He knew her so well. He knew she loved flowers. He knew she struggled with confrontation. He knew she was as afraid of rejection as she was of water. He knew she sometimes did things just to please other people. And he knew about the deep loneliness that had felt like a huge hollow space inside her. He knew all that. He knew the important stuff.

Still holding the flowers, she leaned her head against his chest. “I’m going to miss this place.”

“Me, too. But I’m also looking forward to going home. I have some ideas.”

She lifted her head and looked at him. “Care to share them?”

“In time. Let’s just say that you can stop looking for apartments. You’re moving in with us while I put plan A into action.”

She was about to ask about his plan, but decided it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to know. All she needed to know was that whatever it was, they’d be doing it together as a family. That he loved her as much as she loved him.

And as he lowered his head and kissed her again, there was no doubt in her heart.

epilogue

“This is my bedroom!” Molly’s voice echoed through the empty house. “I want this top one. It has a view of the river.”

“I should have that one, because I’m the oldest.” Izzy could be heard arguing with her sister, their feet thumping on bare floorboards as they chased each other from room to room.

“But you’re going to college.”

“Not forever. And I’ll be back often to make sure you’re behaving.”

Jack slid his arms round Flora and kissed her. “How about you? Have you picked your bedroom? Fancy misbehaving?”

The house was a beautifully renovated nineteenth-century Greek Revival in the heart of New York’s historic Hudson River Valley. It had been a mutual decision to move out of the city and this had been the second property they’d viewed. They’d fallen in love with it right away, and on their second visit, less than twenty-four hours later, they’d brought the girls and now here they were in their new home.

They’d first seen it in the spring and Flora had fallen in love with the orchard, the fruit trees heavy with blossom. Jack had immediately seen its potential and earmarked the old barn as office space. He’d spent long hours on the phone with Todd, discussing how they could turn it into a modern space while protecting the original features and character.

Even with all the technology he planned to install, Jack would still have to spend some time in the city, and his skills were increasingly in demand in places farther afield but he intended to pick and choose the jobs so that he could be at home as much as possible.