Epilogue
-Sadie-
Sadie sat at the kitchen island, sipping tea and listening to Corbyn pace by the front door. Glancing at Edie, who had paused kneading dough to look in his direction, they shared a look. The post was due any minute and Corbyn had been impatiently lurking in the front room for the last hour.
Riley picked his head up from where he was sleeping by the hearth, and a moment later they heard tires crunch over the gravel. Setting her tea down, Sadie tried to push away her own nerves, taking a steadying breath before joining Corbyn in the living room.
“It’s about bloody time,” she heard him mumble, and a soft chuckle escaped her.
“It’s not like the postman has other stops to make before he gets here,” she teased, and he narrowed his eyes at her.
Going to him, she placed a quick kiss on his cheek. He had been like this all morning, from the moment they had gotten the notice that the package from the publisher had been loaded onto the mail truck. There had been no talking him down from his restless pacing.
They watched through the window as the postman got out of the truck, a large box in his arms. Paul intercepted him before he could get too far, and she felt Corbyn let out a frustrated sigh beside her as Paul engaged in a brief conversation with the other man.
Finally, Paul turned toward the house, and Corbyn pulled away to open the door.
They both followed Paul into the kitchen where he set the box on the counter, and Sadie bit her lip, fighting a grin.
The arrival of the box meant the book was finally a real, tangible thing and not just some file on a computer.
“Well? Would you like to do the honors?” Corbyn looked at her with his own barely suppressed grin.
Grabbing the scissors from the drawer, she made quick work of the tape holding the box closed. Setting them on the counter, she paused for a moment, glancing at Corbyn. He gave her a small nod of encouragement, which she found herself returning before pulling open the flaps.
The moment she saw the books inside, her vision blurred.
The Northern Line by Alessandra Reed.
As she pulled out one of the books, Corbyn wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his side. Her fingers brushed over the title as her mind tried to accept that it was real. She had done it. She had written and published her first book.
“I’m so proud of you, love,” he whispered, and she felt him place a kiss on the top of her head.
“I couldn’t have done this without you,” she said softly, looking up at him. In her peripheral vision she saw Paul and Edie busying themselves with other tasks in the kitchen, giving them the illusion of privacy. “I love you.”
A laugh escaped Sadie when Riley shoved his way between them, eyes darting between them as they looked down at him. Corbyn reached down, scratching the dog behind the ears.
“Menace,” he grumbled before turning his attention back to Sadie. “I love you, too.”
Leaning over, he pulled her in for a kiss, and Sadie knew their story was just beginning.