Page 105 of The Sandbar saga

Epilogue

Twenty-seven yearsfrom the day they met—

Race turned the page of the Health Psychology Journal from his chair in the living room. Katie approached him from behind and leaned over, putting her arms around his neck. He'd waited patiently for her to finish on the phone, trying to finalize a counteroffer on one of her listings.

He took off his glasses and set them on the arm of the chair, closing his book. "Finished?"

She kissed his cheek. "Yes. The rest of the day is ours."

He pushed out of the chair and reached for her hand. She slipped her fingers into his palm and walked with him out the sliding door. It was their goal to walk the path every other day, but with both their busy schedules, they were fortunate to make it three times a week.

The clouds above shadowed the surface of the pool. Linking her fingers with Race, she could remember when the swimming pool was full of teenagers. Callie had brought the girls and boys swim teams from Astoria High School over to swim when they weren't busy with practice or traveling for meets. The kids had called the house their second home, and she and Race loved having them here.

These days, the house was quiet with their daughter attending the University of Pennsylvania, Race's alma mater, with plans to go to UCLA for grad school and follow her father's footsteps into becoming a psychologist.

Callie's inquisitive nature and natural curiosity about the behaviors of addictive personalities showed up last year, and she'd changed her major, hitting the books hard.

"It'll be nice to have Callie home for the holidays." She hugged his arm, never letting go of his hand.

"Have you talked to her today?" Race ducked under a low-lying branch, guiding her along the path in the woods.

She straightened and stepped onto the asphalted walking path that ran the length of Sherwood Community. "No, not since Monday. She was studying for her test, so I wanted to give her a few days of uninterrupted time with no distractions."

"Which way do you want to go?" Race's gaze softened.

"Right." She set off on their walk.

Her answer was always the same. She preferred going by the stream and sitting on the bench. While the break defeated the purpose of exercising, it was the most scenic route. The older she got, the more she enjoyed the downtime rather than the fast pace of coordinating both their schedules. Their walks were something she could count on and gave her time with Race alone without any interruptions.

The wind rustled through the leaves. Soon, the trees would be bare from the change of seasons.

Pine needles littered the path, creating a spongy crunch with each step. The slight sound caused the squirrels to chatter deeper in the woods.

"Let's talk." Race continued walking.

Her body warmed against the chill in the air. Not a day went by without Race asking her questions. It was Race. His personality. His interest.

It took her a while to learn that he wasn't always playing the doctor when he suggested they talk. His questions weren't judging her choices or trying to change her feelings. He was genuinely interested in getting to know a deeper part of herself that she wasn't even conscious of.

Whatever he saw in her answers was for his pleasure and comfort.

"How's the new development going?" he asked.

With his help, she'd purchased thirty acres east of the gated community up higher on the hill. Almost a mirror of where they lived but with plans to develop it into providing more amenities. There would be a pool house for everyone to have access to, a private golf club, and with a recent vote from the county, the walking path would continue along the backside, making the five-mile walkway into ten miles for the community.

"They break ground next month." Energy boosted her step, and she half turned to continue. "I've officially named the new development."

He cocked his brow. "I thought you were going with Meadow Park Community."

"Too blah and common. It sounds like an old folks' home." She bit her lip, wondering how he'd take the news.

"Nothing you do is ever blah or common." He chuckled. "So, what did you decide?"

She stopped, needing to see his face. "The Conner Estates."

His gaze intensified, and her name slipped from his lips. She kissed him lightly and dropped back on her heels. Everything she loved centered around Race. He'd given her a life, a daughter, a home, and all the love that she could ever ask for.

"Do you like?" She studied him.