Page 265 of At the Edge of Surrender

The tragedy.

The loss.

The things that we would give anything to change.

Except for this one single thing.

The connection that burned bright between us.

Blinding.

Gripping.

Perfecting.

He finally eased back, gaze fierce and sincere.

“I love you, Emery Voss. My soul recognized you in a heartbeat. This beautiful girl who’d fought with everything she had. One who’d struck a chord inside me. One that lit a fire in the depths of me. And maybe your light was dimmed, but no more. And it will be my honor to watch you glow for the rest of our lives.”

EPILOGUES

Kane

Flames flickeredand leaped for the darkened sky, the logs crackling and popping where we sat around the campfire. The heavens stretched overhead, going on forever, the blanket of stars so clear where we had set up camp in the private cove near the lake where our family often spent our Sunday afternoons having picnics.

This time, we were spending the entire weekend out here. Surrounded by every member of this incredible family.

This family that had grown and woven into me.

Threads that I hadn’t known I’d been missing.

I was still having a hard time fully wrapping my head around the fact that they were mine. No clue that this kind of joy even existed.

A peal of laughter wound with the peace. “Look it, Daddy! Look it!”

Maci giggled like mad as she held the long metal rod with a marshmallow at the end over the open flames. The white, gooey blob bubbling to a golden perfection right in front of her eyes.

“I see it. You’re doing a great job,” I told her. “It’s almost ready.”

I sat right behind her on a blanket that we’d strewn across the grass-covered ground, hugging her close to make sure she didn’t get too close to the campfire.

Emery was right next to us, her sweet little body tucked up next to mine, radiating all her beauty and light.

Her gorgeous face lit in the glinting leaps of the flames.

“I told you that you were gonna do a really super great job,” Nolan told Maci from where he sat next to her roasting his own marshmallow with his dad on the other side of him watching him closely, though his dog, Rocky, was basically on his lap, doing a little protecting of his own.

His tail wagging nonstop.

My sweet nephew was finally getting his camping trip, even though it was about six weeks late. After everything had gone down, we wanted to give Emery and Maci time to readjust. Time to heal and rest and find the relief in the fact that they were safe.

To settle into this brand-new life after they had been so close to losing it.

My chest tightened as I wrestled with the thought. How close that fucker Tyke had gotten to stealing my heart right out of me. Our minds still twisted over the truth of what we’d discovered.

The connection that Emery and I shared was so much greater than we’d imagined. This thing that had burned between us an affinity only our spirits had recognized.

But I got it now. The depths of what we meant to each other.

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