Epilogue

This is it.This is the day I completely change who I am at my core. It is a beautiful, sunny April day in Sunset Harbor. The sun is out and warm for the first time in what has felt like months. My skin soaks in the rays and I drop sunglasses over my eyes, taking in the resort's private beach in all its sun-drenched glory.

I can see why people wake up early for this. It's beautiful, it's rich, it makes me feel alive. Noah has been running on the beach for years, and he is constantly talking about the awe found in nature.

Now, he's finally convinced me to give it a try with him. He believes I'll love it if I only try.

I want to believe he's right.

Wantto.

"You ready?" he asks, leaning over to make sure his shoes are tied.

"No."

Noah chuckles, pulling me in for a morning kiss. I cup his face and hold him so he can't leave, kissing him long and slow.

When he finally breaks away, I sigh. "Can't we just do that all morning?"

"Cat."

"Fine."

Noah takes off down the beach, and I follow him. His pace is ridiculously slow. I know it's with me in mind, and I'm grateful for that.

The next thirty minutes are absolute agony. I'm huffing, my lungs are screaming, and my legs are sore. "Are we almost done yet?"

"Cat," he says, not even a hitch in his breath. He checks his watch. "We've only been running for four minutes."

"Four?!" I stop, resting my hands on my thighs and struggling to breathe.

Noah circles back, jogging in place, before coming to a total stop. "You aren't going to finish this run, are you?"

"I did finish the run. Right here." I look up. "I love you, man. I tried. I really did."

Noah laughs deep from his belly. "Okay, babe. Let's do something else. Want to kayak?"

I glance at the sparkling water just behind him, the way the cerulean waves are crashing on the white sand. "It sounds fun."

"You'd be sitting in a boat," he says, like that will help. Maybe it would. I've never actually tried it.

"I don't know if I can."

"It's up to you." He puts his arms out. "We can walk, kayak, go back up to the house and make pancakes. Your choice."

The sun soaks into my skin, and I know I'm not ready to go inside. I want to be out here more, longer, with him. "I kind of want to try it, but I'm nervous."

"What if you situate yourself in the kayak on the sand, and I'll push you into the water? Then you don't have to walk through the waves."

We'd been working on it the last few months, me being comfortable walking through the waves. Noah is always right beside me, gripping my hand tightly, and some days are better than others. With a life vest and a boat, I wonder if kayaking is something I could handle.

I heave out a breath. "Sounds doable. What if we get out there and a manatee knocks us over?"

He smiles. "Then I'll put you back in the kayak. But you know that's unlikely."

"Not impossible," I mutter.

He stops me with a gentle hand on my waist. "This is your call, Cat. Entirely your call."

My body leans into his touch. I feel the safety there, the knowledge that he's a strong man and a solid swimmer and he's already saved me from the ocean once—even though I didn't need saving. He has done it. If we get the kayaks far enough out, there won't be any rip currents to pull me away.

I give him a nod and he presses a tender kiss to my temple.

We return to the resort's beach and pull a two-person kayak out of the locker before carrying it close to the water. Noah sets it down and helps me get into it. My knees are bent, my feet pressing into the footrests, both of the double-sided oars in my hands. I squeeze my eyes closed and take a deep breath while Noah pushes us into the water.

I've always had a fear of being like my parents—the ocean pulling me out to sea and pressing me under the water until I couldn't escape. Sitting on top of the water, safe from rip currents, feels different.

The life vest helps, too.

Noah pushes us out through the clear turquoise water until he's knee deep, then climbs in behind me. The kayak rocks, making my heart thud with the motion.

"Cat, will you hand me the oar?"

I give it to him wordlessly without turning around.

"You okay?"

I nod.

"Catalina."

"Yes," I say weakly. "It's scary."

"We can stop right here."

Deep breath. "I want to do this."

He waits a moment longer before saying, "Okay. Let's head toward the cove. It'll be a short ride."

"Sounds good."

Noah teaches me the best way to hold the oars and how to paddle in rhythm with him so we conserve our energy. We head out on the water, and I can feel my anxious energy sloughing away the further we get from shore. Yes, some of my fears are illogical. Isn't that the point of anxiety? It doesn't always bend to logic.

When we fully leave the resort's beach and curve around the edge of the small cove, Noah comes to a stop. I do too, my arms burning from the exercise. It burns in a good way, though, and I'm starting to see the appeal to this whole kayaking thing. Water glitters around us, lapping gently around the boat while the sun beats overhead.

"This is beautiful."

"Isn't it wonderful? I love being out here. It helps me feel so human and small. I appreciate the world a little better."

I turn just enough to see him. "You're such a romantic. Look at you gushing."

His grin is wide. I can't see his eyes beneath his sunglasses, but I know they're on me. "Wait until I take you to the nature reserve."

"I've been there loads of times."

"Not with a kayak."

That's true. I sigh, leaning back and breathing in the salty air.

"Hey, Cat?"

I try to turn in my seat again until I can see him and nearly drop my oar.

Noah has a black box open with a brilliant ring in the middle, somehow outshining the sunlight gleaming down on the ocean around us. "I love you, Cat. I want to spend my life with you, and I want you there cooking breakfast or still asleep when I get home from runs. I want to take you to Paris and raise children with you here on the island. I want our lives to be entwined. I want you forever."

"Noah," I say, my breath just a wisp, caught by the breeze and carried away.

"Will you be my wife?"

"You planned this for the middle of a run?"

"I planned this for the cove, but it's so peaceful out here, I didn't think anything could top this."

"What if you drop it?!"

"I won't." He's so confident, I believe him. Still, a little crazy.

"I can't kiss you out here, Noah."

"I think we can manage. What do you say?"

"Yes!" I scream. "Of course I'll marry you. I already have most of the wedding planned anyway."

"Poor Mateo."

"He supports most of my ideas."

Noah laughs, reaching for my hand. I hold it out so he can slide the ring on—a huge sapphire on a gentle band. I love it so much.

I twist in my seat as much as I can and Noah leans forward, bringing my face flush against his, kissing me with sweet tenderness.

"Thank you," I say against his lips.

"Come on." He leans back. "Let's go. Otto wants to see you right away."

"He can wait a while." I grip my oar again and grin so wide my cheeks hurt. "I have some plans involving you and the beach at the cove."

"Next stop: three kids."

"Six," I counter.

Noah's chuckle wraps around me like a warm embrace. "We can debate that later. Let's just start with one."

"How about we do this wedding first?" I say.

"As long as it's sometime this year."

I lean back, basking in the sun and glorious happiness. "You read my mind."