Chapter Forty-Three

There she was again, the dark-fire woman who’d haunted him so exquisitely for months. She stared at the mostly calm waves, standing out like a beacon in a red dress that lovingly hugged her breasts and hips as she waited for him halfway down the beach. The wind that had a tendency to be fierce was a gentle breeze today, a soft blessing from beyond the universe, he thought with a sense of whimsy. It was only strong enough to tease the airy fabric of her skirt and lift her hair gently.

This time, she wasn’t alone on the beach. A crowd of people had gathered farther along, dressed in finery and surrounding a flower-adorned arch. But she didn’t join them. Instead, she turned, her solemn expression turning into a radiant smile as she saw him.

Charles held out his hands as he reached her. “Ms. Browning, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I love you.”

Kathy leaned into him, hugging him tightly. “You’re so damned handsome it hurts to look at you. Oh, Charles, I love you so.” She kissed him. “Are we really doing this?”

“Absolutely. Ready?”

In answer, she slid her hand around the crook of his elbow.

Together, they walked to the spot where he’d seen her last year, the spot marked by family and friends. With the sun shining brightly upon them, they pledged their lives to each other.

When it was over, after they’d been pronounced man and wife by the pastor from his mother’s church, a tide of cheers and love and laughter surrounded them.

“Come along, everyone. Let’s get out of this sun,” Augustina said, blotting her eyes with her handkerchief. “I have sand in my eyes and in my shoes.”

Charles hung back, keeping Kathy with him as they watched everyone make their way to the path through the dunes. Sarah and Owen had driven down for the wedding, as had Jack and Gilly. Daphne and Stanton were there, as were Herman and Sally, and much to his relief, so were Roy and Nancy. Kathy’s aunt hadn’t completely come around, but he figured they had a few decades to convince her.

Once everyone had gone, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. “You weren’t the only one saved that day,” he said, his cheek pressed to hers. “You saved me as much as I saved you. Maybe more in some ways.”

Kathy traced his lips. “I don’t know about that.”

He nodded. “I do. My life wouldn’t be complete without you in it. I love you, Kathy.”

“I love you, Charles. So much… I might have to spend the next forty or fifty years proving it.”

“That sounds like the best plan ever,” he whispered. “I can hardly wait.”