The warm summer wind sweeps across my skin and rips strands of my hair out of the intricate up-do. I brush the strands back and pin them back in place.

I’m enjoying a glass of wine under the long canopy that offers shade to a dozen low reed tables. Chelsea and Neil wanted a laidback daytime, beach wedding reception and their wedding planner did an amazing job. The center of the tables are decorated with oyster shells strung together by white cords as well as flowers and tea light candles. Instead of chairs, soft cushions are placed on reed mats. In spite of the loud music, laughter, and chatter, I feel so relaxed my eyes are threatening to close by themselves.

“Excuse me,” I say to one of Neil’s cousins, who spent the last thirty minutes telling me how spaghetti is made. “I need to check up on my daughter.” I give him a polite smile and rise to my feet.

“No problem. It was nice talking to you.” He turns to the guest on the other side of him and continues the spaghetti story. I can’t help smiling as I walk toward the area that’s reserved for the kids, enjoying the feel of the sand between my toes.

Damien is sitting on a large cushion facing the sea, with Reese curled up in his lap. One of his hands lays gently on Reese’s curls.

Watching them together makes my heart clench. When he was in prison, it took me months before I gathered the courage to take Reese to visit him. And he was so moved that I started taking her to see him more often. It didn’t take long before Reese warmed up to him and they developed a bond. Every time I told her we’re going to visit “daddy” her eyes would dance and she would be incredibly animated. The deeper their relationship grew, the more distant the past became, the more I embraced the future.

I still had no idea where we would be once he got out, but I knew that if nothing else, we would be friends. The two years he was in prison, I had two short relationships and I told Damien about them when he asked. Although he always put on a brave face and told me he’s happy for me, his green eyes would darken with sadness. The truth is, no one I dated ever came close to making my heart flip over.

“Hi,” I say when I reach them. I sit down on the blue cushion next to him and adjust my long, beach dress around my legs. “She had too much fun?” I look down at Reese.

“Yes.” He chuckles. “And too much wedding cake.”

I smile. “I don’t like her eating much sugar, but since she’s the flower girl, I guess it’s her right.”

“It was a beautiful wedding,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I still can’t believe you came to Oaklow. The town holds—”

“Many bad memories for me, I know.” I wrap my arms around my legs. “But Chelsea is my best friend. I couldn’t miss her wedding even if I had to go to hell to attend it. Also, I didn’t think it was fair for me to forgive you and not Oaklow.” I laugh.

Damien lets out a ragged breath. “It kills me knowing your bad memories start with me.”

“But you’ve been doing a great job at repairing what you broke, as you promised you would. It’s been a year since you got out of prison and every day I’ve been waiting for you to return to the man you were in San Maureo, but you keep proving me wrong.”

After Damien came out of prison, earlier because he gave the authorities information about Judson in exchange for a shorter sentence, at the back of my mind I feared he might hurt me or Reese. Although he decided to stay in Boston, I kept a distance from him for three months, only allowing him to communicate with Reese over the phone. Even though I had forgiven him, I had felt more secure when there were bars between us and him. In the three months away from him I waited for him to slip, to do something stupid like stalking us so my fears could be confirmed. But he respected my decision until I finally gave him the benefit of the doubt and met him for lunch. It wasn’t long until we spent more time together, sometimes with Reese and sometimes just the two of us. Before I knew it we ended up in bed.

I’ve since accepted the fact that my body refuses to live without Damien. But this time is different. I’ve entered into this relationship with my eyes open. I’m the one with the power, the one calling the shots. I promised myself that if I detect even a flicker of his past evil self, I’ll walk away.

“The old Damien is gone, Ivy. He’ll never return because this is the man I always wanted to be. I can never put what I’ve found with you and Reese at risk.”

“I believe you.” I brush a lock of Reese’s hair from her forehead. “She looks so peaceful. And so beautiful. Sometimes I still can’t believe she’s our daughter.”

Silence falls between us then I feel him turn his head again, his eyes on the side of my face. I don’t look at him. “It’s the first time you’ve referred to her as our daughter,” he says.

“That’s what she is,” I say. “She may not have been planned, but she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“And to me.” He pauses. “You and Reese make me a better man. And I feel as though, in a way, Judson’s death set me free. I don’t think I’d have been able to have this life if he were alive.”

My heart clenches as it always does at the name Judson. “You think he was right when he said this world is too small for the both of you?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” Damien stares at Reese, at peace in his arms.

“I do believe you, you know,” I say softly. “I know you won’t go back to being—”

“A monster?”

I smile. “That’s not what I meant to say, but yes.” I bite my lower lip. “I find this hard to believe and I know many people probably think I’m crazy, but I love you, Damien. I love the man you’ve become.” I reach out and touch his cheek. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m ready for us to be a real family.”

“You’re ready to be my wife for the second time?”

I swat his arm playfully. “Not for the second time, silly. The last time doesn’t count. This will be the real thing.”

“Are you proposing to me, Rosebud?” His face breaks into a huge grin.

“No, you’re proposing to me.” I reach into his pocket and pull out the small leather box I returned to him when I met him after he left prison. “You’ve been carrying this around for a while, haven’t you?”

He nods. “I was waiting for the right time. To tell you the truth, I never thought I’d have the guts to ask you.”

“It’s okay, you can ask.” Tears fill my eyes. “This is the right time.”

“Ivy Hollifield,” he says, taking the box from me and flicking it open with a thumb. “Will you give me another chance to make things right? Will you be my wife?”

“Yes, Damien.” I wipe the tears from my eyes and kiss him on the lips. “I’ll allow you to repair my heart. I will be your wife.”

We kiss for a long time and he places the box on his thigh. Still kissing me, he removes the ring from the box and slips it onto my finger.

“I have a request,” I say when we stop to catch our breaths.

“Anything. It’s my duty to make your wishes come true.” His eyes glint with undiluted happiness.

“I want to get married here, in Oaklow. This beautiful town also needs its reputation repaired.”

He places a finger under my chin and lifts it. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“More than anything.” I get to my feet and reach for his hand. “Now let’s get our little angel to the hotel for a nap.”

“Can we celebrate tonight, you and me?” He gives me a mischievous grin.

“Of course.” I laugh. “Any ideas?”

“Let me just say, it involves me licking champagne from your belly button. But I’ll say no more than that in front of our daughter.”

I giggle as he gets to his feet with Reese in his arms and we walk into our future.

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