Page 134 of Desolation

“What did I know?” she asks.

“Okay, so maybe not her. But I knew you loved him, Mom. You looked at him the way you used to look at Dad. And thank God, you don’t look at Dad that way anymore. I would have to check you into the mental ward.”

Landon starts cracking up while I just look at my daughter, utterly stunned.

“What do you say, Mar? Kiss me already?”

I turn to him but don’t get the chance to answer. His lips are on mine and for the first time in a year everything feels right. I slide my arms around his neck and let myself feel everything I tried to forget. His hands are on my hips pulling me closer and I never want this kiss to end.

“Eww. Get a room. I didn’t mean for you to do that. Gross.” We both turn toward Makayla as she pretends to shudder. “Come on, Liv, let’s get outta here.”

My girls start to walk up the beach and I scramble to grab the rest of our things. Landon helps, then takes my hand as we follow them. “Liv, huh?”

“Olivia actually likes the name. Much better than Olive. Who knew moving here would mean they actually would get along?”

“I remember telling you this crazy idea I had. Pretty sure that was part of it.”

I nudge him in the shoulder. “I thought you hated that idea.”

“Nah, I was just too scared of the tide.”

I smile at him as we walk to the parking lot. We all pile into my new convertible, it might not be a ’59 Jag but a Mustang will do. I drive us along the coast to our favorite taco truck.

We spend the night laughing and joking. Landon has his hand on a part of me the whole time.

We take the girls to my mom’s new house while me and Landon drive the coast. I pull off the side of the 101 and park the car. I walk us down a path that leads to the beach.

“Where are we going?”

“To this place I found once. This guy took me there. We made promises to each other we weren’t sure we could keep.”

He presses a kiss to my neck. “Some guy, huh?”

He pulls me through the alcove and onto the jetty of rocks. “High tide tonight.”

“What’s that mean?”

“High tide means a sailor can make it home.”

“And where is home?”

He presses his hand to my cheek. “Wherever you are, Mar.”

“One truth?” I ask him.

He brings his forehead to mine, his breath a whisper of a promise across my lips. “I never stopped loving you, Mari. All this time my heart’s only beat for you.”

Epilogue

Mari

Six Months Later…

“Are you excited to be my sister-in-law?” Tacoma squeals into my ear.

“She is excited she is getting married!” Rebecca retorts.

I look into the mirror. A cream colored vintage dress made of chiffon and lace covers my curves and hits just below my knee. Fashionable but comfortable. Landon asked me to marry him last month. He said he was tired of waiting. If we could fall in love in three weeks, we could get married six months after getting back together.

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