Page 126 of The Gift
He ordered burgers and fries, and they carried their food to a picnic table overlooking the water. She stole a fry from his plate before he sat down.
He gave her a playful glare. “Are you planning to eat my fries and yours for the rest of the trip?”
She shrugged, grinning as she popped another fry into her mouth. “Probably. You should accept your fate now.”
Vince laughed, warmer than the sun. “Good thing I like feeding you.”
The breeze carried salt and grilled onions, waves crashing below. For the first time in weeks, she felt almost normal. When he stretched his legs under the table, she nudged him. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened with Caleb?”
Earlier that morning, Tasha had called him to check in. Except for an update on Whiskers, whom Tasha was cat-sitting, that Vince had repeated word-for-word, she had only heard half of the conversation.
As usual, when the topic of Tasha came up, he slipped into protective dad mode, but he looked a little too pleased when he told her, “She dumped him after the charity gala.”
She blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah. She didn’t like how he focused more on his career than on her.” He shook his head. “She’s got good instincts.”
Erica smiled at him. “She gets that from her father. Are you only finding this out now? About Caleb, I mean.”
“No, I knew. It slipped my mind when someone dragged me off to ride up the coast.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Who dragged who?”
He grinned. “I don’t hear you complaining, darlin’.”
Warmth radiated through her chest. “Because I’m not.”
He interlaced their fingers. “Enough about my daughter’s dating disasters. I’d rather focus on us.” He tipped his head toward the coastline. “And things we may never see again.”
She looked out over the glittering water, sunlight skimming the surface of the waves. “I sure hope not. It’s so beautiful here… thinking this could be the last time feels wrong.”
After lunch, they continued north, both of their phones set to ignore.
***
Later that afternoon, they stopped at a scenic overlook to watch the sunset. Gold scattered across the water as it dipped past the horizon.
Erica stood beside him, leaning against the motorcycle, her hand finding his. They watched in easy silence as the sky darkened and the tide rolled in below.
“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “when you first dragged me into all this, I thought you were completely insane.”
Vince chuckled. “And now?”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Now, I think I could spend the rest of my life on the back of your bike. You might be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Might?” he teased, bringing her hand to his lips. “I feel the same way. In fact…”
He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Vince…”
“I know this is quick,” he said quietly. “But I almost lost you.” The teasing was gone from his voice. “I never want to come that close again.”
Her throat closed. She didn’t either.
“I’ve spent my career telling people tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.” He huffed a soft laugh. “Turns out that’s not just something you tell folks.”
He stepped in front of her; the wind ruffling his hair.
