Her father sat beside her on the log and put his arm around her. "Penny for your thoughts, Pumpkin."

Mia knew she should tell her father she was too old for the nickname he’d given her as a little girl. Maybe next year.

"I’m just so happy for Rafe and Brooke, and that her relationship with her parents seems to be a little bit better now, too." The Jansens had spent part of the day at the lake with everyone before heading into Seattle to meet with some colleagues that evening. Things weren’t perfect between Brooke and her parents, but Mia could see how much it meant to her friend that they were trying. Just as much as it clearly meant to them that Rafe would obviously give his life for the daughter they’d always protected so carefully.

"Your mother and I are happy for them, too." She could feel her father’s warm brown eyes on her. "I’ve got another penny on me if there’s something you need to talk to me about."

Mia forced herself to take another bite of her dessert. "Everything’s great," she said a little too brightly. "My business has never been better, I’m with my favorite people in the world tonight, and I’ve got a date tomorrow with a hot firefighter I met in town. What more could I want, apart from another s’more?"

But before she could reach for the bag of marshmallows, her father kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Mia."

The only way to keep from crying on his shoulder was to laugh, which was why instead of roasting her next marshmallow, she tossed it at Adam’s head. Seconds later, the campfire erupted into a full-on food fight where no one was safe from flying chocolate or puffed sugar.

Mia had her family, her friends, her career. One day soon, she was going to finally meet a guy who would make her forget all about him...and then she’d have everything.

~ THE END ~