Some of the ire left him. "Must have been out of range."
"Really great to see you too."
"Sorry, I've just been a bit worried."
"I was in my apartment for the past several hours."
"You must have come back right after we left it."
"We?"
"Simon."
Oh, Simon. That was just rich. "Let me guess. You found yourself and now you prefer Simon."
He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm not gay." His hands reached for me, his fingers running over my face. "It is nice to see you." Pulling me to him, his arms started around me, until he stepped back like I'd hit him. His hand moved to my stomach. "Tea, are you eating too many sweets again?"
"Are you calling me fat, Kane Doyle?"
"Darling, you are fat."
I punched him, hard, and he laughed.
"I'm not fat, I'm pregnant."
His laughter died. "What?"
"I'm carrying your baby, I'm over five months along. I think it was that night after we met your mom, that perfect night. I'm hungry all the time, want to cry all the time, pee all the time, and, for the first few months, I was puking. It has been so exciting."
"You're pregnant?"
"We're pregnant."
A hardness came into his voice, darkened his eyes. "Why did you wait to tell me?"
"You needed to find yourself. It didn't seem fair to dump that on you then. Honestly, I didn't think it would take you this long to find yourself, since I didn't think you were lost to begin with."
And then I was in his arms, pressed so tightly against him, and I just sank into him because it felt so good to be there again. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, not long enough, as far as I was concerned, before he stepped back, his hands reaching for my stomach again.
"A baby." His head lifted, his eyes finding mine despite not being able to see. "I love you, Tea."
My hands covered his. I didn't say it back because I didn't need to. "Your boat's here."
"I came to bring my woman home"-his voice choked up as he added-"and my baby."
"You drove the boat alone!" Now I was pissed. "Of all the irresponsible things to do-"
"Simon drove it."
"Simon?"
"Yeah, he came up to Maine to drive it down here with me. I heard a rumor that you got your boater's license, so I was hoping we could drive it back up the coast together."
"You want me to drive with you up the coast in your boat?"
"Just like we talked about as kids. Better 'cause it's the three of us," he added with a grin.
"I love that idea. My bag is at the apartment. I'm already packed. I was catching a plane in the morning."
"You were?"
"Yeah, I missed you and I needed to tell you about the new guy," I said.
The most serene expression covered his face, a peacefulness I had never seen in him. "You okay?" I asked.
"Never better. Really, never better." Reaching for my hand, he kissed his ring. "We'll call Simon to get your bag. He's catching a flight to Maine." Whistling for Zeus, we started toward his boat. "Shall we? O captain, my captain!"
So this is what it felt like when a dream came true. "Absolutely."
Kane.
It felt unbelievably good-the wind in our faces, the scent of the sea and of Tea, her laugh as the boat skipped over the small swells of the ocean. I could feel her happiness from my spot next to her. It almost rivaled my own. We were having a baby. Tea was carrying my child. The day I'd hoped for had finally come. We were going to be a family.
I couldn't wait for her to see what I had done to our home-she was going to be thrilled with the changes.
"This is amazing," she called to me. "Do you want the wheel?"
I did, but I wasn't going to risk her, my child, or Zeus. "No, I'm okay. It's almost as good being the passenger."
"She's beautiful, Kane, you did an amazing job on her."
I didn't answer, knew I didn't need to.
"We're almost there. Do you want me to dock at the island or on the beach?"
"Beach."
Thirty minutes later, she was tying us off. "Do you want to take the path or the stairs?" she asked.
"Path-you're pregnant."
"Okay."
As soon as Raven's Peak came into view, I heard her exhale. "Oh my God, Kane, it's beautiful."
I knew what she was seeing, had walked around the gardens with Mrs. Marks, repeatedly, familiarizing myself with what had been done. The gardens now wrapped around the house, bursting with color. A fountain sat in the middle of the circular drive, the water cascading down the sides. Tables and umbrellas dotted the green grass, little clusters elegantly arranged and perfect for staring at the view beyond. Vans, with Raven's Peak Inn painted on them, sat parked near the front door ready to take guests into town.
A section of the yard, farther from the cliffs, had lawn games and additional sitting areas right off the terrace, so people could dine outside and play games. Everything had been planned to accommodate additional people, without looking crowded.
"You've been very busy," she said, and I heard admiration and love.
"Let's walk down the lane. You need to see the sign."
It was familiar, walking the lane like we used to as kids. I missed this, missed having her at my side. I could tell when we'd reached the sign, because she not only stopped walking but her body pressed into mine in contentment.
"You couldn't have picked a more perfect sign as the introduction."
"Describe it to me."
"It's deep green, with gold letters, a bare tree branch rises up along the right side of the sign and over the name 'Raven's Peak Inn.' Perched on the highest branch are two ravens. Mrs. Marks must love this."
"She does. She cried when we unveiled it. Ready to see our house?"
"You made changes to the house?"
"Yeah."
"I thought it was perfect just the way it was." She sounded a bit miffed now.
"Trust me."
"I do, but I still don't think you needed to change the house."
A half an hour later, we were walking up the beach toward home. "Looks the same from here," she muttered. But then I heard her intake of breath, and I knew it was for the gardens, namely the window boxes I'd had the gardener fill with plants. I knew how much Tea loved what had been done with them last summer, and the gardener assured me it was stunning.
"It's beautiful. The colors are exquisite-hot pink, purple, yellow, white against the green of the house-it's a picture."
"Come inside," I said, eager now for her to see the rest. Pushing the door open for her, she jolted to a stop. I'd had the living space changed. We'd fashioned the library in Raven's Peak on a smaller scale and the sofa, our sofa, was right smack in the middle of it.
Her exhale sounded harsh in surprise. "Our sofa." Her voice was soft, tenderness edging her words.
"Seemed only right that it be in our house."
"But you've changed the floor plan. You're going to have to memorize it all over." Concern-how like her to be more concerned for me.
"Babe, I rule the dark. Remember?"
Her next words dripped with humor. "You're a clown."
I grinned and said, "Let's go to the bedroom." Her hand tightened on mine as she led me to our room, where most of the work had been done. The back of the house had been moved out, and the bedroom had been expanded so her bedroom furniture from Raven's Peak would fit. The walls were done in blue, just like her old room.
She was so quiet I almost said her name to make sure she was still with me, and then I heard soft crying, deep as if from her soul. "Tea?"
"You brought our room to our house."
It was our room. I'd always thought of it that way too. I felt my own eyes stinging. "Did you see the terrace door?" I asked softly.
A small deck had been added to the back with a little sofa, so we could continue to watch the sunrise together.
She threw herself into my arms, buried her face in my neck. "It's perfect, Kane, it's absolutely perfect."
"I want to marry you."
"I know, me too."
Pushing her back, I cradled her face in my hands. "No, I mean now, in two days."
"What? I don't have a dress, and there's no pastor."
"I can get the pastor, and does the rest matter?"
I felt her answer in the way her body relaxed into mine. "No, it doesn't. You look happy. I'm guessing you found what you needed to."
"Who I really am didn't go very far. It was just lost for a while. The satisfaction of making Raven's Peak come together, to know I managed it, helped me to understand that needing help doesn't mean being helpless. You were right. I had to learn that lesson."
"And you've learned it?"
"Yes. And now I want my life with you, the life we talked about as kids. You, me, the family on the beach-here, in two days, we say our I dos." I couldn't stop touching her stomach, loved that what we felt for each other had created life. Humbling and oddly a major turn-on. "I need to make an honest woman out of you."
"Finally."
"Seems a crime our bed is just sitting there empty. It's been too long. I've a need, woman."
"Oh, I just bet," she said, but she was pulling me toward the bed.
"What are you wearing?"
"Does it matter? It's going to be off in a minute."
And then she was pulling me down on top of her, my body cradled in hers. Exactly my favorite place to be.
Teagan.
I don't know how we pulled it off in two days, but we did. Kane was even now standing on the beach with Mrs. Marks and the family, waiting for me. The O'Malleys were there too, as was Kane's mom and her husband and Mr. Miller. Simon was with me, helping me dress, since I was so nervous my fingers weren't working.
I was wearing a simple white sundress and my hair was down, a ring of daisies around my crown. I was holding a cluster of hot pink peonies, and my feet were bare.
"You have his ring?" Simon asked.
"Yes, no. Oh shit, what did I do with it?" Frantic, since I was already running late, I starting digging into my jewelry box.
"Oh, wait, I have it," Simon said, which earned him a growl. "Relax, Teagan, you're just getting married."
"Just?"
"To the boy you've been in love with since you were . . . what? Ten? Seriously, this was a foregone conclusion, so take a deep breath and chill."
He was right, of course, but I couldn't believe we were actually here, finally. It was eleven years after he'd first proposed, but we were here.