Epilogue
Three Months Later
“What the heck is that?” Anya asked at the close of her shift at Fierce. “A cat?”
It was a Wednesday night, the tasting room was empty and she was wiping down the bar. Most people had left before nine, except for a few finishing their beer.
The last thing she expected was some animal to get inside the building.
“I think so,” Justin said. “It’s almost robotic though.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, leaning on the bar to get a better look. She was glad this area was lifted higher than the floor level. Yep, looked like a mechanical toy to her with the way it was moving stiffly, two straight legs at a time. Cats didn’t move front first together, then back together.
“It’s got something on its neck,” Justin said. His head was looking around. “Is someone playing a joke on us?”
She twirled and saw Matt on the other side of the room holding a remote control in his hand and waving.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve got a new friend,” he shouted and moved closer. “Who wants to say hi.”
She came out from behind the bar and walked toward it. “Oh my God. It is a toy cat!”
Anya burst out laughing. It was purring just like he said she did when they had sex.
“You didn’t run from it,” he said. “Guess that means you trust me.”
She reached down to see what was tied around the neck. It was a red bandana with the name Kitty on it.
“Matt! You’re too much.”
“I just wanted to make sure you knew it was for you.”
She crossed her eyes and untied the bag hanging down.
“What did you do?”
“Something special,” he said. “And it’s making you laugh.”
In the past three months they’d had a lot of laughter.
No more fights, but a few annoyances. She’d take that any day.
They were talking and having fun. They opened up with good and bad days and he’d made her feel as if she was the strongest version of herself.
For the first time in a long time, she was happy in her career choices and saw a long future.
She was sticking.
Her father was home and doing well. He’d recovered from his fall fully.
He was only going to decline with his dementia, but for now, he was staying steady and her parents even went on a long weekend vacation. Her father kept talking about another trip.
Everything was falling into place in her life. Even her brother hadn’t made a peep in months.
She opened the bag and pulled out a jewelry box.
“Matt,” she said slowly. “What’s this?”
He put the remote down, then took the box out of her hand and flipped the lid.
“It’s an engagement ring. Six months ago today, I came into this bar with Ben to get a beer and a better look at you.”
“You remembered the date?” Her hand was shaking in anticipation of that gorgeous ring to land on it.
“I haven’t forgotten a thing about you,” he said. “And I never will.” He got down on one knee. “I’m asking you to marry me. I know I’ve earned your love. I’ve earned your trust.”
“You have,” she said. “And I want to be your wife.” A tear slipped down her cheek.
“I haven’t asked yet.”
“Don’t be so slow!”
He laughed. “It took me over a decade to tell you how I feel about you. Not anymore. I’ll be saying it every day for the rest of my life. I love you, Anya Emerson. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!”
He put the ring on her finger, stood up and lifted her in his arms. There was applause all around. She hadn’t been paying attention, but now noticed Matt’s parents, Ben, Eve, her mother, and other staff that were working. And Jolene Fierce standing there with her arms crossed, nodding her head.
She sent Jolene a wink and a nod back.
“Best day of my life,” Matt said.
“It’s only going to get better!”
“That was a hard one,” Jolene said to her sisters-in-law the next day on the phone.
“I didn’t think it was going to work,” Carolyn said. “You had little interaction with them and when you told us about their fight over Grace interfering, I thought it’d be the first failure of the group. Do you know what happened with Grace and Matt?”
“No clue,” she said. “I didn’t ask. It wasn’t my business.”
“It’s always your business,” Diane said.
She laughed. “It is, but not this time. It all worked out. Grace is overjoyed all her children are married or engaged. Phoebe got engaged to Elias last month.”
“You told us,” Carolyn said. “And whined that you didn’t get to play matchmaker there.”
“I’ve always got someone else up my sleeve. What about you two? Any updates on Jocelyn?”
“Nothing new to report,” Diane said. “We are trying, but this one isn’t easy either.”
“They never are,” she said. “Unless you try to set them up and they say yes.”
“Hey, that was one out of how many?” Carolyn asked, referring to one of Carolyn’s former students that agreed to be set up.
If only it was that simple.
“I think it’s more enjoyable when they make us work for it,” Jolene said.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Diane said. “But we’ll keep you posted with any updates.”
“I’m sure you will,” she said. “We can’t stop the good work we do.”
To Be Continued For Jocelyn McCarthy in Fierce-Chance
He’s everything she wants—and everything she’s sworn to avoid.
Jocelyn McCarthy’s day is already a mess. A blowout with her mother, a lost bet to her brother, and now comes her face-to-face with the man she’s never forgotten. The one her deepest, darkest fantasies from her teenaged years evolved around.
Chance Drummond isn’t the reckless kid he used to be.
He’s built a life as a firefighter, proving he’s more than his rough edges.
But when he runs into Jocelyn, his old high school crush, he can’t help but fall back into old patterns and self-doubt.
After all, he’s no gentleman, and Jocelyn deserves better…
As sparks fly and old flames reignite, the question remains if two people from different worlds can build something real, or will the past keep them apart?
To Be Continued For Jocelyn McCarthy in Fierce-Chance