Epilogue

Scarlet"s fingers curled around the microphone as she surveyed the sea of faces before her, their features illuminated by the soft glow of the stage lights. The familiar weight of the microphone in her hand was a comforting presence amidst the electric anticipation that filled the air. She glanced over at Jess, Raina, Tasha, and Amanda, their expressions mirroring the same exhilaration that coursed through her veins.

As Tasha strummed out the opening chords of their first song, Scarlet"s gaze drifted to the reserved table near the front of the stage. Robin"s eyes met hers, a warm smile playing on her lips. Beside her sat her friend Kiran, the one who'd given her the ticket for the cruise. Nat sat beside them with her arm around Christy's shoulder, their faces aglow with pride and affection. Raven and Kit were on Robin's other side, cheering and whistling as the music swelled.

The rest of them were out there too, faces in the crowd she couldn't quite register thanks to the stage lighting. But she knew every single member of her Gillian's Island family was out there cheering her on.

Well, not Zoe, but she hadn't exactly been available. She was serving a prison sentence for criminal negligence, and probably trying to build a posse behind bars.

Scarlet"s heart soared with gratitude knowing they were all here tonight, all the ones that mattered, and each face a reminder of the trials they had overcome and the strength they had found on that island.

Kit's smile and spirit were unmarred by the scars that mapped her mended bones.

Simone was three months pregnant with her and Amelia's first child.

Tasha was seeing Missy now, and happily in a relationship for the first time in ages.

Scarlet began to sing. It was a new song, a tribute to the indomitable spirit of survival and the power of love that she'd written in a frenzy of inspiration as soon as they got home. They had a new album that just came out, full of Scarlet Day originals taken from their time on the island, and Robin had been right –people were going wild for the unique story and the record was blowing up. Scarlet heard Begonias songs on the radio almost every day now.

As the final notes of the song faded away, Tasha and Jess provided background music while Scarlet stepped up to the microphone.

"Hello, Granville!" she called to the crowd. "We are the Scarlet Begonias."

She introduced all the members of the band, and they each showed off a little bit on their instruments. Amanda winked at her new girlfriend in the crowd, who she'd met at a gig in Cleveland a few weeks ago. Missy was out there too, and even though things hadn't ended well for them on the island, there were no more hard feelings and she cheered for Amanda just as hard as Tasha.

"I know many of you here tonight were with us on that fateful cruise a year ago, and I want to thank you for your support and for being a part of our journey." She went on to explain for anyone in the audience who didn't know about the shipwreck, which was probably no one because the story had gone massively viral after their rescue. Then she made the big announcement the band had decided on for tonight. "In light of what we experienced, we"ve decided to donate all of the proceeds from tonight"s show to a charitable organization dedicated to teaching survival skills to women and children. We hope that our story can inspire change and help prevent others from going through what we did."

With that, Scarlet turned back to her bandmates, queuing them up. They launched into their next song, a powerful anthem of resilience. Scarlet"s voice soared, and her gaze drifted to Robin, as it always did during her concerts. She was always sitting front row, center, always cheering the loudest, always Scarlet's biggest fan.

As the final notes of the encore faded, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar of applause and cheers. Scarlet hopped off the stage and into Robin's arms, then she took a seat beside her while a waiter brought her a beer.

"What did you guys think?" she asked.

"It was absolutely incredible," Nat said, and Scarlet beamed. No praise was quite as important to her as what came from her mentor –except for maybe Robin's feedback. "You were on fire, and I've never seen you sing with so much heart."

Raven nodded in agreement. "I gotta say, it was pretty special getting private shows from Nat Butler and the Scarlet Begonias every night on the island, but this was even better."

More survivors started trickling over, along with the rest of the band as they packed up their instruments and left the stage. The group got bigger and bigger, encircling multiple tables in the smallish bar, until it started to feel like those nights gathered around the campfire together.

They talked and drank and reminisced, a year lending just enough space from the island to allow for some nostalgia.

"Remember that party we had?" Lex said, her arm draped over Evie"s shoulders. They were a couple now, and Lex's standup was in demand now more than ever, getting the same popularity boost that the Begonias had enjoyed after all the articles came out about them. "I never thought I"d be doing standup on a deserted island, but you guys were the best audience I've ever had."

Evie grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Lex"s cheek. "And I don't think we would have ever met if it wasn't for that cruise. You can't beat a shipwreck for an origin story." She winked and Robin and Scarlet. "Well, you two know that."

"I told this one to go," Kiran chimed in. "Told her she'd have the time of her life."

"Oh, did you all hear about the skeletons?" Lena asked, Reese sitting on her lap to conserve space… or at least that was the excuse they were going with.

"No, what about them?" Robin asked.

Lena had made a point of notifying the authorities of their discovery, and they went to the island to retrieve the remains a few weeks after the rescue. They'd done a little probing and discovered that there wasn't one skeleton on that site, but two –the second one was buried in the earth, directly beneath the first one.

"They've got leads on their identities," Lena said. "That whole area used to be part of the Spanish trade routes way back in the 17th century, and there were pirates that would attack the ships traveling in those waters. The bones have been carbon-dated and it's entirely possible that they're that old, so our two skeleton friends could have been traders, or even pirates."

"Definitely pirates," Reese said. "Story's cooler that way."

Scarlet smiled. "And no matter how annoying you all thought me and Robin were being about it, we all banded together and helped each other survive out there. We saw each other at our worst, and we still chose to love and support one another. I'm so proud of us for that."

"You weren't annoying," Missy reassured her. "Totally our island moms, but not annoying."

Scarlet laughed, and Evie raised her glass. "To Gillian"s Island," she declared, "and to the family we found there."

"To Gillian"s Island," the others echoed.

"And to us, and to dreams coming true," Nat added, clinking her glass with Christy first, then the others joined in.

When the night drew to a close, Scarlet and Robin peeled off from the group, their hearts full and their spirits high. The decision to walk home was an easy one; their house was close enough, and the tranquil ambiance of Granville"s quiet streets beckoned to them.

Hand in hand, they wandered through the peaceful neighborhood, savoring each other"s company and the cool night air. As they approached the door of the cozy house they'd moved into together when Robin's apartment lease was up, Scarlet paused, her hand resting on the doorknob. She turned to face Robin, her eyes shining with love and tenderness.

"Can you believe we ever thought it wasn't possible to find room in our lives for each other?"

"That was before I knew it was you I was supposed to make room for," Robin said. "I'd throw everything out the window in a heartbeat to be with you."

"But you don't have to."

They were both thriving. Scarlet's band was more popular than ever, and Robin had published two more papers in the time that she'd been back, and invitations to speak at veterinary conferences were pouring in.

Robin"s fingers found the shells of the necklace that Scarlet still wore, a gesture that had become a habit. The smooth, cool surface of the shells reminded them both of the best moments they had shared on the island.

Scarlet smiled, her heart swelling with emotion. "You know," she said softly, "I"ve got a piece of jewelry to give to you at last."

Robin"s eyes widened, a look of surprise and delight crossing her face. "You do?"

Scarlet nodded, her smile growing wider. "I"ve been waiting for the perfect moment, and I think this is it."

She reached into her pocket, her fingers closing around the small velvet box she had been carrying with her all night. As she pulled it out, she felt a flutter of nervous excitement in her stomach.

"Robin, from the moment we met on that cruise ship, I knew there was something special about you. I don't think there are very many relationships that could withstand a shipwreck within a week of first meeting, but I fell so hard for you on that island. You are my rock, my comfort, my everything. I can"t imagine my life without you by my side, no matter where our adventure takes us next."

She opened the box, revealing a stunning opal engagement ring. The stone danced with a sheen just like the shells in Scarlet's necklace, and that was why she'd chosen it.

"This ring reminds me of the strength we found amidst the chaos, the love we nurtured in the face of adversity. It"s a symbol of our journey, and a promise of the future we"ll build together. Robin Barry, will you marry me?"

Robin"s eyes brimmed with tears of joy. "Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Of course I will, Scar."

Scarlet slipped the ring onto Robin"s finger, delirious happiness bubbling up from her chest. She pulled Robin into a passionate embrace. They remained locked in each other"s arms for a long, savoring moment.

When they finally parted, a soft smile played on Robin's lips. "I do have one condition."

"Oh?"

"I don't want a beach wedding."

I hope you enjoyed Gillian's Island! Almost all the characters in this book have their own stories, and this misadventure was born of the idea of throwing a bunch of my favorite characters together to find out how they'd handle a big disaster. If you fell in love with someone other than Scarlet and Robin, you can find their full story below. Thanks for reading!

Love,

Cara

Nat and Christy, plus the Scarlet Begonias, first appear in standalone rockstar romance When Stars Align

Amelia, Simone, Lena and Reese are featured throughout the Fox County Forensics romantic suspense series. Amelia Simone's story is Dark Skies, and Lena and Reese's story is Guardian Angel

Krys and Darcy are featured throughout the Lakeside Hospital medical romance series, and their story is told in Love Trauma

Raven and Kit hike the Appalachian Trail in the standalone adventure romance Trail Magic

Robin's first appearance is in Cat's Meow, part of the Fur-Ever Veterinary Romance series