“By the way.” He smiled against her lips. “That part about you being my wife…”
“Yes?”
“There is a slight possibility the wedding wasn’t legitimate.”
She couldn’t be bothered with anything else other than laughing at it. “I suppose we should fix that.”
“I suppose we should.” Simon vigorously scratched Jinx behind his ears as the dog wiggled himself between them, panting happily. “What do you say?” He sent a mischievous look to Shanna. “The night is young. Up for Vegas?”
Epilogue
“Watch your step,” Shanna said as she guided her daughter up the wooden staircase to the viewpoint.
At least this time, Sage listened until they reached the top of the stairs; then she tugged on Shanna’s hand, and Shanna let her go so she could run to the wooden fence bordering the lookout, kicking up a small cloud of dust from the gravel.
At the fence, Sage stepped on the lower beam to raise herself up, then leaned on it.
Simon came up behind Shanna. “She’s going with the ‘first’ thing again, isn’t she?”
“Yup.”
Hand in hand, they walked toward their daughter. Sage looked back as they approached and grinned, displaying her latest missing tooth. “First!”
“So you were.” Simon ruffled her hair. “How do you like the view?”
For Shanna, it was postcard-worthy. The bright green grassy hills dipped toward the azure glacier lake. Beyond it,snowcapped mountains glistened in the sun, the middle one a perfect triangle, as if it had been carved and positioned just for this view.
Sage made an exaggerated pout. “I like it. But it would be better with dolphins.”
“I love it,” Shanna said.
“Good. At least one of my ladies is pleased.” Simon hugged her from behind and leaned his head on her shoulder.
“Ew. If you’re going to be all lovey-dovey, I’m leaving.” Sage sped off toward another section of the fence, nimbly navigating between a group of Japanese tourists and their selfie sticks.
Shanna sighed contently, intertwining Simon’s hands on her belly with hers. “You know what I still wouldn’t mind? Walking into those mountains. Just the two of us. Finding a nice, secluded cabin with a fireplace and a bed with fuzzy blankets—”
“Maybe one of those plush rugs conveniently positioned in front of the fireplace, too?”
“I could do with that. As long as it has phone service, so we can call Sage and Gran every day.”
Simon let out a deep chuckle, one that, even after a while, still made her toes curl in expectation. “You find the cabin. I’ll take care of the phone service.”
“Deal.”
A little tug came from the side; not a physical one, but a sensing one. Shanna had expected it ever since she’d done the sensing spell this morning—she only didn’t know when it would trigger. Upon scanning their surroundings, she spotted an older woman leaning on the fence at the end of the lookout. The wind blew her untamed, light hair away from her face as she gazed down at the lake, her eyes half-closed.
Shanna tapped Simon on the hand. “I think that’s her.”
He gave her a nod of encouragement, but before they made a move, Sage once again darted between the tourists, headingstraight for the woman, her silvery blond ponytail bobbing as she ran.
“Hey, Mommy. Hey, Daddy,” Sage said as Simon and Shanna joined the newly formed group. “This is Bella, and we’re friends now.”
The older woman laughed. “I’ve known her for a minute, but I think I have no choice.”
She absolutely didn’t. Sage was as ferocious at making friends as Shanna was, although, luckily, her daughter would never have to worry about being forgotten. It took a few months after Sage’s birth for Shanna and Simon to realize; it happened on the day when Chris visited them after being away for a month on a summer medical course, and she instantly remembered little baby Sage. From then on, it was confirmed over and over again—by daycare teachers, neighbors’ kids, and even the employees at Aries. They remembered Sage.
The curse was broken.
