Page 82 of Days of You and Me

“Think that’ll be us?”

Anticipation made me shiver a little. “Someday, in the not-too-distant future, I hope.” I arched my neck to kiss his cheek. “But not yet. I want a carefree honeymoon and a football season where I can indulge in a beer or two at the stadium before I let you knock me up.”

Leo chuckled. “Agreed, babe.” He kissed a path up the back of my neck and then whispered in my ear. “Want to take that walk? I don’t think anyone will miss us.”

I nodded and pushed to stand up. Leo held me by the hips, reached onto the chair next to us to pick up what we needed and took my hand as we stepped into the darkness.

The waves were crashing onto the wet sand in the moonlight. I gathered up the skirt of my dress to hold it in one hand, clinging to Leo with the other. We made our way down to the ocean until the music in the tent was nothing but a low hum in the distance.

We both toed off our shoes and left them beyond the reach of the water, and Leo rolled up his pants before we stepped into the surf. When Leo opened his other hand between us, the rose, the ring, the sand dollar and the small train that had sat in Nate’s chair earlier lay on his palm.

I picked up the rose with the ring still attached, and I pressed it to my lips. “Good-bye, Nate. Thank you for being our friend. Thank you for all the love you showed us over the years. And thank you for giving us the gift of each other.”

With a deep breath that ended in an almost-sob, I threw the rose and ring as far as I could into the sea.

Leo closed his fingers over the shell and the train. “Nate, buddy, I miss you. Wish you were here. We’re never going to forget you, ever. The Trio won’t die.” With an arm extension that would’ve impressed even Gideon Maynard, Leo flung the two items into the swirling water.

We stood there a little while longer in silence. I leaned back against Leo’s strong chest, and he held me in the safety of his arms. In the soft night air that brushed our faces, we felt the benediction of a friendship that transcended time and space, life and death.

Leo bent his head to touch his lips to my cheek. “I love you, Mia Quinn.”

I closed my eyes, smiling.

Now. Always. Forever.

The End