Epilogue
KRISTA
Istood in the doorway of my new office and tried to process what I was seeing.
This wasn’t a cubicle or a shared workspace.
This was a corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline.
The desk was sleek and modern, the chairs looked expensive and comfortable.
There was enough space for all the filing cabinets and organizational systems a girl could dream of.
“This can’t be right,” I muttered, walking in slowly.
It had to be a mistake. I was expecting a basic office maybe slightly bigger than a closet. But my name was on the door. Krista Hedley, Director of Operations.
I dropped my bag on the desk and immediately pulled out my phone and called my dad. He was going to lose his mind when he saw this.
“Sweetheart! How’s the first day?”
“Dad, you have to see this.” I switched to video and panned the phone around the office. “This is where I’m working. Can you believe this?”
His face filled the screen, his expression a mix of pride and wonder. “Krista, that’s incredible. Look at that view!”
I walked to the windows, showing him the cityscape. “I know, right? I keep thinking someone’s going to come in and tell me there’s been a mistake.”
“No mistake. You earned this.” His voice got thick. “Your mother would be so proud of you, sweetheart. I wish she could see you now.”
My throat tightened. “Me too, Dad.”
“She always knew you’d do great things. She used to tell me all the time, ‘our Krista’s going to change the world.’” He smiled. “She was right.”
I wiped at my eyes, trying not to ruin the makeup I’d carefully applied this morning. I had been playing around with makeup lately. I didn’t wear a lot, but I liked spicing things up. “Thanks, Dad. I should probably get to work. I’ll call you later?”
“You better. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I ended the call and took a moment to just breathe.
A knock on the door made me turn. Elizabeth stood there holding two coffee cups, looking absolutely stunning in a tailored cream pantsuit that looked simple, but I knew it was designer.
Probably her designs. Her hair was styled in soft waves, her makeup flawless.
She looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine spread, not like a woman who’d probably been up half the night with a toddler.
“Morning!” She handed me one of the cups. “Thought you might need this. First days can be overwhelming.”
“Thank you.” I took the cup gratefully. “And thank you for this office. This is way more than I expected.”
“You deserve it. Adrian insisted you have a proper space. He said if we’re going to keep you, we need to treat you right.” She settled into one of the chairs across from my desk. “How are you feeling? Nervous?”
“Terrified,” I admitted. “But also excited. This is all very new for me.”
“You’ll do great. You’re already a legend around here after Santorini.” She took a sip of her coffee.
“Are you back to work full-time?” I asked.
“No. Not full time. Mimi offered to watch Bucky a couple days a week. She misses when her boys were little, apparently. Can you believe that? She actually said she misses the chaos.”
I laughed. “That’s sweet of her.”
“It is. And I’m grateful. I love being a mom, but I’ve missed this.” She gestured around. “The work. The designs. Creating things.” Her face lit up. “Actually, I’ve been working on some new pieces. Would you want to see them? Maybe at lunch today?”
“I’d love to.”
“Perfect.” She stood, then paused, her eyes scanning my outfit. I’d worn what I thought was appropriate—black pants, a white blouse, sensible flats. Professional. Safe. It was a step above my cargo pants.
“That’s a great look,” Elizabeth said carefully. “Very polished.”
I could hear the “but” in her voice.
“But?” I prompted.
“But nothing. It’s perfect for today.” She smiled. “Although, if you’d like to expand your work wardrobe a bit, I’d be happy to take you shopping. Just to give you some options. No pressure.”
I looked down at myself, then back at her gorgeous outfit. The truth was, I’d been wearing variations of this same look for years. It was comfortable. Safe. But it wasn’t exactly inspiring. I wanted to feel pretty, but I didn’t know how to dress. That was only a little embarrassing.
“I’d like that,” I said. “Maybe we could go this weekend?”
“Why wait?” Elizabeth’s grin turned mischievous. “Let’s go now.”
“Now? It’s my first day. I should be working.”
“It’s barely nine in the morning, and there’s nothing urgent on your schedule until this afternoon.” She was already heading for the door. “Come on. Consider it team building.”
I hesitated for a second before grabbing my purse. She was the boss’s wife. I couldn’t possibly get in trouble if she put me up to it. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Two hours later, I was standing in the dressing room of a boutique that was way out of my price range. They knew her. Elizabeth had pulled what felt like half the store. I tried on more outfits than I’d bought in the last five years combined.
“How’s that one?” Elizabeth called from outside the dressing room.
I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was a deep navy blue, fitted but not tight, with three-quarter sleeves and a hemline that hit just above my knee. It was professional but feminine, elegant. And it made me look like someone who belonged in that corner office.
“I love it,” I said, stepping out.
Elizabeth’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s perfect. That’s the one. We’re getting it.”
“Elizabeth, this is too much. You’ve already helped me pick out three other outfits.”
“Four, if you count the one you’re wearing out of here.” She waved off my protests. “And we’re charging it to the Blackwell account. Consider it a signing bonus.”
“I already got a signing bonus.”
“Then consider it a welcome gift. Or a bribe to make sure you don’t leave us.” She smiled. “Whatever works. We’re getting lunch, and I want to show you my designs.”
I changed into the navy dress, leaving my old outfit in the shopping bag.
When I looked in the mirror again, I barely recognized myself.
I looked confident. Professional. Like a woman who had her life together.
I had gone with heels that were just a tiny bit outside of my comfort zone, but I was getting better.
We returned to the office just after one, my arms full of shopping bags.
Elizabeth had to get back to pick up Bucky, but she’d shown me her sketches over lunch, and they were breathtaking.
Elegant and modern with just enough edge to make them interesting.
I couldn’t wait to see them brought to life.
I pushed open my office door and stopped short. Dash was sitting in my chair, his feet propped up on my desk, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
“Nice office,” he said. “I can see why you took the job.”
“Get your feet off my desk.”
He grinned but complied, standing up. His eyes traveled over me, taking in the new dress. “Damn. You look incredible.”
“Elizabeth took me shopping.”
“I can tell. That color is perfect on you.” He moved around the desk, pulling me into his arms. “How’s your first day going?”
“Surreal. Overwhelming. Amazing.” I kissed him. “Your family is wonderful. Elizabeth took me shopping and showed me her new designs. Everyone’s been so welcoming. Although I feel like a total slacker. I’ve done no work.”
“They love you. I told you they would.” He released me and reached for something on the desk. A wrapped package I hadn’t noticed before. “I have something for you. A little office-warming gift.”
“Dash, you didn’t have to do that. I feel like I’m taking way too much from you guys.”
“Just open it.”
I unwrapped the package carefully, revealing a sleek black frame. When I saw what was inside, my breath caught.
It was the photo. The one from Corfu that had circulated on social media.
Dash and me on set, both of us smiling, caught in a moment of pure joy.
I was looking at him with affection. When I first saw that picture, I hated it because it revealed the truth I wanted to hide.
But now, I was so glad to have the moment preserved forever.
“I thought you might want it,” he said quietly. “To remember where we started.”
I traced the edge of the frame, my vision blurring. “It’s great.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I looked up at him. “I love it. I love you. I love your family for being so kind to me when they didn’t have to be.”
“They’re your family now too.” He took the frame and walked to the credenza behind my desk, setting it where I’d be able to see it every day. “There. Now your office is complete.”
I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my cheek against his back. “Thank you. For everything. For pushing me. Believing in me. And giving me the space to get my shit together.”
He turned in my arms, tilting my chin up so I had to look at him. “I’m never giving up on us. You’re stuck with me now, Hedley.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He kissed me and I was thinking about testing the lock on my office door.
I’d spent so many years convinced I wasn’t built for this kind of life.
I told myself love and belonging were things other people got to have.
I wasn’t broken. I’d just been waiting for the right person to show me I was whole all along.
“I should probably get some actual work done,” I said reluctantly, pulling back. “It is my first day, after all.”
“You should.” But he didn’t let me go. “Or you could lock the door and let me properly christen your new office.”
“Dash Blackwell, we are not having sex in my office on my first day.”
“Why not? It’s a power move. Very executive.”
I laughed, pushing him toward the door. “Out. I have work to do.”
“Fine. But later, we are going to get very creative in our celebrating. I want to feast on your body. I think I might just enjoy my dinner on you.”
“Stop.”
He grinned. “You get so worked up.”
“Later,” I said. “Go do whatever it is creative directors do.”
He kissed me once more, then headed for the door. He paused in the doorway, looking back at me with that smile that still made my heart skip.
“Hey, Krista?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome home.”
He left before I could respond, but I didn’t need to. Home was wherever he was. And I was finally ready to stay.
***