Epilogue

 

SIX MONTHS LATER

 

- CAMDEN -

 

 

It’s fucking cold and fucking wet.

I know—the voice in my brain sounds like a petulant brat, especially when Stella’s grandmother was telling me just yesterday that this fifty-degree weather is actually unseasonably warm for Pennsylvania right now.

But there’s this part of me, as I stand on the covered porch with Stella watching the rain fall in thick sheets, that makes me want to bundle her up and take her right back to Hawaii where she belongs.

“Does it always rain here, Uncle Cam?”

I smile. “It rains in Hawaii, too, sweetheart.”

“Not on the Kona side of the island,” she says smartly.

I chuckle. “You’re right, kiddo. It doesn’t rain too often there.”

Her lower lip protrudes. “I don’t want to stay here.”

Her words are like a punch to my gut. I don’t want her to stay here either. Never in my life would I have thought I’d be so reluctant to let this little girl leave my side.

Two weeks ago, when her grandma said she’d fully recovered and would love to take Stella for the last few months of Lancaster’s deployment, I’d met the news with what could only be described as silent hostility.

Until Dodger talked some sense into me. Her grandparents are family, too, he’d reminded me. And Stella could have some precious memories with them before her dad gets back.

Still, I’d refused to send her on a plane to the other side of the world without checking out the situation for myself.

Her grandparents live on a picturesque plot of land in the middle of rural Pennsylvania. They have a goat and a few chickens and plenty of kids in the area for Stella to play with. Even though I hate to admit it, a little time here will build a bond between her and her grandparents just as strong as the one my brothers and I have with her.

I’d be selfish to keep her away.

But then I hear Stella say things like this, and I just don’t want to let her go.

“You remember that you can call me anytime. And if you ever need me, I’ll be on a plane before you can even hang up the phone.”

“I miss Uncle Dodger and Uncle Fen already.”

“And they miss you.”

“And I’ll miss Annie.”

I glance sideways toward the front door of the house. Annie’s in the kitchen giving some last minute instructions to Stella’s grandmother—instructions she’s already given her about four times. But like me, Annie’s just trying to stay busy so that she doesn’t completely fall apart.

“Annie’s going to miss you, too,” I answer.

She sniffles. “But I’ll miss you most.”

Ohhhhh shit.

My eyes well up like a baby who’s just had his favorite toy pulled away from him. Her words are like knives, slicing through my hard exterior and letting the mushy goo inside of me pour out.

“I’ll miss you, too, little angel.” I kiss her on the top of her head. “But you’re going to come visit me a lot, okay? When your dad gets back, he said he’ll bring you out to Hawaii for a vacation soon. You can show him the island.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. In fact—” I pause an instant, reducing my volume to a whisper. “—I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m going to ask Annie to marry me. And if she says yes, I want you to come back to Hawaii and be our flower girl.”

Her eyes light. “Really?”

I smile because I can picture it now, Stella’s cherub face crowned with plumeria blossoms and the bottom of a miniature gown sweeping along the sand at the beach wedding I can already envision in my mind.

“Really,” I tell her.

“Do you think she’ll say yes?”

“I hope so. I bought her a really pretty ring, just to increase my chances.” I glance over my shoulder at the door and pull it out of my pocket to show Stella. I’ve been carrying it since we boarded the plane twenty-four hours ago, nearly getting caught by Annie in security when I had to dump my pockets into the bin.

Fortunately, Annie was focused on Stella at the time.

“When are you going to ask her?”

“Probably sometime in the next few days,” I tell her. Annie and I plan to drive to my parents in Ohio tomorrow. I thought maybe she should meet my family beforehand so she knows what she’s getting into if she says yes.

Her eyes wide, Stella shakes her head slowly. “No, no. You should do it now, Uncle Cam.”

I laugh, looking out at the thick raindrops and unable to think of a more inappropriate setting. “I was thinking more like at a candlelight dinner, Peanut. Don’t you think that would be nice?”

“Please?” she begs in a sugary sweet tone that is hard to refuse.

“How about this? I’ll call you as soon as she says yes, okay?”

She shakes her head adamantly. “Please? Please ask her now. Then I’ll know I get to be a flower girl.”

I shouldn’t even consider indulging her like this. I’ve heard women love to retell the stories of their marriage proposals to their friends and family. And somehow, I just don’t think doing it on a weather-beaten front porch on a rainy day is going to impress anyone.

But then again, I’m not sure I’ll do any better in Ohio after she’s been inundated by my family. In fact, it might benefit me to seal this deal before my mom and dad riddle her with questions and express their hopes of being grandparents ASAP.

My eyes meet Stella’s.

“Do it now, Uncle Cam,” she urges. “She’ll never say no if I tell her I want to be a flower girl.”

True enough. But it’s probably not the basis for a lifelong commitment.

Though it might help build my case.

“You think?” I ask.

She beams as she nods, then jumps from her seat. “Annie, Annie, come here! Uncle Cam wants to ask you something!”

I manage to slide the ring box back into my pocket before Annie pops her head out the screen door.

At the sight of her, it’s like the rain just disappeared. I can still hear it pommeling the roof of the porch. I can still feel the thick humidity in the air. But to me, the sun just burst from the clouds.

And all I can think is, if not now, when?

Stella tugs Annie’s hand as she guides her over to me.

“Uh, Annie…” I begin.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t practiced this moment a hundred times since I made that trip to the jeweler in Waikoloa. But now I find myself stammering my next words. “Uh… I sort of planned to do this after we visited my family. But Stella here thinks I should do this now.”

Annie glances from me to Stella, then back to me. She looks bewildered. Who wouldn’t be? How many men can face down terrorists, yet seem to crumble in resolve at the request of a little girl?

But since Stella is the reason Annie and I were brought together in the first place, maybe her presence makes a little bit of sense.

I send Stella my best here-goes-nothing look and drop to one knee.

Holy shit. I’m really doing this.

“Annie…” My entire speech, one paraphrased from sentimental greeting cards I perused in the store, evaporates from my mind. But I take comfort in the slow, tentative grin that I see sliding up Annie’s cheeks at the sight of me on one knee.

“Tell me you didn’t just drop something,” she breathes out.

“No!” Stella chimes in quickly. “He wants to marry you so that I can be a flower girl!”

Not good. If my brothers hear that Stella did the proposing, I’ll never hear the end of it.

I cringe, looking up at Annie. “For the record, I want to marry you for a few other reasons than that.” I pull the box out of my pocket again and open it. “I want to marry you because I live in the middle of paradise. But it’s not because of the weather or the palm trees or the ocean. It’s because you’re with me. And I want that forever with you.”

Tears fill her eyes as she brings her fingertips up to her lips.

“I love you, Annie,” I tell her—words I’ve become so accustomed to these past months, yet still never tire of hearing fall from my lips. “Will you marry me?”

I’m not stupid. Well, most of the time I’m not. So when I see her face glowing like the best sunset on A-Bay, I should feel pretty confident she’s about to deliver good news.

Still, I hold my breath.

“Yes, Cam,” she breathes out. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Stella lets out a squeal as I rise and take Annie into my arms.

I don’t mind sharing the embrace with Stella when she scrambles over and wraps her arms around us both. I don’t mind at all.

Because I’ll have the rest of my life to hold Annie close.

I’m looking forward to every minute of it.