I’m getting close.
I bury my face against her throat and groan out her name.
Her fingernails dig into my shoulders, and the pain is sweet.
“The time we wasted, sweetheart. Never again.”
She holds me close, circling her arms around my neck and gripping me so tight with her thighs. “Not another moment,” she says.
My release tears through me, and I all but collapse on top of her.
“Maddie!”
“Ewan,” she gasps, her body spasming in her own release to match mine.
I can’t explain how right it feels to hear her say my name again.
I roll to my side and fit her against me. My Maddie is soft everywhere. Soft and perfect.
And I’m still buried in her, unwilling to slide out and lose her heat.
“Stay with me tonight.”
“Every night,” she sighs.
Epilogue
Maddie
One year later
I wait on the pier at Sunrise Beach with Ewan, Pascal, and the officiant.
I’m shivering in Ewan’s tuxedo jacket that does nothing to keep the chill off.
But I’m warmed by the fact that I can feel the ring — that ring that he bought before our first anniversary — in the pocket. He’d tried to leave me that ring in that box on my porch last year as a gesture of good will. But then we agreed we should put that ring to good use and renew our vows in the same spot where we said those vows the first time.
And, in the pocket of my dress, I have Ewan’s ring. I never pawned it after all. I guess you could say I was holding on to it all these years, hoping.
The wind from the Atlantic Ocean is not only freezing, but the pier creaks under my feet.
“Where are they?” I ask, checking my phone.
“They’ll be here, baby. Don’t worry,” Ewan says. He pulls me close and wraps his arms around me to warm me as Pascal sits and watches, dressed in a bow tie for the occasion.
I have Ari and Riley’s location locked in, and they’ve finally parked. I hear Rowdy shouting in the distance. I see Riley, Ari, Iris, and Foster running up the pier, two of them carrying a large garment bag. Pascal barks and runs up to our friends.
“You made it!” I shout. “Come on. We only have the minister for twenty more minutes!”
Rowdy hugs Ewan.
“I’m proud of you, brother.”
“Thanks,” Ewan says.
Foster and Ewan shake hands, then Ewan pulls Foster in for a hug. It’s nice to see them be friends now.
Oliver is also here to back up Iris, in case anything goes wrong with the dress. They are super cute together, but that’s another story.
