Moonlight Cove (25 page)

She stood beside him at the helm as he guided the boat into the cove.

And then she saw it, some kind of bonfire ahead
on the shore. She turned to him in wonder. “That’s for us?”

“It is,” he said with a smile. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re just a little bit crazy. You didn’t start it, then take off without someone to keep an eye on it, did you?”

“Have you ever known me to be irresponsible?”

“Never,” she conceded. “Who’s here?”

“Doesn’t matter. If all goes according to plan, they’ll be gone as soon as we set foot on shore.”

“About that. You can’t take this boat all the way into shore.”

“I know, which is why I brought along my double kayak. We’ll anchor the boat, then row in. You game?”

She smiled at him, suddenly eager for whatever lay ahead. “I’ve come this far. I see no reason to stop now.”

When the boat was secure, Will lowered his kayak, then helped her down to it before following, himself. As they rowed toward shore, Jess could see that he’d done far more than build a bonfire. Around the perimeter, there were hundreds of big white candles buried in the sand. In among them were baskets of flowers far too delicate to survive long in the cold. For the moment, though, they were beautiful. She could smell the scent of roses as soon as her feet touched shore.

“Will, it’s absolutely beautiful. This may be the most romantic setting I’ve ever seen.”

She heard a subtle cough from the direction of the woods and chuckled. “Your helpers, I presume.”

“My helpers, who were just leaving,” Will said loudly.

There was more rustling from the surrounding woods, then the sound of the motor on Kevin and Connor’s little
fishing boat. Only when the chugging had faded into the distance did Will lead her to a blanket where there were glasses, wine and a picnic waiting.

“Why did you do all this?” she asked, looking into his eyes. “You should know by now that you don’t have to impress me.”

“I think I do,” he said. “Especially now. I have a lot to make up for. I’ve been neglecting you.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but I really do understand why you’ve been so busy,” she said.

“Doesn’t mean that my not being around hasn’t worried you,” he said, his gaze on hers. “Am I right?”

Jess nodded. “A little. You know me too well.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that. But that’s not entirely why I did all this. I wanted you to have a special memory of Moonlight Cove with me, the kind of memory you’ll be able to treasure for a lifetime.”

Tears burned in Jess’s eyes. “Oh, Will.” She reached over and put a hand on his cheek. “I love you.”

It was the first time she’d said the words, and she wasn’t sure which of them was most surprised, but then Will began to smile.

“It’s a good thing,” he said softly, “because there’s one more thing about tonight.”

“What’s that?”

He reached in his pocket and drew out two small packages. “This one first,” he said.

It was wrapped in midnight-blue paper and tied with silver ribbon, reminding her a bit of the sky, at least on the nights when its scattering of stars were visible. Jess almost hated to open it, but there was nothing she loved more than presents. This one promised to be special.

Inside, she found the most delicate antique gold-and-
diamond necklace she’d ever seen. The stones were small, but the perfect size for the gold filigree in which they were set.

“Will, it’s lovely,” she whispered. “It looks old.”

“It was my grandmother’s,” he said. “She gave it to me before she died and told me to save it for the woman I love. That’s you, and I want you to have it now.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, almost holding her breath.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” he insisted solemnly. “In fact, that’s what the second gift is about.”

This time the box was smaller, the size of a ring, and like the other one, the velvet was old and somehow familiar. Jess couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away, but eventually she did.

“Will?”

Holding her gaze, he slowly flipped open the box.

Jess stared at her great-grandmother’s engagement ring, then looked back into his eyes. Her head seemed to be spinning, but maybe that had something to do with the glass of champagne she’d had while sitting up in the attic waiting for him.

“Where’d you get this?” she asked, though the answer was obvious. Her mother must have given it to him, unless he’d taken up jewel thievery in his spare time.

“Your mother thought it might make the perfect engagement ring. She said both your grandmother and your great-grandmother wore it and had long and happy marriages.”

“Why would my mother give you an engagement ring?”

He chuckled. “Are you being deliberately difficult?
Do you think we could focus on the implication for the two of us? I’m asking you to marry me, Jess O’Brien, and I want you to know that my commitment’s for a lifetime, just the way it was for your grandparents and your great-grandparents. The necklace and this ring both represent my faith in what we have, my unwavering belief that it will last a lifetime and be every bit as strong as the marriages that have gone before.”

She blinked back tears as she met his gaze. “A ring doesn’t guarantee anything,” she said stubbornly.

“No, but it can be symbolic. It can stand for my love for you, which has only grown over the years.”

“We’ve just been dating a few months.”

“But I fell in love with you when we were fourteen. I’m sure if I’d told anyone that, they’d have dismissed it as puppy love, but I knew better, even then.”

She shook her head, trying to understand that kind of certainty. “Will, I do love you, but I’m still trying to catch up.”

He gave her a wry look. “I noticed. Now, let’s get back to the ring. You know what they say in the wedding ceremony, a ring is a circle, representing something with no end. Now that we’ve started this, Jess, there’s not going to be an ending. I believe that with all my heart. I’m committed to making this work.”

“Most people start out believing they can make a marriage last,” she said. “If they didn’t, they wouldn’t bother.”

“Ah, but most people don’t have someone like me with all these mediating skills to make sure it happens,” he said. “Enough excuses, Jess. What’s it going to take to convince you that what we have is strong enough to
weather anything? Will you ever be any more ready than you are tonight?”

She looked him in the eye. “Kiss me.”

Will seemed startled by the command, but he was obviously eager to comply. After a long, searing kiss, he studied her curiously. “Did that help?”

She nodded. “That kiss at Brady’s, the one that came out of the blue, was how I first realized I was crazy about you.” She grinned. “They’ve only gotten better.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. And?”

“If we kiss like that every single day for the rest of our lives, I think we’ll have it made,” she said, settling into his arms. She wasn’t sure which warmed her more, the bonfire or having Will’s arms securely around her. She held out her hand and admired the sparkle of the diamond in the firelight. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Beautiful,” Will agreed, but when she glanced up, he was staring directly at her, not at the ring. She smiled at him.

“I know I haven’t always had a lot of faith in us,” she told him. “But I do love you, Will. And I’ll promise to do whatever it takes to focus on that and not on all the bumps in the road.”

“Now there’s a promise I can get behind,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

The road ahead might not be smooth. Jess recognized that, but she also knew it was going to be the journey of a lifetime.

It was then, as they were warmed by the heat of their kisses, surrounded by the heat from the bonfire, that the snow began to fall.

“I think it’s a sign,” Will whispered against her lips.

“A sign of what?”

“That our lives are going to be touched by magic.”

Jess caught a snowflake on the tip of her tongue, then laughed. “I thought they already were.”

1. Jess O’Brien has struggled throughout her life with attention deficit disorder. Do you know anyone who has dealt with ADD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Did medication help? Were there strategies that helped them, especially as adults, cope with daily living and organizational issues?
   
2. In addition to her ADD, Jess was also deeply affected by the departure of her mother when Jess was only seven. In what ways do you think this affected Jess and her relationships in later years? Have you had to deal with a parent leaving after a divorce? Or have you ever been the parent who left? How did you handle those situations?
   
3. Jess’s relationship with Megan has been cautious at best ever since her mother returned to Chesapeake Shores. Jess eventually realizes that she’ll never be truly happy unless she lets go of the past. Have you ever been deeply hurt by someone and held on to the anger? How did you eventually forgive and reconcile, or did you?
   
4. Jess, Connie and Laila turn to an online dating service in an attempt to liven up their social lives. Have you ever used a dating service? How was the experience? Do you think it’s a good way to
   meet new people? What are the benefits and risks compared to other ways to meet new people?
   
5. Will uses his experience as a psychologist to devise the Lunch by the Bay dating questionnaire. Do you think it’s possible to design a test that will reveal true compatibility? What about the likely chemistry between two people? Is there some way to measure that? How important is attraction versus compatibility?
   
6. Will has known Jess for most of her life and is well aware of all of her flaws, as well as her strengths. Initially Jess feels as if he knows her almost too well. Do you think that’s possible? Is his deeper understanding of her a blessing or a curse? Do you have or would you want a partner who truly “gets” you?
   
7. When Connor thinks momentarily that Jess has lost track of his son at a fall festival, she is obviously hurt by his reaction. Why do you think her brother’s attitude affected her so deeply?
   
8. The romance between Thomas and Connie takes everyone by surprise. Why do you think that is? Is it because of the age difference? Or the complicated family dynamics? How much is concern for Nell O’Brien’s reaction because of her deeply held religious beliefs about divorce? Do you think Nell responded appropriately by giving them her blessing despite her own convictions?
   
9. Will deliberately chose Moonlight Cove as the place to propose to Jess. What significance do you think there was in that choice? Or was he simply trying to create a particularly romantic setting?
   
10. Both the ring and the necklace Will gave to Jess when he proposed had a long family history behind them. Do you think that made them more meaningful for Jess? In what way?