Page 80 of Tides of Discovery
“The website.” My voice broke on the words. “You did this?”
He nodded once, a short, jerky movement. “With some help,” he admitted, and in my peripheral vision, Mason gave a subtle thumbs-up. “I’ve been collecting those photos for months. Some from our friends. Some from Ryan. Some from my own files.”
Seventeen years. We’d known each other for seventeen years, circling each other like planets in separate orbits, coming close but never quite aligning until last year.
My hand trembled as I reached for the touchpad. My fingertip hovered over one “Yes” button as the screen blurred before me. I pressed down. The soft click sounded thunderous in the hushed shop.
Immediately, the screen exploded with digital confetti in every color imaginable, cascading down over the photos while a new message appeared:
Turn around.
I swiveled in my chair and nearly fell out of it in my haste. And there was Jack—no longer beside me but behind me, on one knee on the hardwood floor I’d swept just hours earlier. The surrounding coffee shop seemed to hold its collective breath, the silence absolute except for the pounding of my heart.
Lying in Jack’s outstretched palm was a ring: black matte metal with a shiny gold inlay that caught the afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows.
“Cooper McKay,” Jack said, his voice steady despite the emotion shining in his eyes, “I’ve been in love with you since we were nineteen years old. I just didn’t always show it. Will you be my partner for the rest of our lives?”
“Yes,” I breathed. The word escaped as if it had been waiting its whole life to be spoken. “Yes, Jack.”
I dropped to my knees in front of him. Around us, cheers erupted—Garrett’s deep whoop, Mason and Caleb’s synchronous applause, Lily’s delighted squeal, Ryan’s proud laughter—but they felt distant, separate from the bubble that seemed to enclose just the two of us.
Jack’s hands trembled slightly as he took mine and slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, the weight unfamiliar but immediately right, like it had always been meant to be there.
“I love you,” I whispered, the words inadequate for the emotion expanding in my chest, threatening to overflow.
His answering smile was radiant. Years of uncertainty and pretense melted away as he cupped my face in his hands. “I love you too.” And then his lips were on mine, warm and familiar and perfect.
The kiss tasted of promise and seventeen years of waiting. When we finally broke apart, reluctant but aware of our audience, Jack rested his forehead against mine, his breath warm against my lips.
“We need a new bargain,” he murmured, voice low enough that only I could hear.
“The Husband Pact.” I chuckled. “No rules. No expiration date.”
“I’m in.” His lips curved in a crooked smile.
Lily clapped her hands and demanded a cookie, Jessica wiped at her eyes, and our friends converged around us with congratulations and barely disguised I-told-you-sos. But in that moment, all I could see was Jack—my best friend, my lover, my fiancé—looking at me like I was the answer to a question he’d been asking his entire life.
After years of friendship, after four temporary weeks and finally finding our way to each other, we had arrived at this moment of perfect clarity: it started with an impulsive kiss, but it ended with lasting love.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER…
Jack
The scent of ancient redwoods enveloped me like a living embrace—earthy, primal, grounding. The fragrance of bark and soil, of life that had witnessed centuries pass, filled my lungs with each breath and settled my fluttering stomach. Above us, the towering canopy stretched toward an azure sky, massive branches swaying gently in the mountain breeze, and filtered the late afternoon sunlight into thousands of golden shafts that dappled the stone path beneath my polished shoes. The forest cathedral hummed with quiet expectancy, more sacred than any human-made structure.
A wildflower arbor stood ahead at the end of the path, a vibrant explosion of blues, purples, and sunset oranges against the deep emerald backdrop of old trees. My steps faltered for just a moment as my gaze fixed on what waited beyond the gathered guests.Cooper.
He stood at the top of the aisle, a vision in his tailored gray suit that hugged his shoulders perfectly, a carefully arranged boutonniere of wildflowers pinned to his lapel, just like mine.
God, he’s beautiful.
A rebellious lock of his dark hair had fallen across his forehead, despite the meticulous preparation I’d witnessed in our bathroom. The expression on his face was equal parts reverent and stunned. Love and disbelief mingled in those green eyes I’d come to know better than my own and hit me harder than any first look ever could, sending a wave of emotion through my chest that threatened to bring me to my knees before I’d even begun my walk.
I inhaled slowly, deliberately, as I started down the stone-paved path. The excited murmurs of our guests fell away into the reverential hush of the old-growth forest. The world seemed to narrow, focusing with crystal clarity on each precious detail: the soft crush of pine needles beneath each step, the delicate scent of wildflowers mixing with the redwoods’ earthiness, the butterfly that danced momentarily in a shaft of light before continuing on its journey.
I passed Mason and Caleb, their hands clasped together, both dabbing suspiciously at their eyes despite their earlier promises to not “get emotional.” Ethan and Noah stood nearby, and Noah bounced on his toes in excitement. Declan, Miles, Grayson, Landon, Matt, and many more friends nodded in greeting as I passed.
