She thought about the way he’d proposed to her, after her sister tried to ambush her earlier in the summer with an unexpected and unwelcome visit. Dan had literally run for her when he discovered Kelly was on the island with her husband and new baby and intended to take Kara by surprise, forcing a confrontation he knew Kara didn’t want.

Thinking about the day they’d spent hiding out from the rest of the world and his adorable, romantic proposal, suddenly it didn’t matter anymore why her parents were happy for her. It didn’t matter that her sister had stolen her boyfriend and the rest of the family had acted like that was no big deal. Nothing mattered but the man who stood beside her, wanting to spend the rest of his life with her.

Kelly and Matt had actually done her a favor. If they hadn’t betrayed her, she never would’ve felt the need to leave Bar Harbor. She wouldn’t have come to Gansett or met Dan, and that would’ve been truly tragic. She’d loved Matt, but not the way she loved Dan. Nothing could compare to that.

Kara could tell she surprised her fiancé when she turned to him, gave him a big, warm smile and then leaned in to kiss him right there in front of everyone. As their friends whooped it up around them, she curled her hand around his neck and slipped him a hint of tongue. When she ended the kiss, he stared at her, confounded, as if trying to decide what had come over her.

Happiness had come over her, pure and simple.

She laughed at his befuddlement and then hugged him, loving the way his body fit against hers, as well as the scent of his cologne and the rough scrape of his whiskers against her face.

“You never fail to amaze me, babe,” he said close to her ear, sending a shiver all the way through her body.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The clatter of smashing glassware interrupted the moment as everyone turned to see what all the noise was about. Beside her, Dan gasped at the sight of Jim Sturgil, Tiffany’s ex-husband, as he pushed past a waiter carrying a tray of champagne glasses and knocked the tray out of the waiter’s hand, sending more glass smashing to the floor.

“What the hell?” Dan said.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw Blaine get up from the table where he’d been sitting with Tiffany, her sister Maddie, Maddie’s husband, Mac, and Mac’s parents. Tiffany stared at Jim, her eyes big and her face suddenly pale.