“But if I do, then at least it won’t be because I gave up.”
Shane’s eyes were gleaming. “That’s the spirit!”
Caitlin smiled and slapped her hands on her knees. “You know what? I still have the steaks I was going to make for dinner the other day. Are you hungry?”
“I’mstarving.”
“Starving enough to try Dune Island lobster-stuffed mushrooms?” she asked as they both stood up.
He rubbed his hands together. “By the potful.”
“Don’t make me laugh—it hurts my face,” complained Caitlin, even though she didn’t mind at all.
The sun had long set by the time they’d made dinner, so they ate in the kitchen, but after they’d finished their meal and washed and dried the dishes, they brought slices of cheesecake upstairs to the loft to savor in front of the fireplace.
As Shane set the tray on the upturned crate, Caitlin dimmed the lights so they could see the sky. “No stars, but it’s flurrying,” she announced, and he joined her at the triple window.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
“Yes, it is, even at night.”
“No, I meantyou.” He gently took her by the shoulders and guided her to face him. “I think you’re beautiful, Caitlin, inside and out.”
Self-consciously touching her bandage, she asked, “Even with this?”
He tenderly lowered her fingers from her face. “Even if you were wrapped in gauze from head to toe,” he said, with a fetching smile. “I was attracted to you the moment we met and the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more infatuated I’ve become.”
“I… I feel the same way about you, Shane,” she whispered.
It was a different season and a different decade, but as they embraced and Shane tentatively brushed his soft lips against her cheek, Caitlin felt as blissful and carefree as the first time she fell in love on Dune Island.
EPILOGUE
THANKSGIVING, THE FOLLOWING YEAR
After a boisterous but cheerful Thanksgiving dinner, Caitlin and her sister-in-law washed and dried the dishes and put away the leftovers while the men went outside to hang lights on the windmill and cottage, and the children played in the yard.
“That’s the last one,” Caitlin announced, placing a large, clean pot on the bottom shelf.
“Good. I hope the guys are almost done, too, so we can all go for a walk on the beach before the sun sets. The children need to burn off some energy, and I’d like to burn off a few calories before I have dessert,” said Suzanne. “I’ve never tasted cranberry cheesecake. I can’t wait to try it.”
“I hope you like it. I got the recipe from a cookbook I bought at my friend Lily’s cranberry farm,” Caitlin said. “Unfortunately, when I made it last month to bring to a dinner party for volunteers at the Center, it sank in the middle. But this time I didn’t beat the ingredients as long, so I think it turned out better.”
Suzanne gave her a once-over and broke into a smile. “You seem to be fitting right in here and you’re positively glowing. Island life really agrees with you.”
“Marriedlife agrees with me, too,” said Caitlin. “And so does my new job.”
The previous January, the estate attorney had informed Lydia’s nephews that her medical records, as well as her handwritten letters to Caitlin, would prove that Lydia had been mentally capable of drawing up a Trust and designating beneficiaries. He’d also warned them that Caitlin was prepared to tenaciously defend her right to the cottage. The two men quickly recognized it would have been futile to engage in a prolonged, expensive legal battle they had little chance of winning, and they’d decided not to contest Lydia’s Trust after all.
So, after celebrating Christmas with her brother’s family in New Mexico, Caitlin had moved into the cottage for good. It had taken her until June to land the role of Director of Development at Hope Haven’s Marine Life Center. While it was nerve-racking to be unemployed for so many months, Caitlin believed it was worth it—shewas worth it—to wait until she found a professional position that was both challenging and meaningful to her.
Besides, Shane had proposed in April, so she’d used her time off work to plan their July wedding, which was held on a lake near the New Hampshire-Maine border, halfway between where they’d both grown up and where many of their extended family members still lived.
Reflecting on how much had changed during the past year, Caitlin gave a contented sigh. “The only downside to living in Lucy’s Ham is that I’m so far away from you and Charlie and the children,” she said as she and Suzanne put on their coats and hats. “I miss you all a lot. That’s why I’m so glad you came out here for a visit.”
“Are you kidding me? We couldn’t wait. I just hope you and Shane don’t feel too cramped sharing your space with us.”
“No way. The cottage feels cozy, not crowded,” said Caitlin.Just like Aunt Lydia hoped it would.
