EPILOGUE

 

 

“How’d you talk her into this, if it’s a surprise?”

Jack was lounging against the side of the yacht, looking way more at ease than Archie felt. Distracted, he tugged at the collar of his tuxedo shirt, and wondered if that thing was strong enough to support Jack’s weight. What was that thing called anyhow? A…half-wall? In all his roles, he’d never had to learn his way around a yacht. But since he’d bought Chasing Change for Cait, he was going to have to learn.

Still, his friend was waiting for an answer, as was Cait’s brother, who was standing nonchalantly by, enjoying Archie’s nervousness.

“I…” He cleared this throat. “I told her I wanted her to help me christen the yacht with a nice dinner out on deck.”

Patrick grinned. “So right now, my sister is below, thinking she’s getting ready for a quiet date with you, not realizing her family and closest friends are up here, waiting?”

Stated like that, it did sound bad. “Uhh…yes.”

Patrick smiled and met the eyes of his parents, the stately couple standing beside Archie’s Mum. Mrs. Quinn, a tall African-American woman, was just as regal as her daughter could be, but Cait had obviously gotten her shorter stature and strength from her father. The older man pushed his glasses up further on his nose and gave Archie a cheery wave.

Cait didn’t know they were here. She didn’t know anyone was here.

Maybe he should’ve warned her. But the unexpectedness was what made this so perfect for them, as far as Archie was concerned. He’d spent months jetting around the world with her, and he  knew—he knew, down to the marrow of his bones—that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

So he’d pulled out that stunning white strapless gown she’d surprised him with at the premiere of Big Sky Divide—a box office sensation—all those months ago, and flown her family and Katie, as well as his mother and Jack, out to Hawaii where the yacht was waiting.

As far as he was concerned, with Chasing Change under them, he and Cait could go anywhere in the world for their honeymoon…as long as they ended in Australia in March, where he’d start filming his next project. In between shots, he intended to take her to the Great Barrier Reef to learn to scuba dive.

And he’d do it knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she’d love whoever he became.

Jack cleared his throat. “Did she ever tell you what she did with that money you sent?”

Archie blinked. Had he really never told his friend about that? About how she’d sold her dreams to chase him down? The memory of her sacrifice still stole his breath away, and he renewed his vows to make her happy.

“Yeah,” he said simply. Then, remembering what Cait had told him about Riston Elementary needing new books, and about how much Jack enjoyed visiting his sister in Riston when he had the opportunity, Archie had an idea. “I’ll have to make sure you get a chance to visit the school where she donated it.”

Jack’s scowl had to be world-famous by this point, since it was plastered on every movie poster. “What are you talking about?”

But before Archie could tease his friend further, they were interrupted.

“She’s coming! She’s coming!”

Katie’s frantic whisper as she burst out of the door to the cabins—Archie really was going to have to learn the name of these boat-parts—shook him out of his daydreams of the future. He let out a long, slow breath.

Okay. Here goes.

Jack clapped him on his shoulder. “Good luck, man.”

Archie nodded and started across the deck towards his destiny.

 

 

Cait felt like a princess. At Archie’s request, she was wearing the gown she’d purchased at that fancy boutique to wear to his launch party, although without the professional stylest she’d met with that afternoon all those months ago, her hair and makeup weren’t nearly as magical.

Oh well. In the months since that party, Archie had seen her muddy and sweaty and bruised and in one memorable—and scary—occasion, bloody from a fall down a canyon in South America. He’d held her then, kissed her no matter how she looked, and she knew he loved her.

Still, a girl didn’t mind getting dressed up every once in a while. Especially while bobbing around on this gorgeous yacht. Archie claimed he’d purchased it for her, but he’d been a kid in a candy store, showing it off, and she loved the idea of “sailing” to Australia with him.

But first they were going to have a romantic dinner under the stars together.

Cait, less concerned about her appearance than she’d been the last time she’d worn this gown, was holding the hem up as she stepped out onto the deck. Looking up, she met her brother’s grinning expression with a shocked gasp, dropped the dress and grabbed the door handle, just as Archie appeared in front of her.

He was wearing a tuxedo. Well, she was wearing a gown, but why was he wearing a tuxedo with her family and Katie and oh-em-gee was that Jack Raven over there?

“What’s going on, Archie?” she asked in a somewhat frantic whisper.

His smile was a little weak, and he leaned towards her. “I think it’s traditional to get down on one knee in these situations, Cait…but I’m so nervous my knees are knocking, so I think I’ll just stay upright, if it’s okay with you.”

“’These situations’?” Her eyes narrowed. “Archibald St. John, you bought me a yacht. You made me get all dressed up. You’re wearing a tuxedo, and don’t think I don’t notice your best friend and Ricky over there wearing matching boutonnieres.” Katie was bouncing up and down in a pretty mauve gown, as well, but Katie was always excited about something. “It seems to me that you might maybe, possibly, be up to something.”

This time his grin was full-blown and a little lopsided. Since he’d shaved off Jeneske’s mountain man beard, he’d gone through every iteration of facial hair she could imagine. It seemed that when it came to beards, Archie liked to change things up.

She did too.

Today he was clean-shaven and he…

Oh.

He was wearing those same black cowboy boots.

“Will you marry me, Caitlin Quinn?” His voice was that same growly timbre she’d heard up on top of McIver’s mountain, and she loved it.

“Did you get all these people together and then spring a marriage ceremony on me?” she asked teasingly.

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “The captain can marry us, right here and now. We’re all dressed for it, and we can start off on our honeymoon cruise tomorrow morning.”

“And leave all our guests in Hawaii by themselves?”

“I’m sure they’ll be able to find some amusements.” His eyes twinkled with joy.

She loved this man so, so, very much.

Archie took her hand in both of his. “Cait, please say you’ll marry me here and now. I want you—all of you—in my life forever. I want to grow old with you, one adventure after another. I want to wake up each morning and not know what the day will bring, but that we’ll meet it together.”

“Oh, Archie.” Cait melted, and reached up to cup his smooth cheek. “Don’t ever change.” No, wait, that wasn’t what she’d wanted to say. “I mean, I do want you to change. I don’t want you to think I only love you for Archie St. John, who has one blue eye and one green eye and learned to fish from his Mum. I fell in love with Clay Jeneske and Caleb Nutter and Wyatt Tipton and everyone you’ve ever been and ever will be.”

He captured her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss to her palm. She felt her love for him filling her chest and spilling out of her.

“And you will never understand how incredibly special that is, Cait. I love you with all of me, and all the mes I’ve ever been and ever will be. I’ll never deserve a woman as strong and brave and adventurous as you are, but I want to try.”

Her throat was blocked by the emotion pushing up from her chest. It wasn’t until he reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks that she realized she’d been crying. It seemed fitting, somehow.

Reaching on her tip-toes, she brushed her lips against his. They’d kissed many times in the last months, but this simple brush seemed…special somehow. It was their first kiss of a lifetime together.

“Those sounded like wedding vows, Archie,” she said softly as she pulled away.

He smiled and offered her his arm. “Shall we make it official, then?”

As she linked her arm through his, she smiled up at him. “There is nothing I would rather do, my love.”

And together, surrounded by their family and friends, they stepped forward to meet their next adventure.

 

 

Of course you’re curious about Katie and her family (when is Andrew going to get his HEA?) and all the goings-on over in Quinn Valley? Don’t worry, all your questions will be answered soon!

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

Back in May of 2016 I had the utter pleasure of meeting , , and in Chicago during a conference. Soon after, they invited me to be part of this delightful world they were creating, and introduced me to the wonderful . I was thrilled to join their team, and have had hours and hours of fun, playing via our imaginations at River’s End Ranch.

 

Thank you, ladies, for letting me be a part of the magic.

 

And thank you to Alyssa, to my beta readers and Cohort members, and to our continuity reader Amy.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Caroline Lee has been reading romance for so long that her fourth-grade teacher used to make her cover her books with paper jackets. But it wasn't until she (mostly) grew up that she realized she could write it too. So she did.

 

Caroline is living her own little Happily Ever After in NC with her husband, sons, and brand-new daughter, Princess Wiggles. And while she doesn't so much "suffer" from Pittakionophobia as think that all you people who enjoy touching Band-Aids and stickers are the real weirdos, she does adore rodents, and never met a wine she didn't like. Caroline was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 and is really quite funny in person. Promise.

 

You can find her at .

 

 

Other works by Caroline Lee

 

 

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