by Kristen Iten
“Not a thing, darlin’,” Andy said. “Are you ready for an evening at the beach? Look at those clouds up there. The sunset is going to be gorgeous tonight.”
Olivia lifted a single brow. Andy and Trent had appeared to be deep in conversation before she’d come out. How did he know Kat had suggested a walk on the beach? “Dinner’s almost ready. I doubt we’ll be there long enough to watch the sun set.”
Andy cut his eyes toward Trent for a moment before smiling down at her. “Never say never. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some taste-testing to do in the kitchen.”
Andy disappeared into the house, leaving Trent and Olivia alone on the porch. She glanced in through the screen door behind her. “So… they all seem pretty set on us taking a long walk down the beach tonight.”
The tips of Trent’s ears turned a tell-tale shade of red. He coughed and cleared his throat. “A walk might be nice after being cooped up at the hospital for so long.” He stepped closer and ran the back of his index finger down the length of her arm. Butterflies awoke in her stomach and refused to settle.
His intense brown eyes held her captive. “You said it yourself. This is a perfect day. We have the chance to make it one to remember.” He extended his hand. “Besides, if Dad’s right about that sunset, I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.”
The fire in his eyes ignited a blaze inside her. She took his outstretched hand. He was right. She didn’t want to miss this.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Trent hopped out of the truck and patted his pants pocket for the fiftieth time. He had to make sure the box his father had picked up for him earlier that day was still in place. Everything depended on it. Relieved to feel its rounded corners, he released a deep breath and hurried around to the other side to open Olivia’s door. Chivalry would never die as long as he had breath in his body. His heart skipped a beat when Olivia stepped to the ground and met his gaze.
She tucked her wavy hair behind her ear. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” The soft shade of pink blooming in her cheeks awakened every fiber of his being. All he thought of was taking her in his arms and never letting go. He broke free from her gaze and stepped back. Not yet—not on the side of the road. Especially not when the most romantic location in all of Liberty Cove was just a short walk up the beach from where they’d parked.
He grabbed a basket from the back of the truck and offered her his hand. “Shall we?” Olivia took it, sending jolts of electricity racing up his arm.
“Is that a picnic basket?”
“It might be.” He strained to keep his pulse in check. He’d told Olivia that tonight would be a night to remember—but how they’d remember it was still undecided.
“I know you were trying to be all mysterious on the way over here, but don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to,” Olivia said, a playful, knowing grin tugging on her lips.
Trent’s stomach dropped. He’d blown it. His surprise was shot. He worked his jaw, but no words formed on his lips. Their feet hit the sand only a few paces away from the road. Its coarse grains shifted beneath his every step, making it that much more difficult to maintain his equilibrium.
“There’s only one reason to drive all the way over here when there’s plenty of sand and surf only two minutes from my front door.” Olivia was beautiful when she was confident. She was always beautiful, but right now her triumph was his defeat. He’d come into this evening with an ironclad strategy to win the day, but now? He’d have to improvise and hope for the best. Not the optimal way to achieve his objective.
Trent held out a sliver of hope that there was a chance she hadn’t guessed everything he’d planned for the evening. The only thing he could do was to play along and see what she knew. He cleared his throat. “And what reason might that be?” None of the nerves gnawing at his gut made their way into his voice.
“I know these beaches just as well as you, if not better. You’re taking us to the cove. Now I know why your family was acting so suspicious.” She pointed at the basket he carried in his other hand. “I knew something was up back there.”
Trent gulped. “Oh, really?”
“The pre-packed picnic basket, their offer to watch Molly, your dad talking about the sunset; it all adds up to one thing.”
The tension in Trent’s shoulders mounted. So much for the big reveal he’d planned for after dinner.
“They were setting me up for a surprise romantic dinner with you.”
She thought this whole night was about a picnic on the beach? All of Trent’s unease washed away. He was still in business. “Guilty as charged.”
“Whose idea was this? I can’t remember the last time somebody planned something special just for me.” Olivia had a slight quiver in her voice.
“It was my idea. Our first picnic together back at the rescue was less than stellar. I thought it might be nice to have a do-over.”
She pulled him to a stop and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. “You’re just as romantic as ever. I was hatching some crazy ideas back at the house when everyone was pushing us to come out here, but now everything makes sense.”
“What kind of crazy ideas?”
Olivia sighed and allowed her arms to slide down his chest on their way to her sides. “It doesn’t matter. A do-over sounds wonderful.”
With the gulf to their left and a row of rolling dunes to their right, they continued their walk up the shore. The dunes rose higher as they neared the cove, and were topped with tufts of tall grass that swayed in the light, salty breeze. Finally, they came to a place where the ocean waters had scooped out a section of beach, creating a secluded cove surrounded on all sides by tall mounds of whitish sand.
“This is my favorite place in the world,” Olivia said.
“Mine, too. It’s where we first met. Even as a kid, I knew there was something special about you.” Trent’s chest burned with words he’d longed to say for so many years.
Olivia looked up at him, the evening sunlight twinkling in her eyes. “What?”
“You don’t remember the first time we met? We were, what? Six?”
“That’s right. I remember now. We did meet at the cove.” Olivia’s soft laughter rolled over him like delicious waves of warm honey. “I remember I was kind of annoyed when you and your family showed up. I thought the cove belonged to me back then.” Her quiet laughter trailed off.
Trent held her hand while she climbed onto a large boulder, the rising tide already lapping at his ankles. Seeing her stand there brought back a rush of memories. “You were standing right here, throwing pebbles as far into the water as you could.” He took a step to her left. “And I was standing right here, wishing you’d climb down so I could have a turn.”
“You’ve remembered that all these years?”
“How could I forget?” Trent’s pulse thundered in his ears as years of memories flashed through his mind at lightning speed. All of the best moments of his life had included Olivia. And he didn’t want to spend a single day more without her beside him. He held her gaze as love’s fire churned in his belly.
Olivia blushed as if she could hear the thoughts raging in his mind. “Did I share the rock that day, at least?” The soft tone of her voice conflicted with the passion that danced in her own eyes.
“You eventually came around to the idea.” His lips curved into a smile. It was so easy to smile when she was near.
Olivia sat and patted the stone beside her. “How about I make up for keeping you waiting back then. I’m ready to share right now.” Her gaze flicked down to Trent’s lips, causing desire to surge through his veins.
He sat on the rock next to her, tongues of fire licking at his legs where their thighs touched.
“This rock doesn’t seem as big as it did when we were kids, but I don’t mind the close quarters if you don’t.” Olivia’s sly smile drove his pulse wild.
“Me?” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer still. “I prefer it.” He i
nhaled the sweet vanilla scent of her hair, savoring the way her soft curves melded to his form.
She leaned her head back onto him. “You’ve really changed, you know that?”
“I’d hoped you’d noticed.”
She tilted her head to gaze up at him. One look into her eyes took his breath away. There was no way he was going to make it through a picnic without his heart beating the inside of his chest black and blue. Forget the plan. He had to ask her now.
He tossed the basket into the sand behind them. “You know, my dad used to say, ‘You don’t wait for the right moment. You make the right moment.’”
“Those are pretty wise words.”
He shifted his weight to stand, but Olivia laid her delicate hand on his forearm. “Please, don’t get up.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I just…” How was he supposed to tell her that he needed to stand up so he could drop to one knee?
She squeezed his arm and slipped her hand into his. “I’ve waited so long to be this close to you. I never want it to end.”
He cupped her cheek with his free hand and gazed into the depths of her eyes. “It doesn’t have to. Ever.”
“What are you saying?” Her voice quivered again as hope filled her eyes.
Trent expanded his chest with a deep breath. The ocean breeze mixed with the sweet scent of the love of his life, and urged him on. “I meant what I said at the hospital about never making the same mistake twice.” He caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I wasted ten years of my life without you, and I’m not willing to waste any more of them.”
He withdrew his hand from her face to fish a small box from his pocket. “You may have made me wait a long time to share this rock when we were kids, but I waited way too long to share this rock with you.”
Olivia took the box and ran her fingertips over its deep-blue velvet surface with trembling hands, tears shining in her eyes. She opened the lid and clasped a hand over her mouth. The rich, golden hues of the sun glimmered on every facet of the brilliant cut diamond, resting in a delicate platinum gold setting.
She whispered his name. “Trent.”
“Olivia, if you’ll have me, I'll stand by your side for the rest of my life. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved—the only woman I’ll ever love. Will you marry me?”
Trent didn't dare breathe as an extra beat of silence stretched between them.
“When I saw the picnic basket I didn't think it was going to happen,” she said. Her eyes blinked in double time as shock whirled in their depths.
“Didn't think what was going to happen?”
“The way you and your family were acting earlier, I thought you were going to propose tonight. But when I saw the basket, I figured it was just wishful thinking. Seeing what I wanted to.”
“Wishful thinking? Does that mean it's a yes?” Every taut muscle of Trent’s body awaited her reply.
“Yes! A thousand times, yes.”
Sparks flew as she traced her fingers down the side of his neck, drawing his face closer to hers until their foreheads touched. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.” She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, inviting his lips to meet hers.
He slipped his other arm around her, finding the curve of her waist. They sat, gazing into each other’s eyes as ocean spray from the rising tide filled the air. Something unspoken passed between them, and he knew he was finally home. Finally whole.
He brought his mouth dangerously close to hers and relished her hot breath as it came out in quick bursts. He closed his eyes and the gap between them, teasing her lips with his. Soft and light, he searched every inch of them. They were just as silky and insistent as he remembered. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, matching the passion growing inside him.
He pulled away for a moment and brushed her hair back, revealing her ivory neck. He placed a trail of slow, burning kisses along her jaw until he found the hollow place below her ear. Allowing his lips to linger, he whispered, “This is the dream I’ve been dreaming for the last decade.”
She melted into his arms as his lips worked their way down her neck. They laid back onto the warm, smooth surface of the boulder in unison, clinging desperately to one another. He wove his fingers into her hair and cradled her head in his hand as their passion intertwined and became a living, breathing thing. Never before had a single kiss held so much promise.
“A part of me never stopped loving you,” Olivia breathed the words into Trent’s ear.
He shifted his body so he could gaze into her eyes. “I thought I didn’t know how to love anymore after everything that happened overseas. But the truth is—I never stopped loving you either. It was always there, even in the darkest times when I thought I’d never hold you again. It was there.”
Olivia rested a hand on either side of his face, intensity like he’d never seen, shining in her eyes. “No more dark days… for either of us.” She held his gaze for another moment before every feature of her face softened and gave way to pure joy, a contagious joy that seeped into every pore of his body.
The past had no more hold on him. The only thing that mattered from that moment forward was the future.
Epilogue
Warm sunshine soaked into Levi’s back as birds flew through the cloudless sky overhead. A soft breeze rustled in the live oak and mesquite trees lining the street. There wasn’t another vehicle in sight. That stretch of road was the image of peace and tranquility. It would have been the perfect day for a ride, if only he wasn’t kneeling in the pebbles and grit at the side of the road, working on his broken-down bike. Again.
He wrestled a stripped out nut back into place, smashing his knuckles against the foot peg in the process. “Nice.” He gathered the tools around him and stood. The ammo box bolted to his back fender served as a makeshift toolbox—something he wasn’t willing to leave home without. He dropped a few wrenches and his prized lockjaw pliers into the box and secured the lid.
Throwing his leg over the bike, he settled into place. The overheated black leather warmed the seat of his pants as he gripped the handlebars. “Come on, baby. Don’t let me down.” He put his boot on the kickstart lever and gave it a try. A smile curved his lips when the engine came to life. He patted the fuel tank in front of him. “That’s my girl.”
Talking to the machines he worked on had become a way of life for Levi during the seven years he’d spent in the US Air Force. Engine blocks weren’t just a collection of cold steel and parts to him. They each had a personality of their own, and Levi had never met an engine he couldn’t befriend. If only his junkyard motorcycle would treat him a little better, life would be a lot easier.
He cruised down the road, wind whipping through his strawberry-blond hair as he headed to the beach. His persnickety bike had made him late again, but at least his job wasn’t on the line this time. The only thing at stake was a hot meal and some fun in the sun with Trent and his family.
He pulled up to the beach a few minutes later and was met with the smoky scent of steaks cooking over hot coals. His mouth watered. When was the last time he’d been able to indulge in a steak? It had been too long if he had to ask that question. And, no, Salisbury steak didn’t count.
“Hey, man,” Trent called out, walking up to him with a can of soda in each hand. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to stand us up.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Levi jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the piecework of a bike he’d just parked. “The old girl was being finicky today. She didn’t feel like coming.”
“I can see that.” Trent pointed at Levi’s grease-stained hands and laughed as he handed him a soda. “I’m glad you were able to convince her to join us. Don’t worry about your hands. Olivia always has wet wipes handy. You should be able to get at least some of that off—clean enough to eat, at least.”
“Ain’t nothin’ gonna keep me from eating one of those slabs of meat your dad is cookin’ up.” Levi
craned his neck to see past Andy to the grill he was fixated on. A grate filled with sizzling meat sent billows of delicious smoke into the air. If Levi could have bottled it for later, he would have. He’d open the lid and take a sniff the next time he was settling in for a hearty supper of ramen noodles and Vienna sausages.
Trent cleared his throat the way he always did when he was trying to start a conversation.
“Is everything all right in paradise?” Levi asked.
“Yeah, couldn’t be better. But I’d like to ask you a question while I’ve got you alone. It’s uh…” Trent rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s kind of awkward.”
Levi slapped him on the arm. “Don’t worry, man. We’re tight. Lay it on me.”
“I wanted to ask you to be one of my groomsmen.”
“Absolutely. I’d be honored. What’s so weird about that question?”
Trent shuffled his feet in the sand and took a swig of his soda before continuing. “That’s only part of the request.”
“Cue ominous music. Dun, dun, duuun!” Levi’s sing-song voice made Trent chuckle.
“Okay, here’s the deal, I’ve already asked my brother to be my best man.”
“Well, that’s to be expected. I mean, he is your twin. He probably knew you were going to ask before you said the words. You two have that creepy twin thing going still, right?”
“Not exactly, but we’ll work on getting it back. Here’s the hitch, he’s stuck on a European tour with his fiancée for the next year. He’s not going to be able to be a part of any of the pre-wedding stuff that best men usually handle. He’s flying in the day before. I was wondering if—”
“You want me to do the best man shtick until your bro gets into town. No problem. I’ve never planned a bachelor party before, but I’m sure I can come up with something.” Levi popped his can open and sipped the bubbly liquid.