Page 21

I walked into the living room and found Hope curled up on the couch reading a book she'd picked up at a little bookstore we'd discovered last week. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, catching the highlights in her hair.

I settled in beside her and gently lifted her feet into my lap. She looked up with a soft smile.

“Give me two minutes to finish this chapter,” she said, already turning back to the page.

Now it’s July, and somehow, in the middle of the chaos, the travel, and everything in between we’ve been making it work. Just like I knew we would.

Hope had hired Melissa, a newly certified yoga instructor, to help run the studio. During the season, Hope split her time between Starlight Shores and wherever I was playing. The studio was thriving, and somehow, we'd found a rhythm that worked for both our lives.

“There.” She closed the book and tucked herself against my side. “I’m all yours until you leave for Seattle.”

The doorbell rang, and I grinned.

“That'll be Mom and Ray.”

“I still can't get over how cute they are together.”

When I'd first suspected something might be brewing between my mom and my agent, I thought it would be weird.

Ray had been like a father figure to me for years, still the idea of him actually becoming family felt complicated.

But watching them together these past few months had been the opposite of awkward.

Ray just fit into our family dynamic like he'd always belonged there.

I opened the door to find them holding hands, Ray holding their bags and Mom practically glowing.

“There's my favorite son and daughter-in-law-to-be,” Mom said, immediately pulling us into a three-way hug.

“You know I’m your only son,” I said as we pulled back.

“And we're not even engaged,” Hope said.

“Yet,” Mom said with a pointed look in my direction.

We walked into the house, and Hope and Mom headed straight for the kitchen, already chatting. Ray set the bags down in the foyer, then followed me into the living room.

“How's the arm feeling?”

“Great. Tomorrow's start should be solid.” I glanced between him and Mom. “You two look disgustingly happy.”

“We are,” Ray said simply. “So do you and Hope.”

“Same”

We hung out for a bit before heading to a local seafood place. Nothing fancy, just good food and a quiet booth in the back.

Ray and I talked shop, while Mom and Hope planned a weekend trip to Asheville to hit the galleries and museums. It felt natural, like this had always been our family dinner table.

“Remember when you first told me about your Reiki sessions?" Ray asked. “I thought you'd lost your mind.”

“I thought it was crazy when Mom suggested it, but it worked.” I chuckled. “However it worked.”

Mom flashed a smug smile.

“Mom knows best.” She shifted her eyes toward Hope. “About everything.”

“I’ll never doubt that again.”

Later, we all headed back to the house. Ray and Mom headed straight to bed, leaving Hope and me to settle out on the deck. The night air was cool, and the steady rhythm of the ocean waves filled the silence between us.

Catching me looking at her, she smiled and said, “What are you thinking about?”

“Just this. Us. How we made it work when it seemed impossible.”

She snuggled closer and rested her head on my shoulder.

“You know what I realized? I spent so much time worrying about whether I could fit into your world that I forgot you might want to fit into mine too.”

“Starlight Shores was the first place I ever really felt at home, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else full time,” she said. “But you’re my home, too. Traveling and spending time here in Myrtle Beach has definitely kept things interesting.”

“Speaking of keeping things interesting…”

I kissed her forehead and slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

It had been burning a hole in my pocket all night. I’d thought about doing this back at the restaurant, but I wanted the moment to be just ours.

Hope's eyes went wide as I settled onto my knee in front of her.

“Sam…”

“Before you say anything, just so you know, Mom has no idea about this,” I said, my voice catching a little.

“I was totally shocked when she called you her daughter-in-law earlier. Honestly, I’ve been carrying this around for two weeks, waiting for the right moment.

” I chuckled softly. “I’m still not sure if this is the moment, but here we are. ”

I reached out, took her hand gently, and looked deep into her eyes.

“Hope Keller, I love you. You fixed my arm, my head, and my heart. You showed me that love isn’t about finding someone who fits perfectly into your life. It’s about finding someone worth rebuilding your whole life around. Will you marry me?”

She was crying before I even finished the question.

“Yes,” she whispered, then said it again louder, “Yes, of course yes.”

I slipped the ring onto her finger—a simple solitaire with tiny compass points around the band, to match her necklace and bracelet—then stood and gently pulled her to her feet to kiss her properly.

“I love you,” she said against my lips.

“I love you too. We're going to have such an amazing life together.”

“Home and away games,” she said with a laugh.

“The perfect season,” I agreed.

We settled back onto the deck chairs, holding each other tight, with the sound of the ocean waves below us and moonlight glinting off the ring on her finger.

And I knew we'd figured out the most important thing of all—sometimes the best pitch you can throw is your whole heart, trusting the right person will be there to catch it.

The End