Bonus Epilogue

“Where are we going?” Claire asked.

The sun hung low behind the evergreen trees flanking them. They hadn’t passed a restaurant—or even a house—in miles. A two-lane highway meandered in front of them. 

“To our date,” Luke grunted.

She glanced at her phone. No service. “Are you sure? Or are you bringing me out here to murder me?” 

Luke snorted. “Too soon.” 

He was probably right. It had only been two days since a former client had rudely kidnapped and stabbed her. But she wasn’t thinking about that tonight. Tonight was about exploring the indescribable connection between her and Luke—and maybe she’d give up the sex embargo she’d enacted after calling off her wedding. Maybe.

But did she trust him? He had hidden the fact that he suspected she was being targeted by a serial killer. And that had only been like a month ago. Had he really changed? Or was he hiding more secrets?

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” he asked when she didn’t respond.

She jumped. “What? Because of the stabbing thing? That was nothing. You should see the other guy.”

He reached across the center console and rested his hand on her knee. “I’m serious. You went through a real trauma.”

She straightened in her seat. “I’m not going to stop living my life and reschedule a very important date just because of a nearly fatal wound. Besides, you promised. Are you trying to get out of this? Mr. Cold Feet?”

Luke cracked a smile. “No, I’m not trying to get out of this. I told you I want to get to know you better, and I meant it.” 

His hand slid a couple of inches up her thigh. Her toes curled in her boots. The sex embargo was very much in danger.

What would a first date with Luke be like? He was unlike anyone else she had ever dated. Jason, her ex-fiancé, would throw in a frozen pizza and fall asleep with his hand down his pants during date night. But Luke was no Jason. He was caring, successful, charismatic. And definitely a bit egotistical.

She glanced down at her jeans, sweater, and boots. Whatever they were doing couldn’t be too fancy. He had been very specific with his instructions on what to wear.

A sign caught her eye. Stone Valley State Park. Either he was taking her to her favorite park, or they were heading all the way through the woods to the college town on the other side.

Luke activated his turn signal and swung the car onto a road. Park it was.

Her stomach growled. Would there at least be food? The only food she knew of at Stone Valley was their dingy but loveable beachside concession stand. A two-dollar cheeseburger and a Rocket Pop wasn’t exactly what she had envisioned, but the point was to get to know Luke better. The food didn’t matter.

A line of police tape stretched across the lot when they approached. Uh-oh.

“It looks like it’s closed,” she said.

“No, it’s not.” Luke seemed completely unbothered, as always.

“Are you sure? Because it kind of looks like a crime scene.”

“Trust me. It’s fine.”

He put the car in park and exited. A pocketknife flashed under the dying sun as he cut the tape. It fluttered to the ground. What the hell were they doing?

He got back in the car and pulled into a spot nearest the beach. “I’ll be right back. Just going to fix the tape.” 

“Okay,” she said slowly. 

Of all the things she had on her bingo card for a first date with Luke, infiltrating a crime scene wasn’t one of them.

A minute later, he reappeared and opened her car door. The police tape was back, strung across the entrance. The rest of the parking lot was deserted. 

“Did you drive here early and stage a crime scene so that we would be alone?” she accused.

“No.”

Claire heaved a sigh. Luke was never forthcoming with important details. If he said everything was fine, she was going to put her trust in him. Or at least try to.

She undid her seatbelt. It slid across her torso, and she flinched when it grazed the wad of gauze beneath her sweater. The sharp pain was creeping back in. Ibuprofen must be wearing off.

He extended his hand, and she took it. A pink-streaked sky warmed the world around them as they crossed the gravel lot to a small, rocky path.

“Do you think you’re okay to walk? Maybe a quarter of a mile.”

She scoffed. “It’s a stab wound, not a broken femur. I can do it.”

His grip tightened on her hand nonetheless. A thrill ran through her. Where were they going? And what exactly were they doing?

“Is there going to be food?” If not, she was going to have to break into the emergency granola bar stash in the bottom of her purse.

Another ghost of a smile cracked the marble façade of Luke’s face. “You can’t seriously think I would let you get hangry on our first date. I’ve seen what happens.”

“If you’re referring to the picture-hanging incident, I spackled and re-painted that section of the hallway.”

He stayed silent, but the smile had grown. A rough hand snaked around her waist and pulled her closer. His warmth chased away all thoughts of decorating hazards. Her stomach flip-flopped and she snuck a look at him. 

Why did she turn into such a simpering schoolgirl around him? Was it that chiseled jaw, or maybe the bulge of his biceps against her back? He did bear an uncanny resemblance to the members of boy bands she had plastered on her wall in middle school. Or maybe it was his rarely earned smiles? His quick wit and dreamy green eyes? Whatever it was, it was kind of pissing her off. This had never been a problem with Jason, even in the beginning.

Luke’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at it, then withdrew his arm. They came to a stop in the middle of the rocky path.

Her heart fell. Had something happened? Was he about to end the date before she even found out what he had planned?

He reached into his jacket pocket and groped around, eventually withdrawing a bottle of ibuprofen. He fished two tablets out and handed them to her.

“What?” he asked when he saw her smile.

“You have an alarm set for my pain meds?”

He stiffened. “Pain management is very important. If you were in charge, you’d be nose-deep in proposal details and forget to keep up with it.”

“Sure,” she said, but the warm feeling was growing. Even her fingertips were tingling.

She swallowed the pills with a swig of water from her designated purse water bottle before setting off again.

Silence stretched between them as they went deeper into the forest, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They passed the pavilion where they had had a celebratory Jason’s-Going-to-Prison brunch only a couple weeks before. He led her down the path that led to the lake, and when they emerged at the sandy beachfront, she gasped.

* * *

A low table was arranged on the sand near the water’s edge. Pillows in pastel colors were nestled around it, and lit candles flickered softly. A strand of Edison bulbs stretched overhead. Sparkling wine bubbled merrily in champagne flutes. Color-coordinated napkin rings bound the silverware on the white tablecloth. Good lord.

“Luke,” she began, but once he turned the full force of his gaze on her, all thoughts promptly spilled out of her head.

“Come on,” he said and took her hand again.

He led her to the table and helped her down onto a pillow with a full view of the setting sun on the lake. He sat next to her, and she scooted an inch closer.

It was amazing. Almost too amazing. It was something she and Mindy would have set up for a client—sunset picnic in the proposal recipient’s favorite place. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure there wasn’t a photographer hiding in the woods behind them. Obviously Luke wasn’t proposing. That would be insane. They barely knew each other, after all.

He lifted the lid on a dish in front of her. She had been so taken by the scenery that she hadn’t even noticed the plates.

Fettuccine Alfredo and homemade garlic bread appeared. Her stomach growled audibly. 

Luke smiled and picked up his champagne glass, then handed hers to her.

“I know it’s not the real beach,” he said, gesturing at the glass surface of the lake. “But I hope it’s enough.”

“It’s more than enough.” If she had been in an MRI machine, her heart would be visibly glowing and the rest of her organs would have transformed into piles of goo.

He raised his glass. “To you,” he said simply.

“And to beginnings,” she added. They clinked glasses. The bubbles hit her tongue like fireworks. Her whole body pulsated like she might fly out of her skin at any moment.

Golden light streaked across Luke’s face. He turned to look at her, a smile in his eyes telling her he knew he had knocked it out of the park. The butterflies in her stomach were back. Her glass clunked onto the table, and she took one more long look at him. 

She couldn’t explain why, but she was certain she would remember this exact moment for the rest of her life. The fresh scent of the pine trees around them. The cool breeze rolling off the lake. Goosebumps from the chill of the sand beneath them. Luke smiling back at her with one of his infamously infuriating grins.

She lunged for him before she could change her mind. Their lips met, and her heart hammered in her chest. One of his hands fisted in her hair while the other tugged her roughly toward him. The world disappeared. Heat washed over her as their tongues dance. It was probably a good thing she had instigated this before eating garlic bread.

A bird cawed somewhere too close, and Claire jumped. Her shin banged the table.

“Ouch,” she grunted against Luke’s mouth.

He pulled back. Disappointment washed over her. Stupid cockblocking bird.

The smile was still there. “You’re supposed to wait until the end of the first date to do that, you know.”

She rubbed her shin. “I’m sorry—am I not following your timeline?”

He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of timelines, we do need to eat. This isn’t the last stop tonight. It’s time sensitive.”

She raised an eyebrow. The human stopwatch was at it again. What was next? Gondola on the lake? Tantric sex workshop?

He stared pointedly at her until she picked up her fork. She twirled some pasta around the tines and popped it into her mouth. Anything to move this date closer to more making out.

“So,” Luke said nonchalantly, as if they hadn’t been thirty seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off and committing a series of indecent crimes in a public park. Maybe the police tape was a self-fulfilling prophecy. “I’m assuming you have a long list of questions and interrogation tactics for a first date. Is there a PowerPoint you want to pull up? Should I have installed a projector?”

She shot him a dirty look. If this pasta wasn’t so delicious, she would have shoved him into the sand.

“Actually, I haven’t been on a first date in a really long time.” Aside from a handful of makeouts with sweaty strangers in clubs, there had been no one since Jason.

“I find that hard to believe,” Luke said.

Claire shrugged. “That being said, I do have an extensive relationship questionnaire to tap into. You know, from the business.”

“Of course. And I’m sure your first question is to ask how I pulled this off.”

She narrowed her eyes. Was he a mind reader as well as an adult Abercrombie model?

He picked up his glass again and took a sip. “I befriended some park rangers.”

“Park rangers with advanced degrees in atmospheric beach picnics?” She pointed at the ornate silver candlesticks.

“I drew them a diagram.”

“You are something else, Luke Islestorm.” She shook her head and sampled another forkful of pasta.

“Well, if you don’t have any questions, I do have some for you.”

Her curiosity was piqued. “Okay, shoot.”

“Would you rather have the power of invisibility or flight?”

She considered for a millisecond. “Definitely flight. It would make getting to appointments so much easier. Just think of all the gas money I’d save. And you?”

“Invisibility.”

She waited, but he was quiet. “Care to elaborate?”

“Mostly for work. It would be beneficial to uncover people’s true natures. Find the real truth.”

Claire frowned. “That’s awfully unromantic.”

“Maybe. Your turn.”

The questionnaire they sent to clients scrolled through her mind like a prologue in a movie. “What’s a goal of yours in the next ten years?”

“Easy. I’m going to win an Emmy. What about you?”

She considered for a moment. “There are so many things I want to do. Plan a mega proposal that’s larger than life. Win the next Planner of the Year award. Adopt another dog. Get married. Start a family.” 

Oops, she was rambling now. Luke hadn’t even mentioned anything related to his personal life. Wrap it up, you blithering idiot.

“What’s the best gift you ever received?” she fired off before he could comment on her oversharing.

He stared into the dying sun. Pinprick stars were appearing in the darkening sky. Silence stretched. He looked like he was a thousand miles away.

“My dad got me my first camera. I must have been six or seven. Even back then I was obsessed with film, with stories. I filmed everything—our cat, my parents, the neighbors barbecuing next door. There’s always a story if you look hard enough.”

The thought of a young Luke with a camera pressed to his face brought another wave of warmth to her extremities. She smiled and scooted a little bit closer.

“So why did you join the military? If filming was always such a labor of love for you, I mean.”

He shrugged. “It didn’t feel like a realistic dream. My mom was always on me about doing something concrete—be a lawyer, be a doctor, go to pharmacy school, do something with a guaranteed paycheck that demands respect. But I didn’t want to be any of those things, and I definitely didn’t want to waste years of my life going to school for something I had no passion for. The Navy got me out of that bubble, gave me some skills. It was an easy way to connect with people when I was discharged. A surprising number of Hollywood elite are veterans, you know. Even Betty White.”

Claire gasped. “Did you meet Betty White?”

He smiled. “Just once. Her drink was a vodka on the rocks, twist of lemon.”

“Wow.” She sat back. Her plate was empty, but her heart was full.

“And you? Best gift?”

She paused. “When I turned sixteen, my mom gave me the family car. It wasn’t fancy—it was an old Toyota Corolla. We had had it since I was little. She was embarrassed to give it to me, I think. We had to sleep in it a couple times after my dad left, so it was kind of a reminder of all the struggles we had been through.”

Luke made a sound, but she continued. “But there was a lot more to it than that. I have so many amazing memories of that car too. My first trip to the beach, singing at the top of our lungs. Visiting Roy at his garage while they first started dating. Spilling Mountain Dew in the back seat. Racing rain drops on the way to my grandparents’ house. I took it to college with me, too. I drove it until it literally fell apart on the highway. I’ll always miss that car.”

His hand found hers, and he rubbed a thumb over her knuckles. She turned to look at him. An unreadable expression was on his face. His hand slipped up to cup her chin. His eyes were soft. Was he going to kiss her again? Shit, she should have slammed down a couple breath mints.

His phone vibrated in his pockets, and a glimmer of regret flashed in his eyes. He pulled his hand back and slid it into his pocket.

“Come on. We’re not done yet.” He helped her up from the ground, and she winced at the movement of muscles. As much as she wanted to pretend the stabbing had never happened, her body insisted on reminding her.

“Do we need to clean up?” she gestured at the discarded plates.

He shook his head. “Don’t worry, I tipped the rangers generously.”

They fell in step beside each other as he guided her back to the car. While the walk had been romantic just an hour before, the forest was starting to come alive. Darkness stretched beyond the trees. What if a bear smelled the fettuccine Alfredo on her breath?

She dug a tin of breath mints out of her purse and shook a couple out just in case. Luke snatched the container from her before she put it back. Hopefully that meant more making out was on the agenda.

“What would you do if you won the lottery?” he asked in the dark.

“To be honest, I kind of feel like I already have,” she blurted out. Shit, why did she say that? Calm down, idiot. It’s a first date.

He raised his eyebrows and turned to look at her. “Even though you were stabbed a couple days ago?”

She nodded. “Yeah. But after I won the lottery, the universe cursed me and tried to take everything away. You know, that old hat.”

Luke nudged her. “Serious answer.”

“Fine. Depending on the amount, I’d pay off my mom’s mortgage to thank her for everything she did for me when she was a single mom. And with whatever’s left, I’d probably do something boring. Buy an office space instead of rent. Sponsor some underprivileged kids. A couple of scholarships at the local high school. Maybe set up an animal sanctuary if it was like a Powerball situation.”

“Not more shoes?” He pointed at her fashionable brown boots. 

She laughed. “I try to only buy shoes when I earn something. Unless I’m emotional shopping. That can’t be helped.”

Something rustled in the woods next to them. Claire screamed and jumped in front of Luke. Her mind ran a mile a minute. If it was a bear, she needed to make herself big. She put her arms out to her sides and puffed her chest out. Like the bear could tell.

“Get out of here!” She clapped, and the sound was like a thunderbolt. 

A warm hand closed over her shoulder, and she whirled around, fingers curling into a fist. Had bears learned to mimic friendly gestures? But no, it was just Luke, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“Thank you for being willing to lay down your life, but I think we’re good. That branch fell out of a tree.” He pointed at a large clump of sticks on the ground.

“Oh.” Her arms fell to her sides. She had truly made an idiot of herself now. He’d probably cancel the rest of the date and call Kyle with all the details as soon as he’d dropped her off. So much for breaking her sex embargo.

“Come on. We have somewhere to be.” He held out his hand, and she took it. Electricity crackled between them. Maybe the bear faux pas hadn’t ruined everything.

* * *

“So,” Claire said when Luke started the truck up. “You never told me what you’d do if you won the lottery.”

He shrugged and put his arm around the back of her headrest. The truck backed slowly out of its spot. Where would they go next?

“I don’t play the lottery.”

Of course he didn’t. 

“Okay, unexpected windfall then. Deceased relative left you millions. What do you do?”

He considered for a moment. “Probably something boring. Invest, put an extra bump in my niece’s trust fund. If I was feeling really irresponsible, maybe buy a lake house.”

“I love that for you,” she mused. He totally seemed like a lake house guy. She could practically see him stepping confidently down the dock in boat shoes, rolling a cooler full of brewskis behind him.

They trundled down the road. Luke paused to rip the police tape down. He rolled it up and put it in his pocket.

“Where to now?” she asked.

“Not far,” he replied.

The truck wound up the mountain that loomed large behind the lake. Eventually, they came to a stop at an overlook. The very same overlook Claire and her mom visited when she was young.

From their new vantage point, they could see above the trees to the drive-in movie theater across the highway from the park.

A shiver ran through her that had nothing to do with the cool spring evening. Her past and present were colliding in a beautiful, unexpected way.

Luke backed the car into a spot and pulled right up to the railing. He jumped out of the truck and came around to her side. She nearly stumbled while stepping out, but he caught her. Heat crept into her cheeks at his embrace.

He led her to the back of the truck. The stars were out in full force now. Previews were rolling at the theater across the highway.

Luke dropped the tailgate down and released the mechanism on his truck bed cover. It rolled smoothly back and revealed pillows, blankets, more sparkling wine, and another mysterious covered dish.

Her heart fluttered. The picnic alone had far exceeded any expectations she had ever had for a date. Never in her life had someone taken so much care in planning an evening, let alone for a first date.

“Luke,” she started again. Her eyes watered.

He smiled. “You don’t have to say anything.” He held out one hand and helped her into the truck bed. 

She took the opportunity to wipe away the stray tears that had leaked out without her permission. She crawled on hands and knees over the blankets to the back. Not the most dignified position. He followed her and picked up the champagne.

“This might have rolled around a little bit.” He held it over the side of the truck and twisted the cork until it popped out.

He poured the liquid into two glasses and handed one to Claire.

She held it up. “To you.”

“Aw, shucks,” he said, then took a sip. He leaned against the back of the cab, and she snuggled in next to him.

“What are we watching this evening?”

“You’ll see.” A classic Luke non-answer. 

He balanced his champagne flute on the edge of the truck bed and lifted the lid on the mystery dish. Two small apple pies with expert latticework huddled together on a plate.

“Tiny pies?” she cooed. As if this night couldn’t get any better.

Luke pulled a small cooler from nowhere and unzipped it. Vanilla ice cream appeared.

“Teaberry wouldn’t pair well with a fruit pie,” he said, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. He had even remembered her favorite ice cream.

Claire cracked a smile. “Trust me, it’s fine. Did you make these yourself?”

He shook his head. “I ran out of time. These are from the bakery on Main Street. There are some limits to an Islestorm first date, you know.”

“No judgments here,” she said, hands held up in front of her to proclaim her innocence.

He handed a fork to her, then slid open the back window of his truck. He rooted around inside for a moment before withdrawing a handheld radio. The AM channels flicked by until he found the one that matched up with the video playing below.

“This is almost stupidly comfortable,” she mused while pressing a hand into the truck bed. “What did you put under here, a memory foam mattress?” She lifted the corner of a blanket. “Oh my god. You literally dragged a memory foam mattress in here. I hope this was something you had lying around. You’ve gone through enough trouble already.”

Luke looked at her. His face was half in shadow. “For you, nothing is too much trouble.”

Her heart was doing a whole-ass jig in her chest again. A stupid grin spread across her face. She hid it with her champagne glass and moved closer to him. 

“You didn’t strike me as a pie guy,” she said as a plop of vanilla landed on her slice. 

“No?”

“Nope. More of a fussy, five-tiered cake guy,” she teased.

“I hate cake,” he said vehemently. 

She inhaled sharply and choked on a piece of crust. The fork nearly tumbled from her hand when Luke beat her on the back. 

“Sorry,” she said after a cleansing sip of wine. “I’ve never heard anyone be so violently anti-cake before.”

“It’s kind of a sore subject. I’m a pie guy now.”

“Good to know.” The second she got home, she was going to make a gigantic note in her phone to never bring cake anywhere near him.

“It’s starting.” He pointed at the screen.

“Wait. Is that—” The beginning credits of her favorite movie, Clueless, rolled on-screen.

Luke smiled conspiratorially and ate a forkful of pie without comment.

“I can’t believe they’re playing this movie. It’s been out for like thirty years.”

“Ouch, way to make me feel old.”

“It must be some kind of retro night,” she mused.

“It wasn’t,” he said quietly.

“What? Did you befriend a projectionist too?”

“Something like that.”

Claire settled back against the truck bed. How many strings could one man pull? What would a second date be like? Or was this all for show?

As the ice cream and buttery pie crust melted in her mouth, she decided that for now, it didn’t matter. She would just enjoy this perfect, once-in-a-lifetime date. Unless a bear lumbered up the mountain and murdered them.

As the movie progressed, the sparkling wine disappeared. Without acknowledging their intent, they crept closer together until she was wrapped in the safety of his arms.

It was a feeling unlike any she had ever known. Even though feasibly danger could have been all around them—criminals hiding in the trees, coyotes and bears looking at them like a five-course dinner—every part of her felt safe and warm under this blanket of stars.

“I’m surprised you don’t have more questions for me,” she said into the fabric of his sweater.

“Well, I have to save some for the second date. Or tonight. You should come home with me.”

Her eyebrows flew way up. That was a tad forward.

“Not for that,” he said hurriedly. “No offense, but you’re useless at changing your gauze.”

The warm fuzzies were gone. She sat up and swatted him on the torso, practically bruising her hand on his stupid abs in the process. “Hey. I am capable of changing my own bandages.”

He shook his head. “You’re not trained. If I left you to your own devices, you’d have sepsis by now.”

She spluttered, but he silenced her with his mouth. A rush of warmth hit her, and the retorts she had been ready to spit back died in her chest.

Alicia Silverstone mused about matchmaking in the background as Claire’s hands explored the impressive topography of Luke’s torso. She shoved the pie plate and empty wine bottle to the side and straddled Luke. He met her hungrily, rough hands sliding up her back. She ground against him, desperate to be closer. This was it. The embargo was toast. Were there cobwebs down there?

He sat up and flipped her over, lowered her gently to the bed of the truck. His face was framed by an inky black sky. There was hunger in his eyes, but also softness. He dipped down and inched the hem of her sweater up, kissing as he went.

Her body was on fire. She reached down to tug her shirt off. Who cared if they were in a public park? There was no one around. 

The sweater had barely cleared her midriff when a piercing pain hit her chest.

She gasped, and Luke backed off immediately. Which was a shame because something interesting had definitely been pressing into her leg a moment before. 

“Are you okay?” His eyes searched hers. He brushed her hair to the side and inspected her wound as best as he could through a layer of fabric.

“I’m fine.” She grabbed his sweater to tug him toward her again, but the same pain rippled through her like a live wire. She hissed through clenched teeth.

Luke’s hands closed over hers. They both blew out a long, slow exhale. The pain had receded somewhat, but it had definitely short-circuited her horny brain.

“It’s too soon. With your injury, you could have gotten seriously hurt. I got carried away. I’m sorry,” he said.

“You got carried away? I was dry humping your leg.”

“You don’t usually hump legs on first dates?” 

“I don’t know. You’re the expert on first dates, Mr. Fancy Pants Beach Picnic Who Bribes Everyone Under the Sun.”

It wasn’t her best insult. The sensation of annoyance was almost welcome after the all-encompassing wave of lust that had washed over her and then left her barren.

He sat next to her and gently pulled her back in to him. She tilted her head to look at him, and he kissed her again, more gently this time.

“You want to finish the movie?” he asked when they broke apart. “Or should I take you home?”

“Let’s stay. I’m not ready to leave.”

Even if she couldn’t shake off the cobwebs in her downstairs department, it was still the most perfect evening. What would forever look like with Luke Islestorm?

It was way too soon to start thinking about forever. Who knew what other skeletons were hiding in his closet. Maybe he had an estranged wife living in the attic. Or an extensive collection of taxidermied penguins.

She would have to fight against every instinct to keep the wall she had built around her heart intact. But she had a feeling Luke had never met a wall he couldn’t knock down.