Page 15 of The Summer I Stayed (Midlife Meet Cute #5)

Maggie

A November chill nips at my cheeks as I open the door for Tom to come in.

Laughter mingles with the crackling fireplace as Gemma and Edna spill childhood tales about Jake while Caroline and Lila laugh along.

Matthew and his fiancée, Beth, are around here somewhere.

Tom saunters in, his charismatic smile instantly charming the group, mainly Caroline.

“Did they tell you the time Jake fell into the lake trying to impress a girl?” Tom starts, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Hey!” Jake calls out in protest from the kitchen. “That was not my fault. The dock was slippery.”

“And yet, I walked on it just fine,” Tom says, causing a round of laughter.

Alison arrives, her bright smile warming my heart as she rushes to wrap me in her arms. Fresh from school for Thanksgiving break, which she’s spending here, she’s eager to see all the progress and finally meet Jake in person. We video call her as much as her busy schedule allows.

Matthew walks inside the house with Beth on his arm. Her eyes sparkle brighter than her engagement ring.

“It’s cold out there. What were y’all doing?”

They glance at each other. “We, uh,” Beth starts.

It dawns on me what exactly they were doing.

The same thing happened after Matthew earned his Summit Pro Tour card.

They told us they had a “meeting,” which is young people’s slang for kissing.

Oh, these two kids—young and in love. We can’t wait for their wedding next fall.

It seems so far away, but Matthew travels so much during the year, they decided to wait.

“Don’t need to explain it to me,” I say, just as Jake’s arm tips me into a dip.

“What if we demonstrate for them? Maybe that’ll make them stop sneaking off to make out.”

“Okay, okay,” Matthew says, covering his eyes. “We get it.”

Everyone chuckles in the room as Matthew and Beth walk away, embarrassed.

“Jake! You’re not one for PDA. What has gotten into you?”

“Maybe I just like having ‘meetings’ with you.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“No meetings when we have guests here!” I say, standing up straight.

The corners of his mouth tilt upwards in a roguish grin that sends flutters to my stomach. “Does this mean I get double the ‘meetings’ when everyone leaves?”

I shake my head, unable to help the smile stretching across my face. I swat at his shoulder, though the effort is half-hearted at best. “You’re incorrigible, Jake Hollis.”

He chuckles in response, pulling me closer. “And you wouldn’t have me any other way.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” I press a kiss on a cheek, before resting my head on his chest.

Maverick bounds into the room, a soup ladle firmly clutched in his mouth.

“Maverick!” Jake exclaims, but the Great Dane seems quite pleased with himself, wagging his tail as he parades his stolen spoon around the room.

“Will he ever learn?” I chuckle.

“Not if you keep spoiling him,” Jake grumbles under his breath, but there’s a fond smile on his face.

I call Mav sternly, and he comes to me with apologetic eyes. He places the ladle in my hands and lays at my feet.

“Good boy,” I murmur, patting his head.

As I look around, my heart fills with gratitude.

This is my life now. Full of people I love and a home that feels like it was always meant to be mine.

Blue Alder Cove, once a place of memories and then heartache, has become a home filled with laughter, warmth, and new beginnings.

Steven would have wanted this for me; I can feel it in my bones.

“Matthew, Beth, can you show me my room?” Alison says, kind of loudly, as the three of them head upstairs.

“We should clean up from dinner,” Caroline says, tapping Lila’s leg.

Tom jumps up from the couch. “I’ll help!”

Edna stands abruptly. “The pie,” she exclaims. “Can’t let that burn.”

Gemma rises in sync with Edna. “I don’t like burnt pie either. I’ll lend you a hand.”

Then, it’s just Jake, me, and Maverick by the fireplace.

The fire crackles and pops, a soothing sound to my ears.

Jake shifts next to me so we’re standing in front of each other.

He takes my hand, holding it gently between his larger calloused ones.

His thumbs drawing circles on my knuckles—a comforting habit he’s formed since we started dating.

It’s soothing yet suspenseful since everyone left abruptly.

“Maggie,” he begins, his voice soft.

My heart flutters at his tone, serious with a hint of nervousness—like the night he told me how he feels. But this is more. Is this…?

“In this house,” he starts, his deep blue eyes gazing at me, “I found more than a project or friendship…I found you.”

His words are simple yet hold so much meaning that my breath hitches in my throat.

“You came along with your bright smiles and hopeful dreams, and you changed everything.”

My heart hammers in my chest as tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

“You brought life back into this old house. You brought life back to me. And now,” he drops down onto his knee, looking up at me, “I can’t imagine my life without you.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a velvet box.

“Jake,” I whisper.

He presses a soft kiss onto my hand before letting go and opening the box. “Maggie Wilkes, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Tears well in my eyes, blurring Jake into a soft, hazy outline. The man I have fallen hopelessly in love with is down on one knee, asking me to marry him. I barely have time to register the ring before the joy and love bubbling inside me erupts.

“Yes,” I breathe out. “Yes!”

His face breaks into a dazzling smile as he slips the ring onto my finger. It’s beautiful. He stands up, pulling me into his arms. Jake cups my face, leaning in to capture my lips in a sweet kiss.

“I love you, Maggie,” he whispers against my lips.

“I love you, too, Jake.”

Cheers erupt all around us. I glance around the room to see everyone peeking their heads out from the kitchen. Alison, Matthew, and Beth are sitting on the stairs, cheering loudly.

“Who knew Jake Hollis was such a romantic?” Tom’s teasing voice rings out above the cheers. Jake rolls his eyes, pulling me closer.

“Well done, Jake,” Caroline adds. “You’ve made her the happiest woman in the world.”

Jake looks at me. “And she’s made me the luckiest man in the world.”

I can do nothing but nod, speechless at the whirlwind of emotions flooding over me. The love I have for this man is beyond anything I could have imagined. And now, he is officially going to be mine.

Love, Laughter, and Second Chances—Who Says Romance Ends at 40?

Welcome to a collection of fun, feel-good romantic comedies where love comes with age, second chances are swoon-worthy, and happily-ever-afters are just as sweet the second time around.

Set in charming small towns, these later-in-life romcom novellas are filled with laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling-but-sweet romance, and unforgettable meet cutes.

Whether it’s enemies-to-lovers fireworks, a second shot at love on the ice, single moms rediscovering romance, or fixer-uppers that spark unexpected chemistry, these stories promise the perfect escape.

No steam, just swoon! So pour a glass of lemonade, settle into a porch swing, and enjoy these delightful love stories.