Epilogue
MELISSA
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
“Melissa!”
I turn and see Julie Schroeder, my former next-door neighbor. “Hi, Julie.”
“It’s so good to see you!”
Her expression tells me it’s not only good to see me, it’s also a shock and a thrill.
A shock, because she didn’t expect to see me at my ex-husband’s wedding, enjoying the sunshine outside the church as we wait for the ceremony to start.
And a thrill, because the smile on my face has her wondering if I plan to make a scene.
If she’s really lucky, she might catch me spitting into the chocolate fountain at the reception.
But Julie won’t get lucky today, at least not in that way. I’m not planning to make any scenes, and the smile on my face is real.
“Good to see you, too, Julie,” I say brightly.
She leans closer and puts a hand on my arm. “I think you’re really brave to come.”
“Well, someone has to give the groom away,” I say dryly.
She stares at me blankly for a second, wondering if I’m serious.
“I’m joking, Julie.” I gave Troy away a long time ago.
“I brought Claire and Liam,” I explain. “Claire’s a junior bridesmaid and Liam’s the ringbearer.
I’ve just dropped them off with the bridesmaids.
” Troy’s parents offered to look after the kids today, but I’d like to see them walk down the aisle.
Julie nods. “Well, you look great,” she says, casting a critical eye down my pink satin wrap dress. “That’s a fabulous dress.”
“Thanks.” I think I look about the same as I did last fall, when Julie offered to hook me up with an Ozempic prescription, but I’m no longer ashamed of my curves.
It helps that Luke makes no secret of how much he loves them.
He gave me an enthusiastic demonstration of his feelings this morning, before the kids were awake.
So my day started on a very good note. So good that I can attend Troy and Olivia’s wedding with a genuine smile on my face.
“How are things in . . .” Julie pauses, as though she can’t remember where I moved. “Somerset?”
“Really good,” I tell her truthfully. “I spend a lot less time in traffic, that’s for sure.”
Julie’s expression changes then. I follow her gaze and see she’s spotted Luke, who’s coming to join me after parking the car. He’s wearing a black suit and aviator sunglasses, and he looks like every woman’s dream.
Julie stands up straighter and smooths her hair before turning back to me.
“That is one fine-looking man,” she whispers. “One of Troy’s friends?”
I smother a laugh, because Luke is certainly no friend of Troy’s. Before I can reply, Luke closes the distance between us and slips an arm around my waist, pulling me in for a hug.
“Hey, babe.” His voice is deep and sexy, and I feel a flutter in my stomach.
Julie’s perfectly lipsticked mouth falls open in an ‘O’ of surprise as she realizes Luke’s my date. She collects herself quickly and sticks out her hand for Luke to shake. “I’m Julie Schroeder,” she introduces herself. “I used to live next door to Melissa.”
“Luke Carlton,” Luke replies, shaking her hand politely before returning his attention to me.
His arm is still around me, and his fingers are doing something delicious to the side of my waist. I never imagined I could be turned on by something as simple as a man’s fingers on my waist, but Luke’s taught me a lot.
“And you’re a friend of Melissa’s?” Julie asks.
Luke reluctantly turns his attention back to Julie. “I’d say so. We’re living together.”
“How nice,” Julie says weakly.
“I’m a lucky man,” Luke tells her with a grin, before turning back to me. “Should we go in, Milly?”
As we walk into the church together, I can tell Julie’s thinking I’m a lucky woman.
And Julie’s right; I am a very lucky woman. Luke and I have been back together for seven months now, and I’ve never been happier. I never expected to get a second chance with him, and I probably didn’t deserve it, but I’m determined to make the most of it.
And being with Luke is easy. Our only real disagreement involved the spousal support I was getting from Troy, which drove Luke crazy. He offered to support me himself, but I resisted at first, since I thought it was too early in the relationship.
Then, two months ago, the problem was solved when Luke sold his condo and moved into my house.
Since he didn’t want to live in a house he hadn’t paid for, he gave me half the value of it, and we put his name on the title.
So now we own a house together, and I have a nice nest egg.
It’ll be more than enough to get me through Teachers’ College, until I can teach full time.
So I got to tell Troy that I no longer need spousal support. I still get child support, of course, but I’ve started putting some of it into a college fund for Claire and Liam.
And of course, the best part of the deal is that I get to live with Luke.
Luke and I find seats in the middle of the church, and the wedding procession starts a few minutes later.
Claire looks very grown-up in a lavender A-line dress, and Liam is adorable in his little suit.
Olivia looks beautiful in a lace-trimmed ivory sheath, and Troy—well, he looks like Troy, I guess. Like my past.
And my future’s sitting next to me with his arm around my waist, surreptitiously playing with the knot of my wrap dress.
At the reception, Claire sits with the bridesmaids, but Luke, Liam and I eat dinner with some of my former neighbors.
“So what kind of work do you do, Luke?” Julie asks curiously.
“Luke’s a hockey player,” Liam tells her proudly. Luke’s been teaching him to skate, and I’ve taken him to watch a couple of Luke’s Thursday night games.
“Just a recreational one,” Luke explains with a laugh.
“He’s actually a surgeon,” I tell Julie. “And the best one in Somerset.”
Luke smiles at me and rolls his eyes. He gets embarrassed when I brag about his achievements, but I tell him someone has to, since he never brags about himself.
And my praise is only slightly exaggerated; Luke’s reputation is growing, and his waiting list is the longest in his division. To my great relief, our relationship hasn’t hurt his career at all, and Ethan never reported him to the Medical Board.
Ethan has struggled, though. The day after Luke told Drew about the drinking, Ethan suffered an alcohol withdrawal seizure that landed him in the ER.
His lab tests showed clear evidence of an alcohol problem, and his medical license was suspended.
Luke still feels guilty he didn’t stage an intervention sooner, but I’ve tried to convince him it wasn’t his fault.
And Ethan’s doing a lot better now. He spent some time at a rehab center in California, and he’s supposed to come back to work soon. He apologized to Luke, and Luke promised to do what he can to support Ethan when he comes back. That’s the sort of man Luke is; a nice guy and a good friend.
I glance over and catch Luke looking at me with an expression that isn’t entirely nice. It’s lustful and a little lascivious, and it sends a ripple of excitement down my spine. His expression holds the promise of a very, very good night, and I can’t wait to get out of this reception.
Between the dinner and dessert courses, Troy and Olivia circulate to thank everyone for coming. I’m a little surprised when Luke stands to talk to Troy, and Troy looks a little wary as Luke leans in and grips his arm.
“What did you say to him?” I whisper when Luke sits back down.
“Congratulations. And that I really like his tie,” Luke says blandly. “I asked him where he got it.”
I press my lips together with amusement. If that’s really what Luke said, it must’ve confused the hell out of Troy.
We leave shortly after dessert, and Claire and Liam both fall asleep on the drive back to Somerset. We’d considered getting a hotel room in Toronto, but decided we’d rather be home.
Once we’ve tucked the kids into their beds, I let Luke untie the knot of my pink satin wrap dress. The dress slips to the floor, and I stand before him in a pink lace bra and panties.
Luke catches his breath.
“You’re beautiful, Melissa,” he says hoarsely. “Your body . . .” Then he trails off and meets my eye, and his voice changes. “Your body’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, but you know that’s not why I love you, right? I mean . . . it’s more like I love your body because it’s yours.”
I smile and take a step closer, so I can work on the knot of his bow tie. And I tell him I know exactly what he means, because I feel the same way about him.
I am a very lucky woman.