Page 61 of As a Last Resort

AUSTIN

My face was warm and fuzzy from champagne.

Of all the ways I pictured tonight going, this was by far more than I could have hoped for.

After the rehearsal dinner, Lexi, Sam, and I sat on the seawall looking out over the ink-black water, the silver path from the moon shining across the top.

The waves lapped against the shore in a steady rhythm.

Most of the guests had left, excited to rekindle the party for the wedding the next night.

The ice swans stood tall in the center of the lawn, droplets falling to the ground from the tips of their melting wings.

The band had gone home. The only sounds were the waves against the sand and the clinking of abandoned wineglasses and plates as the caterers cleaned up around the last mingling guests.

Rex and his sisters were laughing at the only table not folded up for the night. They were talking about the time Rex hid frogs in his oldest sister’s bed because he didn’t want his mom to set them free.

“They seem like a lot of fun.” Sam looked over at the table where they were all trying to catch their breath. “Tomorrow’s going to be beautiful.”

She leaned into my chest and closed her eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered into her ear as I laced my fingers through hers.

“Cool it, you two,” Lexi interrupted. “This is my weekend.”

“I don’t know what you did, Scuttle, but you finally got this boy to loosen his reins.” Patrick came up behind us and clapped me on the back. He plopped down right next to Lexi. “Did you hear that you can call me Capt’n Bolt from now on?”

“Captain?” Sam asked.

“He hasn’t told her yet.” Lexi smiled at Patrick.

“You haven’t told her yet?” Patrick asked me. “Dude! What are you waiting for?”

“It’s not that big of a deal, really,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat a little.

“The hell it isn’t.” Patrick nodded his head toward my parents’ dock. “Take a peek at his new legs.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked to the dock. It was hard to see in the dark, but alongside my parents’ wooden speedboat was a vintage white and navy fishing boat bobbing in the water. The moonlight reflected off the center console and long poles pointed to the sky off the back.

“Turns out this kid just needed his heart broken again to finally follow his dreams,” Patrick teased.

“It’s yours?” Sam asked me.

I swatted Patrick in the chest then looked at Sam. “It’s small. Just something to test the waters out. Turns out the owner from the charter business up north was also trying to dump this. Needs a lot of work.”

“But it’s a start.” She was beaming.

Her eyes lingered on the name painted on the back as the boat rocked gently in the water, swaying in time with the waves— As A Last Resort .

She kissed me, soft and certain, and everything in me settled.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered.

I brushed my thumb along her jaw, the future suddenly something I could reach for.