know what the date was.”
He laughed, reached over the bar for her, and lifted her easily enough so that she was in his arms. “I know the day,” he said. “You’re the one who barely knows what time it is, let alone the day. Asking the date is almost impossible.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to forget it was Christmas morning months ago. I knew it was coming, I just got my days mixed up.”
“I love that about you,” he said, kissing her. “And you were forgiven. I just had to wake you up to get you ready to go to your parents. They are used to you showing up late.”
She’d stayed the night with him and they went to her parents’ house as it was easier than taking the ferry over that day.
“They are,” she said. “But this is about us.”
“It is,” he said. “Always about us.”
“And because I know what the date is, I’ve got something special for you.” She was wiggling in his arms to get down.
“What’s that?” he asked.
She moved behind the bar again, pulled a long box out, and put it on the counter. Like a bracelet box.
“You should see the look on your face,” she said. “It’s not jewelry.”
“I wouldn’t care if it was,” he said.
“I don’t believe you. Open it.”
He pulled the lid off the box and saw a bookmark with the name of his book that was going up on preorder soon. The cover was being designed.
Somehow a career he never thought he’d have was coming about.
The book he’d plotted months ago when he was trying to kill time sitting around had become an obsession.
With help and suggestions from Emma, he’d drafted a book.
He wouldn’t take the credit for it all. She’d helped, but he’d listened and he worked hard and made all the changes she’d told him to.
It went to her editor, who loved it even though it came back with a ton of grammar edits.
Things he was told he paid her for and not to get upset over it. That it was normal for that to happen.
He’d do better next time because there would be a next time.
“This is great,” he said. “I never thought I’d see this day.”
“Well, it helps to know the right people,” she said, winking. “And you know people are going to say that when the news comes out. But my agent wouldn’t have taken it on if he didn’t think he could sell it, regardless of who you are.”
It didn’t go to as big of a publishing house as Emma’s work, but he hadn’t expected that. He’d thought he’d be self-publishing it.
“I know it had a lot to do with who I am, but I don’t care. I’m taking advantage of the opportunity and running with it.”
“As long as you’re only running with a book in your hand and not a football,” she said.
“Those days are long gone,” he said. “You know that.”
Doctors hadn’t cleared him to return to the field after six weeks, and the Patriots lost five games, knocking them out of the playoffs while other teams got on a hot streak.
After the Super Bowl, he announced his retirement and emotionally spoke of his love for the game, but his health was more important.
He’d never felt so free in his life to have that burden of being Superman to everyone off his back.
“Now I’ve got a writing buddy,” she said. “You get it now, don’t you? The way I do things.”
He’d all but moved into her house with her, the two of them writing in different parts or coming together in the same room and not talking, the sounds of keys clicking the only noise.
They’d go to his house and do the same.
He wasn’t as obsessed as her because he couldn’t sit still that long, but he was making it work for him.
“I get it,” he said.
“And now you can get the girl too,” she said, giggling. “Like a genuine hero. Flip that over.”
He frowned. “I don’t want to be a hero, Emma. I want to be a man. The hero days are gone.”
She gave him one of her tender looks that he’d been seeing more and more of. “You’ll always be a hero to me, but in this case, now you’re just my man! Flip that over.”
He laughed and pulled the bookmark out of the box and saw the question on the back. “Seriously?”
“You’re the one who said you like that I keep you on your toes. What’s your answer?”
“Yes, I’ll move in with you,” he said. But maybe it was time to flip the script on her. “Only if you’ll be my wife.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Come on, Emma. Let’s make it official. I’ll even let you post a video on it.”
“I plan on posting a video of our proposal when you do it,” she said. She put her left hand out and wiggled her fingers. “All romances have a happy ending. Usually an engagement with a big fat ring.”
He laughed. “Then hang on,” he said. “I need to blend these worlds of ours.”
He loved he left her standing there speechless as he jogged up the steps to her room. It was going to be their room.
When he returned, he saw she was still standing there looking a little shocked. “Do you really have a diamond ring?”
“I wouldn’t lie about that,” he said, getting down on one knee. “Do you want to get your phone ready?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head and moving close to him. “This is between us.” She started to cry. “I feel like one of the heroines in my books though.”
“Good,” he said. “I like it when you feel more.” He flipped the lid on the three-carat diamond with several smaller ones on the band. “The perfect man doesn’t need to be materialistic with the woman he loves.”
“Yes, he does,” she said, laughing.
He smirked. “I figured you’d think that too, which is why I had this made.
” He took her left hand. “Emma French, I’m not going to give you fancy words.
I’m just going to give you my heart. My promise to love you until I can’t take another breath.
To be the best husband and father to our children I can be. Will you marry me?”
She was waving her hand in front of her face. “Super ugly cry. Oh my God, you do have a way with words. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Emma kissed him and was patting her hips. “You don’t know where your phone is, do you?”
“No,” she said.
He pulled his out. “Let me do it,” he said. She held her hand in front of her face with a massive smile.
Before she could see it, he posted it with a caption that, SHE SAID YES!
It wasn’t even a minute later before his phone was buzzing and hers was beeping somewhere in the house.
She went running to find it, her grin dropping when she saw the picture she was tagged in.
“Warren, my hair is a mess and is that snot coming out of my nose?!”
“You’re not the only one who can keep people guessing!” he said, laughing.
The End!
Next in the series… Family Bonds- Alana & Brennan
Can their hearts be repaired after both suffering the ultimate betrayal?
Alana Nadar is used to coming in second.
She is often overlooked and is considered the friend everyone wants, but the woman no one desires.
She volunteers to babysit her sexy coworker’s daughter so he could go on a date with someone else.
It’s not like he sees her more than a colleague anyway, even if she’s got a secret crush on him.
Brennan Austin should have seen this coming.
The minute everything is smooth sailing, a storm crashes and whips his life around.
With the holidays looming, the best he can hope for is a quiet Christmas on an island where all his daughter’s wishes can come true.
He has given up dreaming of anything more.
Even the coworker who seems more interested in his daughter than him.
When their past failed relationships resurface, is it possible for them to let go of their hearts and learn to trust again?