Epilogue
Isabella adjusted her sunglasses against the glare of the afternoon sun. She draped a beach towel over her legs to keep them from burning and kept her bikini-clad upper half beneath the awning.
The boat rocked gently with the swells on the lake, lulling her into a sense of peace.
Tilting her head back, she observed the hawks circling the tall pines in a nearby cove beneath a brilliant Carolina blue sky.
The surrounding trees were a blaze of color in hues of red, yellow, and orange, their fall display arriving late thanks to the unusually warm weather that persisted even though Halloween was days away.
The lake was peaceful. Quiet.
Quiet enough for her to reflect on the past couple of months. Some losses never stopped hurting, and Talia would always be one of them. But for the first time since she was twelve years old, she felt like her future was hers again.
She gave a contented sigh. Trip echoed her with a quiet huff as he lay sprawled on the deck beneath the awning, his fur drying from an earlier swim.
The stern rocked abruptly.
Trip’s head snapped up.
Danny surged out of the water, grabbing onto the ladder and hoisting himself aboard. Water streamed from his hair and glistened off tan muscles and black swim trunks covered in neon flamingos and palm trees.
Eyes the same color as the sky glinted in her direction.
“Hello, Bella.”
It had only been two months ago that he’d said the same thing to her aboard the yacht her father had rented in Greece. There he’d appeared like death.
Now, he looked like home.
He stepped forward and shook his head.
Isabella screeched as droplets sprayed her. “Danny! That’s cold.”
He grinned, plopping onto the cushion next to her. “I needed to cool you off because you’re so hot.”
Her eye roll could probably be seen from the shore. “Your humor is as corny as your fashion sense.”
Sunlight caught the facets of the ring on her left hand, making it sparkle.
The ring still felt new. A promise without pressure.
Danny hadn’t pushed for timelines or plans.
Only forever.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“I admit it. This was a good idea.” She’d let him pick their destination and stifled her need for control, choosing to trust him instead.
Two months ago, she’d have researched every trail, marina, restaurant, and shop within fifty miles before agreeing to the trip.
Instead, she’d climbed into Consuela with an overnight bag and told Danny to surprise her.
He hadn’t disappointed. The mountain lake was two hours from Charlotte and unbelievably beautiful. His teammate Caleb owned a cabin nearby and had given Danny permission to use it.
“Glad you like it.” Danny’s nose caressed the side of her neck, and she felt a familiar heat unfurl low in her stomach. “I have an assignment in DC next week. Want to join me?”
She opened her mouth to tell him it wasn’t enough time for her to make plans, then let her lips fall together.
Her boss at AegisShield was happy to let her work out of the office in Northern Virginia when she wanted, and it wouldn’t hurt to drop in and see her parents.
They were back in the nation’s capital after more campaign stops across North Carolina.
“Sure. Are we driving?”
Danny loved to—as he’d say—stretch Consuela’s legs. There wasn’t much room with Trip taking up the back seat, but the drive to DC was always an adventure, with Danny finding out-of-the-way spots in North Carolina and Virginia to explore.
“Yep.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and handed it to her before taking another for himself. “I’ve got a surprise planned for when my assignment is over.”
His enthusiasm warmed her, easing the worry she worked to control whenever he was on the job. Because he was good at what he did. Careful. And he’d do everything in his power to come home to her.
She was finally coming to terms with that and learning to let go. The world was a dangerous place. But she refused to stay locked in fear.
She wanted to live. To love.
And that meant living with uncertainty. Living every day without fear of what tomorrow might bring.
Danny settled into the pilot’s chair and cranked the motor. Water churned behind the boat.
“Where to next?” she asked.
He grinned. “Thought we’d see where the lake takes us.”
Once, that answer would have unnerved her.
Now, Isabella only smiled, reached for his hand, and looked forward to the next adventure.
THE END
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Stay tuned for the exciting finale to the Dìleas Security Agency series when Final Mission arrives in 2027.
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