Epilogue
Abbi circled around the yard with a pitcher of sangria, making sure everyone’s glasses were filled. Okay, so Mack had made the sangria and Connor supplied the food, which meant Abbi hadn’t had to do much of anything for this party except put on a fabulous purple dress to match the new streaks in her hair. She was still determined everyone should have a good time. Tyler had brought her home so many flowers to plant, she’d decided to show them off with a party in the garden.
And what better excuse to celebrate than the gorgeous man now putting his arm around her, kissing her on the cheek, and taking the pitcher from her hand?
“You’re supposed to be mingling,” he said, smiling as he pretended to keep the pitcher out of reach.
“I’m being a good hostess,” she said. “Give it back.”
“Only if you promise you aren’t going to do too much work.”
She laughed. “With you around distracting me, I think that’s impossible.”
Tyler winked and she felt herself flush. She hoped she never got too used to waking up next to him, letting him find all the ways to make them both late for work. She never wanted to lose that feeling she got when she was with him. The certainty they were in this for the rest of their lives.
“Let me help,” he said, more seriously this time.
And Abbi relented, because how could she not accept help from someone who took care of her so well?
But she’d barely opened her mouth before Connor came over and grabbed the pitcher from Tyler’s hands.
“We’re supposed to be toasting you, fire chief,” Connor said. “Not putting you to work at your own party.”
“Manager,” Tyler corrected. “Just a fire and fuel manager.”
“Just,” Abbi scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Would you listen to him?”
“To your new job,” Austin said, coming over and raising his glass.
“The best fire manager Gold Mountain has ever seen,” Sam said.
“And the only one,” Tyler added.
“Which is exactly why we need you,” Abbi said. “We got the firebreak in a better location with less collateral damage and more of a chance to protect the people and places that need it.”
“All because you fought to make it happen,” Tyler said. “We really should be toasting the new head naturalist at the Gold Mountain Nature Center, too.”
Everyone cheered and raised their glasses again, and Abbi grinned. She’d had the title for a few months, but it still made her flush with happiness to realize she’d actually done it. She’d landed the job she’d always wanted, and the boyfriend she’d never even let herself dream about.
She couldn’t have secured the promotion without him working alongside her. And now that they’d created an entire position devoted to controlling fires to better help the ecology, she knew the fire department and the nature center would be a whole lot closer from now on.
Which was exactly how she wanted it.
“I thought you were a whiskey man,” Mack said to Tyler, sliding her hand into Connor’s back pocket as he topped her off. “Although I have to say, I really outdid myself on this batch.”
“It’s so good,” Abbi agreed.
“I think my whiskey phase is over,” Tyler said, and held up his glass for more. “Turns out I’m definitely a sangria fan, though.”
Abbi smiled to herself. She got that sometimes Tyler wanted a whiskey, neat, to remind him of his friend and to feel like he hadn’t forgotten Scott just because his life had moved in a different direction. It didn’t mean that he was in a bad place if that was what he ordered.
But she was glad he could admit that it wasn’t his favorite and that he’d stopped punishing himself in all those small ways. Like not letting himself have what he wanted. Or not saying that he loved her when he did.
Yeah, they were definitely over that hump.
“I can’t believe how gorgeous this place looks, you guys,” Claire said, getting a refill, too.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work on the house,” Abbi said, and she loved the way that we sounded. Our house. Our home.
“It’s paying off.”
“We’re going to need you to come over and work on our yard,” Sam joked, nudging Austin in the ribs.
He laughed. “Our new pup would destroy everything.”
“You have to see how big she’s getting,” Sam said, and they were off looking at pictures and laughing about what new things the dog had destroyed this week. Abbi couldn’t help smiling as she leaned against Tyler, watching their friends have such a good time.
Mack and Connor talked about their plans for expanding Mackenzie’s, and Austin described the new ski recruits he’d start coaching in the fall. He sounded so excited, and Abbi loved watching how Sam hung on his every word.
She hoped Claire didn’t feel left out now that the rest of their friends were coupled. She knew Claire was busy raising Maya and wasn’t thinking about Ryan, her ex. But hopefully she’d find someone soon.
All Abbi had to do was slide her hand in Tyler’s to know how lucky she’d been to wind up with him. “There?” he’d ask her later, after everyone had gone home and he’d dragged her away from the dishes to lay her down on the couch, the kitchen table, the bed, pulling her dress up over her hips and kissing his way down.
And she’d gasp and say “There” as she buried her hands in his hair, guiding him right where she wanted. He always knew. How to touch her, how to hold her, how to love her in every way. He had her heart, the very center of her.
No matter what happened or where else their lives took them, they’d make it. Because Abbi knew what she wanted, and it was him.
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