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I followed them outside, staying a few paces behind as we headed for the field. My heart started to thud as we got closer, wondering when the exact moment was she’d notice her early birthday present.

“Look!”

I ducked my head, laughing and shaking my head as Pais couldn’t keep the secret any longer. My daughter pointed to the far side of the clearing. The last hive in the row was no longer the last; two dozen brand new hives stood in two rows like white-box sentries, waiting for their new residents.

Harper froze, her hands lifting to cover her mouth.

“Surprise!” Pais cheered, clapping her hands and then she took Harper’s hand and shook her arm, jarring her from her shock.

“What…how…” Harper trailed off and spun, our stares colliding.

“The bees are coming, too, but not until next spring,” I said and took a step closer, watching tears spring into the corners of her eyes. In the past two weeks of trying to organize this birthday surprise for Harper, I’d learned that new hives weren’t propagated with bees until springtime so they had the most amount of time to build their colony and stores of honey to feed them during the winter. So, I could only give her half her present.

“Blaze…” The summer breeze carried her whispered voice to me.

“Happy early birthday, my little queen,” I said, the moment freezing for a second, the three of us standing there, in the middle of a field of wildflowers, my daughter’s hand in hers, and forever on the horizon.

And then we moved toward each other, the distance closed, and she was in my arms again, both of us had a hand on Pais who hugged our legs.

“Surprise,” I said huskily into her hair, kissing the side of her head as she trembled against my chest.

“I can’t believe you guys did this.”

“It was all my idea,” Pais greedily claimed the credit which I was more than happy to give away.

Harper chuckled. “I’m sure it was.”

“We figured you could use more bees now that you have all these extra hands to help,” I said, letting her turn just enough to look over at the new hives.

Harper tipped her head back to me. “I love you,” she murmured and then quickly bent down to hug my daughter. “I love you too, Paisley. Thank you so much for my gift.”

My daughter swung her arms around her neck and squeezed her tight. “Love you, too, Harper.”

The tenderness of the moment made my heart feel in ways I’d never known possible—ways I’d never let myself even get close to feeling because I was afraid of how it could hurt.

And then Pais released her and darted off toward the hives.

“Thank you,” Harper said, turning fully into my arms.

“Anything for you, my little queen,” I said softly, brushing her hair back from her face. “I love you.”

I kissed her then, feeling the same thing I had the first day we’d come here and that stillness, that peace diffused through me; this was exactly where I was meant to be.

Epilogue

HARPER

One year later…

Ilooked across the dance floor for my husband.

Husband.

I bit into my lip, unable to hold back my smile. There were a lot of unimaginable things that had happened in the last few years, but today—my wedding day—had topped the cake. I couldn’t believe it was only a year ago that Blaze had surprised me at Nox’s exhibit and groveled for me. Me. And a year before that that he’d come to Friendship for the first time and I’d stared dumbstruck at the famous actor who checked in to the Lamplight Inn under a false name.

I looked down at the pale-yellow diamond on my ring finger, the center stone rimmed by tiny petals of white diamonds. “A flower for my little queen.” I carried the memory of Blaze’s words the day he proposed with me every time I looked at it.

“See? I told you my plans always work out spectacularly.” Frankie sashayed up to my side and linked her arm with mine.