Page 39 of Tides of Change (Seacliff Cove #2)

Ethan

I stood at the end of the beach path, the scent of salt and sun-warmed sand filling my lungs. This place had once been tainted by fear, by memories that still gripped me in the dead of night. But today, it was something new. Today, I was taking it back.

I patted the folded papers in my vest pocket, reassuring myself that they were still there. My fingers trembled slightly—not with nerves, but with the weight of how much this moment meant.

Barefoot, I stepped forward. Into our future.

Two rows of white chairs came into view, set on either side of an aisle lined with driftwood lanterns and soft ivory flowers. Beyond them, nestled beneath a tule-draped cabana, stood Garrett—with eight-year-old Noah at his side.

My breath hitched.

The sun hung low on the horizon and cast a golden light over the waves.

A soft breeze ruffled the hem of my linen pants and carried with it the sound of waves kissing the shore.

It was a perfect June evening for a beach wedding, as if the universe had conspired to give us this moment of peace, of love, of reclaiming something once lost.

I’d never been happier.

It hadn’t been an easy two and a half years since my kidnapping.

Healing had been a journey, one that didn’t end just because Finch was in prison serving a life sentence.

There had been therapy, restless nights, shadows that lingered even in the brightest moments.

But Garrett had been my harbor. He was always there, holding me close, whispering me back to safety whenever my nightmares tried to pull me under.

Just like he had that day.

I never lived in my rental house again. The thought of returning had been too much, and even though it had been early in our relationship, moving in with Garrett and Noah had been the easiest decision I’d ever made.

Over the past two years, we had poured ourselves into renovating Garrett’s house together, and we had transformed it into something that was ours.

And in doing so, we had built more than a home. We had built a little family.

One night, Noah had hesitantly asked if he could call me Papa. I had been so choked up I could only nod and pull him into a hug so tight he had to squirm away, giggling.

As I walked closer to my fiancé and Noah, my heart pounded—not from anxiety, but from the sheer intensity of my love for them.

The small congregation—family and friends from Seacliff Cove, my family from New York—turned to watch, and a few beachgoers paused, drawn in by the ceremony. But I barely noticed. My world had narrowed to one person.

Garrett.

His broad grin was the first thing I saw, his face alight with unguarded joy. My lips curved into a soft smile in return.

Noah stood beside him, beaming, his light-gray vest and pants a match to ours. The only difference between us was the colors of our ties—Garrett’s a cobalt blue, mine a dusty pink, Noah’s a bright pop of yellow. My men, my family, looking impossibly handsome.

I reached Garrett, and my heart thundered against my ribs, my emotions barely contained.

“Hi,” he whispered, and his eyes danced. Before I could answer, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. “Let’s get married.”

I chuckled, warmth flooding me, and the officiant cleared her throat with a smirk.

“Sorry, had to do that,” Garrett said, completely unapologetic as he winked at me.

Laughter rippled through our guests as I shook my head, my chest aching with so much love I thought I might burst.

The officiant smiled and lifted her hands. “Welcome, everyone. We are gathered here today to celebrate the love between Garrett and Ethan…”

She continued speaking, but I barely heard her. All I could see was the man before me, the man who had saved me in more ways than one.

Then she turned to us, eyes warm. “Garrett and Ethan have written their own vows. Please face each other and hold hands. Garrett?”

Garrett squeezed my hands, firm and sure. “Ethan, from that first sip of your pumpkin spice latte, I knew you were trouble.”

I snickered inelegantly.

“The best kind of trouble. You took my quiet, predictable life and filled it with laughter, warmth, and love I never saw coming. I promise to be your safe place, your home—no matter what storms may come.”

I could barely breathe after his heartfelt declaration, but it was my turn. I swallowed past the emotion clogging my throat.

“I’ve spent my life writing stories, creating larger-than-life characters.

But no thriller, no fictional story, will ever compare to this—to you, to us, to the family we’ve built together.

We are my greatest story, and it has a happy ending.

I promise to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. ”

Garrett’s normally steady hands trembled in mine, his eyes shining.

The officiant asked for the rings, and Noah stepped forward, solemn in his duty.

He pulled two bands, tied together with a ribbon, out of his pocket and handed them to the woman.

She thanked him with a smile. During the ring ceremony, we stacked our gold wedding bands snuggly against our diamond-encrusted engagement rings, glinting in the late evening sun.

The warmth of Garrett’s hands never left mine, steadying me. This was forever.

“And now, Ethan has something he’d like to say. Noah, would you stand in front of Ethan?”

Confusion crossed Noah’s face. This part of the ceremony hadn’t been in the rehearsal. But he came to me, and I crouched down in the sand, so we were eye to eye.

I removed the papers from my pocket and held them up. My heart pounded; my throat constricted.

“Noah, these are adoption papers. Do you know what those are?”

He shook his head, curiosity flashing across his young face.

“They mean that I’d like to adopt you as my son. I’d be your legal father—your real father—along with your dad. Would you like that?”

For a moment, Noah just stared at me, wide-eyed. Then, without warning, he threw himself into my arms, nearly bowling me over. His arms wrapped around my neck with a strength that shattered me in the best way.

He whispered in my ear, “Yes. I want you to be my papa for real.”

I clutched him tight, fighting back tears, my throat thick with love and relief. Above us, Garrett sniffled, and I knew without looking that he was just as overwhelmed as I was.

A collective aww rose from our guests, the moment washing over them like a gentle tide.

Noah stepped back and wiped his eyes, his face breaking into a mischievous grin. Then he whispered conspiratorially, “Is this when I’m supposed to go sit with Grandma?”

I chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Yes. Just like we practiced. I love you.”

“Love you too, Papa!” he yelled, quickly recovering from the emotional moment. He ran to Garrett’s mother, who scooped him up in a hug.

I stood and took my husband’s hand, his grip as solid as the promise in his eyes.

The officiant smiled and concluded in her warm voice, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss—again.”

Garrett grinned. “Thought you’d never say it.”

His lips met mine, firm and familiar. The guests erupted into cheers, Noah’s “Eww” carrying above them all. The wind, the waves, the warmth of Garrett’s body against mine—everything was exactly as it was meant to be.

We broke apart, breathless and grinning, and I leaned in, voice just for him. “Looks like we finally got our happy ending.”

Garrett chuckled, his fingers lacing through mine. “No, baby. This is just the beginning.”

Want more of Garrett and Ethan’s story? Read their bonus scene at bit.ly/TidesOfChange-Bonus .

It started with a kiss…and a lie.

Thank you for reading!