The fire popped softly between us. After a moment, she leaned her head against my shoulder. “You know something?” she said.
“What?”
“I’m really happy.”
I slipped my arm around her. “Me too.”
And for the first time, everything in my life felt exactly right.
“I love you, beautiful.”
“I love you too.”
EPILOGUE
Claire
Fall had transformed Maple Valley. The orchard that had been bright and green during the summer was now painted in gold and deep red. Apples hung heavy on the branches, and the air smelled like woodsmoke and cinnamon from Harmony’s bakery. I pulled my sweater tighter around myself as I stepped outside the cabin. The mornings were colder now, but I loved the feeling. Fall had always been my favorite season, even before Maple Valley became home. Home. The word still made my chest feel warm. I had spent the last few months building a life here. Working the orchard. Helping Phoenix at the brewery when things got busy. Submitting applications to environmental science programs for the following year and living with Asher. That part still felt a little unreal sometimes. I was about to head toward the orchard when I noticed something on the porch railing. A small, folded note, my name written across the front in Asher’s handwriting. Curious, I picked it up and opened it. Inside was a message that read,grab your boots and head over to the place where your day begins and where sweetness lives.
“What are you up to, Asher Thorne?” I muttered.
I already had a feeling. With my boots on, I headed toward the first place that came to mind. The smell of butter and sugar hit me the moment I stepped inside the bakery. Harmony looked up from behind the counter, immediately smiling. “Well look who followed the clue.”
“You’re in on this,” I said.
She laughed. “Maybe.”
“What is he doing?” I asked.
Harmony slid a warm apple turnover onto a plate and pushed it toward me. “You’re going to need the energy.”
I took a bite despite myself. “OMG, heaven.”
She leaned against the counter, clearly enjoying my confusion. “He told me to give you this.”
She handed me an envelope. I opened it immediately to find another note.Somewhere the water remembers our quiet.
My heart skipped. The lake clearing. The same place Asher had taken me camping. Harmony’s eyes softened as she watched me.
“You’d better hurry,” she urged.
“Why?”
“Because I think someone’s getting nervous,” she hinted.
A flutter of nerves hit as I made my way over to the lake. It was calm when I arrived, the water reflecting the fiery colors of the trees. The clearing was empty at first glance. Then I spotted something tied to one of the trees. Another envelope. I laughed under my breath.
“Okay, this is actually adorable.” I opened the note.
The barn knows all the secrets.
“Oh, my heart,” I whispered and made my way over to the barn.
When I walked inside, Jonah and Marc were sitting on overturned crates like they had been waiting there all morning.
Jonah grinned the moment he saw me. “Took you long enough.”
Marc shook his head. “We had bets going.”