Tegan & Ryland

 

The sun set, but the party continued late into the night, a glitter of candlelight and lanterns, and the silver of the half-moon reflecting off the ocean. Tegan had long since switched her heels for sneakers; she spun around in a swirl of bridesmaid silk and danced in the sand until her feet hurt.

“Happy?” Ryland asked. He’d abandoned his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He spun her again, then pulled her into his arms.

Tegan caught her breath against him, dizzy. “Yes,” she answered, holding on tight.

Everything had worked out just the way it should.

Dex and Alicia were singing champagne-fueled karaoke with the other members of his band; Blake and Zoey snuggled up sharing a slice of cake, and even Ash, who she’d become resigned to winding up alone, was slow-dancing with Noelle, their foreheads touching as they exchanged soft whispers in the dark.

Her brothers had all found someone—a love to share their lives. They were settled now, no longer broken, the shadows of the past erased under the glow of warmth and new beginnings.

And Tegan had a love all her own.

Suddenly, a happy cry broke through her thoughts. Zoey came charging towards them, holding out her phone. “It’s up, it’s up!” she exclaimed.

“What is?”

“The video! Delta Lane!”

Tegan’s heart skipped. “They said it wasn’t launching until next week.”

Zoey shrugged. “I guess it leaked early. Look!”

She showed Tegan the phone screen, and Blake and Ryland crowded in too behind her. Zoey hit play, and the music video began to run: a gorgeous slow ballad.

Tegan’s song.

She held her breath, hardly able to believe it. A song she’d written had been recorded by a major singer, and now, the whole world would see it too.

Ryland squeezed his arms around her tight. “You did it, baby.” He grinned. “Straight to the top of the charts.”

“Don’t say that!” Tegan gulped. “I don’t want to jinx anything.” She still hadn’t wrapped her head around the whirlwind. Before this year, her songwriting had always been private, her own personal therapy. But Ryland’s support had given her the confidence to share her work wider, and soon her demos had earned attention from some of the biggest record labels around.

The video finished, and Zoey immediately hit play again, but Tegan shook her head. “Later, I’m still all emotional from the wedding, and I want to absorb it properly.”

Zoey gave her a huge hug. “I’m so proud of you,” she beamed. “I’m going to track down our music teacher from tenth grade and email him the link. What did he say about you?”

“That I was sadly lacking in any musical ability,” Tegan laughed, remembering the snooty man who tried to make them sing chorus.

“Well, he can go suck it,” Zoey crowed. “My best friend’s a world-famous songwriter. Or, will be,” she added.

Tegan felt her excitement bubble up. She’d been waiting for something to happen, some reason for this dream to slip away, but it was still really happening, everything she ever wanted.

Ryland watched her, loving the glow of happiness on her face. She’d worked so hard to make it this far, and he’d never stopped believing in her. She deserved this; she deserved nothing but the best.

The party was finally winding down, only a smaller group left outside. “Let’s take a walk,” he tugged on Tegan’s hand. “Come on, I want to get my feet wet.”

“You guys go ahead,” Zoey told them. “I think we’re going to call it a night. See you tomorrow?”

“We were thinking breakfast at the diner,” Blake added. “For anyone still in town.”

“Or conscious,” Zoey grinned.

“Sounds great, we’ll see you there,” Ryland replied. He grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair and draped it carefully around Tegan’s shoulders as they headed onto the sand. The breeze was cooler here, swallowing up the party noise until the crashing waves were the only thing they could hear.

Tegan slipped an arm around his waist and hugged tightly. “I can’t believe it!” She sounded dazed. “I thought for sure they’d change their mind, or choose another track for lead single.”

“When are you going to believe good things happen?” Ryland scolded her gently.

Tegan arched an eyebrow. “Says Mr. Pessimistic himself.”

Ryland chuckled. “OK, so maybe you bring out the optimist in me.” He paused, looking out at the curve of the dark horizon, and the lights glittering on the other side of the bay. There was a time he’d thought he’d never come back to this town. Now, it was the only home he could imagine.

The place where the two of them would build their tomorrow.

He turned back to Tegan, her dark eyes shining in the moonlight. “How about we make a deal?” he said, loving her with everything he had. “No more thinking the worst, not for us. We’ve made it through the worst, and now there’s nothing but blue skies ahead.”

Tegan’s smile soften with emotion. “Deal,” she nodded, and reached up to kiss him. Then she pulled back, and her smile turned mischievous. “Let’s go swimming.”

“Now?”

“You heard me,” Tegan beamed. She reached behind her to undo her dress, and Ryland’s pulse kicked.

The silk dropped to the sand. Tegan gave him a wink.

“Last one in the water buys breakfast!”

 

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