Epilogue

One Year Later

Kate stood on the beach up to her ankles in water, and she watched the waves crash and roll around her as she hugged herself against the wind. It was nice here. No, not just nice. It was beautiful. She walked along the beach, looking down every so often to ensure she didn't step on anything sharp like a shell. The sun was warm on her skin.

Even though the scars on her body were gone, the emotional scars were still there. She missed Delia every day, but she was trying to move forward because she knew her niece would want her to. Therapy also helped. The good thing was that Elijah had been arrested not long after Norman's death, and he'd gone to jail only to end up being murdered in there by some rival cartel member. Knowing that neither man was out there to come after her felt so good.

She'd quit the FBI not long after getting back from England, and she'd spent the last year trying to figure out what the hell to do with herself. Then she'd ended up here.

She felt aggravated at the gawks from a man going out to surf. She hated being looked at now, and she wished she hadn't worn her bikini today after all. But...she'd promised her therapist to try and get back to some sense of normal, and this had been one of her steps.

Kate missed Brant. She thought about their goodbye, how bittersweet it had been. They both hadn't been in a place to be together, but now...

"Hullo stranger."

She twisted to see Brant standing there as if she'd conjured him from her thoughts, and he was smiling. The wind was tugging at his board shorts, and she realized this was the first time she'd seen him so relaxed.

"Brant," she said, feeling all sorts of emotions now.

"One year," he told her, moving in closer to her. "That's what we said, right?"

She nodded, remembering. She'd said it against his lips after he'd kissed her goodbye a year ago. One year and they'd meet here and try again.

"You look good," she said.

"So do you."

She smiled finally as his hands rested on her waist and pulled her into him. She put her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Their faces were close together now.

"I quit," she told him.

"So did I."

"How did it feel?"

"Ridiculously good," he answered. "I'm no longer chasing ghosts."

"I'm happy for you."

"And you?

"It was good," she agreed. "I only have my own pain to deal with now and not someone else's." His fingers traced along the edge of her face, and she shivered.

"I think this place is perfect to start over in, don't you?" he asked, searching her eyes.

"Absolutely."

"I'm ready if you are," he stated. She knew he was referring to their relationship, and she felt warm inside.

"I am," she confirmed. He looked relieved, and she understood how nervous he had been feeling about risking coming here to see if this was even going to be a possibility. She was glad he'd put himself out there.

She parted her lips as he moved in to kiss her, and it was as intense and wonderful as she remembered it. She held him close as the kiss intensified and grew, and she'd never felt as happy as she did in this moment, which was a long time coming. Brant pulled back slightly, his eyes taking her in, and she saw that he was happy as well, which just made her feel even happier. She smiled again as the back of his fingers caressed her cheek and she rested a hand on the back of his head to pull him into another satisfying kiss, picturing what all their firsts were going to look like—the good, the bad, the ugly...all of it.

And she was looking very much forward to it.

The End