Forever This Time (42 page)

She smiled sadly. “That's all it would take?”

“Stay, Josie.” His voice was gruff, emotional. “Stay here. I can help you.”

“I don't—I don't need help.”

“Everybody needs help sometimes. Even big, strong oxes like you.”

She pulled her head away from his chest. “Oxes?”

“See? You're already smiling. I'm helpful!” He ran his fingers down her jaw, stopping at her chin as his eyes searched hers.

Josie blew out a careful breath. “I don't know. I just don't know. My head is spinning. I've spent so long running without even knowing that's what I was doing. I'm not sure how to turn that part of me off. I'm really not.”

“Y'know what, Jos? We could just take it one day at a time and see what happens.”

“That's a great strategy when you're sixteen, Ethan. But we're not.”

“I don't personally think it's a bad strategy even at twenty-eight. Certainly helps me sometimes.” Ethan looked up at the stars. “Hey … since we're on here … want to go up?”

Her stomach fluttered. It was one thing to sit here practically on the ground. Quite another to sail two stories up, where she and Ethan had sat with Avery on her last night. “Do you have the key?”

“I do.” Ben emerged from the pathway, jingling a huge ring of keys.

Josie glanced from one to the other. “Is this a setup?”

“Nope.” Ben grinned. “Just doing my rounds. Just happened by. Ethan definitely didn't call me in to check the security cameras. Nope.” He inserted the key, then leaned over to give Josie a kiss on the top of her head. “I'll be right here when you're ready to come down, Twinkle-toes.”

His words were like a warm blanket over her shivering shoulders. “You always used to say that to me.”

“I know it. Every night.” He saluted as he pushed the lever forward. “Count the cars at the bowling alley, would ya?”

“Is it league night?” Josie let out a shaky laugh.

The wheel rose slowly, and as it cleared the ground, Josie reached for Ethan's hand. “I can't believe we're doing this.”

Ethan held on to her hand as he pulled her close. “I'm here, Jos. I'm here.”

When the wheel reached the top, it slowed to a stop, leaving the car swinging softly in the night air. “Oh no, you didn't. You did
not
tell him to strand us up here.”

Ethan looked over the edge of the car, making it tip forward. “Ben? Ben!”

“Sorry, boss. That switch has been sticky all day. Looks like I need to go get my tools. Might take me a while, though.”

“Ben, this is not funny.” Josie gripped the bar.

“Sorry, you two. Do your best to entertain yourselves till I get back.” They both watched as he headed down the pathway, chuckling.

“You totally paid him to do this, didn't you?”

Josie expected to feel panicked, but as she tucked back up against Ethan, all she felt was the rightness of being here, in this moment, with this man.

“I wish I'd thought to, but no.” Ethan stretched his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Come here. Want to count the cars?”

A distant train whistle broke through the crickets and tree frogs. “Here comes the train.” Josie pointed toward the tracks as she leaned her head tentatively on his shoulder. “I spent so many years wishing I could hop that train to somewhere more exciting than here.”

“Well, you did. Figuratively, anyway.”

“It seemed like the best plan, at the time.”

Ethan was silent for a long moment. “How about now? Do you have a plan for now?”

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.”

Dusk 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!

 

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