Page 179

Charlie snorted. “I had faith in you, man,” he told Wells, clapping him on the back.

Silas let out a happy squeal in his father’s arms, and I laughed as Blythe continued to bawl.

“Alright, alright,” Wells said, pulling me against his side. “Let’s get inside before Wren starts planning the entire wedding tonight.”

“Too late!” Wren shot back, already pulling out a notebook.

I turned my face into Wells’ chest, laughing against him as his arm tightened around me.

This was everything I never knew I needed.

Love, chaos, family.

A future that stretched wide and endless, rooted in the very soil beneath our feet.

A home, built not just with walls and beams, but with heart and history.

And as Wells pressed a kiss to my temple, murmuring something only meant for me, I knew with certainty—

This was just the beginning.

BEACHIN’

The sky was brushed in pastels—peach, lavender, a breath of gold that melted down into the sea like honey on warm bread. The tide moved slowly and steadily, curling up to kiss the shore before slipping back, over and over again.

My toes were buried in the soft sand, my skin still sun-drenched and salty. A breeze played with the loose ends of my hair. My linen dress fluttered around my calves. And beside me, Wells sat reclined on our old quilt, his hat pushed back just enough for the evening light to catch the smile in his eyes.

Wells glanced around the sand, then stood with a small, almost mischievous smile. “I forgot something in the truck. I’ll be right back.”

He pressed a kiss on my bare shoulder—slow, warm, and familiar—and the spot where his lips met my skin tingled in the breeze as he walked away.

I watched him go, his silhouette framed by the golden wash of late summer light, then turned back to the ocean. The waves rolled in with lazy confidence, fizzing at the shore before slipping back into themselves. The air smelled like salt and sunscreen, and the sun, still generous even this late in the afternoon, poured down over my skin.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting it all soak in. The day. This season. This feeling that everything was somehow exactly as it should be.

A few minutes passed, maybe more. Then I heard Wells’ footsteps returning.

When I looked up, he was walking towards me, holding something behind his back.

He knelt beside me and with a quiet grin, pulled a single sunflower from behind him.

The stem was wrapped in a bit of twine. The bloom was slightly imperfect—tilted to the side, one petal bent—but it was still unmistakably beautiful.

My breath caught. “A sunflower at the beach?”

“What better way.”

My fingers brushed his as I took it from him, cradling it in my lap like it was made of glass.

“This is straight out of a romance novel.”

Wells shrugged, but the smile stayed. “I couldn’t miss a day.”

My eyes met his, and my heart fluttered.

“I will never miss a day, Sunshine.”

It was simple—a daily occurrence—but it meant everything to me.