Epilogue
EPILOGUE
SEPTEMBER
“ W elcome to the new and improved Pretty Baked!”
Cheers echoed in the shop space, balloons and a small amount of confetti falling from the ceiling. Oakley looked around and smiled at the familiar faces. She’d done it. His girl had not only spent most of her adult life building a business that was famous, but she’d poured her heart and soul into it every single day. Then she’d gone and opened a new space with more seating and a far more extensive menu. And everyone was there to support her.
Frankie and Milo, still with their newlywed glow, were admiring Mack’s mural. Oleander and Jackson, who he finally got to know during a weekend trip, were seated at a table, smiling at each other. Everleigh was forcing Lachlan to pose for selfies, which was quite something to see. Ginny and Gavin were standing with Daisy and Rafferty, in front of the large display case. Mack was somewhere behind him, his deep Scottish accent floating his way every so often as he flirted with Jesse. They were fucking cute.
When his eyes finally landed on Clementine, his heart did a little dance. She looked happy, which was the only thing that mattered. Especially since it took much longer than any of them expected for the place to be ready. For the last three months, she had been frowning and scowling more than necessary. She’d had a few panic attacks and crying fits that left her moodier than usual. And she’d been stressed out of her mind. He had done the best he could to be there for her, but it was clear she needed to do it herself.
First, the second batch of tiles that she ordered showed up broken and the supplier refused to take responsibility or replace them. So she had to find someone else and spend more money getting new tiles—which was not part of her budget, as she liked to remind him. Then there was an issue with the furniture; some of the pieces were polished and ready, others would need more time. Oakley and Mack had flown to Austin to meet with the guy to understand the issue and discovered that it was a lack of people to help. But that didn’t ease her tension. Then stuff got stuck at customs and the food inspector couldn’t make it on any of the initially marked out dates.
It was safe to say that Clementine was on edge for three whole months.
The only time she really allowed herself to breathe was the 4 th of July weekend with the gang. Frankie had walked into his apartment one morning while they were making out in the kitchen and announced that they were invited to a big weekend bash. Then she set a key on the counter and walked out. Apparently she’d had a spare key to his apartment for months, but forgot about it .
So they went to Bethany Beach with their friends—which was shocking to him, because he still didn’t know half of those people properly—and spent the weekend at a gorgeous beach house. They partied for two days straight, ate and drank their weight in everything delicious.
The minute they got back, she was stressed again. She leaned on him and Mack, letting Ginny and Daisy step in whenever they could. Even her staff were on the ball, making calls and following up with suppliers. Oakley took as much off her shoulders as possible. It was worth it to see her relaxing every now and then, even simply cuddling with Gracie on the couch at the end of the day.
Now, three and a half months later, Pretty Baked was open to the public and it looked exactly like the vision they’d discussed not too long ago.
“Oak! Oak! Gracie needs to poo. Can I take her out?” Indigo rushed over to him, carrying an unhappy looking Gracie. Their new best friend, Rafferty’s son Callahan, was a few steps behind.
“Sure. Remember to pick it up when she’s done!” he called out as the kids ran out of the bakery. He sighed and adjusted his glasses before turning back to the crowd.
“You better be paying my kid for all the dog-sitting they’re doing.”
He smirked, sneaking a look at Mack who was now standing beside him. “Your kid is most likely planning a dognapping, so no.” Looking past him, Oakley forced himself not to smile wider as he said, “Where’s your friend ?”
Mack glowered, but held up a mug with the Pretty Baked logo on the side. “Glad you managed to stick around.”
“Nothing in the world could have made me leave,” he countered, tapping his mug against Mack’s as his eyes landed on Clementine again. While she was still smiling, he could see that she was ready to drop the fa?ade. “Speaking of which…I’m gonna save her.” He took a sip of his drink—a modified version of Clementine’s famous filter coffee—and moved through the guests until he was able to wrap an arm around her waist. “Excuse us for a minute,” he told the couple she was talking to and then guided her towards the kitchen.
“My god,” she groaned once they were through the doors and dropped her smile and flexed her jaw. “Thank you.”
“We can hide out here as long as you want.”
She nodded and set her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his waist. He kissed the side of her head and slid his free arm around her.
“So proud of you, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Oak. Pretty fucking proud of myself too.”
“As you should be, you brought your vision to life,” he whispered, swaying with her slightly.
“ Our vision,” she corrected and kissed his jaw as the kitchen door swung open and the servers came through in a group. They froze and Oakley nodded to let them know they could continue doing their thing.
“Maybe we should get out of the way.”
He laughed and pulled back, linking their hands so he could tug her to her office. Much like the one at the old space, a desk filled the room, a brand new couch was tucked against one side and the walls were covered in articles and accolades Clementine had achieved over the years. His favorite thing was the photographs that had been added to the collection. Tons of the two of them, lots of Mack and Indigo, a bunch of her with Ginny and Daisy and a group shot from their 4 th of July weekend. There were even pictures of her parents and siblings.
“Oak.” He turned to find her leaning against her desk, one eyebrow arched. “What’s on your mind?”
“Thinking about how incredible you are.”
She rolled her eyes and slid back so she was sitting on her desk. He took a moment to appreciate his woman, because even exhausted and tired of smiling, she was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. Her black skirt was tight and hugged her hips all the way down to mid-calf. She wore a sheer top with little cupcakes on it, that had been custom made by a fan, and a dark lacy bra-like thing underneath. Her hair was luscious and loose, light makeup highlighted her face and black pumps graced her feet.
“So fucking honored to be yours,” he whispered, standing in front of her.
“None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for you.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
She hitched up her skirt enough that she could push her legs apart, then tugged him closer. “You kept me sane and steady this whole time. There were days when I almost gave up. But you never let me stop.”
“They weren’t that bad. Were they?
“Oh yeah. Rhiannon got the brunt of my anxiety and meltdowns, because I didn’t want to worry you more than I already did.”
“Clem…come on.”
“You’ve now seen me at my lowest and my most complicated, and you’ve stayed. Hell, you took over and made sure that I was okay.”
“That’s what you do when you love someone.”
She huffed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Just accept my thanks.”
“I didn’t hear a thanks ,” he replied, arching an eyebrow.
“Asshole.”
“Love you too, melor.” He kissed her, sighing happily when her hands brushed through his hair.
Pulling back enough to speak, she said, “If you lock that door and help me hike up this skirt, we can finally christen this office.”
But before he could do anything, the door swung open and Freya stepped inside. “You two are ridiculous. Keep it in your pants. There’s some people waiting to meet you, chef.”
“You couldn’t have waited a few more minutes?”
He turned to Clementine, affronted. “ A few minutes ? Babe. Come the fuck on. It’s a lot of minutes.”
Freya laughed and Clementine rolled her eyes, hopping off the table. She adjusted her skirt and grabbed his face with both hands. “You can have all the minutes when this is done.”
He hummed and kissed her, taking the opportunity to grab her ass. “All your minutes forever, baby.”
“Okay,” she whispered against his mouth and after another playful swipe of her tongue, she walked out of the office. Oakley stayed where he was, catching his breath and soaking up the feeling of knowing that he really did have her forever.
It was nearing six in the evening and the bakery was empty. The staff were still hanging around the kitchen, eating and cleaning up. Oakley had insisted on Clementine sitting down to rest twenty minutes ago while he helped the serving staff clear the tables and wipe everything down. When he’d swung by to check on her, he found her feet up on a chair while she nuzzled a very content Gracie. Despite Indigo’s desire to steal his dog, the kid had done a fantastic job of dog-sitting for him all day. Gracie had gotten treats—dog treats were one of the new additions to the menu—lots of snuggles and kisses, and was even taken out for walks and potty breaks.
When he was done, he grabbed the plate of food Roscoe held out and returned to his girls. He grabbed waters for them and set everything on the table in front of Clementine, who had tied her hair up in a loose ponytail and was playing with Gracie’s ears while she slept.
“My two favorite girls,” he said softly and lifted Clementine’s legs so he could sit down, then set her feet in his lap. “How are you doing?”
“Fantastic. I was thinking about what it was like when I first opened Pretty Baked and I don’t think it was this chaotic.”
He looked around the beautiful new space. “Back then, people didn’t know how talented you were. And you didn’t have all your friends either.”
“I also didn’t have you.”
He shook his head, trying his best not to let the smile get away from him. She’d been saying that a lot since they got back together. She kept making it sound like he had saved her, when the truth was that she’d saved him . Saved him from continuing to travel all the country, and maybe the world, trying to find his purpose, to find where he belonged. She’d saved him from himself, from the thoughts that he was broken and unloveable. Clementine was a special kind of woman and he was fucking thrilled that she had picked him too.
“Since you do have me, I insist you eat,” he said, nudging the plate towards her. Gracie lifted her head and peered at the food, then shot him a glare before returning to her sleeping position.
“Thank you.” She picked up one of the small quiches and bit into it, eyes slipping shut as she chewed. “How are you doing?”
“I’m great. Got to watch the love of my life do something she’s always wanted. And I ate great food at the same time.”
She opened one eye and smiled. “Love of your life, huh?”
“Oh yeah. You didn’t hear? She loves me too. Wildest thing, I know. I’ve never loved anyone other than my family, so I don’t know if I’m doing it right. But fuck, she’s my whole world.” Gracie whined, making both of them chuckle. “ Sorry . She’s one of the two important pieces of my whole world.”
“What on earth did she do to get someone like you?”
He shrugged, slowly massaging her feet. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him while she continued to eat her quiche. He knew she was expecting an answer, but what did you say to the most incredible woman you’d ever met? How did you put into words why she was everything you ever wanted and didn’t realize you were missing?
Instead, he said, “She’s got a thing for frosting and is exceptional with baked goods.”
Clementine laughed, the sound filling through the empty shop. He would never tire of hearing her laugh or seeing her smile. He still loved her scowls and her frowns of concentration. She continued to roll her eyes when he was being exceptionally ridiculous or she was annoyed. Those were all the things that he’d loved about her before. They were things he’d always love about her.
“Well, she can’t be half as amazing as my guy,” she said, picking up a donut hole and licking the powdered sugar off the surface. His dick responded instantly, swearing under his breath. “He’s turned on by watching me cook, eat and exist.”
“He’s got good taste.” His eyes were still fixed on her mouth as she bit into the section of the donut she’d licked. “Fuck’s sake, chef,” he mumbled, pressing a hand to his dick.
She hummed, adjusting her feet in his lap, which jostled an unhappy Gracie. “He’s also the best person I’ve ever met. Kindest, most generous, gives without expecting or wanting anything in return. Oh, and the best part?”
“There’s a best part?”
“He’s an animal in bed,” she whispered and he grunted, fighting back his smile. “He also knows how to be timid, but when I get him going…” She fanned herself and popped the last of the donut hole into her mouth.
Oakley focused on the massage—thumbs pressing against the arches, applying pressure to the balls and heels of her feet— while she picked up another annoyingly sexy item off the plate, a cupcake.
“Wanna share?” she asked, breaking off the bottom and putting it on top, like she’d taught him months ago.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to breathe if I get anywhere near that frosting.”
A wicked smile tugged at her lips. “Too many memories, huh?”
“The best kind, sweetheart. But I would like to not bend you over this table while your staff is still here.”
She chuckled and bit into the cupcake, then held it out to him. Even though he knew it was a bad idea, he took it and licked some of the frosting off the side and then took a bite. Handing it back to her, he sighed happily. Because this was everything he needed—Clementine, Gracie and frosting.
“Speaking of which…” she trailed off, setting the cupcake down, which he was eternally grateful for. “Wanna move in with me?”
“Yes. Wait. What?” His eyes felt like they were going to pop out of his head, because he wasn’t sure if he’d heard that right.
“You and Gracie, come live with me. Permanently. Yes or no?”
“Yes, a million times yes.”
A bright smile lit up her face and she nodded. “Great. Most of your stuff is already there, so you just need to bring everything else over.”
“I’m assuming you don’t need any of my furniture.”
“Made some good memories on that couch. And your balcony chairs.”
He nodded, unable to stop the wide smile from stretching across his mouth. “Fuck, yes. We’d love to live with you. Permanently.”
“Good, because waking up to your morning breath has become a highlight of my day.”
“You say the sweetest things, melor.” Oakley snorted and squeezed her ankle. “On the topic of permanent things…” He shifted carefully so as not to drop her feet or annoy Gracie any more and pulled out his phone. Oakley unlocked it and slid it across the table. “I’m finally getting these done.”
He’d been steadily filling his Clementine Collection—the tattoos that decorated his left forearm had now expanded to the rest of his arm—over the last few months. Everyone at the tattoo shop had contributed to the designs, but he hadn’t gotten her sketches put onto his body. He’d taken pictures of her drawings a few weeks ago, while she napped after a meltdown over crockery, and then tweaked them to fit the style he and Carin had already set. So now he was going to get a string of tiered cakes inked onto his bicep.
“You’re ridiculous,” she muttered, eyes fixed on his phone and Oakley smiled. “People are going to think you’re addicted to dessert.”
“I am. We’ve talked about this.”
“Oak, be serious.”
Chuckling, he carefully lowered her feet and then hooked his hands around the legs of her chair and tugged her towards him. Gracie stayed asleep through the whole thing, thankfully. Once they were close enough, he cupped Clementine’s face and looked into her eyes. “You refused to let me tattoo your name onto my body, so this is the next best thing.”
“You still got the melor tattoo.”
He shrugged, because there was no way he wasn’t getting that one. Carin refused, so Fox did it after Oakley had done tons of research. He’d showed up one day a few weeks ago and ripped off shirt to reveal the tattoo and Clementine had cried.
“And you’re the only person who will ever see it. But this, Clem. This I want everyone to see. Let them know that I am addicted to dessert, yours specifically. And let’s be honest, you are my favorite dessert. All of these things are small ways to keep you with me at all times.”
“If we ever break up, you’re going to hate yourself.”
“We’re never breaking up. I’m in this, melor. Forever, if you’ll have me.”
“Stuck with you forever?” She pursed her lips, like she was thinking about it and he smirked. She kissed the tip of his nose. “Okay, I can do that.”
“Mighty generous of you, chef.”
“I love you, Oak.”
“Good,” he mumbled, kissing the corner of her mouth. “Because I’m obsessed with you.”
Clementine smiled against his mouth and then kissed him properly, tongue sweeping into his mouth as she scooted forward. That was where he belonged. Being loved by this woman, cherished and cared for by her.
He’d never expected it or gone looking for it. But one winter day when he walked into a bakery, he found it and he was never letting go.