Colton stands as stiff as stone, his eyes seeming fixed on the ghost of his dad.
Still holding his hand, I pull in front of him, siphoning out whatever emotions I can from his blank stare. “Colton, are you okay?”
He sucks in a deep breath, seeming more revived with every ounce of rich oxygen that enters his body. He looks down, meeting my worried gaze. “That conversation that you were unfortunate enough to be a witness to was a long time coming. I’m just sorry you got stuck in the middle of it.”
His hand reaches up to my chin, and he brushes his thumb along my skin with a sad smile.
“It’s fine.” I lean into his touch, promising him with my warmth that I will be no ghost. That I will stand beside him just as he’s done for me. All the while, I know that there is more that I can do for him now that everything in his life has changed. “Colton, you don’t have to use your money for this building. You need it now.”
“Are you kidding me, Missy? There’s no cause or person I would rather spend that money on.” His fingers brush across my cheek before tucking a curl of hair behind my ear. He looks at me intently, seeming to memorize every curve of my face. “If I learned anything on that island, it’s that I could have all the money and prestige in the world, but without you, I have nothing. Missy, all of those years we bickered, you kept me alive. I just wanted to be near you, because when I was, you made mefeel like the boy I used to be. You are the only thing I want. I love you, Missy Jean.”
In an instant, my lips are on his. The undeniable joy I feel pours out of me as my arms wrap around the man who’s managed to capture my whole heart.
Colton doesn’t miss a beat. His hand circles my waist while the other cradles the back of my neck, pulling me close. Like on the island, our lips meld together, but this time, it’s more. So much more. There are no questions about his feelings. No doubts. No holdbacks. No drones. Just Colton and I falling deeper and deeper into one another. I am blissfully lost in him—in the way his finely trimmed beard grazes the skin beneath my lips, in the way his woodsy scent envelops me like a cashmere sweater, and in the way I feel not just needed, but loved by him.
Eventually, I pull away, weightless and heady. Colton groans reluctantly as I let a sliver of space pass between us, and I can’t help but smile. “Colton, I love you, too.”
With that, I’m swept up into another heart-pounding kiss. I wrap my arms around Colton’s neck as my heels leave the ground. My Lucky Louis get flipped behind me as I pop both of my feet in complete and utter happiness. I love Colton Downing and he loves me.
After several wonderful moments in Colton’s arms, my feet are brought back to earth. Colton smiles against my lips.
“What?” I ask giddily.
“I just never thought I could be this happy.” He presses another sweet kiss to my mouth before pulling back and looking down at me as if just realizing something. He hesitates. “However, I might not be able to give you that week in my Beamer like I promised.”
My fingers intertwine behind his back, and I giggle. “I most definitely do not care, Colton Downing. I have something far better right here.”
“So you don’t mind that I’m dirt poor?”
I tilt my head back and laugh. “Welcome to the club. Sometimes we have to hunt for our own coconuts to eat, but the company is pretty good.”
“I’m sold. Maybe we could toss in a few dates here and there with some steak fries and ranch?”
My smile couldn’t get any bigger. “If you’re lucky.”
“Well, good thing I’ve got our glow-in-the-dark star in my pocket.”
I beam, happy that our little charm made its way home. “Mmm, lucky you.”
His smile softens, and the look he gives me makes me feel more treasured than a thousand lucky objects. “You’re right, Missy Jean. Lucky me.”
Epilogue
COLTON
· 17 MONTHS LATER – DECEMBER ·
“Are you ready?” Missy glances up at me, her hopeful eyes brighter than the rows of Christmas lights that outline every edge of my parents’ vast house.
I let out a pent-up breath, exhaling the nerves I feel from arriving at my childhood home after being silently exiled for nearly a year and a half. From my spot on the driveway, I take in the house—the steep pitch of the colonial-style gables, the familiar columned entryway that soars two stories high, and the twenty windows that line the front of the home, each with its own evergreen wreath, red bow, and candle.
With the expansive snow-covered lawn and the festive garlands encircling every lamppost lining the driveway, the house could double as a tourist attraction. Mom and the house staff outdid themselves this year. But despite the jovial appearance, I can’t stop the anxiety that claws at my insides as we approach it, reminding me that tonight is the first night my entire family will be together in well over a decade.
Missy’s gloved hand squeezes mine. “It’s going to be great.”
I look down at her and a smile breaks through my tense lips. Part of her hair is tucked beneath a light-pink beanie trimmed with wisps of soft fur, while some of her beautiful blonde curls cascade down the pink tweed overcoat that she proudly thrifted just for tonight.
I take both her hands in mine. “Have I ever told you that I have the most breathtakingly beautiful fiancée?”
