Epilogue
EPILOGUE
MIKA
A Few Months Later
“ Y es, Mrs. Robinson,” I say into the phone with my sweetest front desk voice. “I’ll bring a fresh stack of towels up right away.”
“Thank you, dear!” she says, her voice dripping with that strange newlywed quality.
I smile. It’s genuinely sweet. “You’re very welcome.”
Mrs. Robinson hangs up, but not before giggling something at her new husband.
I wave at the couple from Room 6 as they pass the desk and enter the back hallway. Grabbing a few towels from the linen closet, I take them into the front and start heading toward the stairs.
“There she is!” Papa says, pointing at me from the sitting room doorway. “I told you. Try the desk. Always at the desk.”
Carter appears beside him and sighs. “Come on, Mika. The fireworks are starting.”
“I know,” I say, still walking backward toward the stairs. “I just have to?—”
“Put the towels down and come outside,” he insists. “Your night off started an hour ago.”
Papa chuckles. “That’s my Mickey.”
“I’m just going to deliver these towels to Room 1 and then I’ll meet you outside.”
“No, no, no,” Papa says, stepping forward. “Hand ‘em over. Go with Carter.”
“But Papa?—”
He takes the towels from me. “Go. I’ll make sure these get upstairs.”
I glance at Carter’s handsome smile, tempted. “You’re sure?”
“I mean, I won’t take them up. I’m retired. But I’ll have one of the other girls do it.”
I glare at him as Carter crosses the room and takes hold of my arm. “You know, for a retired guy, you sure do hang out here a lot,” I say.
“Go!” Papa says, shooing me away. “Go. Go. Go.”
I give in, letting Carter spirit me away out the front door.
As we walk around the porch, we say hello to several other couples currently staying at the inn. They wave at us from the patio furniture; the ladies swooning at the way Carter clings to my hand. I feel the familiar daily rush of love for him as he leads me off the porch and onto the path toward the lake.
Hand-in-hand, we walk the clear path lined with lanterns and fairy lights, my smile stretching wide. It’s a warm night with open skies and a bright yellow moon, perfect for the Fourth of July.
We reach the boathouse, passing a few more couples getting in the paddle boats. Carter pushes us past them, however, and we reach the end of the dock where a row boat awaits.
The row boat is a recent addition to our boathouse, but not one usually made available to guests. Carter bought it because it turned out that he and my father had a shared love for fishing. Not my choice of activity for relaxation, but it gave the two of them something to bond over, and that’s just adorable.
Tonight, Carter hops down into it and offers me his hand. “Come on,” he says. “I’ve got you.”
“Please don’t let me fall in the lake,” I warn.
“I won’t let you fall in the lake.”
“Promise?”
He promises with a smile. Slowly and carefully, I ease down into the boat and sit down on the seat. Carter sits across from me and handles the oars, quickly remembering to unleash the boat from the dock before pushing us off.
The lake is calm, the surface only bothered by the movement of the oars. As we drift further away from shore, we pass a paddle boat or two, their occupants pointed toward the shore, waiting for the fireworks to go off from the Small Town center square.
But Carter keeps taking us out. The further we go, the darker it gets, and I flick on the LED lamp hidden away under my seat.
As I think to ask how far out he intends to go, Carter slows us down. Within moments, we stop and the water goes still once again.
I chuckle. “What are we doing all the way out here?” I ask. “
“A better view,” Carter answers. “And some privacy.”
“Oh.” I smirk. “Yes. Privacy.”
He chuckles as he turns and picks up the pack tucked behind his seat. Inside, he withdraws two glass soda bottles and offers me one.
“Aw, score!” I say.
He hands it over with a laugh and pulls a small blanket out of the pack as well. With some careful maneuvering, we roll it out and lie down just as the first bright and colorful BOOM rings out from the center of Small Town.
The firework explodes into a red and blue star shape, the light flashing on the lake and reflecting wildly around us. From a distance, we spot the small twinkles of distant fireworks above Big City and Pleasant Place to the north and another from Littleville to the west.
“Oh, wow,” I say. “Okay. You’re right. This is the best view.”
Carter chuckles, opening his arms to me. I lean in, getting cozy with him. As the second firework explodes in the sky, we tap our soda bottles together and toast to the night.
“Mika.”
“Hm?” I ask, my eyes on the sky.
“You know I love you, right?”
My heart skips. I assumed, of course. Why else would he buy my family’s inn to keep it out of the wrong hands? He’s proven his love for me every day since then. Not only by learning how to run this place and make it better, but by embracing life in Small Town. He’s become quite popular in the last few months, fitting in better than I ever did, that’s for sure.
But no matter how many beautiful Small Town girls cross his path, he always comes home to me.
“Yes,” I answer.
“I do,” Carter says. “I’m sorry I haven’t said it until now, but... I had to be sure.”
I turn my head, gazing at him as another firework lights up the sky. “You’ve said it, Carter,” I say. “Just not with words.”
He leans in and kisses me softly. “Well, from now on, I’ll say it every night.”
“And I’ll say it every morning,” I say, kissing his cheek. “I love you, Carter.”
A green and orange explosion reflects in his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” We kiss again, my heart beating louder than the fireworks. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he repeats, his thumb grazing my cheek. “You look beautiful tonight.”
I wiggle in his embrace, enjoying the compliments and his undivided attention. “Oh, stop.”
With a laugh, he curls his arms around me again and we settle in the boat to watch the rest of the show. Small Town always goes all out with their firework shows, the Fourth of July weekend being one of the busiest weekends for camping in Kiss County.
The show ends with a minute-long finale, the sky so bright it blocks out the moon. We hear applause from the other boats and the shore, along with some cheers echoing from the town.
“Mika.”
I smile. “Hm?”
“Will you marry me?”
The question drifts past my ear. For a second, I’m sure I misheard or perhaps even overheard a proposal from another boat nearby. But as I turn my head to look at Carter, I see the open velvet box sitting in his hand and I gasp.
There’s a diamond ring inside.
My mother’s ring.
“Carter...” I say. “Where did you get that?”
“Your father gave it to me,” he says.
“Why?”
“Well...” Carter slides the ring out of the box, carefully holding it between two fingers. “I’m pretty sure he’s figured out we’re having sex because he keeps giving me this look.”
He makes a judgmental face, his right eye bulging slightly.
I snort. “He’s such a dork.”
“And the other day, we were out fishing in this very boat, and he asked me if I planned to stay in town indefinitely. I said yes, and he asked if I was staying for you. I said yes again. Then, he went quiet, but he never stopped smiling the rest of the day. The next morning, he gave me this. He told me he trusted me and that he knew I’d make you happy, if you gave me the chance.” Carter slides the ring onto my left ring finger; a perfect fit. “Now, I’m giving it to you, and I’m asking you to be my wife.”
“Carter...” I stare at it, my mind alight with memories of Mom and visions of the future. “We just met.”
“Eh, it’s been a few months.”
“Yeah. A few months.”
“But it’s Kiss County months, so we’re right on time.” He entwines our fingers and brings my hand to his lips. “I loved you the moment I saw you, Mika.”
My heart surges with warmth.
“Marry me,” he says. “I want to spend the rest of my life here with you.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
Carter kisses me, enveloping my lips with his. “Yes. I want it more than anything.”
I kiss him back as my happiness overflows, filling my eyes with tears. “Then, yes,” I answer. “Yes, Carter. I will marry you.”
Carter wraps his arms around me, happily pulling me over him. The boat rocks beneath us, not enough to turn us over, but enough to make my stomach turn with panic.
“Carter!” I say, laughing.
He crushes his mouth on mine, smiling so widely. “I love you, Mika,” he says. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say.
Carter shouts across the lake. “I love this woman!”
“Carter, stop!” I say, my laughter taking over.
Holding me close to him, Carter kisses me again, this time sweeter. His hand caresses my cheek, tempting me into an even deeper kiss.
We kiss until the boat settles and the water goes still again.
“Should we head back to shore?” he asks between kisses.
I slide off his lap onto the blanket. “Not yet,” I say, pulling him down with me, my body alive with temptation. I guide his hand to my breast and kiss him again. “Just a little while longer...”
Slowly, we undress each other, tease each other, careful not to let the sounds of our lovemaking echo across the lake. A difficult task for me specifically, but there’s only so much I can do when he touches me, kisses me, tastes me.
Carter. Thank you.
For saving my home. And my heart.
I’ll happily spend the rest of my days here with you.
Here in Kiss County.