Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Then she left the room.
I sat back, watching her retreating figure.
“She walks softly and carries a big stick,” Sean mused.
“She does.”
“She’s right.”
“We’ll let her and Julia decide what to do with it.”
“I can invest it so we can keep doing good things for years—the rest of our lives.” He paused. “Maybe one day, you might change your mind.”
“I doubt that.”
“Technically, once I invest the money, the interest it makes is your money. It was never Anthony’s. You don’t have to touch the capital.”
I glared at him.
“You’ve taken steps to make sure Harper and I are looked after. And Michael, now.” At my look, he shrugged. “I know you, Cian, and how your mind works—I know exactly what you planned on doing with that account. I knew it from the moment you had me set it up. But what about you? Skylar?”
Skylar and I had discussed this. She knew I had to take care of the people who’d helped me, and she agreed with me. I hadn’t thought of keeping any of Orson’s money for myself. I didn’t want it.
“We’ll be fine. I have the insurance money from Dad you invested for me. I’ve never touched it, and it’s a good nest egg. We’re both young. We can work, and as long as we’re together, we’ll be fine. We won’t be rich, but I’ll take care of her—she’ll never need or want for anything. I’ll keep her safe.”
“And I’m going to make sure you’re okay.” He held up his hand again, not letting me speak. “That’s my job, Cian. And I take it seriously.”
I could only nod.
He stood. “Take your time. Think about it. Meanwhile, I’ve made the arrangements. We can leave soon. We need to get the fuck away from here. We all need to clear our heads so we can move forward.”
Sean had an old client who had a secluded estate in Mexico, and he had generously offered it to us for an unlimited amount of time. It had a large main house and two guesthouses with a private beach, offering all of us the privacy we needed, as well as a central place to gather when we wanted to get together. It would be the perfect spot to try to find some peace. Unwind away from the world until we decided where our place was in it.
We had no plans after that. Sean talked about opening his own security company again and taking easy cases. Some days, I thought about joining him. Others, I thought about simply taking Skylar, finding the smallest town in Canada, and living the quietest life I could imagine. Pump gas and watch football on Sundays. Raise a family and forget the past.
It changed daily. I knew I couldn’t decide my future until I settled my past. The only thing I knew for certain was Skylar was going to be part of my life. She was my future.
But Sean was right. We needed to go.
“Okay.”
Epilogue
Cian
I rolled over, my hand searching for Skylar, only to find the bed empty. With a groan, I opened my eyes. It was barely light outside, and she was up—again. I knew where she was, though. I stood, dragging the cotton sheet with me, and trudged out to the patio. In the dim light, I could see her, a small figure sitting on the beach, her legs drawn up to her chest, chin resting on her knees as she waited for her favorite moment of the day.
The sand was cool on my feet as I walked over, then lowered myself behind her, wrapping her in the sheet and my arms, drawing her close. She didn’t say a word, her sigh of happiness letting me know how she felt about my joining her.
As the sun rose, the light throwing brilliant shimmers over the water, Skylar stared transfixed, her head resting on my chest. I nuzzled her hair, smiling as she lifted her hands to the light, palms outstretched as she welcomed the new day.
It was the same every morning. She felt our life was a gift and we should live every moment of it. She was there on this small stretch of beach each morning, greeting the day, and she walked the water’s edge each evening as the sun slowly sank out of view. More often than not, I was with her. She captured those moments in many of her watercolors, the hues brilliant and shining, the way she felt about her life now. I saved every single one, planning on framing and hanging them once we settled into our new life.
I lifted her hand, kissing the knuckles as I ran my finger over the band she wore—the one that matched mine. We’d been married for three months, exchanging our vows in a simple ceremony with Sean and Julia standing up for us. I swore to love her forever and promised she would never be alone and without a home again. She replied I was her home and my love had saved her.