Josie’s silence matched his. Then she pulled her head upright and moved her body away from his. “I think I do.”
“Do tell.”
“Would you believe it was Ike who finally helped clear my head today? I went into his garage all fired up to head out of town, and after telling me a whole lot of stuff I still can’t digest, he asked me one stupid, simple question. He said, ‘Where does your heart live, Josie?’”
“That sounds awfully wise for Ike.”
“So I blasted out of the parking lot and headed for home, packed up my stuff and made for the interstate. I was so out of here.”
“But?”
Josie turned toward him. “I hate that this is true, Ethan. I hate it with all my might because I can’t control it, I can’t fight it, I can’t talk any sense into my own head. But dammit, as much as I’ve tried to tell myself for the past ten years that I don’t love you … that I don’t miss you … I’ve been lying.”
Ethan’s eyebrows went sky high as his mouth started to curve into a smile. “Are you just saying that so I’ll call Ben back here to get us down?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, I’ll take it.” He pulled her close again, tucking her head under his chin. “Josie, are you serious? Are you thinking about staying?”
She nodded slowly, hardly still believing it herself.
He gripped both of her arms and pushed her away so he could look into her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Staying?”
“Staying, Ethan. With you, if you’ll still have me.”
He gathered her in a crushing hug. “Are you kidding? I’ll have you, Jos. I’ll have you till we’re both doddering around with our canes and walkers.” He pulled away enough to tip her head up and kiss her. “I’ll never let you go again, Josie Kendrew. Never again.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“In that spirit…” He pulled away for a moment and dug for something in his pocket. “I was hoping to do this later, at the lake, but I can’t wait.” He fumbled for a moment, then took her hand in his. “It would be a little awkward to try to get down on one knee up here, but at least it’s not the back of my old truck.”
Her heart jumped as she caught a glimpse of sparkle and gold in his hand. “I know we tried this once before, and maybe we really were too young at the time. But Jos, I have never, ever stopped loving you. Never stopped hoping you’d come back to me someday. And here you are.”
He pressed his lips together, smoky eyes blazing into hers. “I’ve been holding on to this ring for ten years, but if it’s all right with you, I’d really like to put it on your finger and spend eternity with you, riding on Ferris wheels and making your dreams come true.”
His fingers traced her jaw, his lips breathlessly close. “Josie, will you marry me?”
Josie’s eyes threatened to spill over as he cupped her face carefully in his hands. “I never dared give up hope, Jos. So? Will you say yes again? Will you mean it this time?”
Josie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him with all the strength she could muster. “Yes, Ethan. I’ll say yes. I’ll mean it this time.”
* * *
An hour later, they sat snuggled together watching the stars, still waiting for Ben to return. “Remember the last time we were on this Ferris wheel, Ethan?”
“I won’t ever forget.” His voice rumbled against her cheek as she nestled into his chest.
“Do you still think of her every time you see a butterfly?” He nodded. “How does it not crack your heart into pieces?”
“It does, but I just try to focus on the last thing she said. That’s what gets me through.”
* * *
“Flutterby kisses, Josie.”
Josie took Avery’s hand tightly as they sat at the top of the Ferris wheel the last night of her life. “Flutterby kisses, Aves.”
Avery tipped her chin up and brushed her eyelashes over Josie’s cheek, blinking rapidly. “Guess what I wished last?”
“What, sweetie?”
“I wished that every time you see a butterfly, you’ll think of me.”
“We will, munchkin.” Ethan squeezed her gently. “But we’ll think of you every day whether we see a butterfly or not.”
“Know what else I wished?”
“What else?”
“I wished that someday you and Josie will get married. And live happily ever after.”
“That sounds perfect,” Josie murmured, eyes glistening as she looked over Avery’s head at Ethan.
“Promise?” Avery put out her pinky, and Josie and Ethan both hooked theirs onto her tiny one.
“Promise.”
Epilogue
“Who gives this woman to be wed?” The minister looked out over two hundred white chairs decked in tulle, placed in rows facing Avery’s wishing well.
“Her father and I do.” Mom’s voice was strong from the front row, where she sat hand in hand with Dad, who smiled his crooked smile from his wheelchair.
Josie broke her gaze from Ethan’s so she could look out over the crowd. Even though they’d capped the guest list at two hundred, she could swear twice that many people were here. Beside her at the altar were Kirsten and Molly, decked out in bridesmaid dresses the pale purple color of Avery’s favorite butterfly. Behind Ethan, David and Josh looked stiff but proud in their tuxes.
Holding Josie’s hand in her own little one was Emmy, who’d spread daisy petals all the way up the aisle, skipping in her buttercup-yellow dress, hair grown out to her shoulders.
“I do, too,” Emmy said, eliciting a quiet roll of laughter through the crowd.
As the minister spoke the words they’d chosen, Josie felt a warm glow encasing her entire body. Her smile felt like it might actually crack her face, but she couldn’t stop. She looked over the crowd, saw the smiling faces, felt the happy energy, and knew she’d made the right choice at that Concord rest area last summer.
Yes, it had been a long, curving road back here to Echo Lake, but as Ethan’s eyes caught hers, she knew she was right where she belonged.
* * *
After the reception tent had been taken down and the guests had left, Ethan and Josie sat in the Adirondack chairs beside the wishing well.
Ethan took her left hand and kissed it. “I really like this ring on you.”
She smiled. “Turns out I’m better at this whole wedding thing the second time around.”
“Are you excited for the honeymoon?”
“A week in Barbados? With you? Swimming, snorkeling, reading the ten novels I packed while I drink fresh margaritas?” Josie shook her head. “Nah.”
He laughed. “And you thought I’d never take a vacation.”
“I appreciate you proving me wrong.”
Ethan squeezed her fingers. “You’re the one who’s going to have trouble finding time off soon.”
“I know.” Josie smiled. “It’s perfect, though. I’ll work with the guests here in the mornings, and then work at Mercy in the afternoons. Might even put in some weekend hours at Ho-Ho, if the boss lets me.”
“The boss will definitely let you. You’re sure Kirsten’s okay with all of this?”
“Ha. Kirsten had moved her desk to my office before I’d even moved out.” Josie smiled. “She’ll be fine. It was tough to transition my patients, but you know what? She’s good. Her new partner will be good. It’ll all be … good.”
“And you can be here, making a different kind of difference.”
“Yeah.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I really can.”
“You’re a new woman, Mrs. Miller.”
“Nah.” She shook her head, looking at the wishing well. “Not new. Just had to figure out the old one.”
“I’m glad you did.” He tugged her hand, pulling her gently onto his lap. “Come here.”
When she was snuggled with her back against his chest, he pointed at the wishing well.
“Look, Josie.”
Dus
k softened the lines of the well, and Josie squinted to see what he was pointing at. Then something fluttered, and her hands flew to her mouth.
“Oh, Ethan. It’s a butterfly.”
They held perfectly still for long minutes as the tiny purple butterfly opened and closed its wings, poised on Avery’s wishing well. Finally, it lifted off, swooping in circles around them before it headed for the trees.
Josie watched it until it disappeared, and until Ethan ran his fingers down her cheek, she didn’t realize a tear had escaped her eye.
“Flutterby kisses, Jos,” Ethan whispered in her ear.
Josie reached her arms up around his neck, sighing happily as she closed her eyes.
“Flutterby kisses, Ethan.”
Look for the next novel in the heartwarming
Echo Lake series
by Maggie McGinnis
HEART LIKE MINE
Coming in April 2016 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
And don’t miss Maggie McGinnis’s e-original story
“Snowflake Wishes”
Available now from St. Martin’s Press!
About the Author
Maggie McGinnis is a USA Today bestselling author and Golden Heart Finalist who lives in New England, vastly outnumbered by both children and cats. She writes sweet romances set in Montana and Vermont, and feels extremely fortunate that through her books, she gets to fall in love every single day. She’s a sucker for romantic comedies, popcorn, and the perfect green pen, and if she wasn’t an author, she’d totally be rocking a Nashville club in her pink cowgirl boots. It’s probably good that she embraced the author thing, because her singing skills are better suited to the shower, and really? Pink cowgirl boots?
Visit: www.maggiemcginnis.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Epilogue
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
FOREVER THIS TIME
Copyright © 2015 by Maggie McGinnis.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 978-1-4668-7787-0
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Forever This Time Page 32
