Page 113 of Girl Lost
Corbin’s eyes never left her face as she approached. The love and awe she saw there made her knees weak. How had God blessed her with so much? To not only find her way back to him but to build this beautiful family together?
Their vows were simple, honest. Promises to love, support, and cherish. To face whatever came their way as partners, equals. When they kissed, Luna poured every ounce of love and gratitude into it.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. King,” the officiant announced.
A thrill ran through her at her new name. A name chosen, not assigned. A name that represented family, love, belonging.
The reception, held under a white tent on the beach, was everything she had never allowed herself to dream of. Soft lights twinkled overhead, casting a warm glow over the gathering. The cellist continued to play, his music a gentle backdrop to the joyous conversations around them.
Corbin leaned in close. “How are you feeling, Mrs. King?”
She savored the words, the newness of them. “Happy,” she replied. “Impossibly, wonderfully happy.”
Yet, even in this moment of joy, there was a twinge of sadness. She glanced at the empty chair they’d left for Stryker. “I just wish he could be here.”
Corbin squeezed her hand. “We’ll celebrate again when he wakes up. You know how stubborn he is. He won’t stay down for long.”
She nodded, clinging to that hope. Stryker had survived so much. Surely he could survive this too.
The cellist took a break, and Trinity and Summer commandeered the music system, identical mischievous grins on their faces.
Trinity grabbed the microphone. “Time for the father-daughter dance!”
Her heart swelled as she watched Corbin dance with both girls, his face alight with joy. He twirled them, laughed with them, treasuring each moment. This was what they’d fought for, what they’d risked everything to protect.
Tori and Harlee joined her at the table, and Luna marveled at how far they’d all come. From scared, angry teenagers to this—a family forged through love and shared experiences.
Tori gestured to the celebration around them. “Did you ever imagine you’d end up here?”
She shook her head. “Never. But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
They chatted about the ongoing investigations, the loose ends they were still tying up. But tonight wasn’t about work. Tonight was about new beginnings and second chances.
The yacht cut through the turquoise waters between Miami and Dry Tortugas National Park, a private sanctuary where the Gulf of Mexico met the Caribbean. For their honeymoon, Corbin had chartered the luxury yacht,Ohana Rising, complete with a personal chef and crew. A floating refuge where they could disappear from the world, from everything that had chased them.
As night fell, they stood on the deck, watching the sun sink into the sea. Corbin’s arms wrapped around her, solid and sure. An anchor after years of drifting. Her body melded into his, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her back.
“I still can’t quite believe how much our lives have changed,” Corbin said. “Do you ever regret leaving the CIA?”
Regret?
Summer’s laughter drifted through her mind. Trinity’s bright smile. Their makeshift family they’d stitched together from the shattered pieces of their past.
She shook her head. “Not for a second. This is what’s real. Us. Our family. It’s what I’ve been searching for all along, I just didn’t know it.” She turned, facing him. “I’m looking forward to this new normal. Together. And I’ll keep helping out at the gym as long as Stryker’s in the hospital. Recruiting assets and turning them to the good side will still be my job. Just with better hours and a lot less danger,” she added with a smile.
They ate dinner on the deck and talked about Summer in college and Trinity not far behind, both proud and a little wistful.
A seagull carved lazy arcs across the amber-streaked sky. “I’m glad they’re going together,” Luna said. “And that Trinity’s heart is stronger than ever. She can finally live the life she deserves.”
Corbin was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. “You know, I’ve been thinking about how lonely it might be without them. What do you think about extending our family? Doing it right this time. The pregnancy, the diapers, the late-night feedings—all of it.”
Luna’s world tilted. Another child? An opportunity to experience all the moments they’d missed with Summer and with each other. She looked into Corbin’s eyes and knew her answer.
“Whatever comes next,” she said, “I’m all in. As long as we’re together.”
“Always,” Corbin promised, and she knew it was true.
Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them side by side.
