Epilogue

A warm breeze blew Katie’s damp hair away from her face as she walked the beach hand in hand with Carter. Swimming in the ocean had been on her list forever. Diving into the waves had been a blast, but if she thought it would have been this much fun alone, she’d been kidding herself. She tugged him over to the towels they’d spread in the sand beneath a huge umbrella.

After they sat, Carter pulled her in for a kiss. “What do you say we come here every year for our anniversary?”

“I’d say that’s a great idea.” She curled her toes in the sand and watched the gulls swoop and the sandpipers dash in and out of the waves. “Sometimes I feel like we wasted so much time.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist. “No. We’ve been together for a long time. This is just a new chapter.”

Katie nodded and watched some children bury their dad in the sand. Their laughter warmed her heart. “Still, I can’t believe it took me forty years to get to the ocean.”

“Hey, there’s nothing to say we won’t have at least another forty years to walk the beach together.”

“You’re right.” She loved the fun but relaxing atmosphere here, but she was already adding new items to the notebook now tucked in her beach bag, things that they could do together. For the next forty years. “I love you.”

He leaned in for a deep kiss. “I love you, too, Mrs. Colburn.”

Would she ever get used to hearing that? She’d feared taking Carter’s name might push her my time button too much, but it was her time, and she could spend it any way she wanted. She glanced over to the handsome man she chose to spend her time with. She wanted to kiss him more, stretch out and press her body to his. But they were still out in the open, and she wasn’t quite ready to go into the air-conditioning yet. Time to change the subject to one they hadn’t had much time to discuss amid the frenzied wedding plans. Once they’d decided to get married, there wasn’t any reason to wait.

“I thought you were crazy to rent out your house to Sean and his friends, but it seems to be working out.” Carter had moved all his things into her house and decided to rent his out instead of selling it.

Carter took her hand and stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “We raised a responsible kid, and we’ve known the other guys forever. I trust them to take care of the place more than I would a random stranger looking to rent a house.”

Shivers ran along her skin from his touch. She was burning up with desire but tried to keep her mind on the conversation. He swept her hair back and kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear. “I think I’m ready for some air-conditioning. How about you?”

They were on the same wavelength. “Oh yeah.”

Katie grinned, then popped to her feet and shook out the towels. The week in a honeymoon suite on the beach had been Donna and Pop’s wedding gift to them. They rinsed their feet off at the outdoor shower and headed into the hotel. When they reached their room, they were on the bed almost before the door closed behind them.

Katie sat alone on their cozy balcony that evening, watching the waves roll in by the light of the moon. Carter had crashed, sprawled and snoring softly on the king-size bed, but she couldn’t fall asleep. Too many thoughts whirled through her mind. Thoughts she hadn’t expected.

She could tell herself it was seeing the children playing on the beach that started it all, but that wouldn’t have been the truth. After Carter had moved in, they’d been curled up on the couch together watching something on TV one night, and she found herself wondering what a child of hers and Carter’s would look like. Would he or she have brown hair like his or Katie’s blond curls? If they had a son, would he grow to have broad shoulders like Carter’s? They’d surely be good looking like he was. And funny. And smart. She’d almost felt the precious weight of a baby in her arms that night, swore she could smell that soft, unmistakable baby scent. That night she’d pushed the thought away, but it kept pushing back.

Carter would make such a great dad. He’d proved it with Sean. When she saw the children in the sand earlier, she could picture Carter lying there, letting their kids cover him with sand, even knowing those little grains would get in everywhere. He’d love them to the moon and back. She smiled as her eyes teared. He’d given that up for her.

The door opened behind her, and Carter stepped out onto the balcony. He’d pulled on his shorts. He came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head but kept her gaze out over the ocean. “It’s so beautiful here.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “And every time I look at you, I want to jump your bones.”

“Jump my bones?” He chuckled as he tugged her up and into his arms. “Haven’t heard that phrase in a while.”

She rose up on her toes to brush her lips across his. “What can I say? It’s true.”

Carter lifted her up into his arms, then carried her back into the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Moonlight glowed through the window, giving her just enough light. She watched him step out of his shorts and still wanted to pinch herself because this was Carter and he was hers. He joined her on the mattress and slipped off her tank and panties while her skin buzzed with her need for him.

Her heart swelled with her love for him.

He kissed his way down her body, nibbled on her collarbone, suckled her nipples. Desire swam through her. When his hand swept down and splayed across her abdomen, Katie grasped his shoulders and dragged him up. She didn’t want to just lie there, no matter how good it felt. She needed to touch him, too. She needed to connect with him more than ever.

Carter kissed her again, then reached for a condom package from the pile he’d put on the nightstand. She didn’t think twice before she gently placed her hand on his arm.

“Let’s not use a condom.” Once Katie said the words out loud, she knew it was right.

He froze, stared at her as if she hadn’t spoken English. “What?”

She sat up and cupped his face. “Let’s just see what happens.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. The idea doesn’t even freak me out. It makes me happy.”

He sat back on his heels, frowning. “But you didn’t want another child.”

“I didn’t want to get married either, but look at me. Mrs. Colburn.”

“I don’t want you to ever think you and Sean weren’t enough for me. Because you are. You make me very happy.”

“But if we were to have a child?”

“Another reason to be happy.” Carter took her wrist and turned her arm so her tattoo showed. “But I don’t want you to give up your My Time.”

“I’m not giving up anything.”

“But you waited all this time to really live. To do all the things you want to do.”

She spread her arms wide. “I am living.” She brushed her fingertips over her tattoo. “I finally realized what this means is that I get to decide what I want to do with my time. That’s what’s important. I want to spend it with you. There’s a good chance it will never happen at this point anyway, but if we’re lucky enough, I want to have your child.” She threaded her fingers with his. “You’ll be a great dad.”

“And you’ll be a great mom.”

“I will.” She was older, more experienced, more appreciative now. “And I know I won’t be doing it alone.”

“Damn right. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

She kissed him again.

“What about all the items on your list?” he asked.

“I can do almost everything in my notebook with a family. Hey, maybe in a few years when we come back here, you’ll find yourself being buried in the sand by a couple of crazy little kids.”

With a half laugh, half cry, Carter stretched over Katie and filled her with one long, bare thrust. His moan echoed with hers off the walls. Overwhelming emotions pushed her over the edge almost immediately. Carter wasn’t far behind her, groaning as he came, filling her with love.

She’d been a fool to put her life on hold for so long, but thanks to Carter, she wasn’t making any more excuses. Whatever adventures the future held for them, Katie knew she could embrace them all with the love of the guy at her side.

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