I crossed my legs and leaned back, reading the first page.
“Excuse me, but may I walk past?” His deep voice slid over me like the softest silk, and my heart jolted as I slowly lowered the book and looked up.
It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him.
But it was.
“I have the window seat.” He smiled, flashing that dimple at me, and my jaw dropped as he slid right past me to sink into the seat on my right.
“You . . .” My breaths came erratically as I looked into my favorite pair of blue eyes. “You’re not supposed to meet me until Boston.”
“I switched flights.” His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Figured if we were going to spend a week in the Maldives, we should get as much travel time together as possible.”
I nodded, because of course that made sense . . . in a world where Nate wasn’t constantly deployed. A world where he actually showed up on the flights he scheduled.
“There are a few things I need to tell you.” The smile fell away from his face.
“Well, it appears that we have time.” I closed the book and turned toward him. “There are a few things I should tell you too.”
“Oh?” He reached over and took my hand. The simple contact was absolute heaven.
“I really hate being in politics.” I scrunched my nose.
“That’s not news.” His thumb moved in small, reassuring circles on my skin.
“I may have quit my job.” It came out a rushed whisper.
He grinned. “Funny you should mention that. I may have quit mine too.”
My lips parted as I looked for words. Any words.
“It was time.” He lifted his hand to my face and cupped my cheek. “I am wildly in love with you, and I don’t want to be your possibility anymore. I’m not leaving us up to fate.”
I leaned into his palm and stared at him, terrified to close my eyes, scared that this would all be a dream and I’d wake alone in my bed, reaching for a figment of my imagination.
“I think it’s about time we took our shot. What do you say?” His gaze dropped to my mouth. “I mean, you should probably know that I’m going through some therapy, and that might not be something you want to stick around through—”
“Yes.” I nodded, my heart pumping so wildly I half expected it to burst out of my chest. “I say yes. Let’s take our shot. Let’s go slow or move fast. Let’s do everything we talked about and dream up new stuff. I don’t care where we live or what we do, as long as I get to do it with you. I love you.”
“Izzy?” He leaned across the armrest as the plane rolled backward, leaving the gate.
“Nate?” I moved closer.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
I smiled as his mouth met mine, then sighed when he deepened the kiss and kept going all through takeoff. By the time we lifted our heads, we were far above the clouds.
I didn’t know what this new future looked like, but I knew it was ours.
And that was everything.
EPILOGUE
NATHANIEL
Maine
Five years later
The September sun came through the pine trees in splotches as they swayed above us, rustling gently in the breeze as we sat beneath them on a thick blanket.
My legs were stretched out in front of me, Izzy’s head in my lap.
It was my favorite way to catch up on our work.
Fall in Maine was my favorite time of year. It had been the perfect place for us to start our forever. Pine trees, enough room from both our families to breathe, and each other. I knew Izzy missed Serena, but she spent most of her time out on assignment, and they always made time to see each other when Serena was actually in the US.
I marked a student’s paper, commenting on the unique twist she’d used in her analysis of Macbeth, while Izzy read through what looked to be a briefing she was filing on behalf of a local nonprofit.
Peace. The feeling coursing through me was exactly what I’d been searching for my entire life, and it existed wherever Izzy was.
Finishing that particular paper, I took a moment to brush back her hair. It didn’t matter how many days I had with her. She always seemed more beautiful every time I saw her.
She put her briefing down, the sun catching on the diamond and gold band on her left hand, and she smiled up at me. “Almost done?”
“Three more. You?”
She flipped the document over, glancing at the length. “Probably ten minutes.”
“Any plans for your afternoon?” I trailed my fingers down her bare arm. Touching her never got old either. It was my favorite thing to do. Well, except talking to her. Or kissing her. Basically anything that involved Izzy, I was down for.
“Nothing comes to mind.” She slipped a hand under my shirt, and my stomach tightened. “Why? Anything you feel like doing?”
“I was thinking about carrying you back to bed and spending the rest of the day worshipping your body.”
Her lips parted, and she scrambled to her feet. “Yep. That sounds like a plan.”
“Can’t wait another ten minutes?” I laughed, already grabbing my pile of papers and the blanket we’d been sitting on.
“Nope.” She backed away with an irresistible grin, heading toward the back door of our house. “Work can wait.”
“I’ve never agreed more.” I chased her up to the house and, once I caught her, lifted her into my arms, tangling her up with the blanket.
The papers hit the floor with the briefing once we made it in the door.
Then my hands were full of Izzy.
She was right. Work could wait.
We finally had forever.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, thank you to my Heavenly Father for blessing me beyond my wildest dreams.
Thank you to my husband, Jason, for handling our life when I disappear into the writing cave. Writing this put me right back in the feels of those long years you spent in Afghanistan and Iraq. I’m immeasurably grateful for each of the twenty-two years you spent in uniform, but even more thankful for the days we have together now that you’re retired. Thank you to my children, who don’t bat an eye when I’m on deadline and always inspire me. Thank you to my sister, Kate—growing up as a military brat is way easier with a friend like you. Thank you to the one and only Emily Byer, because you always call.
Thank you to Lauren Plude, Lindsey Faber, and the team at Montlake for making this all happen. You guys are a dream to work with! To my phenomenal agent, Louise Fury, who makes my life easier simply by standing at my back.
Thank you to my wifeys, our unholy trinity, Gina L. Maxwell and Cindi Madsen, who always answer when I call. Thank you to Shelby and Cassie for putting up with my unicorn brain and being the best hype girls I could ever ask for. Thank you to K. P. Simmon for showing up not only in business but as a friend. To every blogger and reader who has taken a chance on me over the years—you make this industry what it is. To my reader group, the Flygirls, for giving me a safe space in the Wild West of the internet.
Lastly, because you’re my beginning and end, thank you again to my Jason. None of this would be possible without your love and support. I know the helicopter pilots in this one don’t have any lines, but there’s a little of you in every hero I write.