Mel stirred and opened her eyes. Dixie was face-to-face with her, making a low-pitched whine. Dotty stood behind Dixie, waiting to take over if nobody reacted. Mel lifted her head to see Lucy sound asleep, squeezed between herself and Dan.
She chuckled and whispered to Dixie, “What’s wrong, sweetheart. Are you girls ready for dinner?” Dixie cocked her head to the side. Mel looked at the time on her cell phone—six thirty. “Oh my God, how did we sleep this long?”
“What’s going on?” Dan sat up to get his bearings. “Wow… it’s late. I guess we were beat.” He laughed at the sight of Lucy nestled between them and the other dogs in line for dinner. “I bet our clothes are dry,” he said, chuckling.
Mel picked Lucy up and placed her on the other chaise. “I’ll get the clothes out of the dryer if you want to feed these hungry girls.” She kissed Dan, hugged him, and went inside the house. Falling asleep in the arms of the man I think I’m in love with was really nice.
Mel dressed and followed Dan’s voice into the kitchen. All three dogs were lined up side by side, eating dinner. “Look at these hungry girls. They should be set for the night now. I’m going to get dressed. I have an idea that I think you’ll like.”
“Okay, I’ll take the dogs for a quick walk around the block so they can do their business.”
Mel returned with the dogs to find Dan had the Range Rover packed with a blanket and two bottles of iced tea.
“What are you up to?”
“You’ll see. It’s something I promised you. We won’t be gone long. I’ll order us a pizza on our way back.”
She smiled at him. “Okay, surprise me. Let’s go.”
Twenty-five minutes later, they were spreading a blanket out on Folly Beach. Dozens of other people had the same idea, all waiting in anticipation of the beautiful sunset that was just beginning. The hush in the air amazed Mel, considering the amount of people sitting on the beach and standing on the pier.
“Here we go,” Dan whispered as he snuggled next to her. “This is going to be quite a show.”
They watched as the water calmed, and the waves barely lapped the shore. The sky lit up when the sun hit the horizon behind the pier. A blanket of bright gold blended perfectly with the fiery-red sky as the orange ball sank into the Atlantic. Sunbeams burst out like an encore after the final act, and the evening curtain closed.
“What did you think? Wasn’t that the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” Dan kissed Mel’s temple and smiled.
She shook her head with amazement and wiped away a lingering tear. “I’m just stunned.”
“About what, honey?”
“Just the time I wasted looking for love and happiness when it was waiting right at my doorstep. You’re the man for me, and Charleston is the city I love. My own paradise was here all along.”
The brilliant orange ball had succumbed to the sea while they held each other close and kissed. The stars overhead twinkled like diamonds and took over the night sky above Folly Beach and Charleston—the city they both loved.
“Are you ready to go home, honey?”
“With you, there’s no other place I’d rather be.”
THE END
Thank you!
Thanks for reading Her Own Paradise, Book 3 in The Southern Comfort Series. I hope you enjoyed it!
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Do you know Mia James?
The Like Sisters Series follows the life of Mia James and her crazy friends of Tarrytown, New York. Each book in the series focuses on one main character in the group of five best friends. These light hearted romantic comedies appeal to fans of chick lit, women's fiction and humorous books. Like Sisters is a laugh out loud series of best friends, hot guys and just the right amount of steam to have you anxiously waiting for the next book.
Payback and a Bottle of Merlot, the first book in the Like Sisters series, has been downloaded and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide. See where it all starts today. The five books in the series (listed in order) are: Payback and a Bottle of Merlot, Insecurity and a Bottle of Merlot, Destiny and a Bottle of Merlot, Intrigue and a Bottle of Merlot and Desire and a Bottle of Merlot.
I hope you enjoy them all!
Again, thank you for reading!
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