Tessa waited until she could hear Arch and Smith talking downstairs. Maybe it was rude, but she couldn’t see Smith Sullivan right now when her head and heart were such a mess. She was glad he hadn’t brought Valentina with him, or she’d have felt even worse about sneaking out of the house.
She didn’t even take her painting things with her. Her mind was a tangled web of love and fear, and her nerves were frayed. But she needed the beach, the smell of the water, the feel of the sand between her toes. Even some happy dogs who might lift the heaviness in her chest.
She ran quietly down the stairs and let herself out the front door. Then, taking a deep breath, she walked toward the beach. She didn’t head for her usual painting spot, just walked straight out of Arch’s home until she found herself on the sand.
There were no surfers out. The swell wasn’t high enough. There were no swimmers either. The water was too cold. But there were a few dog walkers in the distance and a couple jogging along the sand. A small boy, and possibly his grandfather, flew a kite, a green one shaped like a dragon’s head.
She felt jumpy and unsure of every single thing.
But no. She was sure of one thing.
She was absolutely sure that she loved Archer Davenport, loved him with all of her heart.
But was that enough?
She took off her shoes and socks and set them out of reach of the waves. Then she walked forward to the edge of the surf and let the waves lick her toes. The water was chilly but good. Cold enough to help cool the heat of her fears.
She stepped deeper into the waves, letting the water hit her. Somehow, the cold shock was exactly what she needed. Without realizing she was doing it, she walked deeper. Now she was up to her knees. Her jeans were heavy with water as she waded forward.
A gull wheeled overhead, screeching, as though asking her what she was doing.
Truth was, she had no idea. She just needed to feel the freezing water as the waves washed higher and higher against her. She couldn’t shut her emotions down the way she had for so long. Being in the ocean, especially one with such a cool bite, made her feel present inside herself in a way she’d rarely been comfortable with.
Lewis had always taken advantage of any vulnerability. But out in the ocean, she was nothing but vulnerable. It was stronger… yet here she was. Up to her hips in the waves.
Not falling.
Did that mean that she was strong too? As strong as an ocean? Because that was what she’d have to be if she took her place at Arch’s side as his lover, his woman, maybe even his wife one day.
She thought back to the day they’d sat on the beach watching his siblings surf. They had been in wetsuits, but they had also all dived headfirst through the waves to get out to where the curls were.
She was in up to her waist now. A small wave came rushing toward her, and she dove into it, relishing the cold shock as her whole body went under. When she came up, her hair was streaming down her back, and she gasped from the cold.
Then she laughed. Full, deep, throaty laughter.
“I am not ordinary,” she said to the waves, the gulls, and the fish in the sea.
She gazed up at the sky and laughed again. “I am not ordinary,” she screamed to the beautiful blue above her.
In fact, she was stronger, and far more unique, than she’d ever given herself credit for. She hadn’t given up hope when she found herself both widowed and destitute. She’d asked no one for help. And yet, she’d managed to build herself a new, successful life.
If she could help injured people heal, if she could convince people like Margaret to do their exercises, then she could certainly cope with magazine covers or strangers saying she wasn’t pretty or famous enough for Archer Davenport.
None of that mattered. She knew it with all her heart.
The only thing that mattered was that they loved each other.
She loved Arch so much, but she’d still had trouble believing him when he’d professed his love for her. But now, the waves nudged her in the direction of the beach, as though reminding her how great she and Arch were together.
At long last, Tessa saw her own strength. Not only in getting over her difficult past, but in letting herself open up again. At last, she realized how incredibly brave it had been to be intimate with Arch, knowing she was risking her heart. Even going to Moonrise as his date had taken courage.
If anyone had asked her two months ago how she felt about herself, she would have said she wished she could be stronger.
But she no longer had to wish for that.
She was already strong.
In fact, she always had been—but was only now finally seeing her own worth.
Arch had helped her see that she was extraordinary. He’d supported her dreams, believed in her art, treated her as though she was vitally important to him.
Now she was able to blossom in every way—artistically and emotionally.
It was time—long past time—to let him know.
Taking one last, deep breath of the salty air, she shivered and waded out of the ocean.
Time to head home.
* * *
Arch could hardly stand it. He’d gotten rid of Smith by saying he had a phone interview scheduled, which was a total lie. But he couldn’t joke around with his buddy when his mind was in turmoil.
He’d watched from the living room window as Tessa headed out to the beach. He’d seen her walk a little, stand there undecided for a moment, and then walk into the water fully clothed.
He wanted to run out there, make sure she was okay—but he had to respect her wishes to have some time to process. He also knew how healing the ocean could be, and he hoped it would help heal the wounds from her marriage.
Despite his resolutions, he never took his gaze off the woman he loved, ready at any moment to run to her if she needed him. Well, he’d be limp-hopping on his still-healing leg, but he’d get there.
She must be so cold. The water temperature wasn’t that high, and she wasn’t doing anything to stay warm, just bobbing on the swell, looking out at the horizon.
At last, when he couldn’t stand it another second, she turned. She waded out of the surf, soaking wet and more beautiful than ever. She paused to put on her shoes, not even bothering with the socks, and then walked up toward the house.
As quickly as he could on his booted foot, he went into the bathroom and gathered a thick, warm towel and his bathrobe.
When he got back to the window, she was nearly home. And even from this distance, he could see that there was something different about her. Even the way she walked was different, almost as though she’d gained some power in the ocean, just as he’d hoped she would.
Just as he had so many times in his life.
When she opened the door, he was standing there with the towel, which he wrapped around her. But she barely seemed to notice. Droplets fell from her hair and her wet clothes, but she only had eyes for him.
“I love you, Arch. I love you more than I ever knew I could love anyone. And I don’t want to lose you. So if I have to wear pretty dresses and smile on red carpets with you every day of the week, that’s what I’ll do.”
Arch had never believed he could feel this happy, just from hearing her say I love you.
He pulled her into him and kissed her lips, tasting seawater and then her. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her his warmth and getting very wet in the process.
“All I need is you, Tessa. We can skip every red carpet in the world from now on if that will make you happy.”
She kissed him again. “You are what makes me happy. It took so long for me to allow myself to see or feel it, but you did the impossible—you broke through all my walls. I never thought anyone could, but you did.”
He couldn’t stop his smile, one that started deep in his center and blossomed all the way out to his lips. “I knew from the first moment I saw you on the beach with Margaret that you were going to be mine.” He remembered how struck he’d been by Tessa, and every moment since, she’d only become more precious to him.
Another kiss, and then she said, “You can call Jay now and tell him I’m your girlfriend.”
“No.”
She looked confused. “No? But I thought—”
He stopped her sentence with another kiss. “When I call Jay back, I hope to say that the beautiful woman by my side is my fiancée.”
She gasped. “Wait—what? Are you saying you—”
“Yes, Tessa.” He couldn’t stop kissing her, even on the verge of proposing. “I’m saying I want to marry you. You’ve healed more than my leg. You’ve made every part of me better. And I don’t want to live the rest of my life without you. I can’t even imagine it now, not after all you’ve come to mean to me.”
It wasn’t easy getting down on one knee when his left leg was in the boot, but he managed to get down on his right knee. Then he looked up and said, “Tessa Taylor, love of my life, will you marry me?”
Without missing a beat, she knelt beside him to kiss him. And right before their lips met, she whispered, “Yes, I’ll marry you. I am yours, Arch. Always and forever.”