Page 103 of Summer on Sunshine Bay

Eva repeated her vows to James, and Lila gave her James’s wedding band, which she slipped onto his finger.

Father Patrick smiled. “I now pronounce you partners for life. You may kiss.”

James gave her a quick kiss, took her by the hand, said, “Excuse me, Father,” and ducked through the arch, pulling Eva along with him.

“James!” “Dad!” “Where are you going?”

“To make out with my wife! We’ll see you at Windemere in an hour,” he yelled over his shoulder.

“Make that two hours!” Eva lifted her dress as she ran along the shore with her husband.

Epilogue

It was a cold, blustery day in December, a north wind tapping on the frosted windowpane and dancing on the silver-gray bay. But inside La Dolce Vita, it was warm and cozy. The restaurant was filled with the sounds of laughter and cutlery clinking, and colorful lights were strung behind the bar, twinkling on the Christmas tree and smiling faces at the surrounding tables.

Lila sat tucked in the corner of the family table while the rest of the Rosettis served the staff and their families at the annual Christmas party. Lila hadn’t been home during the holiday season in years, and she’d been making up for it this past couple of weeks. But as her due date went by and the snow began to fly, her family, David, Jennifer, and Luke had insisted she stay close to home, which meant she’d missed the Holly Jolly Shop and Stroll on Main Street.

She didn’t complain, though. She was happy just to hang out with her family and friends, and at least she’d gotten to watch the Jingle Bell Run from the deck at La Dolce Vita. Besides, she was beyond uncomfortable at this stage of her pregnancy.

The door off the deck opened, bringing with it a gust of unwelcome frigid air, along with a welcome sight. It didn’t matter that she’d seen Luke mere hours earlier; her heart pitter-pattered against her ribs. If the baby hadn’t started kicking at that exact moment, Lila had no doubt the pitter-patter would have been joined by the same fluttery feeling in her stomach that she always got when the man she loved walked into a room or gave her a slow smile that was meant only for her. The same smile that crinkled the corners of his gorgeous gray eyes when he turned to see her sitting there.

He walked over, bending down to kiss her. His lips were cold, but his kiss was warm and sweet.

She smacked her lips together as he took the seat beside her. “Chocolate fudge?” Whenever Luke went out on a delivery, he came back with a care package of Christmas baked goods.

He smiled as he removed his Santa hat and jacket. “Yep. I saved the vanilla for you.”

She looked down at her stomach. “Thanks. So how did the deliveries go?” He’d been working flat out since October, trying to fulfill orders for paddleboards before Christmas.

“Great. Last delivery of the year. I’m all yours until after the holidays.”

“Mm, I like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” he said, blowing on his hands. Once he’d warmed them, he placed his palm on her stomach, grinning when the baby kicked. “What do you think? Is today the day?”

“She seems happy to stay right where she is. If she’s anything like my mother, she’ll want to make a grand entrance. She’ll probably wait until Christmas Eve.” She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You’re tired. You wanna head upstairs? I left Admiral at your place.”

Lila had insisted that her father keep the beach house for himself and her mother, and Lila was living in the apartment she’d grown up in. She’d baby- and dog-proofed the apartment a couple of months earlier, even though she spent the majority of her time at Luke’s. They’d agreed to take their relationship slowly. Lila had a baby on the way and was working hard to make a success of her business. Between his businesses and taking care of the women in his family, Luke was busy too.

Surprisingly, Lila’s mother hadn’t made any changes at the beach house. Then again, her parents had been making up for lost time. Lila glanced to where they stood kissing under the sprig of mistletoe her father held over her mother’s head. Lila didn’t see the honeymoon phase ending anytime soon for those two.

She snuggled into Luke. “Maybe I’ll take a quick nap on you. I want to hang around until Santa makes his appearance and get some pictures and video.”

Luke wrapped his arms around her. “I’m happy to be your pillow, but just so you know, it might be a while before Santa makes his appearance. I heard suspicious noises coming from your grandmother’s apartment when I walked by.”

Bruno was playing Santa. He’d gone to put on his costume close to an hour ago. Of course, her grandmother had gone with him. The two had been inseparable since Bruno had made a surprise appearance—without Ana or a ring on his finger—at Carmen’s birthday two weeks before.

They’d learned that he hadn’t been able to go through with the wedding. It was the happiest Lila had seen her grandmother since Bruno had left in September. Those months without him in Sunshine Bay had been tough on everyone.

“Captain Luke! Captain Luke! Did you see Santa? He’s late, and we think he’s lost,” one of Heather’s twins said, running over to grab Luke by the hand. “Come on, let’s go look for him.”

His brother joined him, tugging on Luke’s other hand. “Yeah, Captain Luke, come on. You can find him.”

“Yeah. If anyone can find him, you can, Captain Luke,” Lila teased.

“Thanks a lot.” He leaned in and kissed her.

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