Epilogue
Nori
One Year Later
Cash
Be there soon. Scrimmage running late. Love you.
Me
I’ll just eat my weight in bread until you get here. Love you more.
Cash
Not possible.
Me
Do we need to wrestle?
Cash
Arm? Or full body? Doesn’t matter. I’ll let you win.
Me
Deal.
Now that I know Cash is on his way, I shove my phone into my purse and drop the bag on the chair beside me. No distractions tonight. Just us. I scored the quietest spot in the back corner of the dining room at Aria, and there’s already a basket of bread on the table. Candlelight dances off our water glasses. The smell of marinara hangs in the air. I glance at the kitchen, wondering if I’ve got time to say hi to Matteo.
Maybe order some escargot as a joke.
Ha.
You see, tonight’s the anniversary of the night Cash and I officially met at Vincenzo’s. But we’ve got other, less Snuze-filled things to celebrate over dinner. Like just this week, the Serendipity Star featured the shop’s indie music night in their article, “Top Five Things to Do in the Springs.” And last week, Cash’s baseball training camp for kids was recognized as the best new non-profit in the state of Massachusetts.
It’s been a good twelve months.
For the record, he’s still working for Powell MedTech, but he’s a mentor for junior reps all around New England now. The job was too important for him to leave. He just wanted more predictable hours and less time in the OR. As a compromise, he has to travel a bit, but he gets to plan those occasional trips. No more emergency calls in the middle of the night. He was with me on Christmas. Valentine’s Day. My birthday.
But there’s even better news.
His new spring training camp turned out to be the perfect way to utilize his love of baseball and his leftover signing bonus. The program includes a scholarship system, so the camp is free for kids from families who need some help. He’d waited years to find just the right focus for his efforts. This camp’s been the highlight of his year. Besides me, of course.
And the best news?
Cash Briggs is still the same generous, funny, sexy man I met one year ago. He just knows how to change a diaper now. We babysit Tilly a lot. Lauren and Cullen aren’t complaining .
On that note, East and Becca ended up unexpectedly … expecting in November. At first, she was a little freaked out about being pregnant at forty-four. Until East pointed out they’ve got plenty of great history with surprise parenting. Becca came around after the morning sickness stopped. And after Cash and I said we’d watch the baby whenever they need a Cabo getaway.
Last October, Jasper got a work transfer too good to pass up, so he and Hayden moved to Santa Monica. When I tell you I cried … Well. It was an entire situation. But the Perkinses are really thriving on the West Coast.
Cash hooked Jasper up with Alex so they’d know at least one person to invite over for barbecues. Now Hayden’s studying to get her California teaching credentials while simultaneously setting Alex up with all the single teachers in her program. She claims she’s giving him six months to fall in love, then they’re pivoting to dating apps.
I’m not even going to comment on that.
As for Keeley, she’s made big changes of her own this year, along the lines of “out with the old, in with the new.” Her surprise romance even led to a bro mance for Cash. But that’s her story to tell another day.
My phone chimes—loudly—and I glance at my purse. I should probably check the text. Cash will be here soon, but his scrimmage was at Oldford Park, and he might want to stop and change first.
If so, I might want to order appetizers.
Turns out the text isn’t from Cash.
Yvette
NORI! Record numbers showed up for tonight’s book club discussion of Pride and Prejudice!
Me
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
Yvette
???
Me
Girl. Go read the book.
Promoting Yvette and Ben to full-time managers was the first thing I did when I took over Serendipi-Tea. Since then, they’ve helped hire several more employees to handle the influx of new business. Almost every idea I shared with Violet worked to increase traffic. Except for poetry night.
Turns out she was right about that one after all.
Violet was also right about Montana. She and Larry love spending their days milking cows, driving tractors, and slopping pigs. (Or whatever they do on their ranch.) They almost make being septuagenarians look like fun, although I’m in no hurry to test that theory myself.
Speaking of thriving over fifty.
The real estate office Glen Cottage started with his son next door to Serendipi-Tea is hopping. Cottage and Cottage sends us clients. We send them customers. Glen and Cash manage the occasional house flip on the side. It’s a whole neighborly vibe, and we’re all here for it.
Yvette
Don’t forget to ask Cash about me moving into his apartment. Whenever the timing is right. Lol!
Me
Our timing is not your business. Now get back to work. (Love you!)
Yvette
Fine. But if you make this happen, I’ll name my first baby after you.
Me
Deal.
Between you and me, Yvette’s had a crush on Ben for years, and she’s hoping our building might spin a little magic for them. I told her workplace romances can be risky. But she’s not giving up.
I told her I applaud that choice too.
“Hey,” a deep voice rumbles above me. “I think you dropped this.” I turn to find Cash standing just behind my chair. He’s got a cloth napkin crumpled in his fist.
“Ha, ha.” I chuckle at his callback to the night we first met. “If you’ve got a snail in there, I swear …”
“I don’t have a snail in here.” His eyes meet mine, and the depths I see reflected there are anything but a joke. “I wasn’t actually at a scrimmage either,” he adds. “But this is the absolute last time I’ll ever keep a secret from you.”
A violinist emerges from the swinging doors to the kitchen playing “Someone to Watch Over Me.” My heart leaps into my throat, and I suck in air as Cash extends his free hand between us. He’s got his fingers up. Palm out, facing me. “You’re my whole hand, Nori. My whole heart. My whole future.”
I swallow hard and reach up to press my palm against his. All five of our fingers are touching, trading warmth. Spreading love.
“Is this really happening?” My lips begin to tremble. “Are you actually here?”
He nods.
“You’re absolutely sure I’m not just imagining this moment in some mirror back at the building?” Tears well in my eyes, and my lashes flutter.
Then Cash Briggs drops to a knee.
“I’m sure I’m here,” he says. “For you. Always.”
He gently unfolds the napkin, and inside the cloth, sparkling up at me, is the most beautiful diamond ring I’ve ever seen.
“Cash,” I gasp.
“Nori Sinclair,” he says, his gray eyes shining. “The moment I met you, I felt a spark between us I couldn’t explain. And that connection just kept bringing us together. I knew something big was about to happen. Call it instinct. Or intuition. Call it …I don’t know …” He gives a small shake of his head.
“Magic?”
“Yes. Exactly.” He clears his throat, and his Adam’s apple dips. “And as it turns out, one year later …” His voice catches. “One year later, I can’t live without you. I can’t even breathe unless you’re breathing with me.”
A single tear breaks free to dribble down my cheek, and he catches it with the tip of his thumb. “So here I am now, with my heart on my sleeve and a ring in a napkin, asking if you’ll breathe with me. Forever.”
My chin quivers. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?”
He puffs out a laugh. “I only want to do this with you. Just us, on a great big adventure. One day at a time. One week. One month. One year. We’ll just keep collecting the moments as they come, until they add up to a lifetime.”
“Then, yes,” I whisper. “YES!”
He makes a move to slide the ring on me, but he stops just before he reaches my knuckle. “Hold on. I almost forgot something.”
“What?” I blink twice. “I’ll do anything. Name it. ”
“I promise you’ll never have to eat escargot again, if you promise to bring the underwear I saw that day in the laundry room on our honeymoon.”
“The red thong?” A laugh slips out of me. “That’s quite the ask, future husband.”
“Marriage is compromise.” He arches a brow. “So. What do you say? Will you be my wife?”
I grin at him. “Deal.”
THE END
To read the next book in the Only Magic in the Building series, click here: Signed, Sealed, and Smitten .