“I came to see you weeks ago. You were out with Mary, and your brother answered the door.”
The pain was replaced by ice. So much better this way. It hurt less. “Why?”
“I came to beg your forgiveness. To say I love you, that I believed in us, and a real relationship, and I was stupid and scared. You deserve more, I know you do, but I had to try and tell you the truth.”
He jerked and studied her face with an unrelenting stare. “You were so intent on this big declaration, huh? Then why did you leave? Why didn’t you stay and fight for me?”
“Because Connor told me you and Mary were sleeping together. He asked me to stay away from you, that you were trying to build a relationship with her. That you had a shot at happiness.”
“We never slept together. Mary found another guy and quit Kinnections. I’ve been trying to get over you.”
“I know,” she said softly. “When you both pulled out of the agency, I thought it was because you were together.”
He tried to sort out the puzzle. “Why now? Why weeks later did you suddenly decide to waltz onto the golf course?”
“Connor came to see me. He told me the truth. We had a long talk, and I confessed it was me who was scared the whole time. You were right.” She drew a shaky breath and tipped her face up. “I gave myself excuses that weren’t real. Tried to push you away by pretending I’d hurt you, that it was for the best, that I didn’t deserve you. But I do. I deserve love, and I deserve not to be a coward, and I need to try. I will give you everything. My heart, my soul, my life. I will never leave you. I will love you for as long as you let me.”
His breath stopped. He gazed at the woman he loved before him, face pleading, and saw the truth in her eyes. She didn’t want to run any longer. She loved him. All of his dreams came down to this moment.
His eyes burned and he lurched forward a step, his mind reeling. He ached to drag her into his arms, forgive her, love her, but that tiny piece of fear still clung because he knew that this time there was no turning back. Something white fluttered in front of him, and he looked up.
What the hell?
A massive white banner opened up in front of him. Dozens of people clutched the material, holding it up proud and straight as the breeze tried to grab hold and shake it. Inky black writing scrolled over the clean, bright surface, flashing the words that seared right into his brain and straight to his gut.
I Love You, Nate Dunkle. Really . . .
Her voice floated, soft and husky behind him.
“Connor and I decided I needed to do something epic. I understand if you don’t want to take another chance. I can only tell you what you taught me.”
He turned and looked into her face.
“You taught me to be brave, to open myself to joy, and to be a full person. You reached in, saw every broken part of me, and loved me anyway. You are my everything. But most of all, I learned I am perfect. For you. With you. I don’t want half measures anymore. I don’t want safety. I want you. Only you.”
She waited. Her humbleness and vulnerability made her even more beautiful, sketching out the lines of her face, softening her eyes, and giving him . . . everything.
He jerked her into his arms and took her mouth. Drank in her sweet taste, and softness, and strength, as the sun streamed hot and bright and a cheer went up from the top of the hill from all the nameless, faceless strangers. He kissed her for a long, long time, and when he finally broke away, he knew his life would never be the same.
“I still won,” he said.
She laughed, the sound rolling over the green and in his ears like a sweet melody. “This time. But I got you, so I’m the real winner here.”
He dove his fingers into her hair and kissed her again, long and deep and hard. “I love you, Kennedy Ashe. Let’s go home.”
The words had never sounded more perfect.
epilogue
KENNEDY SIPPED HER tea and leaned back in the seat. “I still think my ‘happy ever after’ ending is a tad better than yours. After all, you just got recliners.”
Kate rolled her eyes and poked her in the upper arm. “Heated, leather, massaging recliners. Golf course endings are like airports. Overrated.”
Kennedy gave her famous pout. “What do you think, Arilyn? Whose is better?”
Arilyn sighed and finished doctoring her tea. “Both are beautiful, and quite satisfying. Now stop acting like children and try this scone thing. It’s outrageous.”
Arilyn broke off three pieces and Kennedy nibbled with enthusiasm. Eating was a wonderful thing, and she was beginning to embrace it a bit more easily. The melty sensation in her chest was becoming more familiar. At first, she thought it was a wonderful kind of indigestion. Kate had finally set her straight.
It was happiness.
“Well, at least Kinnections is booming,” Kate said. “The clients are pouring in. Do you think it was that story leaked to the city paper? I wonder who could’ve done something like that after it was discussed and agreed we’d keep our personal lives private?”
Kennedy focused on chewing. It wasn’t polite to answer with a mouth full.
Arilyn shook her head in disapproval. “We know it was you, Ken. That damn sharklike marketing gene of yours is gonna kill us.”
“Where’s Slade when I need a defense lawyer? I plead the fifth. And I didn’t notice you crying me a river when our list shot up after the story broke.”
“Fine. Then you won’t mind if we film a video of your own relationship journey, right? That will get us tons of exposure.”
“I can’t. If mine is publicized, people will begin to think we’re a matchmaking agency that steals the clients for ourselves. Could be bad PR.”
“She has an answer for everything,” Arilyn said.
“We can always say it was the love spell,” Kate joked.
Kennedy and Arilyn shared a glance. “I forgot about that. Kind of hard to track, though. Gen was already engaged, and you have the touch.”
“Do you remember the qualities you requested? Does Nate have them?” Arilyn asked.
Kennedy sputtered a laugh. “No one would have all the traits you dream about. Plus I was drunk. I doubt . . .” she trailed off, her mind sifting through the list. “Huh. That’s weird.”
Kate got a funny look on her face and placed her tea down on the table. “What?”
“Nate hits every one of my dream requirements. Even the ones I thought weren’t possible to achieve.”
Arilyn looked nervous. “We shouldn’t have done the spell. I knew it. We opened up a portal or something.”