Epilogue
Six months later
Darcy smiled at Carter and squeezed his hand. Together they walked through the lush green grass as a cool breeze floated over
them. The early April afternoon sky was bright blue and cloudless, and birds sang in the nearby trees.
Balancing a colorful spring bouquet in her arms, she looked over at Carter. Her spine tingled as she admired his chiseled
profile and his relaxed posture. He had told her he was taking her somewhere special this afternoon, but they needed to make
an important stop on the way. At his request, they had dressed up. She wore a little black dress and heels, and he looked
stunningly handsome in a pair of khakis and a gray button-down.
She took a deep breath and considered the whirlwind she’d experienced since Haven and Derek’s wedding. After reconciling with
Carter, she had fully discovered how tightly she’d been holding on to Jace’s memory. She donated her wedding gown to a charity,
and she finally convinced Jace’s mother to accept her engagement and wedding rings.
Ernie and Glenda Barton had decided to officially retire from their business. Gage took over as owner and asked Carter to
be his partner, giving Carter a nice increase in salary. They hired two employees to help run the office while they continued
to work as mechanics.
Shauna and Carter’s father, Myles, moved back to Flowering Grove, and he was cultivating his relationship with them. While Carter was still dealing with some conflicting feelings about his father, Darcy was happy to see both him and Shauna sorting through their resentment in order to forge new relationships.
Myles was also learning how to be a supportive father, and although it took some coaxing, he convinced both Shauna and Carter
to accept money from him. Carter was able to pay off his consolidation loan, and he found a two-bedroom house with a nice
detached garage to rent in Flowering Grove. He had a fun housewarming party and invited his old friends from school, and Darcy
was happy to see him finally reconnecting with them. Carter also had enough money to rebuild the engine in his grandfather’s
car, and he had been delighted to get it back on the road.
The family was overjoyed when Shauna and Gage’s twins arrived a month ago. After a few weeks in the NICU, their beautiful
babies—a boy and a girl—finally came home. Everyone was over the moon to finally hold them, and Shauna and Gage had named
them Ian and Isabella. The entire family was overwhelmed with love, and Darcy couldn’t wait to watch the little ones grow
up.
Darcy continued to enjoy bonding with Robyn and her family. And Carter had also become a surrogate big brother to Keaton and
Brayden, who frequently hung out with him in his garage. Together they lifted Brayden’s 1986 Jeep Cherokee, and Carter was
helping Robyn and Graham find a decent car for Keaton, who had recently obtained his driver’s license.
Darcy had also started communicating with her biological grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She and Carter planned
to go to Florida to visit her grandparents that summer, and she hoped to meet her other relatives too.
Most importantly, Darcy and Carter had become closer as they both learned to open up to each other. They held to their honesty pact, promising not to hold back any secrets. Darcy had finally given Carter her whole heart, and she fell more in love with him each day. She couldn’t remember when she’d been so happy.
When they came to the end of the row near Jace’s grave, Darcy rubbed Carter’s bicep. “Are you sure you’re ready?” she asked.
“Yes.” Carter touched her chin. “Positive.”
They approached the plaque in the ground that marked Jace Christopher Allen’s resting place. Darcy placed the flowers in the
grave’s vase, then returned to Carter’s side. She entwined her fingers with his.
“Jace, this is Carter,” she said.
Carter rubbed his chin and glanced at Darcy. Then his focus returned to the plaque. “Jace, I wanted to thank you for saving
my life.” He paused and smiled at her. “I promise you I’ll not only take good care of your kidney, but I’ll also cherish Darcy
every day I have left on earth.” He lifted Darcy’s hand to his mouth and kissed it.
Darcy’s heart swelled with love for him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Thank you for bringing me to see him.”
She gazed down at the plaque. “We’ll be back soon to see you, Jace.” When a colorful butterfly fluttered over and landed on
the plaque, Darcy gasped. “Did you know butterflies are the symbol for organ transplants?”
Carter rubbed her shoulder. “No, I didn’t. That’s beautiful, Darce.”
“It is.” She smiled up at Carter. “I’m so glad I found you.”
“I am too.” Pulling her close, he kissed her. “Now for the surprise.”
Together they started across the grass toward Carter’s beloved Road Runner. “Where are we going now?”
“It’s a secret.”
They climbed into the car, and the engine roared to life. After a short ride, they were driving through Charlotte.
“Please tell me where we’re going,” she said, raising her voice so he could hear her over the thundering motor.
Carter gave her a sideways glance. “If I tell you, then it won’t be a surprise.”
She stuck her bottom lip out and folded her arms over her middle.
He chuckled. “You’re adorable, but I’m still not going to tell you where we’re going.”
Soon he steered into the parking lot of the medical complex where their nephrologists’ offices were located.
Darcy’s brow creased. “Why are we here?”
Carter drove through the empty lot before parking in a space. “Isn’t this where your car was when it wouldn’t start?”
“I think so. But what are we doing here?”
He killed the engine. “Meet me at the front of the car.” Wrenching the door open, he climbed out.
“Have you lost your mind?” she called after him.
“Possibly.” Carter stood at the hood and beckoned her. “Please, Darcy. Come here.”
Shaking her head, she unbuckled her seatbelt and then joined him. “Carter, what’s going on?”
“What’s today?”
“Saturday,” she said.
“Right, but what’s the date ?”
“It’s...” She paused and sucked in air. “It’s April3.”
“Exactly. Three years ago today, our lives became intertwined, but we didn’t actually meet until two years later.” He smiled warmly. “Darcy, my life was forever changed when I walked past your car in this parking lot and heard it click.” He took her hand in his. “You’ve not only healed my heart and taught me how to love again, but just as importantly you’ve taught me how to love myself.”
He took a quaky breath. “You’ve shown me I’m worth loving. And you’ve also made me want to be a better man.”
“Carter, I love you with my whole heart,” she told him as her lip trembled. “Thank you for teaching me how to love again.”
She ran her thumb over the back of his hand. “You rescued more than just my car that day. You also rescued my heart.”
He dropped down on one knee. “Darcy Jane Larsen, I am hopelessly and desperately in love with you, and I want to spend the
rest of my life with you.”
She pressed her hand to her chest, her eyes filling with tears.
He pulled a ring box from his pocket and opened it up, revealing a beautiful round diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds,
all twinkling in a white gold setting. “This was my grandmother’s ring, and I had it reset for you.” He took a ragged breath.
“Would you do me the honor of wearing it and agreeing to be my wife?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed.
He stood up to his full height, and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
Carter slipped the ring onto her finger before he kissed her again.
Darcy closed her eyes and cherished the feeling of her fiancé’s lips against hers. Never again would she waste a moment of
this miraculous second chance.