Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
He kissed the top of her head. “Is that you trying to alleviate some of my blame over the way we broke up?”
She tipped her head back to look at him. “I’m just saying that we both made mistakes. You couldn’t see beyond your dream for success, and I couldn’t compromise. And we’ll still have to compromise. You can’t stop traveling to be with me, and I can’t follow you around the world. So we’ll have to figure it all out.”
“We will,” he said. “Because I’m never letting you go again, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
She trailed her finger across his lips. “Maybe that’s what love is about. Figuring out how to do whatever it takes to stay together. Even if it means compromise. Even if it means having to give up something.”
“But you should never have to give up your dreams.”
“And you should never have to give up yours. Between us, we’ll find a way.”
“What was it Fernsby said to you?”
“Love is a compromise because two hearts must meet in the middle to become one.”
He pulled her in for a kiss to her forehead. “He’s a wise man as well as an excellent baker. There has to be give-and-take in love. And that’s what we’ll do. Because our love is perfect.”
She tipped her head to smile at him. “Nothing’s ever perfect. I know. I tried to be perfect. And it never worked.”
He kissed her like a vow. “Ava Harrington, you are the most perfect creature on God’s green earth. And I love you with everything in me.”
“Maybe we’re perfect together in a way we couldn’t be before. I will always love you, and I will never walk out the door without talking to you.”
He laughed. “Okay, don’t make promises you won’t be able to keep. But after you walk out, just promise you’ll come back and talk.”
She giggled. “You know me too well. But I promise. We both promise.”
“We’ll always talk it through. And we’ll always find a way to make it work.”
“Because now that we’ve reunited, I am not un-reuniting.”
He kissed her with abandon, his laughter seeping through. And when he said, “Reunited in love,” she answered, “Forever.”
Epilogue
One month later
They attended the christenings of five Maverick babies. Where once Ava would have shuddered at the thought, now she felt aglow with the festivities.
Paige and Evan’s house was decorated to the nines, with Happy Christening banners and paper flowers and moons and stars and anything that might glitter to catch the babies’ attention.
Evan had once owned a mansion in Atherton, but he’d left that to his ex-wife. The more modest Los Altos house was now a true home, with kids’ toys strewn about and bouncy chairs for their twins, Savannah and Keegan. In the backyard, Evan had already set up a swing set, monkey bars, slide, and sandbox, even though the twins were only seven months old.
It was late October, but this was the Bay Area, and it didn’t have the fall colors of the East Coast, except for the massive Liquid Amber tree shading the back garden whose leaves had begun turning a deep orangey red.
“You look happy.” Dane sat beside Ava on the couch.
She let out a sigh of satisfaction. “I am happy. Very.” They both looked across the wide expanse of the living room to Ransom, who was talking with Susan and Bob Spencer.
“Well, it certainly took you long enough to get back together.”
She turned to Dane, her head reared back a little. “What are you talking about?”
Dane leaned back, crossing his arms thoughtfully, “I saw all those sparks between you two way back when you took care of his grandmother in the nursing home, and Ransom and I were working on the resort.”
“There was a spark,” she admitted, though that was such an oversimplification.
He snorted a laugh. “It was way more than a spark.” Then he leaned close. “You crackled like fire, sister dear.”
She felt herself blush. Dane had known all this time. “But you never said anything.”
He shrugged in a typical brotherly gesture. “It was your business. I was hoping you’d talk to me about it when it was obvious things had gone wrong. But you never did.”
And wasn’t that the Harrington way—talk about anything else but love. It was why Ava had never said anything about Cammie. None of the family had, though they all knew how Dane felt, especially after the “incident” with Troy. And yet, at the family mastermind a week ago, Clay had apologized to her for his outburst at the wedding. He’d even told her she’d made the right choice with Ransom. And here she was talking about love with Dane. So maybe things were changing. At least a bit.
Dane held her hand, squeezed her fingers, smiled at her. “I’m happy for you. But hell.” He puffed out an exasperated laugh. “You two took even longer than Cammie and I did to figure it out.”