Epilogue Two
ROSIE
We were back in the library for book club, and Meredith was two seconds away from popping a stitch due to the number of people. She was currently whisper-arguing with Maggie on moving it back there instead of keeping it at my place.
“The whole town is here,” Meredith said.
Her lips were pursed in the thinnest line I had ever seen.
Wesley sat next to me, half playing with my hair, half smacking Lake upside the head with his book.
Jeanie and Evelyn were discussing something in a fashion magazine—or should I say, they were arguing over something in a fashion magazine?
Jeanie was all hands and offense as Evelyn kept at crocheting a sweater for Lionel that she promised she was almost done with.
Orla was off to the side, smiling over a cup of coffee that Meredith had also ranted about having in the library.
Wesley had donated Ted to the library and book club a few weeks before, and said he needed a reason to be at my place every morning.
How convenient for him. Carol and Megan were invading everyone’s conversation, trying to play peacekeepers, but they’d soon find out it was a lost cause.
“If the entire town were here, Meredith, we would surely have run out of snacks. And look, there are still plenty of muffins…”
“Can we start talking about the book?” Lake hollered from next to me, and I watched Meredith’s face twist and turn. I was slightly concerned she was having a coronary. “I have questions.” He followed up with, “What exactly does it mean when he knots…”
“Oh, well, it’s when what I assume is the head of the alpha’s pe…”
“You know what, I’ll just Google it.” Lake threw his hand up in Jeanie’s direction, and then put his finger in his ears and made a la-la-la sound because it was her main goal to scandalize everyone.
Lake almost passed away the first time he met her, after she started pulling out things from her purse and deposited a small vibrating bullet into his hand.
She promised him it had never been used and was for emergency purposes only.
He joined the book club the next day, going on about needing to be a part of something like it.
“Before we get into the book section of the meeting, Rosie has made a formal request,” Maggie announced over everyone, and I couldn’t help the grin that took over my face as Wesley’s head whipped toward me in question, as did a few others.
“What’s she talking about, Rosie?” He whispered his question into my neck, and nuzzled while I heard Carol fake a gag.
While Wesley had grown on her, she gave him a stern I’m watching you gesture almost every time she saw him, and took every opportunity to tell him in whatever way that she thought I deserved better.
He annoyed her even more when he agreed with her—like I said, he was growing on her.
Maggie clapped her hands together in glee, walked away from the group, and disappeared for a few moments while Megan openly questioned what was going on.
Lake gave her a beats me look, and I caught a glimpse at his phone, seeing he was looking up knotting.
I noted the blooming redness in his checks.
“Ta-da! Isn’t she beautiful?” Maggie came back with the whiteboard, and everyone got up and started to gravitate toward it.
It was a significantly larger one than before, and I realized that Jeanie, Orla, Evelyn, and Meredith were looking at the board with proud looks on their faces.
I had expected some help, but this was…a lot.
Not hundreds of pictures, but lots of pictures were at the top of the board.
Each row documented what they liked, conversations the ladies had had with them, where they worked, and then at the bottom, who they thought they would match well with.
I…actually think they might be color coordinated?
“Oh my god, is that every single person in town?” Carol asked as she had her nose almost to the board.
“Within town limits, yes. You can vote to make an out-of-town exception, but there are requirements. We aren’t a brothel…” Maggie told her.
“A brothel would not be such a bad idea, no?” Jeanie smoldered at the idea.
“I think I want to crawl inside your brain. Be my teacher?” Carol looked at Jeanie.
“I’m unsure if that’s wise,” I told her.
“What? Why not? I need guidance, and their guidance got you good di—”
“Not in the Library!” Meredith almost raised her voice to speaking level.
“You did this?” Wesley asked from behind me again, mouth agape.
“No! Not this…This is… something.”
“She asked for help, and well—” Maggie started, but Orla finished.
“We figured, how could we find the best fit for everyone without taking in all the variables?”
“So you mapped out all the variables?” I questioned.
“Pretty much. All data is subject to change.”
“Look! There’s Larry!” Wesley hummed out almost appreciatively. “Ohhh.” He looked at me again and winked, finally realizing that I had asked the ladies for help setting him up
“What the fuck is that?” Wesley’s happy mood dissipated as he took something in on the board.
“It’s crossed out, dear,” Maggie offered.
“Crossed out doesn’t mean erased, and it’s in erasable marker.” He fumed, and I was still unsure of what he was talking about—until I followed where his eyes were pointing, shocked at what I saw.
“Is…Is that my name under Larry’s picture?” I wondered more to myself, but I did indeed say it outloud.
“Yes, dear. Meredith was really into this age gap romance, and, well… He is your next door neighbor. The forced proximity was a nice add on also. But she ended up going in a different direction.”
Carol started cracking up behind me, and before I knew it, everyone was joining in.
“This is brilliant,” she said when she finally caught her breath.
Wesley was still grumbling behind me, my back is to his chest. I could feel his displeasure, and I turned to face him, looping my hands around his neck.
“You know Larry never stood a chance, right?”
“Lionel loves him.” Wesley’s voice cracked at the end, and I had to hold in my own laughter at his ridiculousness.
“Lionel loves you,” I tell him.
“Lionel tolerates me.” He moved his eyes from the board to me, and I saw the vulnerability there.
“Well, I love you, and isn’t that what matters?” I asked him, and I still saw the hesitation on his face,” Wesley!” I chastised.
“Of course it is,” he said sheepishly. “But one day, Lionel will love me. I love you, Rosie.” he told me as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
“Of course he will. Now, back to business,” Evelyn said, handing me the sweater she must have just finished for Lionel. I unfolded it so I could see what was on it.
The Love Plotters Society.
There was one of those old tin watering cans crochet into the middle of a bright pink sweatshirt, and no matter how many times I told her that Lionel was a boy, she said he glowed in pink. So, pink it was. Wildflowers filled the can.
“The Love Plotters?” I questioned—not the color, or the design.
“Why, yes. We plant seeds of love and watch them grow. Our first attempt turned out well, don’t you think?” Evelyn eyed Wesley and me.
“So Larry is next?” I asked them.
“He’s not ready yet, and you can’t hurry grief,” Meredith said. Orla agreed.
“So…who’s next?”
The End