Page 109 of Found in Wild Sage

“So, um, we could be done here, if you want. I can’t blame you. If it weren’t for me, none of this would’ve happened.”

The look he’s giving me is indecipherable. Is he relieved? Angry? Sad? Shocked?

But no. No. Of course not. Because he’s Declan.

“Oh, love. Come here.”

He inches his way farther into the middle of the bed, not without some grimacing and grunting, and gathers me to him. I stretch out next to him, careful not to lean against him, but he hooks an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in closer.

“Be careful! I don’t want to⁠—”

“I want you close to me when I say this so there’s nowhere for you to go. I need you to hear and believe what I have to say, and since I can’t make love to you after to prove my point, this is what we’re doing.”

Oh. I cooperate, nestling in as close as I dare, then tilt my head up. We are inches apart, but this closeness, even this tiny moment, heals one of the ragged, torn places in me.

“I love you. I love Charlie. I love our family and living together. I don’t want to be parted from you, ever. I want to live a long life at your side, grow old, and die together out under a million stars surrounded by wild sage when we’re a hundred and five.”

I chuckle, but I’m crying, too. This man.

I suck in a breath and nod. “Sign me up.”

He smiles softly, warmly. So full of love and gentleness, it’d be heartbreaking, except he’s mine. It doesn’t have to break my heart because I’m longing for it. It’s simply mine to enjoy and savor.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re both signed up.”

He leans in for a kiss, which I happily meet. Before we can spiral out of control, I pull back. “Maybe we can take that honeymoon we’ve been talking about in a few months.”

He grins—a true, full-out, beaming smile. “I’d like that. At this rate, probably after the opening.”

It’s my turn to grin. “The opening” is something that has developed at lightning speed the last few days. I didn’t realize how far into planning he was, but apparently, Declan has been very close to finalizing plans for his senior living facility in Juniper View, and since he’s himself, he couldn’t simply recover from his surgeries while in the hospital. Of course not.

While there, he and all of his siblings worked together to finish the planning and kickstart the building of the senior apartments he’s dreamed of opening. It’s a cross between a retirement community and a skilled nursing facility, a place where people like Gary Longbrow can go when staying home isn’t safe but won’t be as expensive as Silverton Springs. He’s funding the build, the business as a whole, and he’s heavily subsidizing the cost so it’s an affordable option.

Every detail I’ve learned about this project has made me fall more in love with him. His brilliant mind and his incredible heart.

“That sounds amazing. Where should we go?” I don’t even care.

A spark enters his gaze. “Anywhere I can see you in a bikini. Or naked.” He grins. “So really anywhere as long as we have a bed.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “Well, that narrows it down.”

We grin at each other, so full of joy and honestly, wonder, at how this has all turned out.

“Thank you for loving me.” I won’t ever stop saying it.

He grins. “Thank you for loving me, Evie. It is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.”

EPILOGUE

SIX MONTHS LATER

Declan

Tropical air filters in through gauzy curtains and my wife stretches next to me.

I desperately want to wake her up, but I’ll give her a few more minutes to rest. We’ve been here for a little over eighteen hours and we’ve only spent a few of those hours outside of this room, mostly for sustenance.

So basically, it’s already the perfect honeymoon.