“Will you guys hurry up?!”
Garrett and Parker turned to look at the voice that shouted down to them from the top of the stairs that led down to the beach.
Parker laughed at the sight of Olivia standing at the top with her hands on her hips and her foot tapping in irritation.
Unbeknownst to Parker, Garrett had called Olivia the next morning from Joe’s house to thank her again for helping him and to let her know how Parker was doing. One hour later, Olivia called Parker, using the number Garrett had kindly given her, and demanded to know why Parker never called to update her after she got settled in. Parker had held the phone an inch away from her ear while Olivia raged, shooting Garrett dirty looks from across the room.
From that moment on, Parker reluctantly agreed that maybe she could use a friend like Olivia―someone who was blunt, honest, and would kick the ass of anyone who hurt her friend. Olivia came to California for a visit two weeks later, and like Parker so many years before, she fell in love with the beach and the warm weather.
Her nursing residency was finishing up soon at George Washington University Hospital, and then she would have her choice of hospitals to work with. Olivia decided after two days that she would continue her career UC San Diego Health System.
She refused to admit that part of her decision was based on the gorgeous, blond, Navy SEAL with a southern accent that charmed the pants off of her, literally, the night they’d met at a dinner at Garrett’s house. Although after six months of dating, Olivia couldn’t really deny the fact that Cole was one of the main reasons she was so happy living in California, just a few minutes down the street from Garrett and Parker.
“Seriously, guys, Parker still needs to shower the sand off of her and get dressed. The minister I booked isn’t going to wait all night to marry you two,” Olivia yelled before stomping off.
“Tell me again why I let her plan our wedding?” Parker asked with a laugh.
“Because she would have kicked both of our asses if we didn’t let her. That woman scares me,” Garrett said as he handed his still-sleeping daughter over to her mother.
Annie rested her head on Parker’s shoulder, never once waking up as Parker held her close and wrapped her free arm around Garrett’s waist. They made their way across the sand to the steps before Olivia came back and scolded them again.
Garrett and Parker, while knowing for quite some time they wanted to get married, decided to wait until their daughter arrived to make it official. Olivia made them wait three more months so she could make everything “perfect”. Even though their wedding would only be attended by a small handful of friends and Garrett’s parents, Olivia still required some planning time.
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.
