Epilogue
The aromatic scents of Sunset Orchard caused an enchanted smile to form at Amy’s lips as she breathed it in. Each season brought with it new rewards, and autumn had always been one of her favorites. The musky scent reminded her of packing piles of leaves into bright orange garbage bags in the front yard with Dad. Or weaving through the pumpkin patch here at the orchard with Kassy, looking for the perfect one.
Today, the tangy tart smell of concord grapes flavored the air enough to make her mouth water. She recalled times when Mom canned batches of grape juice over the stove while David Bowie blasted from the speaker.
“Let’s get a picture with all of you now,” Amy’s mom hollered. She’d been winding through the patch, snapping pictures of the twins before having each couple pose for the camera. She’d gotten Amy and Jace, Kassy and Daren, then moved onto Jace’s parents, Simon and Alise. Lastly, she snapped a picture of Kip and his wife, Tracy, who’d announced just last week that they were expecting.
“No, no,” Jace’s mom protested, “let me take it so you can get in the picture this time.”
“Can I sit on this pumpkin while we take it?” Willis asked, patting a boulder-sized mammoth with his small hand. Static tossed the blond strands of his hair as he waited for his answer.
“Sure, buddy,” Daren said, and hiked him onto the pumpkin as Mom and Alise waved the rest of the group in.
“Me too,” Henry cheered. “Can I sit on it too?”
Jace squeezed Amy’s hand. “I love being here with you and our families,” he said before kissing her cheek. “We’ll have to make it a tradition.”
His first comment had given her that toasty, heavenly high. She loved that Jace appreciated family time as much as she did. But the part about making it a tradition, that was more of a thrill. She pictured spending the rest of her life with Jace, and each time he indicated he felt the same, Amy couldn’t help but soar on new, unburdened wings of hope. Gone was the fear of being used. The doubts of his sincerity. Jace was in love with her, just as she was him.
“Why don’tItake it since I’m the only one who doesn’t have someone to cuddle up to?” Leo griped.
“You can cuddle me!” Henry offered.
“Me too,” Willis cheered.
Simon chuckled. “I remember when Kip and Leo were sitting on a pumpkin like that, waiting for me to get a picture.” He turned to Jace. “You were on there too, as I recall.”
“Yeah,” Jace said with a grin.
“Hey, we can set up the tripod,” Daren said as he shuffled to where Mom and Alise stood. “You guys go get in the picture and I’ll set the timer.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea,” the two moms said in unison. They’d really hit it off since they’d been introduced. Alise had gushed about how much she loved spending time with the Nelson family while they were away, and Mom shared tales of their travels across America, fancy heated toilets and all. Likewise, Dad and Simon hit it off with their common interest, the two speculating who might win next year’s tournament.
“Okay, is everybody ready?” Daren hollered. When the group assured him they were, he pressed a button on the camera, hopped his way over the scattered pumpkins and settled in beside Kassy. “Say cheese.”
Jace leaned in closer as they all said cheese, but the camera didn’t flash.
“I think you hit record instead of timer, babe,” Kassy said. “The red light isn’t flashing, it’s just on.”
“I’ll get it,” Jace offered. He kissed Amy on the cheek. “Save this spot for me?” He weaved through the patch toward the camera.
“Tell him you want me to take his place,” Leo joked, earning laughs from the group. “For the record, Ididhave a date for tonight, but she got sick.”
“We’ve heard that before,” Kip mumbled.
“Hey, I found something here,” Jace said, peering at a spot on the ground. “I think it… it has a name on it.”
“Whathas a name on it?” Alise asked.
“This tiny pumpkin.” Jace tore his eyes off the spot and found Amy in the crowd. “It saysAmy.”
“It does not,” she said with a laugh. But Jace persisted by waving her over to him.
“Come here,” he urged. “Come look.”
When Amy hesitated, Kassy gave her arm a nudge. “Go see what he found.”
Amy glanced at the red, glowing dot on the camera before nodding. “Okay.” A hint of excitement stirred in her tummy as she made her way through the nearby vines. Jace extended an arm, took her hand, and helped her the rest of the way. He snatched the small pumpkin off the ground and held it up for her. The pumpkin did have the letters carved into the outer skin, just enough to have her name stand out in pale yellow. A jagged line traced the outer edges of the stem, indicating someone had already scooped out the insides.
