Page 84 of Shades of You

And it was perfect.

Epilogue

Hunter

THE FOLLOWING JUNE

Calypso Key’sannual Sea and Sand Festival was in full swing, a panorama of sounds, scents, and colors across the broad meadow between the Barn and the Big House. The scent of salty ocean air mixed with the savory aroma of grilled seafood, while flame trees dotted the landscape, their fiery blossoms vibrant against the clear blue sky. I hadn’t attended since I was a teenager, so today would be extra special.

For multiple reasons.

The day was picture-perfect for festivities, but the main attraction for us was the sandy area where an age-old rivalry was turning into a friendly match of beach volleyball. The Markhams were on one side of the net and the Coleridges the other. This marked the first time the Coleridges had ever set foot at the festival, let alone played in a game, andthe positive energy buzzing between our two families was something I never thought I’d witness.

Brenna stood beside me, her ponytail swishing as she got ready to serve the ball. We were playing the first half of the game with her family, and despite our history, the camaraderie felt as natural as the sand beneath our feet.

“Hey, Hunter, who are you two rooting for?” Evan’s voice rang out across the net, his grin sly.

“Whichever side we’re on!” I shot back, unable to suppress my own smile. In addition to Brenna and me, Ben, Harper, and Eli made up the Coleridge contingent. Ben moved with a sense of newfound purpose, his past troubles shedding with each leap and dive. And his return to Calypso Key was much more encouraging this time. As the ball sailed toward us over the net, Brenna dove, sending it spinning to me. I set it up, and Eli launched into the air to spike it home.

Brenna and I switched sides halfway through the match. Gabe and Aiden stepped out for a breather, and Austin and Braden took our places on the Coleridge side. Evan and I played like two sides of the same coin. He had a knack for setting up the ball just right, and with my height, I loved to spike it into the sand.

Many of the guys around us were shirtless, including Evan. I doubted I’d ever be comfortable exposing my scarred torso in public. But I’d continued to add color to my wardrobe, and today I wore a dark orange T-shirt to go with my black board shorts. With Brenna by my side, every spike and every serve felt like a small victory.

Stella was taking a break from manning the barbecue both, and her competitive edge was evident in every move she made. Wyatt’s laughter was a constant backdrop to our playsas he rushed to tap the ball over the net. The Coleridges won the next point, then Eli performed a high, arching serve. The volleyball soared against the brilliant June sky toward us. I could almost feel the collective breath of the crowd held tight as Evan watched its movement, then set it up perfectly. With a resounding smack, I sent the ball hurtling over the net, securing another point for the Markhams.

“Game point!” Stella called out. We rallied, sweat-slick and sun-glazed, our eyes locked on the Coleridges.

“Come on, Noah, cheer for Uncle Evan and Uncle Hunter!” April’s laughing voice lilted from the sidelines, where she cradled her son close to her chest. She held his arm up in a mock cheer as he stared at the crowd, eyes round with fascination. Gabe stood beside her with his hand resting over her shoulder. Young Noah was the spitting image of his father, pure Markham all the way. Though he was blessed to have inherited his mother’s happy personality, thank God. Despite me being several inches taller, Gabe would always be my big brother. The pair had blossomed in their new role, and Hailey positively doted on her little brother.

My eyes were pulled back to the match as Harper served, and the game climaxed in a long volley that tested the limits of reflex and resolve. We were all gasping for air, muscles burning, when Wyatt made a daring save, setting me up for the final shot. Leaping into the air, I spiked the ball into the sand on the far side.

“And that’s the win!” Evan proclaimed with raised arms, but there was no sting in his triumph, only the warm embrace of shared exultation.

“Next year, we’ll take you down,” Ben said, smiling as he offered his hand to Evan.

“Lookingforward to it,” Evan replied, clasping Ben’s hand firmly.

I watched my brother shake hands, but the vision filling my mind was of a sunrise morning several months ago. A ceremony where he pledged his life to Liv on the bluff behind the Big House. When Evan had asked me to be his best man, it was one of the best moments of my life. And I’d stood there just behind him that morning, feeling pride and love so fierce it threatened to crack me open.

My heart was still full as I caught the sun glinting off his wedding ring when he walked off the court. It struck me how much everything had changed, and my gaze panned back to Gabe, April, and their little family. Their wedding was the catalyst that had started all this.

And we weren’t done yet.

Brenna’s hand found mine as we walked away, her fingers weaving through mine like they’d always belonged there. Around us, the festival buzzed with life. Parts of our families peeled off toward the Conch Republic beer garden, while others fell in behind us to take in the rest of the activities.

“Feels like we’ve rewritten history, doesn’t it?” Brenna mused, taking in the people around us.

“Rewritten, or maybe just… continued it in a better direction.”

The blending of our families today was a testament to Brenna’s vision, her unyielding belief that the past didn’t have to dictate the future. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, of course. Careless words occasionally slipped out of a mouth. But now they were forgiven. Then forgotten.

“Either way, I’m glad you’re part of my story,” she said, leaning into me slightly as we navigated through the crowd.

“I plan to stay that way.”

We passed Garrett and Myles, exchanging good-natured hellos with them. They were with a group of guys they’d become good friends with. I was glad to see them settle into Dove Key and make it their home, and I occasionally hung out with the gang too. But more than anyone, my two friends understood that today was about family for me.

We still made rounds at Calypso Key as members of KeyMark, which now included Ben on a part-time basis. And we provided a physical presence to reassure guests and dissuade anyone else who might not be thinking happy thoughts. But no further security incidents had happened, and I was confident we were providing my family’s business with the perfect amount of security.

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