Epilogue
One year later . . .
“Great trip, Morgan. We’re booked again for next year?” George asked, grinning when Burke nodded. “Maybe we can try the Curacao run.”
“The food was simply out of this world,” Tutti exclaimed, for what had to be the dozenth time. “I’m going to have to work extra hard to fit into that New Year’s gown now.” She sighed. “But it was so worth it.” She clasped a heavily jeweled hand to her plump bosom. “I’ll be sure to spread the word.”
“I’m so glad you enjoyed it,” Kam replied. “Mahalo,” she called out, waving as the Wetheringtons made their way down the pier.
“You’d better hold on to her, Burke,” Tutti called back to them. “Her ceviche alone will have you booked two years in advance. You mark my words. Aloha, you two!” She wiggled her fingers and clattered on down the pier in her impossibly high heels.
“I’ll take that into consideration,” Burke called out, grinning as he came up behind Kam and wrapped his arms around her waist. He turned her in his arms and immediately began having his way with her mouth. A whole year later and he still hadn’t gotten near enough of it.
“Burke,” she protested, “they haven’t even left the parking lot yet.” But she wasn’t exactly pushing him away. She rarely did.
“I’m just following the client’s wishes.”
She snaked her arms around his shoulders. “Like you could get rid of me if you wanted to. Where would Morgan Charters be without the incredible talents of the Caribbean’s number one chef?”
“It’s a good thing your grandfather isn’t here to hear you say that.”
Her grin was saucy. But wasn’t it always? “Why do you think I dared to say it?”
He laughed, pulling her against him and swinging her around. “Have you heard from him? I was disappointed when he couldn’t meet up with us in Nevis last week.”
She shook her head. “He’s probably still somewhere off the coast of Melbourne. But Lana swears he’s going to be home over the holidays. I guess two new babies and another on the way make it worth missing a week or two of high season.”
Though Kam was smiling, Burke didn’t miss the fleeting wistful look that crossed her face. She hadn’t been home to see her family in close to six months. Though it had been rocky for her the first couple of weeks until she’d finally gotten her sea legs under her, she’d been doggedly determined to conquer her seasickness and make a go of it. And Burke couldn’t be happier that she’d stuck with it. And him.
Their first season together had gone so well, the bookings had come flying in. Dorsey had fallen in love with Australia and had decided to stay down there for as long as his infatuation lasted. They’d hoped he’d be back in the Caribbean by now, but apparently he wasn’t quite done Down Under.
But Burke knew that Tutti wasn’t far from wrong with her claims. Not only was Kam’s cooking everything she’d claimed it would be, but her confidence and charm won over even the most nitpicky of clients. Catering to small, intimate groups was what she’d always wanted, so this suited her perfectly. And though she wasn’t exactly her own boss, she shared the role with him, which, along with the lack of management headaches, more than made up for the compromise.
Last summer when he’d gone to Scotland, she’d gone home to L.A. to settle things, with a short trip to Hawaii to see her family. He’d been head over heels by then, and though neither had been looking forward to the brief separation, it had been even harder than he’d expected. Somehow the man who’d spent his entire adult life living on his own terms had swiftly grown used to waking up to her sleepy smiles in the morning and having her warm, sweet body tucked under his every night.
And now another six months had zipped by, and he still couldn’t believe how completely his life had changed. For the better.
He took her hand and tugged her to the control deck.
“Burke, we have to be in Barbuda by nightfall. I’ve got to get to market early if we’re going to be prepared to pick up the Markhams by noon.”
“We’re not picking up the Markhams tomorrow,” he told her, backwalking her to the captain’s chair. “I’m going to go untie us. Steer us out, okay?”
He was gone before she could protest or ask questions. With a private smile, he cast them off, then came back to stand behind her as she expertly maneuvered them out of the harbor. She didn’t need him to settle her nervous tummy any longer, but they’d long since grown used to doing this part together, like they had the first time, whenever they could.
Only, this particular trip, it was his tummy that was a bit jumpy. He pressed the occasional kiss on her hair as anticipation grew along with a bit of nervousness. Only when she was angling past the twin atolls did he reach past her and change their course.
She glanced back at him, her smile knowing. “Okay, what’s going on?”
He nudged her out of the chair so they stood in front of the controls, her body pressed back against his. “You’ll see.” They motored in silence until they reached the center of the cove. Their cove, where they’d spent many a spoiled, lazy afternoon when they’d had the time off. He cut the engine, and they dropped anchor. Then he turned her in his arms. He’d been planning this for what seemed like a lifetime, but now that the moment was finally here, that didn’t stop the nerves from jumping along under his skin.
“One year ago today I got the best Christmas present of my life. In a way, I feel like it’s been Christmas every day since.”
“Burke—” she began, her voice going soft, her expression even softer.
“There is no booking the next two weeks.”
“But it’s high season and—”
“And thanks to a certain chef I know, we can afford the break.” He tugged her closer. “Happy anniversary.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “You mean it? Ten whole days, here in the cove, just the two of us?”
“Not exactly. We only have until tomorrow.”
“But I thought you said—”
“I did.” He pulled the envelope from the back pocket of his shorts. It was slightly crumpled from having to hide it from her when Maybelline had smuggled it to him earlier today. “But I thought you might like to spend part of the holiday with your family. I, uh, I was hoping I could meet them, too.”
Her mouth dropped open as she pulled the plane tickets from the envelope. Her gaze flew back to his. “I’m going home? And you’re coming with me? Oh, Burke, are you sure?”
“Of course not,” he laughed, already dreading his meeting with the infamous Lana. “But it’s important to me.” Because he knew life with him would keep her even farther away from her family than before, he wanted to make sure he did the right thing by them and make his intentions known. Which gave him the next two days to figure out how exactly he wanted to make them known to her.
“If I didn’t already know I loved you, there would be no doubt now.” She kissed him hard and fast on the mouth, but it quickly took another turn, as it tended to with them, and Burke was glad he’d waited until they got to the privacy of the cove to tell her.
“I hope you don’t mind, but there’s more.” He took the tickets out of the envelope and fanned them out. “My brothers are heading to Rogues Hollow this Christmas. Apparently Jace and Zanna have an announcement. I’m pretty sure it involves the next generation of Morgans.” It surprised him, how powerful the very idea was to him, a man who’d forsaken family so long ago. He suspected a certain Apolo was responsible for that. “I thought it might be a good time for you to meet them.”
Now her eyes went glassy. “Really? You want me to meet your family?”
He rubbed his thumbs across her lips. “Of course I do. This way we won’t have to chase them down around the globe.” When a single tear tripped over her lashes and spilled down her cheek, he knew he was a goner. The words just tumbled out. “I was planning to have you naked on the trampoline out there, weak from multiple orgasms, before I sprung this on you, but now I can’t seem to wait.” He knew it was the right thing, had been planning this moment, it seemed, since shortly after he’d met her. The miracle, really, was that he’d made it this long before blurting it out. And yet his stomach clutched as the words stuttered on his tongue. “I, uh, you and I—”
“Are you okay?” she asked, sudden concern furrowing her brow.
“Of course I am,” he said automatically, abruptly feeling anything but.
She dabbed at the sweat that had popped out on his forehead, stroked cool palms over his damp cheeks. “You’re looking a little . . . peaked.”
“I wanted this to be special, perfect.” His heart was pounding, and he actually felt a bit woozy. Determined, he stammered his way through it. “I was wondering if, while we’re meeting families, what you’d think if I—oh shit.” And with that he broke off and ran to the head, barely making it in time.
“Are you okay?” Kam asked from the doorway behind him.
He managed to nod, feeling like a complete idiot. He’d never once gotten seasick in his entire life. But then, he’d never proposed before either.
In a complete reversal from a year before, it was Kam now, crouching behind him, stroking his forehead. “What happened?” she asked gently. “Did you come down with something?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Shakily, he pushed to a stand, then took his time at the sink, cleaning, brushing, rinsing, getting his act together. She was right there the whole time, rubbing his back, stroking him, soothing him. Right by his side. Always. Which, he knew without a doubt, was right where he wanted her to be.
Calm now, ready, he dried his hands, then turned to face her. “It might have been right in this room that I knew I was going to fall for you. Seeing how badly you wanted to do things on your own terms. Your strength, your determination. I think I’ve been a little in awe of you since the start.”
Her smile was full of light and love. “And here I thought that was just the tight shorts and skimpy top you were in awe of.”
He grinned. “That might have been a small part of it.” Then he took her hands between his own. “So maybe it’s prophetic this should happen right here.” He knelt. “It’ll be a good story to tell our kids.”
She gasped, tightened her grip. “Burke,” she breathed.
“I want my family to meet you because I want you to be part of that family,” he told her. “I want to meet your family, because I need to ask them for your hand. But first, I need to ask you. Will you marry me?”
She was already tugging him up, even as she crouched down to meet him on the way up. They collided, sending them both sprawling back out of the head, where they banged up against the passageway wall. “We seem to make waves, even when there aren’t any,” she said, laughing.
Laughing with her, he held her tight until they got their balance. “So . . . is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she said instantly, beaming with happiness.
“Thank God.” The boat bobbed gently as he turned her face up to his. “Because I plan to be making waves with you for the rest of my life.”