Dream Lake (Friday Harbor #3)(94)

Alex smiled down at her. “I can tell you a few things about him …”

Epilogue

A week after Emma’s funeral, Zoë went back to work at the inn. It was a beautiful September morning, sunny and clear. The farmers’ markets had begun to feature dazzling varieties of apples, along with squash, eggplant, carrots, and fennel. The orca pods had begun to travel farther away from the island as the salmon had finished their runs and reached the mainland spawning rivers. Wintering loons and ducks had begun island-hopping to feast on marine life, and bald eagles busied themselves with adding sticks to their massive nests.

As Zoë made breakfast, she wondered why it was so quiet at the inn. Justine had dashed in and out of the kitchen with barely a word to her. And although Alex had promised to stop by for breakfast after running a couple of errands, he still hadn’t shown up. The guests, for that matter, were oddly silent, with none of the usual conversation and clinking of coffee cups.

Before Zoë could venture out of the kitchen to find out what was going on, Justine appeared.

“Is breakfast ready?” Justine asked without preamble.

“It will be in about fifteen minutes.” Zoë gave her a quizzical smile. “What’s happening? Why is everyone so quiet?”

“Never mind that. Someone’s at the front door, asking for you.”

“Who is it?”

“Can’t tell you. Take off your apron and come with me.”

“Couldn’t you just send them back here?”

Justine shook her head and tugged Zoë along with her. They went through the hallways and into the empty dining room.

“Where are all the guests?” Zoë asked, mystified. “What did you do with them?”

Her question was answered by the sight of a crowd in the entrance hall. And they were all grinning at her. Zoë flushed as she realized they had gathered as a part of some surprise intended for her. “It’s not my birthday,“ she protested. Laughter rippled through the group. They parted, and the front door opened. Cautiously Zoë went out to the front porch.

Her eyes widened as a five-piece swing band began to play.

Alex emerged, handing her a small bouquet. He smiled down at her. “I arranged for us to have a dance.”

“I can see that.” Zoë took the bouquet, inhaled the fragrance of fresh flowers, and looked up at him with shining eyes. “Any particular reason?”

“Just wanted to practice my foxtrot.”

“All right.” Laughing, Zoë set the bouquet on a porch rail and went into his arms, letting him draw her into a smooth, easy dance. Other couples joined in, young and old, and passersby stopped to listen. A few children began to hop and swirl in time to the ebullient music. “Why this particular morning?” Zoë asked Alex. “And why on the front porch of the inn?”

“I’m in the mood to make a public declaration.”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes.” Leaning closer, Alex murmured in a confidential tone, “I have a present for you.”

“Where is it?”

“My back pocket.”

Her brows lifted. “I hope it’s not a brooch. You could hurt yourself.”

Alex grinned. “It’s not a brooch. But before I give it to you, I need to know something. If I got down on one knee in front of all these people and asked you a yes-or-no question … what would you say?”

Zoë looked up into his warm blue eyes. They were eyes a woman could gaze into for a lifetime. She stopped dancing and stood on her toes to kiss him. “Try it and find out,” she whispered against his mouth.

And he did.