13. Epilogue （Nickur）

S ix months later.

In spring, there are still snow on top of the mountains surrounding Washington State’s Lake Chelan. We’re sipping champagne down by the lakeshore and at this altitude, it’s warm enough for shorts. Well, I’m in shorts.

Hailey wears a short red dress that’s making it impossible to focus on anything other than how well it shows off her perfect curves.

“Which is your favorite?” she asks, tilting a narrow flute to her mouth.

“Huh?”

She gestures to the four glasses lined up in a special stand in front of me. “The flight of champagne,” she clarifies. “Which is your favorite?”

They all taste about the same to me. Fizzy and sweet. “You’re my favorite.” I smile at her.

She rolls her eyes, but a faint blush covers her cheeks. I can’t believe how lucky I am that this woman is with me. The day she wandered into the clearing by my cabin is the day my life changed for the better.

Not only do I get to spend every day by her side, but she’s made it possible for me to leave Twin Lakes. She’s the love of my life, my everything.

“You’re impossible,” she says.

“Impossibly in love with you.” That earns me another eye roll, but I can’t help feeding her cheesy lines. My heart is so full of love and I need an outlet for it all when we’re out in public. When we’re alone, I express how much I adore her by worshipping her body.

“What do you want to do next?” We’ve spent the day exploring wineries, tasting their new releases of white and rosé wines. The champagne flight place is our last stop for the afternoon.

“How about a walk before we pick a restaurant for dinner?” Her mind is perfectly in tune with mine. A walk is exactly what I need to counteract the slight buzz I’ve acquired through our tastings and to stretch my legs.

“Let’s do it.”

We stroll down the the Riverwalk Park trail in the tiny town of Chelan. I grab Hailey’s hand and our proximity to water, makes the connection I have through her to the Twin Lakes stronger. My waters are thriving and I relax even more.

Not long after Rae left with the magical trident, we bought our own electrical dirt bikes. Hailey nagged me about it until I gave in, but I have to admit it’s a ton of fun to zip through the mountain trails on two wheels. One day, we went further than fifty miles from the lakes, as the crow flies, without me being compelled to return. So then we started testing how far we could go.

It turns out, as long as Hailey is with me, I can go everywhere. She’s my personal magical communication device. I smile at the thought and kisses our clasped hands.

“What was that for?” my beautiful woman wants to know.

“For being my own magical communication device.”

She laughs. “Is everything okay with the lakes?”

“Very okay.” We pass a log bopping in the water as gentle waves propel it back and forth against the lakeshore.

Mischief glitters in her eyes. “Feel like chopping some wood, though?”

“Only if you hold my wood.” I’m getting cheesier and cheesier with my lines and her eyeroll is so hard I worry I’ll see only the whites of her eyes for the rest of the evening. Not only is Hailey my conduit to the lakes, somehow her presence breaks my compulsion to do endless chores.

“That’s the worst one yet,” she complains.

“You’ll have to text it to Moxie and see if she agrees.” I’ve met her friend and the adorable Bean.

“I’ll do that,” Hailey says, but her smile dims a little. Moxie isn’t sure about me yet, she feels like our relationship was sudden and that Hailey changed her life for me too much. But Bean loves me, at least I think that’s what she says when she babbles and hold out her arms for me to hold her.

I’m not worried though, I’ll win over Moxie, eventually.

We spy a restaurant with patio seating. “Hungry, yet?” I ask.

Hailey’s stomach growls in answer and we head up to the restaurant door to read the menu.

This is my life now. I travel and go to restaurants. And I’m not alone, the most amazing woman in the world is by my side every day.

And every night, I get to make love to her and show her how she means the world to me

Because she gave me the world and I will give her anything she wants in return.