In the morning, Leah felt like a new woman. And upon examining Ralph’s gunshot wound, she was relieved to see that he was nearly healed up. After they both enjoyed a hearty breakfast, she walked over to the hospital to check on Jon and to return his phone, which was now dead. To her surprise, he was already released and the nurse in charge explained that a friend had picked him up and transported him back to his home in Portland.
As she drove back home, Leah tried not to feel too let down. It actually made sense that Jon would want to return to Portland where he could visit his own doctor and relax in his own home. And because she still had Jon’s phone and his mother’s dog, she knew that he would have to be in touch...eventually. But she did feel somewhat cut-off and set adrift, being away from him like this. Still, with school and work, she had plenty to do. And fortunately, her great-aunt was happy to care for Ralph during the day.
By the time the weekend was approaching, Leah was feeling uneasy. Surely Jon hadn’t forgotten about her—and even if he had, would he forget about his mom’s dog? She was just leaving The Willows after finishing her shift on Friday afternoon when Marsha in the reception area stopped her, explaining that a guy named Jon had just called. “He asked you to bring his dog to the beach house.”
Leah thanked her and, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety, hurried home to gather up Ralph before heading over to the beach. She hadn’t been out that way since their ordeal and wasn’t sure she was ready for it now—or maybe she wasn’t ready to see Jon and have him treat her like a casual acquaintance. Because that was how she’d decided it was probably going to end. Guys like Jon Wilson didn’t fall for girls like her. For all Leah knew, the “friend” who’d picked up Jon from the hospital might’ve been the beautiful Monica. Perhaps she’d heard about his brush with death and come running to his side. Why not?
Bracing herself for whatever was coming, Leah knocked on the door. To her surprise it was jerked open and Jon, wearing a huge grin and using a cane, rushed toward her. He hugged her for a long delightful moment, finally giving her a long intense kiss that shot shivers of happiness through her. “Do you know how much I missed you?” he asked her as he reached for Ralph. He gave the pup a playful tousle as he placed him on the floor, then stood back up to look at Leah. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”
“Thank you.” She just stared at him, unsure of what to say. “I missed you, too. I didn’t know how to reach you.” She produced his phone.
“Me, too. I tried calling this.” He pocketed his phone. “But it was off.”
“Dead,” she explained.
“Aha.” He pointed to his bandaged leg. “I had to have some surgery. No big deal, but I was supposed to stay put a few days.” He grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. “And I put that downtime to good use.” He grabbed her hand, hobbling along. “Come see.” He led her to a room in the back of the house that looked out over the ocean.
“What a stunning view,” she said as she stared out the large window. “I never saw it before because the drapes were closed.”
“And it’s good light in here, too—great for painting.” He reached for her hand, turning her away from the window. “This is what I want you to see, Leah.” He led her to an easel that was draped in a faded blue sheet. With a flourish, he removed it, and to her astonishment, she was staring at her own face—only it seemed much more beautiful.
In the portrait, her honey-colored hair was loose and radiant, flowing in the breeze. Her skin was smooth and golden, luminous. Her eyes were bright and clear, the same color as the ocean behind her, and the whole thing was washed in amazing sunlight that made it seem alive somehow.
“Wow.” She went closer to see the painting better. If a picture was worth a thousand words, a portrait should be worth a million. Because, unless she was mistaken, Jon was in love with her. Much more so than he’d ever been with Monica. She knew it!
“It’s not as beautiful as you are,” he apologized. “But for my first attempt, it’s not half-bad. Especially when you consider I was working from news media photos and my memory.” He gathered her in his arms again. “I’m hoping that you’ll let me do another portrait, Leah. From real life.” He kissed her again. “I’d like to do a lot of portraits of you. Some on our milestone anniversaries, some with our children, some as we grow old together. Do you think you would mind?”
She couldn’t stop her tears as she hugged him again, burying her head into his chest. “I wouldn’t mind at all, Jon. In fact, it would make me very, very happy.”
“Not as happy as you make me. I love you, Leah. I want to spend the rest of my days with you—I really do! I think I started falling for you that first time we met on the beach. Remember that day when Ralph brought us together?”
She nodded eagerly. “I do.”
“Well, I knew he’d gotten it right. And that’s why we’d been out looking for you. I wanted a proper introduction.”
“Well, I guess you got that.” She made a nervous laugh, trying to take all this in—telling herself this was not just a dream.
He leaned down to kiss her once more, lingering so long that she felt herself being swept away like a warm summer tide—beautifully swept away.
“So what do you think of all this?” he asked as he stroked her cheek.
She smiled up at him with a heart so full she was almost afraid to breathe. “I love you, too, Jon. For a while I tried to convince myself that I was wrong, but my heart wouldn’t let me.”
“I’m so thankful.”
“And I’m thankful that Ralph chased me that day,” she told him. “That he brought us together.”
“And he led me to you when you were in danger, too.”
“Do we get to keep him?” she asked quietly.
Jon just laughed...then eagerly nodded. “If you want Ralph, Leah, he’s all yours. Along with me!”
One year later
Leah Hampton and Jon Wilson celebrated their love by reciting their marriage vows today. Their wedding was held on the very same beach they’d met on one year ago.
Among the wedding guests of family and friends and several uniformed Cape Perpetua police officers were seven grateful young women. These girls were rescued when Jon and Leah exposed the human trafficking ring that had plagued the Cape Perpetua region for a few years.
Also in attendance at the wedding was the family dog, named Ralph, who performed the service of ring bearer.
After a honeymoon in Maui, the newlywed couple and Ralph will reside in the Wilson beach cabin, where the groom will paint and practice criminal law and the bride will work as a registered nurse at a local nursing home.
* * * * *