“I can’t accept the B&B.”
“Do you want to stay, Kira?” I nod, my voice stuck in my throat. “You know, I somehow knew you’d say you couldn’t accept it. That’s just like you. You’re the most honest, loving, genuine, caring woman I know. You’re not one to take without giving, but you have to accept this Kira. It’s a wedding gift.”
The world closes in on me. “A…” He pulls something from his pocket and drops to his knee on the cold, damp, snow-dusted ground.
“Will you marry me, Kira? I love you with all my heart, and if you say yes, you’ll make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Nate—” I begin but stop when the sound of chains and hooves reach my ears. “Oh my God,” I yell as I turn to see Eddie gunning for me, Doug unsuccessfully chasing after him. Two strong arms wrap around my waist, and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground, spinning like the Tasmanian devil, with Nate cushioning my body from the cold dampness with his.
“I’ve got you, Kira,” he says when we come to a stop, and I bask in the love reflecting in his eyes.
I smile at the man beneath me, my heart so full of love and adoration, I’m sure it’s going to burst. “You’re right. You’ve got me, Nate,” I say, giving him my answer and pressing my lips to his for a lifetime of kisses. “And while you might not be a lobster fisherman, you’re still my lobster,” I whisper into his mouth.
Epilogue
Eight months later…
With tourist season well underway, I look to the left and then to the right to make sure Eddie is nowhere in the vicinity as I cross the street and head toward the waterfront. The warm sunshine beats down on me, and I lift my face, soak it in. It warms my skin and fills my already overflowing heart. I hold my left hand up, and I’m still as giddy today as I was that cold autumn morning when Nate put the ring on my finger.
We decided to have a winter wedding. That way, the crew will all be back in town for fishing season. I asked Izzy to be my maid of honor, and Khloe will be a bridesmaid. Sam, Jason, and Cody fought over who got to be the best man, and in the end, Nate flipped a coin. Sam won, and we haven’t heard the end of it yet. Before he left town, he went around saying he has no equal. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.
Nate broke ground on the new plant as soon as the frost was gone, and it’s coming along nicely. The town has been bustling as workers moved in during the construction phase, and when they leave, all the new hires will be taking up residency. Once Nate’s house was renovated, I moved in there with him. As much as we love our little family at the B&B, we need our privacy. The B&B continues to run on the honor system, and my mother is happy that it’s no longer in her hands. She did assure me she and Dad would come back for the wedding.
In the near distance, I spot Amber dashing into the studio. She asked me to meet her there today, so I take a break from working on my theorem, which I’m hoping to finish soon, and check out what she’s been painting.
I hurry to the studio, pausing outside the door to look at the gold plate there. I run my fingers over my great grandfather’s engraved name and the year the cottage had been constructed.
“We did it, Gram,” I whisper. “We turned this into a studio for the town.”
“You mean, you did it.”
My heart leaps as I spin to come face-to-face with my amazing fiancé. God, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to saying that. But I have to say I can’t wait to start calling him husband.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“What kind of greeting is that?” Nate slides his hand around my waist, tugs me to him, and plants a warm, loving kiss on my mouth. I lean into him, wrap my hands around his shoulders, and hold him close.
When he breaks the kiss, I ask, “While that was lovely, aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“You texted me, said you needed me to meet you here.” He gives me a grin that melts my knees and then nods to the closed studio door. “Are you thinking we should christen the place?”
I frown. “I never texted you.”
He pulls his phone from his pocket and shows it to me. “This came from your phone.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t send it. Wait, I thought I heard noises in the house today. Thought we might have had a mouse, but maybe…”
At the same time, we both say, “Sam.”
“Come on,” Nate says. “Let’s go inside and see what he’s up to.”
I open the door, and about twenty people jump up and scream surprise. I falter backward, but Nate is there to catch me—he’s always there to catch me.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Plates of sandwiches and sweets and drinks line the counter, and I glance around, trying to figure out what’s happening.
Izzy grins. “It’s your engagement party.”
“We’ve been engaged for eight months,” Nate says.
“Yeah, but we’ve been away working, and you can’t celebrate without us,” Sam says, leaning in to hug me.
Tears prick my eyes. “I didn’t even know you guys were all back yet.”
“Just got back,” Jason says. “We’ve been sneaking around and planning this with Amber and Faith for a while now.”
Amber gives me a big smile. “Surprised?”
“Yes, totally, and thank you, Amber. This was so nice.” I pull her in for a hug and glance over her shoulder to see Brett. I’m pretty sure the two are an item now.
Jason cracks a beer and hands it to Nate. The two click bottles and then take a long pull. They’d moved past the fight they had pretty quickly, no hard feelings, and for that I’m grateful. Like siblings, fights happen, and so does forgiveness. It warms me to know they all had my back, though.
Khloe comes up to me and hands me a glass of wine. “Khloe,” I screech. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Of course, I’m here. I wouldn’t miss your party.”
We clink glasses and drink.
“Now you have to stay over,” Sam says. “No drinking and driving allowed on my watch.”
Khloe grins. “Fine, I’ll take Kira’s old room at the B&B.”
“Motherfucker,” Sam mumbles, and I whack him.
“Not in front of the kids.”
“Shit, right.”
“Sam!”
“Right, right. I can’t say shit.”