Epilogue
“Noah just got here.”
As Fred spoke in her ear, Bren swiveled away from the buffet table in the older man’s house and zeroed in on the front door. Over the heads of all the people Fred had invited to his day-before-Christmas Eve party as a thank-you for their help while his wrist healed, her gaze connected with Noah’s.
Despite his long hours in the air and on the road, he gave her the warm smile that had graced all of their FaceTime and Zoom sessions over the past two months.
But he had to be beat.
What kind of boss scheduled a major meeting the day before Christmas Eve—and refused to let a man leave at a decent hour to catch a flight to visit his father ... and his significant other, though as far as she knew, Noah had never mentioned their budding romance to anyone at work. Why tip his hand about a potential departure until he was certain he was leaving?
After setting her almost-empty plate of catered hors d’oeuvres on a side table, Bren wove through the crowd toward the man who’d become the center of her world.
He waited for her in the small foyer, and as soon as she was within touching distance, he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the study. Once they were inside, he closed the door and wasted no time demonstrating how much he’d missed her and how glad he was to see her.
When they came up for air, he rested his forehead against hers. “This beats Zoom and FaceTime any day.”
“No contest.” She had to coax her lungs back into gear.
“The three days I was here at Thanksgiving only left me wanting more.”
“Me too.”
“Sorry I’m so late. I was hoping we’d have an hour or two together before the horde descended here.”
“You couldn’t help the flight delay or the accident that tied up traffic on 101.” She snuggled closer. “What matters is that you’re here now. And I’ll have you almost all to myself for a whole week.”
“Almost?”
“You have to spend some time with your dad.”
“We’ll make it a threesome.”
“You think he’ll be okay sharing you with me?”
Noah grinned. “Are you kidding? He’s all for our romance.”
“Yeah.” She gave a soft laugh. “I figured that out.”
“When do you think the party will be over?” He tipped his head toward the living room.
“Hard to say. It’s in the winding-down phase, but some people tend to linger. And you look exhausted anyway. Why don’t you crash and we’ll regroup in the morning?”
“Probably not a bad plan. It’s been a long day. But first we have to say goodnight.” He pulled her closer again.
“We just said hello.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Nope.” She smiled up at him and slipped her arms around his neck.
Once again, he dipped his head.
She rose on tiptoe to—
A knock sounded on the door, and Noah groaned. “I knew this party was going to interfere with our reunion.”
“We’ll make up for it tomorrow.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Noah eased back and cracked the door open a couple of inches.
“Welcome home, Son. Sorry to interrupt, but is Bren in there?”
“Yes, she is.” She peeked around Noah.
“Emma just arrived with Justin, and she asked about you. I promised to track you down.”
“She and Justin must have run into the same traffic Noah did coming down from the airport.” Bren turned to Noah. “I should talk to her. She was so excited that the guardianship came through in time for Christmas. Barely. If it hadn’t been for Eric making a few calls, I’m not certain it would have.”
“I’ll go with you. I’d like to meet this brother she’s gone above and beyond for.”
He followed her out, into the dwindling crowd.
Emma was waiting off to the side in the living room, beside a lanky teen who shared many of his sister’s features. Both of them wore smiles that couldn’t have gotten any bigger.
When Bren reached them, Noah on her heels, Emma motioned toward her brother. “Bren, this is Justin. I’ve told him all about you.”
She extended her hand to the teen. “And I’ve heard all about you too. Welcome to Hope Harbor.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to finally be here.” He squeezed her fingers.
Emma introduced Noah too, but after chitchatting for several minutes, Justin stifled a yawn.
“Sorry.” His complexion reddened. “I didn’t sleep much last night, and it was a long trip today.”
“We should go back to the apartment. I didn’t want Fred to think we’d stood him up, so we came straight here from the airport.” Emma put her arm around her brother. “But I need to get Justin settled in. And I have an early day tomorrow. I’m slammed with Christmas orders. Not that I’m complaining.”
On the contrary. Her former housemate was glowing, thanks to her well-deserved success.
“I’m about to call it a night too.” Bren slipped her arm through Noah’s. “We’ll touch base again soon.”
As sister and brother each fixed a to-go plate at Fred’s insistence, Noah once again drew Bren aside, tucking them into a quiet corner in the hallway. “Pick you up for church tomorrow?”
“I’d like that.”
“Early service?”
“Yes.”
“Dad will be along.”
“Fine by me. I like your dad.”
“The rest of the day is reserved for us, though. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Did you finish the big calligraphy job?”
“I did. It took several late nights, but my schedule is clear for the next week other than my shifts at The Perfect Blend.”
“I’ll spend those hours with Dad. But the rest of my time is yours. We have a lot to talk about.”
“ After we have a chance to spend in-person time together. You haven’t said anything at work yet, have you?”
“No. I kept my part of the bargain.”
“Good.” She waved a hand toward the coat closet. “Want to walk me to my car?”
“That could be arranged.”
He retrieved her coat, waited while she said goodbye to his father, then followed her out and down the street toward her Kia. “It was more convenient when you lived in the backyard.”
“You didn’t think that the night we met.”
“No, but our first meeting led to good things.”
Very true.
And as he told her with yet another kiss how much he’d missed her, she was pretty sure that even more good things were on tap for them down the road.
Assuming this week went well.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” Noah glanced over at Bren in the passenger seat of his rental car. A spot she’d occupied quite a bit during their holiday in-person courting week.
Which was winding down way too fast.
How could it be New Year’s Eve already?
“Give me a hint.”
“Uh-uh. You’re too adept at guessing, as I found out when you and Dad and I played twenty questions the other night. You skunked both of us. Besides, we’re almost there.” He flipped on his blinker and hung a left onto Pelican Point Road.
She angled toward him. “Are we going to the lighthouse?”
“No.”
“But there’s nothing else up here, other than the special events center and Sunrise Reef.”
“There may be something.”
“Not that I’ve ever seen.”
Three-fourths of the way up the road, he turned right, onto a gravel lane that wound through the trees.
Bren looked over at him. “As far as I know, this is a private driveway.”
“Yep.”
“Do you know the person who lives here?”
“Nope.”
“Then what are we doing here?”
“Checking out real estate.” He slowed and pointed ahead. “That house in particular.”
Bren leaned forward as she examined the modest timber and stone structure that emerged from the woods. Shifted back to him. “Why are you checking out real estate?”
He parked and slid from behind the wheel. “I’ll get your door.”
Rather than wait for him to circle the car, she jumped out and met him by the hood. “Why are you checking out real estate?”
He took her hand and drew her toward the house, dangling a key in front of her. “The agent agreed to let us do a walk-through on our own. Want to join me?”
“Noah.” She dug her heels in the ground, keeping a firm grip on his hand. “Are you buying a house here?”
“I’ve been toying with the idea. I can’t live with Dad forever after I move back.” He started forward again.
“Wait.” She didn’t budge, forcing him to stop again. “We haven’t made any plans about the future.”
“I have.”
“I thought it was going to be a joint decision.”
“It is—about us. However, I’ve already decided to ditch my job, move here, and open my own accounting business. This is where I want to be.” He dangled the key again. “Want to see the house? Because your opinion matters. A lot.”
A slow smile curved her lips. “Yeah. I do.”
They toured the house room by room, and everything about it lived up to the photos he’d seen. Judging by Bren’s expression and comments, she was equally impressed.
But he saved the best for last.
“Let’s look at the yard.”
She gave the ground outside the sliding door, beyond the deck, a dubious scan. “There isn’t much yard.”
“This house has more property than you think. Most of it’s wooded, though. Come on.”
She went without protest, and after following the directions the agent had given him, they emerged onto a rocky outcrop above the sea that offered a stunning vista.
“Wow.” Bren drew up beside him. “This is ...” She paused. Peered into the distance. “That’s Sunrise Reef.”
“Yes, it is. It caught my eye in the photo in the listing. Seemed like a positive sign to me.”
“This place gets my vote.” Bren turned to him, eyes shining.
“Mine too. Let’s sit for a minute.” After leading her to a large boulder that offered a clear line of sight to the reef, he pulled her down beside him. “Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll make an offer on this house. Go back to St. Louis and hand in my resignation with four weeks’ notice so they don’t have to scramble to deal with an unanticipated empty position. While my notice plays out, I get the paperwork going to buy out Tracy’s practice, incorporate my own business, and talk to Marci about setting up a website for me like she did for you. I move here in early February, and we resume our in-person courtship. How does that sound?”
She stared at him. “Like a whirlwind.” Then her features softened, and she reached out. Stroked a finger along his jaw. “But I’m with you 100 percent.”
His pulse picked up at her touch. “Not that I’m trying to rush you, but in the interest of full transparency, it’s only fair to tell you matrimony is front and center in my mind.”
“It’s top of mind for me too.”
“So just for the sake of conversation, did you have any sort of timetable in mind before an official engagement?” The sooner the better as far as he was concerned.
“I think six more months might be sufficient.”
An eternity.
But at least they’d be in the same town.
“How do you feel about long engagements?” He held his breath.
“Not necessary if there’s been a long courtship.”
Music to his ears. “Can I say I’m glad?”
“Yes. If I can say I feel blessed.” Her irises began to glisten. “I never thought I’d meet a man who could win my trust, but I trust you, Noah Ward. Not only with my heart but with my life.”
Pressure built in his throat as he gazed at the woman who’d entered his orbit so unexpectedly. A woman he’d assumed he had nothing in common with at the beginning, who’d disrupted his world and thrown him off his trajectory, spinning him in a whole new direction. Who’d reminded him of a lesson he’d learned long ago and somehow forgotten—that judging a book by its cover is foolish. That when you make the effort to delve below the surface, hidden dimensions and treasures can abound.
Like they did at Sunrise Reef.
“I appreciate that more than I can say, Bren. But the truth is, you’ve given me far more than I’ve given you. You made me realize my priorities had gotten messed up, and that what I thought was important pales in comparison to the things that really matter. Like the people who add joy to our lives and enrich our souls. That’s why I expect to be asking you a very important question in the not-too-distant future. But in the meantime ... shall we continue our in-person courtship?” He held out his arms.
She didn’t hesitate to melt into them.
And as he claimed her lips once again, he gave thanks.
For the woman who’d won his heart with her kindness and grace—and for the home he would share with her in Hope Harbor for all the tomorrows to come.