Page 71 of Summer Affair

“Are you okay?” she asked, breaking the silence.

He nodded, though his mind was far from settled. “I’m okay. Just…thinking.”

“About what?” she asked gently.

He hesitated, then met her gaze. “How about a walk on the beach?”

She nodded and they climbed out of the truck. They skirted the house to walk down the pathway to the beach. After pulling off their shoes, they headed down the white sand.

They found a quiet spot and sat near the edge of the water.

“You look like a mummy,” she joked as she touched his face again.

He smiled. “So. About what you said earlier.” He took her hand in his and looked at their joined fingers. “About you loving me.”

Andrea’s breath hitched slightly, and she bit her lower lip, her eyes searching his when he glanced up at her.

“I know it wasn’t the best timing, but⁠—”

He cut her off, pulling her close until their lips met in a tender kiss.

“It was the most perfect timing. I’ve been wanting to hear it for a while now,” he admitted.

“I’ve felt it for a while. I just didn’t know how to tell you. And then today, when I thought I might lose you…” Her voice hitched slightly.

His arm wrapped tighter around her as his heart filled. This, this was everything he would ever want. For the rest of his life, she was it. His entire world.

“You’re not going to lose me. I’m not going anywhere,” he promised into her hair.

She shifted and looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. I was scared.”

He shook his head quickly, his voice soft but firm.

“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you said it. I love you, Andrea. More than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

The words hung in the air between them, powerful and true. He had never been so sure of anything in his life. The events of the day had only solidified what he already knew—that Andrea was the one for him.

She let out a shaky breath as a tear slipping down her cheek. “I love you…Dean.”

He leaned in, cupping her face with his free hand, his thumb gently wiping away the tear.

“Whatever happens now,” he whispered, his lips brushing against hers, “let’s do it together.” She nodded quickly before he kissed her.

The kiss was a promise, a reassurance, and a declaration all at once. When they finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers, breathing her in, feeling the steady beat of her heart beneath his hands.

“Come on,” Andrea said softly, her voice steady now. “Let’s go home.”

Epilogue

Andrea hadn’t laughed this hard in months. Watching a group of her favorite people cut loose was magic. It wasn’t often that every single employee at the camp had the day off. After what they’d gone through the month before, the Wildflowers had asked Beth to work her magic and she’d arranged guests’ schedules so that for one entire day, the fall solstice, the camp was completely free of guests. Well, paid guests, at any rate.

That day was the first River Camps employee appreciation day. Which meant employees and their guests got to fully enjoy everything that the camp had to offer.

Horseback rides, swimming, golf, zip lines, volleyball, and, her favorite, massages. They had brought in outside massage therapists from Destin just for the day.

Even Isaac, the head chef, had the day off. One of his chef friends was flown in from New York with his entire staff to oversee the day’s meals.

There were even a handful of children running around the grounds, something the camp hadn’t allowed since reopening the doors as an adult camp.