Epilogue
EPILOGUE
N ow, Bernadette, my dear, I don’t know how you did it, getting Lance to be a proper cook, but thank you. When he made lasagna for me when I came home earlier this year, I nearly cried from the gesture. I never imagined he would actually ever prepare me something,” she looks toward the kitchen, to make sure Lance is out of earshot, then lowers her voice to a whisper, “ edible , but you made such an impression on him. It was a fabulous meal.”
I blush as I listen to Lance’s grandmother. Even though we’ve become fast friends, I’m still always a little nervous when I’m around her.
“Oh, it’s not that hard, Mrs. Paine.”
“Please, call me Eunice. You don’t need to be so formal. Lance is quite taken with you. You’re part of the family.”
“I’m quite taken with him, too,” I smile, looking toward the kitchen. Lance turned out to be an attentive and quick student, once I started teaching him how to cook. He likes to say it was my instruction, but I think he just needed to see someone making it, first, instead of working from a cookbook. I’m confident he would have figured it out…eventually. “He’s an amazing man. It was lucky meeting him. I’m sad that your letters were misdelivered and tucked away in my house, but I’m so glad that returning them led me to Lance.”
“I cannot properly tell you how deeply thankful I am to you for finding and, most importantly, returning those letters to me. I remember when those letters didn’t arrive. It was terrifying to think that my love was gone, because he wrote to me every single day. It was such a blessed gift to read those letters. You are a gem for returning them.”
Mrs. Paine reaches out her hand and places it over mine. Being with her reminds me of how my grandmother was kind and supportive. A pang of regret goes through me that I didn’t have the chance to know my grandparents as well as Lance has known his. He’s so lucky to still have his grandmother.
“Do you need help in there, sweetheart?” I call out to Lance. As much as I love him cooking for us, it’s always weird when he’s the one doing the cooking and then loading the dishwasher, too. Though he’s made me swear not to tell his Army buddies that he willingly does dishes.
“No, Bernadette. I’ve got this,” Lance says. He looks so unexpected, this tall, muscular vet, wiping his hands on a towel. As he enters the dining room, he gives me a big smile. “I just have something to do after this, then I’ll join you two lovely ladies.”
I smile as he goes back to the kitchen, my mind filled with lustful thoughts as I see his muscles moving underneath his clothes. It’s been six months, but every night is a fever pitch of love and sex for us. We just can’t get enough of each other. I’ve discovered muscles on my body that I never knew I had!
“Do you have him fixing something, Mrs. Paine?” I ask, returning my attention to Lance’s grandmother.
For the first time, she looks startled. She glances toward the kitchen, then takes her time responding.
“Something like that, dear. He does have a task tonight, yes.”
“O-kay,” I say, confused by her cryptic answer. She’s always been forthright with questions, but good manners means not pressing her on this, so I don’t.
“Tell me about how your new promotion is going? Lance tried to explain it, but he said he surely didn’t have the details right. He’s very proud of you, you know.”
A warm glow of pride fills me. Lance has been such a champion for me, in everything. He always asks about my day and he’s never once been intimidated by me having a good job.
“It’s going really well,” I smile, remembering my meeting today with my VP. “The new campaign I designed is a hit with our client and their sales are skyrocketing. They’ve requested two more campaigns, which means a windfall for my agency. My VP is talking about promoting me, again! It’s still hard to believe how much everything has changed since this time last year,” I say, remembering how I was stuck in a soulless cubicle, instead of the corner office I have now.
“To hear Lance say it,” she pauses and we both look toward the ceiling as we hear Lance’s heavy footsteps on the second floor. “To hear him say it, it was just a matter of time. You have a good mind and a strong creative streak, so they sky’s the limit for you.”
“Thank you,” I say, smiling at her compliment. “What is he up to up there?”
“He’ll be down soon, I daresay.”
“Is there any coffee left?” Lance asks, taking the seat next to me on the couch.
“There is.” I pour him a cup, not adding anything to it. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I sure did.” Lance takes a sip, then puts his cup down. His dark eyes are serious. “I found everything I needed, and then some, when you knocked on the door in February.”
“Oh, sweetie. Thank you.” I lean over and give him a quick kiss, running my hand along his strong jaw. “I did, too.”
“You’re the only woman for me, Bernadette,” he says, dropping to his knee.
I gasp as I look at him before me, my heart thumping wildly. I’ve known this was coming, but it still hasn’t prepared me for the explosion of emotions and love that are surging through me right now.
“I ask you, tonight, with my grandmother as witness, to be my wife. I will love you and honor you, and support you however I can, for the rest of our lives. You are my life and I need you as my wife.”
Lance reaches into his shirt pocket and extracts an antique, Deco ring box. Opening it, I see the ring I’ve seen on Mrs. Paine’s hand so many times. She said it was at the jeweler’s, being cleaned.
“Oh!” I reach out, almost scared to touch it. “Yes! I love you, too, Lance. So much I love you! I also knew, that day we met, that you were all I needed, that you’d be the only man I’d ever love. Yes, yes, yes!”
Lance exhales heavily and grins, removing the ring from the box and sliding it on my ring finger. It fits perfectly.
I stand up when he does, wrapping my arms around him tightly. He kisses me hard, his body pressed against mine and showing me that’s not the only thing hard right now. Our kiss is over far too soon, when we hear Mrs. Paine cough discreetly.
“Let me be the first to congratulate you two,” she says, grabbing her cane and standing up. I walk over to give her my arm, but she pulls me into a tight embrace. “Love him well, dear Bernadette,” she whispers in my ear, “he’s all I have left.”
“You have me, too,” I say, returning her embrace.
Lance comes over and gives her a kiss, pretending not to be emotional when a tear runs down her cheek.
“Bernadette,” she says, after we’ve all sat down again. “That ring is mine, courtesy of my own grandmother. I know you will wear it well and bring honor to it. Lance, I wish your grandfather was here tonight. He would have been so proud and happy for you. He always worried you’d lose yourself in the Army, and never know the enduring love of a good woman. He didn’t want you to be married to the military or war, like some soldiers are.”
Lance nods solemnly, before placing his hand on mind.
“Yes, grandma. I know what you mean. I was scared of that, too. Meeting Bernadette saved my life.”
“You’re going to make me cry, too,” I say, only half-joking. Adrenaline is surging through my body and I need to move. What’s more, I need to be alone with Lance, so I can show him just how happy he’s just made me. After feeling – so long – that I wouldn’t find anyone, I found Lance. I found my future.
“Now, now, let’s not have that,” Mrs. Paine laughs.
“Thank you so much for sharing your ring with me, Mrs. Paine. I will wear it proudly, then pass it to my daughter one day.”
“I know you will, dear. Thank you. Now please, call me Eunice. Or call me grandmother if you prefer. You’re family now.”
“You make me so happy.” I hug Lance once we’ve said goodbye to Eunice and are headed back to my house. He kisses me forcefully and my knees buckle from how much I give myself over to him, but with his arms wrapped around me, he stops me from falling.
“I wish I met you earlier,” Lance says, his voice husky as we pull apart. His eyes are dilated and I know what that means when we get home – hot sex, which is exactly what I need right now. “I knew I was missing something, without a woman in my life, but you have shown me so much more than I ever imagined. What my grandpa told me now makes sense.”
“I know what you mean. I knew there was more, but I didn’t realize how good it feels to have someone you know will stand with you forever. I’m sad Eunice didn’t get those letters all those years ago, but they brought us together. I wish I could thank the mailman who made that mistake!”
My ring twinkles in the light and I can’t stop staring at it. It’s a beautiful, classic ring – small stone, beautiful gold filigree work. It’s exactly the kind of ring I would have chosen for myself.
“I want a big family,” Lance says, once we’re back at my house. The way he says this, it’s a statement that I know he feels strongly about.
“Me, too,” I say, dropping my purse and walking to him. I slide my hands in the back pockets of his pants, pulling him closer to me. “I want a bustling home.”
Lance runs his hands over my body, grabbing my ass and pulling me close to him. I smile when I feel how hard he is, his cock pressing against my stomach.
“Will you cook me dinner every Valentine’s Day?” I ask, rubbing his thick cock through his pants. I can feel it jerking under my fingers, and I can’t wait to wrap my mouth around him.
“Every year that we live, I will cook that dinner for you.” Lance throws his head back as I unbutton his pants and slide my fingers across his hot skin.
Lance pulls my head to his and claims my mouth in a wild, passion-filled kiss, and it takes my breath away. Every bit of love he shares with me expands my heart and soul in ways that are truly staggering and unexpected – and I wouldn’t give him up for anything in the world.
“Then let’s starting working on building our family.”
Did you love this story? Then you’ll love OH! OH! OH! SANTA ! He’s a rockstar undercover as Santa at the mall. She’s the curvy elf he wants to write songs about — but she doesn’t recognize him as the man she gave her v-card to in a one-night fling. She also has a special gift after their hot night together!