Page 83 of Meet Me in Tahiti

He wasn’t going anywhere this time.

The woman he loved was finally standing right in front of him.

And this time, he’d never let her go.

THE END

Epilogue

One YearLater

The midday sunlightspilled across Florida’s Gulf Coast, the water a dreamy shade of blue that almost didn’t look real. From her suite on the bluff, Tessa stood on the tiled floor, gazing out through the open doors to the beach-front garden below where chairs were already being set up in neat rows on the lawn. White linens snapped in the breeze. The arch was draped in flowers she’d helped select—a mix of hibiscus and other local blooms.

“You ready to become Mrs. Captain Callen?” Marin grinned from behind her, slipping a black pearl earring into place. The bridesmaids had all decided to wear black pearls on their ears today in honor of the islands where the happy couple had met. Avery even wore the bracelet she’d gotten on their trip.

Tessa smiled, her chest swelling with something bigger than joy. “More than ready.”

The door swung open and Jenna, her hair in a sleek high ponytail, peered around the frame. “Okay, so I see hair’s done. Makeup’s done. You’re almost there.” She grinned. “Also, your groom just tried to sneak a peek, but Drew tackled him.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Tessa laughed. “Please tell me there’s video.”

“There is. And you’re getting it after the ceremony.”

The women giggled, swaying around each other as they passed champagne flutes and applied lip gloss, brushing out curls and adjusting straps on their ankle-length turquoise dresses. Tessa’s younger sister, as well as her closest friend from Cincinnati, were also here, eagerly playing their roles as bridesmaids, too.

Tessa glanced around at them. Her heart felt full to the brim.

It had taken time to get here. Trust. Patience. And a healthy dose of hope. But she’d never waited for anything—or anyone—more worth it.

And now it was happening. Today. It was all becoming a reality.

She stepped to the full-length mirror, smoothing her dress. It was simple, white, and elegant. No frills. Just soft fabric, strapless with a fitted bodice, and a flowing skirt that fluttered as she moved. She checked her hair, a high, twisted bun.

“You look stunning,” Marin said.

“Russ won’t know what hit him,” Avery added.

Tessa grinned. “Let’s hope he still says yes.”

“Oh, he will,” Jenna said. “I’ve never seen a man so gone for a woman.”

“I can’t even tell you how happy we are for you.” Marin’s lashes had become damp.

“I know.” Tessa pulled her in close for a hug that wouldn’t smudge her makeup. “Don’t you dare start crying or I’ll be a mess.”

Marin smiled, wiping the drops from her cheeks. “Got it. Stopping now.” She grinned, but Tessa could feel the warmth behind her words.

“It’s going to be perfect,” said Jenna, as she and Avery came over for one last look.

It would be, Tessa knew. But it didn’t have to be perfect. It just had to be her—and Russ—together. That’s all she wanted. All she needed. Because in the year since he’d returned, they’d become a team. Close friends, lovers, partners. The anchor that secured them both from drifting away in the current.

Outside, music drifted up the hill to the resort. Tessa’s pulse quickened.

“It’s time,” Jenna whispered, holding an arm out to link it with hers.

Tessa looked out again, her eyes finding the edge of the water.

This time, she wasn’t dreaming. She was building her future with the man she loved.

---