A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1)(137)

When they got to the top of the stairs and the path that would lead them to the new house they moved into six month earlier, Parker couldn’t believe what Olivia had accomplished in the small handful of hours she’d been down on the beach taking pictures. Their house had been transformed into something out of a bridal magazine. White lights hung from every tree and candles lined every walkway. An archway of white flowers waited for them at the edge of the hill overlooking the ocean where they would soon stand and vow to love each other for the rest of their lives.

Garrett’s mother walked up to them and scooped Annie out of Parker’s arms.

“I’ll take that beautiful granddaughter of mine now so you two can go get cleaned up,” she said with a smile before placing a kiss on Garrett and Parker’s cheeks and then walking away.

Garrett watched her walk with Annie over to his father before turning to Parker and pulling her up against him.

“Are you ready to become Mrs. McCarthy?” Garrett asked Parker playfully.

“I’ve been ready since the day I met you,” Parker told him as she stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss on his lips.

Garrett always wondered if he was given the chance to go back, tell the truth instead of lie, and change the way he and Parker started out…would he take that chance?

In that moment, standing by the ocean with the love of his life in his arms, surrounded by family and friends, he finally knew the answer to that question.

All of the pain, all of the longing and regrets, every single moment was worth it in the end. If he made different choices back then, if he’d told the truth and made her his, they might not be where they were right now.

If Garrett had made other decisions, he might not be marrying his best friend, he might not be the father of a beautiful little girl, and he might not be the happiest man in the world.

Garrett realized in that moment it was time to say goodbye to the past and the beautiful lies he’d told and say hello to his future.