Epilogue
The Atlantic was a masterpiece of bruised purples and deep, shimmering indigos as the sun began its final descent, but standing on the ocean-view balcony of the Ellington resort, Grace barely noticed the horizon.
Her world had narrowed to the solid, steady warmth of Cal’s chest against her back and the way his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close into the haven of his embrace.
The air was crisp, carrying the bite of February, but Grace felt nothing but a radiant, bone-deep heat.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent that had haunted her dreams for a decade—sandalwood, cedar, and the clean, fresh scent of the man she loved.
“I still can’t believe you managed to get both a room and the restaurant reservation on such short notice,” Grace murmured, her voice thick with a sleepy, profound satisfaction.
The Ellington resort was a five-star luxury experience that usually required a year’s lead time.
Especially for a Valentine’s Day booking.
The rumble of Calvin’s low chuckle vibrated through her spine, a sensation that made her want to turn around and drag him back toward the king-sized bed and the tangled silk sheets they’d only recently vacated.
They had missed out on so much in their years apart—so many sunsets, so many quiet mornings, so many touches that should have been theirs.
But today was day one of the rest of their lives, and at last they were on the same page.
Despite her fearful efforts to push him away.
“What makes you think it was short notice?” he asked, his voice dropping into that intimate, gravelly register that made her toes curl.
She turned in his arms, looping her hands around his neck. She peered up at him, her gaze hot and curious. The corporate mask he’d worn when he first arrived in town was gone, replaced by a raw, unvarnished devotion that still took her breath away. “You were that sure of yourself?”
“I wasn’t sure of myself at all,” he admitted with a grin.
“But I was that sure of us. I started calling in favors the morning after that screaming-hot kiss in the back of Benny’s.
Thanks to a colleague who headed up a special marketing campaign for the Ellington last year, I managed to snag this suite and jump on a cancelled dinner reservation.
I figured if I was going to fail at winning you back, I might as well fail spectacularly.
But if I won… I wanted you to have the world. ”
Grace felt his heart kick against her palms where they rested over his chest. The weight of the last few years—the caretaking, the grief, the solo effort of running the boutique—felt as if it was finally lifting.
“I’m glad one of us was so certain,” she admitted softly. “I spent so long telling myself it was easier to be alone than to be disappointed.”
“You were sure, Grace. It was just tempered by fear,” he countered, his expression softening with a tenderness that made her throat tighten.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers in a sweet kiss full of promises.
“I can say that because it was the same for me. When I saw you again, I was terrified that my drive for success in business would become another blockade between us.”
As another kiss spun out, long and slow and meaningful, Grace sighed against his mouth. “I love you, Cal. Then, and now. And always.”
“Always,” he echoed, the word a vow. He reached up, wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger. “Which brings me to my next point. There’s one more thing we should do before dinner.”
Curious and eager, Grace arched against him. “Oh? And what’s that? I thought we had a very full itinerary.”
Calvin laced his fingers through hers, his gaze dropping to her hand. He seemed suddenly shy. “Want to go ring shopping? The jeweler in the lobby stays open late for the resort guests. I don’t want to waste another minute.”
Grace froze, the magnitude of the offer settling over her.
A ring. A permanent, sparkling declaration that he was planting roots.
With her. She looked at him—really looked at him—the man who had taken the time to visit with local vendors and listen to their needs, who had declared his love and intention in front of her closest friends.
She rested her cheek over his heart, her hands wrapping around his waist. The Ellington was beautiful, and the thought of a diamond was tempting, but right now, the only thing she wanted was time alone with him.
“True,” she said, the breeze tugging on her words. “We do have time. But let’s wait. Just for tonight.”
Calvin tilted up her chin, his brow furrowed in concern. “You’re sure? I don’t want to pressure you, but I don’t want to wait either.”
“I get it.” She laughed, a bright, clear sound that carried over the railing. “But I’m beyond happy right now, Cal. And I’m too selfish to want to share it with anyone. Not even a jeweler. I just want to be Grace and Cal for a little while longer. Just us.”
His eyes darkened with a heat that promised she wouldn’t be getting to that dinner reservation on time if she kept looking at him that way.
“You’re the opposite of selfish. You’ve given every piece of yourself to your town and your family for years.
If you want to wallow in our happiness for a few more hours, I’m more than happy to oblige.
” He leaned down, his forehead resting against hers.
“And for the record? I like the way you think. A lot.”
Hand in hand, they retreated from the cooling salt air and stepped back into the warmth of the suite. The door slid closed with a click, sealing out the world, leaving only the two of them and the beginning of a story that finally had the ending it deserved.
Grace looked at the man she loved, marveling in the glorious treasure that was theirs to enjoy forever.
Dinner could wait. The ring could wait. For the first time in her life, Grace had everything she needed right here in her hands.
Thanks for reading GRACE’S SECRET CHAPTER!