Epilogue
One Year Later
"Oh, my god," Aubrey melts into the massage chair, the little knobs kneading her back as she lets her toes dry. "Thank you so much for coming with me."
"Thanks for inviting me," I say, gingerly testing to see if the bright teal nail polish I chose for my toes is dry.
Hayes loves it when I get my toes done, but something about blue polish makes him absolutely feral. Our anniversary is Monday, so I wanted to pick something he'd like.
"Candy kicked me out of the bakery," Aubrey says, turning her head to look at me. "She said the whole point of hiring her was so I could get some work-life balance, but if I don't let her do her job, she's going to quit."
"She's not wrong, Aubrey," I say with a laugh.
I met Aubrey through Emmett's wife, Piper.
We've all become good friends over the past year.
She is a fantastic chef and an even better baker.
She owns Sugarplum, a new bakery in town where Katz's used to be and provides a lot of the desserts for the restaurants in Duhring Park as a second business.
"I know," Aubrey says. "It's always hard when a new business gets to the point where I can step away more. It takes a level of trust and control that is just not in my DNA." She shakes her head with a sheepish grin. "And it's not like I have a handsome man convincing me to come home at night."
I glance at her. "Would you try a dating app?"
"Ugh, I'd rather choose the bear."
We both laugh, then Aubrey freezes. I follow her gaze through the front window and see Max and Betty standing outside the nail salon, chatting. Max grins at Betty, who pats his cheek.
Max opens the salon door and helps Betty inside. He looks around the shop and notices Aubrey. His grin falls away immediately, and his face clouds over.
I've never seen Max anything but happy and joking. I glance over at Aubrey to see her glaring right back at him.
"Oh, this is nonsense," I say, raising my hand in a wave. "Hi, Max. Hi, Betty. Getting your toes done?"
Max startles as he notices me. Betty walks toward us, but Max gives me a tight smile and motions toward the door. His eyes dart to Aubrey, then quickly bounce away as he ducks outside.
Betty turns, and all three of us watch out the front window as he heads first in one direction, then quickly in the other.
"My, my, who has gotten our Max so flustered today?" Betty comments, giving me a knowing look as she settles into a chair for her weekly manicure.
"When does he not act like that?" Aubrey grumbles.
"All right, I'm headed home. What time can I pick up the cake on Monday?" I ask, sliding my socks and boots on as I prepare to brave the winter weather.
"I can drop it off at your house during the day if you want. I still have the key from when you were out of town a few months ago."
"Perfect, thank you so much." I lean over and give Aubrey a quick hug, then kiss Betty’s cheek before heading out.
When I get home, Hayes is sitting on the couch, scrolling through the streaming options. He turns to me with a big grin as I walk into the room. I love how happy this man is to see me every single time I come home.
"I love the thigh-highs, baby."
I smirk. I knew he would.
"Do you think Max is ever going to admit that he's in love with Aubrey?" I ask as I straddle my handsome husband. I wrap my hands around his neck, hiking my skirt up so I can get my legs wider.
Hayes runs his hands along my thighs, leaning forward to kiss my neck. He sucks and licks along my skin, causing it to break out in goosebumps.
"At some point,” he says, pulling back to look at me. “Why? Did she say something?"
"No." I shake my head and pull my shirt off in one quick motion. "She seems as oblivious as he is."
Hayes doesn't miss a beat, kissing the tops of my breasts before pulling the cups of my bra down so he can suck my nipples.
My skirt is up around my middle now, and Hayes tucks his finger into the top of my panties.
He slides it along my slit, my slickness, making an erotic squelching sound that has us both moaning.
I let out a sharp, panting breath and palm his cock through his pants.
"Let me ride you, baby," I say, my core throbbing.
Hayes nods quickly, sliding his pants and underwear down enough to let his massive cock spring free. It bobs up, and I reach for it, pumping twice, the tip slick with his pre-cum.
I moan as he grazes my clit. He coats his cock with my juices, and I lift, pulling my panties to the side as he holds himself steady at the base.
I lower myself slowly down his full length, panting hard as I adjust. He fills me to the point that I think I won't be able to move, but then his thumb finds my clit, and little pings of pleasure shoot through my body.
"Oh, God, yes, yes!" I pant, reaching behind his neck to grip the back of the couch as I rock my hips.
"Fuck, yes," Hayes growls, focusing on the spot where he’s sliding in and out of me.
I lean forward so I can get a better angle, lifting off him so he almost comes out, then sliding him back inside me.
"Oh, fuuuuuuuck," Hayes groans as he buries his face between my breasts.
I ride him like a horse for a long time, right on the brink of my orgasm, but it's just out of reach.
"Oh, God, you're coming with me," Hayes moans.
I know he's trying to hold back, waiting for me.
"Hayes! Oh, fuck!" I wail as he grips my hips.
He lifts me, bouncing me in his lap as he helps me ride him. I reach between my legs, rubbing my clit hard, sending tingles of pleasure right to my core.
I'm panting hard, my breaths getting shorter. Hayes takes over on my clit, and I squeeze his shoulders hard as I shatter all over his big cock.
Hayes wraps his arm around my waist, fucking up into me fast, prolonging my orgasm, then bellowing my name as he comes.
"Oh, fuck, Sara!" he grunts as he releases his hot seed inside me.
I close my eyes, wishing for baby dust. I stopped taking my pill a few months ago, and we've used every opportunity since to make a baby.
Hayes lifts me, carefully keeping me plugged as he flips me onto my back.
"Let's keep it in there as long as possible," he says with a wink. He read it might help.
I can't wait to make him a daddy. Sometimes, I think back to that day on the sidewalk a year ago and marvel at how much has changed.
For one, Kyle left town shortly after we returned home.
Turns out Kayley did some digging while we were at the wedding and found out that Kyle was older than he let on…
by ten years. He tried to pass for twenty-nine, which was the first of many lies.
Unfortunately for Kyle, Kayley has a social network that rivals only Betty's.
By the time Kyle returned to Duhring Park that Sunday, not a lady in town wanted anything to do with him. Good riddance.
We let the leases run out on both our apartments, then bought a little house near downtown with the money my parents and grandparents gave us as a wedding gift.
I will forever be grateful that I lost my mind and kissed a stranger a year ago. And even more grateful that the man was crazy enough to propose to me less than twenty-four hours later.
Because Grandma Grace was right.