Epilogue

K asey held Amanda’s hand as they scaled the last steps to the summit of Sarangkot Hill. The stops along the way helped break up the steep hike. The blackness around them began to transform into gray just moments ago. He quickly scanned the crowd while he and Amanda took off their headlamps and stowed them in his backpack. Dozens of people climbed the terrain with them this morning while others made the journey by vehicle.

The sky turned blood orange.

The last year had been amazing. He’d moved in with Amanda immediately when he returned from Cima Grande. Instead of flipping her house and buying a place in Galveston like she’d planned, he convinced her to keep the house with a promise he’d take her to his parents’ cabin whenever she wanted, and they’d look to buy a place on the beach or build one. They’d renovated her entire house and had plans drawn to add on an addition—two bedrooms, a game room, a bathroom, and a large home gym.

Rays of orange and pink crested the horizon.

“It’s glorious,” someone close uttered in a prayerful tone. Everyone kept their conversations quiet and their voices soft, giving the morning a spiritual energy.

Amanda put her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his chest.

He hugged her.

In January, he and Dre, who only had one more year on his NFL contract, signed a deal with Harper Productions to shoot a reality series following Kasey as he trained and played sports at a professional or semi-professional level. In the spring, he’d joined the XFL football team his brother Bennet coached as a receiver for two games. He’d not done bad—caught six passes for seventy-five yards and scored one touchdown.

Upon hearing about Hunter Kase’s new show, India’s National Cricket Team invited him to train and play with them. He’d agreed with the caveat he could train in Houston. They even sent a coach from India to help him prepare, and he joined the Houston Cricket League. He and Amanda had traveled here to Nepal a couple of weeks ago, after the school year ended. He practiced with the team he’d be playing with for the first five days and competed in a tournament the last week.

His upcoming schedule included baseball, soccer, and rugby. Harper was also in negotiations with NASCAR for him to drive in a race or two. Excited for his new series to start airing in the fall, he hoped his fans would like it because he was having a blast. He trained in and around Houston whenever he could, and Amanda traveled with him whenever possible. Over the last year, they’d only spent two weeks apart.

He couldn’t come to Nepal without inviting Marisol. Bennet flew in with her a few days ago and Marisol’s mom met them. They spent time every day at Swayambhunath Temple, and the monkeys were all Marisol talked about. He’d also invited his family, Amanda’s friends, and his friends.

Yesterday, he and Amanda took a forty-minute flight from Kathmandu to Sarangkot.

His life with Amanda couldn’t be better. Well, maybe it could. He glanced around, found who he was looking for, and nodded. Then he kissed Amanda’s head.

~

A manda caught a hint of Kasey’s cologne, and the sandalwood scent soothed her. The sun rose minute by minute, brightening the sky and erasing the patchy fog. The Himalayas were breathtaking.

“Let’s get married,” Kasey murmured. “I want forever with you.”

A smile sprang to her lips. The last year had been the best in her life. Having Kasey as a constant, sturdy presence every day healed, delighted, and transformed her.

Still in his arms, she looked up at him.

“Uncle K, did she say yes?”

Amanda spun around to find Marisol rushing toward them. Behind the precious girl were the most important people in their lives. She’d been surprised so many of them made the trip to watch Kasey this last week. And she’d thought everyone but Marisol, Bennet, and Marisol’s mother had flown back to the United States last night. She hadn’t seen them on the way up this morning, they must’ve taken transportation to the top. Now, she realized Kasey had planned this proposal all along.

“I brought them to help us celebrate.”

She couldn’t help teasing him. “Very presumptuous of you to assume I’d say yes.”

He scowled. “You haven’t said yes.”

“I haven’t been asked. Much like when you said, ‘Let’s dance’ at Quinn’s party. ‘Let’s get married’ is not a question.”

Concentration completely on her, he knelt. He tugged a box from his jacket pocket. When he opened it, two rings of gold winked in the sunlight. The smaller ring had a mosaic of colorful stones, and the larger one was also a mosaic with black and gray stones. “I couldn’t resist these. They reminded me of working together on the wall in your bathroom.”

She beamed at him.

“Will you marry me?”

“Was that so hard?” She leaned down and hugged him. “I will.”

Kasey let out a heavy exhale as he stood.

“You weren’t nervous, were you?” She brushed a hand across his cheek.

“For an instant, I had déjà vu from my last proposal. Except this time, I knew we were being filmed.” He pointed to Simpson holding a camera.

She waved before returning her gaze to Kasey’s. “I, for one, can’t tell you how glad I am Harper refused.”

“Me too.” He lovingly pressed his lips to hers.

Their party quietly came forward with hugs and congratulations. Shelly and Rafe welcomed her to the family. Kasey’s brothers asked if she was certain she wanted to marry the globe-trotting adrenaline junkie brother of theirs. Barry, Luna, Ian and his wife were overjoyed for her. Beau, Simpson, and the other crew members voiced how much they liked the schedule of his new show better, and they knew that was all thanks to her.

Harper came close and hugged Amanda. “Kasey was always meant for you. Not me.”

Amanda was so confident in her relationship with Kasey, that she didn’t feel the slightest bit of jealousy over the two working together again.

Dre, Quinn, Zack, and Sadie, who’d already graciously added her to their close circle of friends, each told her how grateful they were Kasey found someone who made him so happy.

“Oh, one more thing.” Kasey reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photo. “It wouldn’t be right if they weren’t with us.”

He handed it to her. She instantly recognized the picture from her old album. It was of her parents the day they went to a justice of the peace and “got spliced,” as they put it in their British accents.

An influx of tears clogged her throat. She sniffed and gratefully smiled at Kasey. He slipped the smaller ring on her finger. “We’ll get real rings before the wedding.”

“These are real rings. They’re perfect,” she insisted as she slid the other band on his finger.

He leaned down until his forehead met hers and whispered, “We’re going to have the best life chasing sunrise together.”