Page 82

REN

Beaufort, South Carolina

T he bonfire roared on the beach. The entire team circled the blaze.

Steady operated the grill while Very passed a tray of cheeseburgers and hotdogs.

Finn reached into the cooler, grabbed a beer and a cranberry fizzy water for Twitch, and returned to her side.

Tox stood behind Calliope with his arms around her waist while Nathan cradled Emily.

Cam kissed Evan as they unpacked the box Stella had sent.

Evan handed out the books. “I’m normally opposed to book burning, but in this case, I’ll make an exception.”

Ren chuckled as he tossed the first copy into the fire. The others followed suit, throwing in the publication that had irrevocably scarred Ren. It wouldn’t erase the damage his mother had done, but it was a healing gesture.

Very set the empty tray by the grill and tucked in next to Steady. His friends had found their soulmates. Ren thumbed the pages before adding another book to the fire. He’d found his soulmate, too, but fate had other plans.

His thoughts drifted to Stella—it was their usual port these days. Sometimes, he would imagine fighting with her, other times, making love. Sometimes, he just imagined her brushing her hair or washing a dish—how every mundane thing was better because it was with her.

He stared through the licking flames and imagined the form moving toward him across the beach—a fire goddess coming to bless the conflagration. He’d questioned his sanity numerous times since meeting Stella.

Beside him, Nathan nudged Ren with his elbow. “Ren, I think someone is crashing our party.”

Without taking his eyes off the beach, he said, “You see her too?”

He didn’t wait for a response. Ren sprinted down the beach, stopping a foot in front of Stella. She wore a blue dress that whipped in the breeze.

She brushed the hair from her face. “I’m so sorry I left. I didn’t know.”

“Stella, I belong to you. You’re mine, and I’m yours. And if you didn’t know that before, I will spend every day for the rest of my life making sure there is no doubt about that.”

She rested her cheek against his chest. Ren was sure she could feel the pounding of his heart.

“I’ve loved you for so long,” she said.

Ren cupped her face. “I love Stella Keen. Not Sofria Kirk. Not Sabrina Kittriidge. Not any S.K. you pretend to be. I love you. That’s all I know.”

He kissed her then, pouring every ounce of love and passion he felt into their embrace. Stella’s lips parted, and Ren responded. The waves foamed around their feet, but Ren hardly noticed.

“The tide’s coming in,” Stella murmured, their lips still touching.

“I could be waist-high in water, and I’d still be kissing you. I could drown in you.”

A breath away, Stella said, “I need to tell you something.”

“You can tell me anything.”

Behind him, Emily Bishop cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Ren quirked a brow.

Emily held up a book. “It’s the last copy. We thought Stella might like to do the honors.”

Calliope joined her. “Come on, Stella. We want you here. Not just Ren. All of us.”

Ren turned back to Stella. Her smile was brighter than the moon behind her.

Stella took a timid step forward, and Ren slipped his arm around her waist. She melded to his side like she had always been meant to be there.

“And everything is okay?” Stella asked the women.

Emily grabbed one of Stella’s hands; Calliope took the other, pulled her forward, and said, “Stella, Emily, and I have both had to conceal our identities. We understand.”

“You have?” Stella asked the question with shocked surprise.

Calliope laughed. “It’s a long story.”

“Two long stories,” Emily added.

The women pulled Stella across the sand. Ren followed with his hands in his pockets and a soft smile.

Emily added, “Besides, we loved the actress, not the role. Nathan showed me that the person you are inside shines through no matter what name you’re using or who you’re pretending to be.”

“Thank you,” Stella whispered.

Calliope tugged on her arm. “Now come on. Get rid of that awful book.”

Stella

T he fire had died down. Ren sat behind Stella, cradling her in his arms, and watched as the pages ignited and floated into the air.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Stella turned and spoke into his neck. “You did something nice for me too.”

“I plan to do lots of very nice things for you.” Ren bit her earlobe, sending a jolt of arousal straight through her.

“No, I meant—”

“Stella, I love you. I want to marry you. I want to have babies with you.”

“Ren,” she choked.

“I mean, if that’s what you want.”

“It is.” She nodded into his neck. “I want that more than anything. All my life, I’ve only ever wanted a family. I just never realized it until I met you.”

“Good.” He ran his nose along her neck and whispered, “I’m really looking forward to getting you pregnant.”

Stella craned her neck, peeked at him through her lashes, and said, “You already did.”

Ren scooted back in the sand and spun Stella to face him. “What?”

“Beginner’s luck. It happened on our first time together. In that hotel room.”

Stella watched as the memory of their fight and explosive sex ran through his mind. A horrified look crossed his face. “You mean you were pregnant that whole time in Maine?”

She nodded with a grin.

Ren shot to his feet. “Oh, my God, Stella, I drugged you!”

Stella took his hand and spoke as she pulled him back to her. “The baby’s fine. I saw a doctor and explained everything. He ran some tests, and he’s a healthy baby.”

Ren dropped to his knees. “He?”

She smiled and nodded. The words caught in her throat. “Yes, a boy. And a resilient one at that.”

Ren pulled her close, and Stella climbed onto his lap as he ran his hand reverently over her still-flat stomach. “It’s probably better I didn’t know.”

“Agreed.”

“We’re going to be parents.”

Stella shook her head. “I wish we had better examples.”

Ren put his fingers under her chin and turned her head to face their friends. “We have the best examples of great parents anyone could ask for.”

She glanced at the group. It was true. Nathan and Emily, Twitch and Finn, and Tox and Calliope were all fantastic parents. Cam and Evan and Steady and Very didn’t have kids yet, but Stella guessed they wouldn’t be far behind.

A voice came from the darkness behind them.

“Sorry, we’re late. Clara was, ahem, returning a Monet that was stolen by the Nazis.”

Tox hopped up and greeted his twin brother. “Glad you’re here.”

“Where’s my niece?” Clara asked.

“At home with Calliope’s mother. Jane’s walking now, so it’s very entertaining at Chez Buchanan.”

Miles and Clara settled beside Calliope as Tox fetched them drinks.

Stella took in the scene. Cam was telling a story about a difficult client.

Steady laughed and brushed a lock of Very’s pink hair from her face.

Her dark blonde roots were growing in, and Stella wondered why Very had stopped dying it; she liked the crazy bright pink.

Ren blanketed Stella’s body from behind and said, “I’d like to freeze this moment. This is our family, Stella. We may not share DNA, but it’s the most love and support I’ve ever known.”

“A family,” Stella echoed wistfully.

“Stella?”

“Yes?’

“Will you marry me?”

She turned and held his face with both hands. “I’d marry you right now if I could, Galileo Jameson.”

Ren shouted over her shoulder, “Hey, Tox?”

“Yo.”

“Did you get ordained yet?”

Ren told Stella, “He’s going to officiate Steady and Very’s wedding.”

Tox crushed his empty beer can and tossed it in the recycle bag. “You are looking at the Right Honorable Reverend Miller Buchanan.”

Calliope slapped her husband’s arm. “That’s not your title, Babe.”

“His Eminence?” Tox offered.

Calliope looked at the starlit sky and shook her head. Stella laughed.

Ren stood and helped Stella to her feet. “Can you marry us?”

That got the attention of the group.

Tox hopped to his feet without an ounce of hesitation. “Fuck, yes, I can.”

Steady cracked a new beer. “Dropping F-bombs like a true man of God.”

Stella tipped her head to meet Ren’s sparking eyes. She searched his expression for any hint of obligation or doubt and found none. “You’re serious?”

“Stella, you’re the face on the pillow next to me that makes me not want to close my eyes. Then, when I do, you’re the dream I don’t want to wake up from. I’ve never wanted anything in my life as much as I want to marry you. What do you say?”

Stella glanced at the group, at her found family, every face shining with encouragement. She faced Ren and felt her shattered soul stitch together. “Always and forever?” she asked.

“Always and forever,” he repeated.

“Yes.”

Despite his sarcasm and machismo, Steady seemed to be the mushiest romantic on the beach. He clapped his hands. “We’re a go, people. Cam, there are some torches under the deck. Very and Emily take bride duty. Calliope and Evan, go with and grab glasses and champagne from the drinks fridge.”

Nathan joined the group. “Where are we in the rotation?”

Tox and Cam came over. “Let’s see,” Tox said. “I was yours. Finn was mine.”

Finn took over, “Cam will be mine.”

Cam said, “Steady was mine.”

Ren called from Stella’s side, “I’m going to be Steady’s, and Nathan, you’re mine.”

Stella looked at Ren in confusion.

He explained. “Rather than choose a best man, we set up a rotation.”

Very grabbed Stella’s hand and pulled her toward the house. “Come with me.”

Thirty minutes later, Ren and Stella stood at the rising tide’s edge while Steady strummed “Tupelo Honey” on his guitar.

Flames flickered from the torches, and the team surrounded the couple in a semicircle.

Stella wore a borrowed white sundress. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders.

She held a bunch of fresh basil from Very’s kitchen herb garden tied with a satin ribbon.

Barefoot and smiling, she had never felt more beautiful.

Tox did his part, and Ren took Stella’s hand.

“Stella, you can go by any name, assume any persona, but know this: I love you . You have the brain of a chess champion, the heart of a warrior, and the soul of an angel.” He rested his free hand against her sternum.

“It’s this that I love, what’s inside, the real you. ”

Nathan passed Ren Emily’s hoop earring, and Ren slipped it on Stella’s finger.

Stella met Ren’s gaze with shining eyes.

“I started falling for you the first time I saw you, but you know my instinct is to fight. I should have known that was a battle I would never win. Because deep down, I wanted to lose. You are the best man I have ever known. I’m grateful for our pasts because they brought us here. ”

Stella pushed Emily’s other hoop onto Ren’s first knuckle.

“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Ren took Stella in his arms and kissed her, pouring his love and commitment from his body to hers. And Stella returned the sentiment. He pulled back, just a breath, their lips still clinging.

Stella smiled and said, “Stella Jameson—another new name.”

“And the only one you’re ever going to have from now on. How does that feel?”

“Better than I ever could have imagined.”