She hurried into the cemetery, eyes searching the darkness for any sign of Cole. Another flash of lightning and she spotted him up ahead, sitting on the grass, getting soaked straight through.
“Cole?” she called out as she reached him.
He turned. “What are you doing here?”
She stopped at Julianna’s grave, the sight of her name on a headstone pulling every last bit of sadness to the surface. The last time she’d been here, it hadn’t felt so final. There was fresh dirt and flowers and a tent set up for the crowd to stand under. But now—this was where her friend had been laid to rest.
“I came to find you,” she said.
He stood.
“You’re soaked.” She tried to hand him the umbrella, but he refused it. He stood there, still in his tux, rain streaming down his face.
“I’m fine,” he said. His cold shoulder had returned, reminiscent of the Cole she’d met her first day in town.
What did she expect? Did she really think he’d take one look at her and forget everything Marcia had told him? Did she think she could skate by forever without any consequences? She deserved his coldness.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was going to tell you.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Tonight,” she said. “It’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I didn’t want anything to come between us.”
“Like your shady past?”
Her eyes found the ground between them. “I’m not that person anymore, Cole.”
He’d probably heard that a million times from Gemma. She knew convincing him to trust her wouldn’t be easy with a past like his. But it was worth it to her to try.
“I didn’t ask her to do it,” Charlotte said.
“No, but you let her.”
“And I’ve regretted it every day since. She deserved the best of everything, and I stole her chance.”
He took off his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders, his white shirt turning transparent in the rain.
“Yeah,” he said. “You did.”
Charlotte realized in that moment she would’ve done anything to make him forgive her. Their future hung in the balance between them, and she was desperate to win his approval, to win back his love.
“Tell me what to do to make it up to you,” Charlotte said. “I’ll do anything.”
He shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you?”
She frowned. “I’m sorry, Cole. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t.”
He stood just on the other side of her umbrella, rain trickling through his hair and down his neck.
“I understand if you never forgive me,” she said. “I deserve that.”
He shook his head. “I already forgave you.”
Her heart must’ve stopped beating. She must’ve heard him wrong. “What?”
“We all mess up, Charlotte. I’ve messed up—heck, even Julianna, perfect as she was, messed up. But I have to believe that everything happened just as it was supposed to, because what I said before was true. Jules wouldn’t have traded this life for any other life—not for all the fame or money in the world.”
A sob caught at the back of her throat.
“We don’t have any guarantees in life that we won’t get hurt.” His tone turned husky. “But the risk is worth it to me. For the chance at being with you, I’ll risk it all.”
She tried to find her voice, but it was so small, so weak. Still, she managed to say a quiet, “You forgive me?”
As the seconds ticked by, Charlotte felt like she was waiting for him to decide her fate. His jaw twitched, and the rain fell, and somewhere in the distance a car horn honked.
Then, all at once, Cole grabbed the umbrella, threw it in the grass, pulled her body to his, and kissed her with the kind of passion she’d been searching for her entire life. His hands wound up through her wet hair, and he held her so tightly, it was as if he couldn’t get close enough to her. He cupped her face in his strong hands, his kisses growing deeper and more intense until finally, she drew back, breathless and overwhelmed.
She found his eyes. “You forgive me.”
“Of course I do, Charlotte.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “You taught me to love again.”
And as the rain fell, it washed away the past, making everything between them new.
And Charlotte whispered a silent prayer of thanks to her dearest friend, Julianna, who’d given up so much so Charlotte could live the life she thought she wanted. A friend whose sacrifice had led them both here, to a place of realizing that life isn’t only about one thing. That you don’t have to stay in the place where you are. That there is so much more to be discovered, and if you’re willing to put your heart on the line, you can live full and rich and in the sweet embrace of unconditional love.
And that was something she’d cling to for the rest of her days.
His arms were familiar around her body, one hand on her waist, the other holding hers close to his chest the way he had so many times in rehearsal. They stood like that, a nearby streetlamp scattering light over them in a golden hue, and she realized they were dancing in the rain.
She lifted her chin and smiled up at him. “We’re dancing.”
He smiled. “All because of you.”
She leaned into him. “I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you, Cole Turner.”
He kissed her so sweetly it almost made her cry. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
THE END
A Note From the Author
Dear Reader,
When a pandemic interrupts your writing plans, there’s a very good chance a book is never going to get finished. I confess, our very long quarantine of uncertainty did a number of my creativity. I spent a solid four weeks in woe-is-me world and wasn’t sure I would ever come out of it.
And then somehow, I remembered that it’s within the storyworld that I find the most comfort. Somehow, I found the energy to reopen Just Like Home on my computer, and what I found there were two characters who deserved a happily ever after.
And boy, was I craving one myself.
So, I wrote. And Charlotte and Cole and the good people of Harbor Pointe saw me through what has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life. And now, I get to share that with you.
It is my prayer that this story does the same for you—that it transports you away from your troubles and envelopes you in the charm, romance and wistfulness we all need a little more of these days.
I have loved creating this world, these characters and this adventure in Harbor Pointe—now four books long—and I’m so very thankful to each and every one of you who has journeyed with me.
Of course, I’m incredibly grateful anytime one of you leaves a review, shares my book with your friends or online or requests it from your local library. These little things really DO mean the world.
One of the things that makes me happiest is connecting with my readers. There’s something extra wonderful about being able to picture you when I’m writing, and it truly makes me feel like the luckiest author on earth! I hope you’ll find me online at one of the places listed below, and drop me a note via email at