Epilogue
LILY
Three months later
April
I rubbed my eyes with a groan as I woke up to three sets of meows—screams, really. My six a.m. alarm hadn’t gone off yet, which meant it was even earlier.
Great.
“They won’t let us know peace, will they?” I murmured, turning onto my other side and snuggling against Gabe.
“How can creatures so cute and small be so loud?” he asked, voice sleepy and raspy. “I can feed them this morning if you want, but that means you’re staying in bed for a few more minutes.”
“Deal,” I agreed.
Gabe rolled out of bed in only his boxer briefs, and I propped myself up on my elbows, watching how his legs flexed and muscles rippled with each step. His hair was messy from sleep.
So hot.
I sank back into the pillows with a grin on my face.
It had been near impossible to stop smiling around Gabe, and at the life we’d started to build together.
Once we pitched our idea to Hal and got his support, the two of us came up with a plan on how to turn it into a reality, which included getting Gabe settled in Golden Falls.
I thought he’d get an apartment to start off, but… he ended up buying a house.
But he had a condition of his own. He’d only buy it if I moved in with him. And how could I say no to the perfect house—with a perfect man.
It was a three-bedroom, two-story home with white shutters, a yellow front door, and a back porch that had a clear view of Lake Golden.
It was tucked away in the trees and a ten-minute drive away from downtown.
I hadn’t even known this house was on the market.
It’d been one I’d seen throughout the years of living in Golden Falls that I imagined would be perfect to live in.
Turned out, Gabe was one step ahead without even realizing it.
Gabe moved in about two months ago, and I moved in a couple weeks later.
The biggest challenge of the move was introducing our cats to each other, and while that took some time, the three of them got along great (with the occasional hiss here and there).
They got along well enough to terrorize us for food each morning, so that said something.
Unsurprisingly, Sylvie was the leader of the pack, and Beans and Bandit didn’t seem to mind too much.
Gabe hadn’t talked to his parents since leaving Nelson Group, but not for lack of trying. After being met with radio silence from both his mother and father, he accepted that he wasn’t going to have a relationship with them. I was proud of him first for trying and second for setting boundaries.
And I knew it wasn’t the same, but he’d been building a genuine relationship with Hal, as well as with my family.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Gabe to find a new job, and he started working for a development group, also based out of Milwaukee, that focused and prioritized sustainable development.
The company had a goal of minimizing the carbon footprint of their projects and promoting resident health and well-being.
He worked remotely most of the time but traveled into Milwaukee for presentations and select client meetings, including meetings with the city about Gabe’s proposal for the old warehouse.
Out of dozens of proposals, the common council selected to move forward with his vision.
Luckily for me, this week, he was in Golden Falls the whole time.
Gabe’s bare feet padded against the hardwood floor, and once he was back in our bedroom, he closed the door behind him. “Little demons are fed,” he grumbled, which caused me to laugh.
He slid back into bed and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me on top of him and slipping his warm hand underneath the hem of my sleep shirt. His touch seared into my skin and heat throbbed between my legs.
“Well, I am awake now…and we still have”—I glanced over at the clock—“fifteen minutes until my alarm goes off.”
Gabe smirked, raising a brow. “Oh, I can work with that.” Not wasting any time, he flipped me onto my back and pressed his mouth against mine.
“You have your meeting this afternoon, right?” Tiffany asked as she stood in the kitchen doorway. “I’m happy to close up for the day if you wanted to head out earlier.”
I looked up at her with a grateful smile. “That would be so helpful, thank you. I’m meeting Gabe and Jules to talk through the interior for the empty storefront.”
Realization dawned, and her eyes brightened. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear about it.”
Things had been going so well that I was considering hiring another employee later this year.
Not only did it take a weight off my shoulders, but it was exciting to have someone working for me who was as passionate and excited as I was.
Plus, Tiffany’s iced raspberry latte was to die for.
It was one of the first menu items we were testing for spring, and it was already a hit.
She took a step closer, inspecting the dessert I was making—or trying to make. “Lily, these are looking so good!”
I let out a large breath, and a slow smile spread across my face. “You think so?”
“Oh, for sure.” She nodded. “And if this isn’t the perfect batch, it’s looking a lot better than last week.”
She wasn’t wrong. Last week’s batch of macarons was…something else.
For the last couple of weeks, I’d been taking the baking classes that Gabe had gotten me as a gift. As much as I enjoyed the classes and had learned a lot, they’d been testing me. In a good way.
Or at least, it would be a good way once I figured out how to perfect this recipe—and I was finally getting there. I’d tested more than thirty variations and went through many, many pounds of almond flour.
I was hoping to offer them occasionally in the café in the spring. I put a few into a pink pastry box to bring to my meeting with Gabe and Jules.
“Try one at your own risk,” I teased with a smile as I finished cleaning up and pulled my apron over my head. “I haven’t had one yet from this batch.”
“I don’t know how you have the self-control.” She shook her head with a laugh before waving. “Have a good meeting!”
“See you tomorrow!” I waved back.
I said a few quick goodbyes to the customers still sitting in the café as I made my way out the door. It was in the low fifties today, which I hoped meant that spring was around the corner.
I made the short walk to the empty storefront and pushed open the door, seeing Gabe and Jules.
“Hey!” Jules said as she turned to face me. “How’d the batch of macarons turn out?”
I smiled proudly. “Better, I think. I brought some for us to try.”
The previous business that had been here had been an active wear clothing store. The owners had left all the interior infrastructure intact, and we’d been in here a few weeks ago to clean the place up. I walked over to the counter and opened the box.
“Oh, these look so good! And they’re pink!” she exclaimed with a wide smile.
“I had a feeling you’d like that.” I grinned. Gabe and I both reached for one, too.
As we were about to take a bite, the door opened, and Eliza walked in. I tilted my head, brows furrowing. I hadn’t expected her to show up.
“What’s up? Is everything okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she groaned, tipping her head back. She then amended, “Well, yes, everything is overall fine.” She walked over to where we crowded around the box of macarons and took one with ease, popping it into her mouth.
“Fuck, Lil. That’s amazing.” She tipped her chin. “Why haven’t you guys tried it yet?”
“Uh, because you barged in and it seemed like something was wrong,” I said with a laugh, looking over at Jules, who looked as confused as I was. Gabe was completely clueless.
Eliza finished chewing and pulled out a water bottle from her tote bag. She then took a gulp, swallowed, and finally started talking. “Colin’s brother applied for the head chef job…and Wes wants to hire him.”
I…wasn’t following. “That’s great, right?
Hasn’t he had a successful career in the city?
” I remembered Wes telling me after the interview how the interview went well, and that Leo was excited and intrigued about Wes’s ideas.
My brother wanted to work with local farmers to source ingredients and also minimize food waste while embarking on the journey of adding a food menu to Lake Ridge.
“I mean, yeah, his career is impressive. From what I’ve heard, at least. It’s not like I’ve spoken to him.” Eliza ran a hand through her hair, gently tugging on the strands. I watched as she swayed on her feet and twisted her gold rings on her fingers.
My eyes widened. “You’re nervous!”
My best friend looked at me and sputtered, “No fucking way. I’m not nervous.”
Jules and I both raised our brows.
“Okay, fine!” Eliza finally exclaimed, raising her arms and letting them fall to her sides. “Maybe I’m a little nervous and very unsure. I think he’s going to be great for Lake Ridge—that’s not the problem. The problem is…we nearly kissed when I last saw him.”
“What?” the three of us—Gabe included—exclaimed, our jaws nearly dropping.
“Colin and I had recently broken up, and…” Eliza waved her hand. “It didn’t happen, and it doesn’t matter. He was going off to Portland and didn’t respond to my text, and it’s fine. It’s been a few years. I doubt he even remembers me or knows that I’m in Golden Falls.”
A teasing smile came across Jules’s face. “Or he knows you’re here, and that’s why he wanted the job.”
Eliza rolled her eyes with a groan. “No damn way. Plus, that would be stalking.”
“Well,” I said with a smile of my own, “we’ll have to ask him when he gets here.”
“No!” Eliza exclaimed, pointing at the three of us.
“None of you will mention this. You too, Gabe. You’re all sworn to secrecy.
” She reached for another macaron. “I need to get going, but I’ll keep you updated…
not that there’s anything to be updated about.
” She backed away toward the door. “Everything’s going to be fine! ”
“You’re not off the hook! We have questions, and you can’t avoid us forever,” I called after her.
Eliza pushed the door open and left—but not before flipping us off.
“She’s screwed, isn’t she?” Gabe asked.
Jules and I both nodded, saying in unison, “Very much so.”