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She peppered his neck and his cheek with kisses, until she reached his mouth. She kissed him hard, and he kissed her back.

When she pulled away, her face turned serious. “Arch?”

“Yes, Sweet Tea?”

“Take me with you?”

A grin bloomed on his face. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I love you, Archer Vincent.”

His bottom lip quivered. It was all happening so fast. He curled his hand around her nape and pulled her mouth close. “I love you too.”

She kissed him, then repeated those three words. I love you. I love you. I love you. He returned them, surprised by how much he needed to hear those words from her. Surprised at how healing all of this was for him.

“Talk to me,” he whispered. “Tell me what changed your mind.”

Unlike other times he asked her to open up this summer, she didn’t hesitate. She let him. Fully. “You were right,” she confessed. “I’m scared out of my mind, Arch. I’m scared to lose you and to experience that kind of pain again. But a life without you…” She shook her head. “I can’t fathom it. I would have gone back and lived in New York and been so unhappy in a job that I would probably come to hate, all so I could live close to my mom and likely never see her…and be miserable every minute that I wasn’t with you. All because I was afraid to admit that I need you. I need you, Arch. Like a fish needs water or a sail needs wind.”

He tucked a hair behind her ear. “I’m so proud of you. Is this hard right now?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “But a life without you would be so much harder.”

“I completely agree.” He let her down gently, then gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “And you’re okay with Minneapolis for nine months of the year?”

She nodded. “I think I want to help small businesses with their finances. Maybe I’ll reach out to Jorge, maybe see if I could—”

He kissed her on the mouth, not waiting to hear the rest of it. He didn’t need to. She chose him. She chose them.

She broke apart with a laugh. “Wherever you go, I go.” She squinted her eyes. “On one condition.”

“Shoot.”

“No more sticky notes on the wall.”

He threw his head back and laughed, his hat falling off his head.

She caught it, then twirled it around and placed it backward on her head. She looked so damn cute, he kissed her silly.

They said a shy goodbye to his parents after they witnessed all of that, as well as the audience of Wild Pines residents who’d accumulated during their spectacle. Archer eyed Rhonda who winked at him from across the lawn before throwing an arm around Steph and heading to their car as well.

He packed up Tea’s suitcases in the bed of his truck, placed the snake plant gently in the back seat, then got behind the wheel. He reflexively reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly, because he could. Because she was beside him, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Then, for the first time in twenty-six Silver Falls summers, Archer Vincent left the resort without having to say goodbye to the one person who mattered to him most.

Five Years Later

Austin

“Daddy, daddy, daddy!”

Austin threw his head back and groaned. Five minutes. He only wanted five minutes of peace.

Andrew burst into Cabin A. He’d hoped that his son wouldn’t think to find him here, but it had taken him all of ten minutes.

Austin rubbed his head, then winced. It was still sunburnt from yesterday’s boat excursion. “Yeah, kid?”

“Uncle Archer told me that he needs everyone out on the lawn right now!”

“You can tell Uncle Archer he can go—”