“Ride me,” he urged, gripping my hips and guiding me into the rhythm he wanted.

I moved above him, falling into a rhythm of give and take. He met me with his thrusts, hitting spots inside me that no other man ever had. My breaths came shorter. He gasped and grunted, the sounds driving me wild. I tossed my head back, staring up at the sky as I was wound tighter and tighter. Liam slid a hand between us and pressed my clit. The world fractured, and I shuddered as my release tore through me, relentless in its intensity. Beneath me, Liam stiffened and jerked, finding bliss as I clenched around him.

I fell against his chest, breathing heavily. His hand smoothed down my back and over the curve of my ass. We lay together, surrounded by trees and birdsong. I smiled, knowing I probably looked a little goofy. Liam smiled back. In that moment, my body sated and my heart so full it might burst, I realized I could no longer say that the last time I’d been truly content was eleven years ago, because at this very minute, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d never been happier.

As I rolled off Liam and we started gathering our clothes, I glanced at the waterfall and remembered the black-and-white photograph of the first couple to be married here. Whoever they were, I wondered if they’d felt as free and perfectly at peace as I did in this same place. I hoped so.

Chapter Fifty-Six

KENNEDY

Hi Liam,

I love you, and I can’t wait to marry you today. I wanted to share something special with you on our wedding day. Something that will let you know you were with me every moment of every day we were apart.

Attached to this email, you’ll find a dated log of over two hundred emails I typed to you over the years. They’ve been sitting in my inbox, acting as a kind of journal. I never thought I’d actually be brave enough to send them, but here you go. Read them or not; it’s your choice, but please understand that I’ve never cared for anyone the way I do you. You’re my best friend, my first love, and hopefully, my last.

I’ll see you at the falls.

K xx

My dress was simple. Full length and strapless. Classically elegant. And in no time at all, it was going to be dirty beyond repair. The bridesmaids—Mina, Summer, and Grace—were hovering nearby, waiting for the rest of our transportation to arrive. Somewhere, a phone rang. Mina hurried over, pulling it from her purse and offering it to me. I frowned. Who would be calling fifteen minutes before our wedding ceremony was due to begin?

“Hello?” I said.

“Hi, Kennedy.” It was Jeff. “I finally managed to track down some information you wanted.”

“Oh?”