Epilogue Summer

SIX MONTHS LATER

" A re you sure you're going to be fine? I mean, that big shot lawyer guy from Colorado is staying this weekend," I explain as Stone and Holden stand in front of the reception desk. They stare at me, unfazed, with their arms crossed.

In fact, Stone is casually drinking from his to-go cup of coffee. "Oh, whatever will we do if a fire starts and the Lake Spark fire department is busy saving a deer somewhere," he deadpans. He probably thinks I'm being ridiculous.

My head cocks to the side from his demeanor.

"Go. Go on your much-deserved day off," Holden assures me.

I nearly snort a laugh. "Seeing my brother isn't exactly a holiday. There's a fifty-fifty chance that Nash and Keats will get along."

Holden quirks his lips and thinks to himself for a second. "I think they'll be fine. You have a kid to distract them. "

A proud smile hits me. "Yeah, Bo is the best ever, isn't he?"

"I mean, let's not go overboard. My little guy is going to be the best little superhero in the making," Stone highlights. He's glowing like a proud father does.

Stuart clears his throat; I always forget when he's around. Peeking around Stone and Holden, I see Stuart staring up from the tablet at the desk. "Could you do one more thing for me before you go?" He rolls his shoulder back and seems afraid to ask.

Poor kid, Stone still makes him nervous. "Sure," I reply, my smile still intact.

"On the dock, there seems to be a guest who wants to complain about the rowboat."

I grumble to myself. "Really?" I answer dryly. "That's what I have to deal with before I go?"

"We would offer to step in, but we have places to go and people to see. Enjoy your free day, Summer," Holden states as he and Stone propel themselves from the desk. Stone gives me a little nod and smiles as they walk away.

"Cookie?" Stuart's upbeat tone is back as he holds up the basket of welcome cookies.

My brows knit together. "What shape?"

His eyes dip down, and he examines the basket. "Uh, we're back to the traditional chocolate chip. Oh, there is this odd-shaped one."

My hand finds my hip that tips out. "Odd-shaped one? We are serving our guests deformed cookies?"

Stuart shrugs, and I'm quick to snap the cookie from the basket, completely unenthused. I look at the cookie then do a double take. My head lolls softly to the side. Huh? Is this…

"I think the dock issue is waiting," Stuart reminds me, and now I realize that he has been setting me up .

The cookie I'm holding between my two fingers isn't an odd shape.

It's a treasure chest with icing.

My frustration with work vanishes. "Thanks. I better get a move on."

The pace of my walk is nearly a skip through the Dizzy Duck until I stop at the door to the back patio. My hand stills on the handle as a rush of blood pumps through my body. Slowly opening the door, I'm greeted with the vision that I'll never get bored of.

Nash is standing on the dock, holding my son's raised hands, his nephew. Bo is strong but can only walk with our help. Any day now that will change.

I make my way to them, wrapping my arms around my body to keep me warm from the gentle breeze, and the moment my feet touch the dock, I'm aware that I won't be leaving as the same woman.

Holding up the cookie, I grin, because Nash has a suave look that shows satisfaction to his plans. "Nice cookie request." Ceremoniously, I take a bite.

His smirk knocks every nerve inside my body to red alert that Nash will make me happy. "Beats those damn ghost shapes," he replies.

I step closer, my eyes meeting his for a few ticks before I lean down and offer Bo the remainder of the cookie.

Nash lets his hands go and encourages Bo to sit. "Why don't we just have you chill there for a bit, huh, buddy?" Nash rustles Bo's hair as my son grabs the cookie from my hand with vigor and is quick to go to town on it.

When Nash and I move to stand, our foreheads bump. "Ow." I rub my head as we part.

Nash chuckles. "Of course, that would happen. We are on the mystical dock. "

"The dock." It's barely a whisper from my parted lips.

"Our place."

"Our place," I repeat.

He narrows his eyes at me. "Just going to repeat my words?"

I'm mesmerized because every fiber in my body is aware of what he's about to do. It's my instinct. "That depends."

The gleam in Nash's eyes seems as though he's happy with that answer.

I snicker when he begins to lower to one knee because I knew two minutes ago how this scene would go. It doesn't faze him as he continues his quest, taking hold of my hands and peering up at me.

"Summer." His tone is firm, almost as though he's trying to keep me in line. "You and I have had a long and winding road. Turns out it was leading us to where we should be. Maybe we should have been more then, but we can't change the clock, and here we are now. It's true. I'm supposed to be your last husband."

Tears are beginning to bubble. It's in an odd second, yet right that he references that sentiment from his brother. It doesn't matter because it's true.

"But in order for that to happen, you have to marry me." His sly smirk turns to a fully warm grin.

Now I have to chortle and smile. "I don't hear a question there." No way am I going to make this easy for him.

"You can't question facts." Nash's wink only solidifies my difficulty to ever break this smile.

Lowering to a squat, we come face to face, with my fingertips spread out against his cheeks. "Then it seems we can't challenge that." I love interacting with him this way.

"Exactly," he rasps .

"You know, marrying me comes with some very serious perks." I drop my knees to the dock.

"Oh yeah?" he says, playing along.

I nod once. "Free cookies."

"I partly own this establishment. I already get free cookies."

I tsk him to shut up. "Fine. Remembering the past and being at peace. A great kid."

"Who will have a brother or sister soon."

My eyes widen as my arms link around his neck. "Soon? You might need to wait on that little request."

"What else?"

"Hmm, depends on the ring," I tease him.

"Look in my jeans pocket."

I smirk slyly as my hand dives into the pocket in a way that brings us close, and if we had no audience, then we would probably have clothes off soon. Our lips brush as I slide the ring out of his pocket. Glancing to my side, I hold up the ring. Beautiful and simple. Perfect for me.

I pretend to ponder. "I mean, I guess this works." Nash yanks me closer to kiss my lips, and our teeth touch because our lips are still tightly in a grin. "That list," I murmur against his lips. "You'll also get a wife who will make every shower enjoyable as I will completely be on my knees to take you—" Bo's squeal breaks our attention.

Our foreheads continue to touch as we move to study Bo. "I know, right? Your mommy has such a foul mouth."

Bo holds up his hands with crumbs and icing stuck to his skin. He's grabby because he wants more cookies.

"So, were you in on this too, kid?" I ask my son.

His response in to say, "Mama."

The feeling of my fingers being dragged causes me to look down, and I watch Nash slip the ring on .

"I'm kind of surprised it didn't fall down and between the boards because that's just our style on this dock," he quips.

My hand soars up, and I stretch my fingers to appraise the ring. It's simple, Bohemian, and suits me in every way.

"Not too shabby," I say.

Nash yanks me tight to his body and kisses me with a delicious warning. "You're going to drive me crazy forever, aren't you?"

"And you don't mind."

He swipes a few strands of my hair away, and we get lost in one another's eyes for a few seconds before another kiss is shared between us.

But the clawing at my ankles updates me that someone is getting restless. "Okay, we get the hint. You're happy about this, want more cookies, and you're ready for your car ride to your other uncle." I scoop Bo into my arms and pretend to bite his nose which earns me a few giggles. "You're going to be the cutest little ring bearer, yes you are." My mom voice is out in full.

"Alright, let's get you two in the car. Champagne will have to wait for later because we have a schedule to keep, and you have no sweater on."

I suddenly remember that I have nothing covering my arms, and that causes a shiver from the realization. Then another one runs through my head. "Wait, champagne later? Does Keats know?"

Nash releases a short laugh. "Did you really think I was going to show up at his house with a ring around his sister's finger and face his wrath? Yeah. Yeah, he knows. Seemed neutral about it."

It makes me laugh, as I can only imagine how that conversation went, but then my laugh softens. "And your parents?" Gail never had an issue with Nash and me, and Walter has slowly come around.

Nash touches my shoulder to put me at ease. "They're fine." My smile begins to etch on my lips again.

"Let's go then. Seems everything is in place."

"It is."

Our delicate voices and our eyes catching are the perfect confirmation that we are exactly where we should be. Where we always should have been.

The car ride was needed to gather my strength for balancing the testosterone between Keats and Nash. As he drives, we've been sharing pure puppy eyes and giddy looks. We're nearly over the top, and I'm sure it will make my brother scowl a few times.

"Here we are." Nash sighs as we turn onto my brother's street.

I chuckle. "Enthusiasm to the brim," I retort.

"Don't get me wrong. It's just… we haven't really stayed in a family member's house since we've been together. I'm not sure Keats should be our trial." We decided to stay overnight, makes it easier if we want to enjoy wine.

I rub his hand where it's sitting on the middle console. I find this entertaining. "We'll be fine. Besides, I think he still has work to do, and it will be just a chill dinner. A BBQ maybe."

Nash's eyes seem focused through the front window of the car as he slows down. When he tilts his head and eyes squint, it causes me to wonder what's happening. "Uh, looks like your brother is going to be on a BBQ."

My eyes snap forward as we come to a stop in front of his house. He's in the front yard with a woman our age arguing with him, and Keats seems to be dishing it right back.

Hesitantly, I unbuckle my belt and open the door to hop out. They seem unaware of our arrival.

"You. You are the one who dragged me to that party," she seethes.

"Really, Esme? Pretty positive you got an invite too, and it just so happens we ended up driving home together."

She points a finger at my brother. "You are the worst neighbor. You are such a mind fuck."

I stand there in awe and feel Nash arrive by my side. I'm not sure either of us blink, too engrossed in the scene.

"Do we interrupt them, let them know to tone down the language before I take Bo out?" Nash wonders.

"I'm not sure. I kind of want to see how this plays out."

Nash's eyes and my own nearly pop out when my brother steps forward and so does Esme. Ah, I know this scene. A reminder of Nash and I pre-reunion, which is why I smirk.

"It's not my fault you voluntarily came home with me and then we?—"

"Whoa," I speak up and wave my hand. "We don't need to hear more."

Both Keats and Esme whip their sight to us, suddenly aware of our presence.

Nash just smirks, clearly enjoying my brother's shock or embarrassment, I'm not sure what it is.

"How long have you been standing there?" Keats asks, frozen.

"Long enough for me to enjoy this weekend's roasted BBQ." Nash has a cheeky smile—because he won't let this go—right before he turns to open Bo's door with vigor.

My fingers give a little wiggle wave. "You must be the neighbor. I've heard about you. Not exactly in your favor," I admit with a tight smile. "But you seem to be handling my brother… kind of… maybe."

"Summer," Keats grits out a warning.

"What?' My voice rises an octave as I shrug. "Clearly she returns the sentiment, and it's not my problem that we showed up to your lovers' quarrel."

"We are not lovers," they both say in unison.

Nash just chuckles under his breath. "Sure, you aren't."

What an eventful dinner this is going to be.

Keats is my enemy. And ending up in bed together presents an even bigger complication, considering he's my next-door neighbor.

It started with my neighbor being enemy number one. The cocky lawyer always seems to swagger my way with a disgruntled look and piercing eyes when my packages continue to get delivered to his house. He makes me feisty and annoyed, too. Hence why we're always in a showdown where I want to rip his shirt into shreds and maybe his pants, too. Why? Because the attraction is too overbearing and lingers in the air.

And then we snap and give in.

We start the unimaginable. We unintentionally start a neighbors-with-benefits kind of thing. But I begin to see a different side of Keats, and it turns out he isn't the kind of man I thought. The fact that he turns possessive in the best possible way, or moves me right in due to a house complication, tells me that he feels something, too. We're blindsided by our relationship developing, and neither one of us is sure where this will end. After all, we never planned on being everything we might want…