Epilogue
Moving day dawned bright and early, with Maggie downstairs at the Haven with Virginia.
“Good morning, Maggie.” She hustled out of the kitchen with her buffet set.
Tourist season had started months ago but Virginia kindly let her continue to pay the discounted rate.
However, their intimate breakfasts were now relegated to the middle of the week, since the Haven was full on the weekends.
Even though she missed chatting with her new friend, Maggie was thrilled at the additional business.
The social media marketing was working. Poor Virginia felt terrible that she’d rented a room to Maggie’s now-ex, apologizing profusely when Maggie finally came back from the hospital.
But Maggie hadn’t given her full name at check-in, or told her anything about why she was there, so she couldn’t blame Virginia in the slightest.
Luke didn’t leave her side for two days after the incident, but she’d kicked him out to relieve Shorty at the diner. She slept most of that time, anyway. Grace came over when he couldn’t be there to keep her company, and she’d been adamant that Maggie rent the other apartment in her building.
“I’m not even posting the opening, once my current tenant moves out, it’s yours.”
“Okay,” she’d grumbled. “But you’re letting me borrow your clothes.”
Grace had giggled maniacally and then done some online shopping for her to replace what Sean had destroyed.
Alex, that angel, had handled selling the house for her. With Sean in prison, his lawyer had no argument against anything Maggie wanted. She wondered if she’d gone too far, taking the entirety of the proceeds from the house after they paid the mortgage off and cleaned the house out.
Grace, of course, disabused her of that idea.
His parents agreed to store his belongings in their garage, begrudgingly. They’d never liked Maggie, thinking the sun shone out of their son’s ass.
Her bruises faded, Grace’s tenant moved out, and the cleaning service was all done. Maggie couldn’t wait to get started. Since she was starting over, again, it hadn’t taken her long to pack up.
Grace, Felix, Joe, and Luke met her behind Too Sweet Bakery. They cheered as Maggie pulled into her official parking spot behind the building.
Her best friend flew up to her, silver keys dangling from her hand. “Welcome home!”
Maggie found herself swallowed into Grace’s hug, laughing. “Let’s get this stuff upstairs, then get some furniture put together.”
The guys carried boxes of flat-pack furniture out of Grace’s apartment and into Maggie’s while she hung up her clothes in the closet.
Her mattress was one of those mail-order ones that came rolled up in a box.
She wasn’t sure how she’d get it all out when her year was up, but that was a problem for Future Maggie.
Once the guys got her dresser put together, with lots of swearing and not a lot of reading the directions—until Grace pointed them out—she put her other clothes away.
“Why aren’t you using all the drawers, sweetheart?” Luke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Well, I figured you’ll be sleeping over a lot, so I better leave room for your stuff.”
He kissed the spot behind her ear that made her knees weak. “Just say the word, and I’ll move in.”
She shook her head. “I need to do this on my own. At least for a year.” It was just a one-bedroom apartment, maybe six hundred square feet.
Much smaller than the house Sean bought for them.
But Maggie had sworn when she ran that she’d never put herself at the mercy of another person ever again.
Living alone was part of her healing. And her therapist approved.
“And I reserved the right to convince you to change your mind.”
Maggie leaned back in his embrace. “I know. But I need to prove this to myself.” She needed to invite him in from a place of having, not one desperation.
“I know, sweetheart. And I’m so proud of you.” Another kiss to her cheek, and he left her to her work.
Grace was putting her brand-new pots and pans away in the kitchen, where Maggie spied two things she definitely hadn’t ordered. “What are these?” She picked up one of the ceramic squirrels.
“Salt and pepper shakers! They’re part of your housewarming present.” Grace produced a small gift bag from her purse. “Anna found the shakers and held on to them for me.”
Maggie pulled two potholders out of the bag, with images of squirrels on them. “They’re adorable!”
Grace grinned. “One of the local ladies makes them and sells them in the general store. I asked her specifically if she had any squirrel fabric.”
“I love it!” She hugged her friend and laid the potholders in a drawer. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, neighbor.” Grace nudged her shoulder. “I think the guys deserve pizza for all their hard work.”
“Definitely. Let’s call Tony’s.”
After they devoured two pizzas, one pepperoni and one sausage, everyone headed home. Grace made a joke about gaming with her noise-canceling headphones, but Maggie knew their bedrooms were on opposite ends of the building.
She was very grateful to whoever designed the layout.
Luke wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head. “How tired are you?”
She leaned backwards against him, reveling in the firm heat along her spine. “Not too tired.” Tilting her head, Maggie gazed up at her boyfriend. “Why?”
He hummed and laid kisses down her exposed neck, and she shivered. “It’s not too late. We should christen your new bedroom.”
“And break in the new bed.” The bulge in his pants thickened behind her, and she pressed her butt into him. “But I’m all sweaty. Shower first?”
One hand rose to cup her breast. “Hell yes.”
Quickly stripping and throwing their clothes into the hamper, Maggie started the water heating.
The shower wasn’t really big enough for two people, but they made it work, hands rubbing suds of body wash over firm muscles and soft curves.
She moaned as Luke massaged shampoo into her scalp, gently guiding her to lean her head back into the spray, then repeating with her conditioner.
Then they kissed under the warm water, wet bodies sliding together, hands roaming. Every touch felt electric, their forms merging into one writhing flesh.
Gasping for air, she broke the kiss as the water turned cold. “Shit.”
Luke laughed as she spun around and turned off the water, grabbing her hips and pretending to thrust against her naked ass. Standing, she swatted his hands away playfully. “Let’s break in the bed first.”
“If you’re sure, sweetheart.” They stepped out of the shower, dancing around each other so that they didn’t get tangled together and fall. Drying off with her brand-new turquoise towels, Luke and Maggie stumbled into her bedroom, with the freshly made bed, new duvet, and sheets.
She’d gone full girly girl in here, with a yellow and pink floral bed set. But unlike her ex, Luke had no problems laying naked on pink sheets. If anything, it emphasized his masculine form, dark chocolate eyes beckoning her to join him.
Maggie crawled onto the bed, laying herself down and kissing him again. He trailed his hands over her back, up and down, then reached down and held onto her butt cheeks.
He was hard and leaking against her thigh, and Maggie left his lips to travel down his neck, pausing to suck at his collarbone.
“Maggie…” Her name on his lips never sounded so sweet.
“Remember what we talked about last week?”
She watched his face as he brought his brain back online, blinking. “Um, which thing?”
Maggie grinned and crossed her hands under her chin, laying them down on his chest. “The test results?”
“Oh. Oh!” He carded his fingers through her hair, and she leaned into him like a cat. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I have an IUD, so we’re covered on that front.”
Luke’s brows drew together in confusion. “Don’t they have strings that hang down?” The mental gymnastics he was doing, since his hands had been inside her hundreds of times by now, had to hurt.
Maggie took pity on him. “Normally, yes. But my midwife trimmed them so no one could feel them.” She sat up, straddling his waist. “Certain types of partners have been known to pull them out if they find them.”
Luke’s hands gripped her hips hard enough to leave bruises, not that she’d complain in this case. “And you didn’t trust him.”
Maggie nodded in agreement. “He started talking about kids, and I couldn’t bring a child into that situation. So, we went stealth.” She traced shapes on his stomach. “That’s when she gave me information for the non-profit that Alex works with.”
Half a dozen emotions crossed Luke’s face, too fast for her to catalog them, then he pulled her down into a claiming kiss. “I’m so grateful,” he spoke against her lips, hand at the back of her head, holding her to him.
“I love you,” she murmured. “And I don’t want anything between us anymore.” No secrets. No barriers. Nothing.
“I love you, too. And me neither.” He rolled her nipple under his thumb, then she rose above him, and his hands clutched her hips.
Maggie lifted herself on her knees, holding his length and aiming it at her entrance. She whimpered as she sank down, the angle making him feel even bigger. She let herself sit there for a minute, stretched around his dick, before she began to move.
Leaning over Luke, she pressed her hands into the pillow on either side of his head as she rocked back and forth on his cock.
God, had anything felt so good? Then he lifted his head and sucked her dangling breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue across her hardened nipple, and she cried out, her hips stuttering in their movement.
Luke did something with his legs and then he was thrusting up beneath her, hitting that spot that made her crazy over and over and over again.
When her orgasm took her, Maggie shuddered and fell forward, unable to keep herself up anymore. Luke flipped them so he was on top, raising her legs to wrap around his waist, then thrusting into her hard.
Sweat dripped down his brow as he stared into her eyes, panting her name and words of love.
Her orgasm seemed to go on and on, until he threw his head back, veins in his neck straining as he shouted his climax.
Liquid warmth filled her as he thrust a few more times into her wet heat, then he collapsed.
He caught himself on his forearms above her, breathing heavy.
With one last kiss, he lay down next to her,
In that minute lying next to him, their heart rates slowing together, eyes locked, she could see her future in his eyes.
She’d never thought she’d get married again, or contemplate children, but suddenly nothing felt more certain than walking down the aisle to this man.
Next, she saw a little girl and a little boy with his hair and her eyes, running into Too Sweet for a visit with Auntie Grace.
Or kicking their feet up at The Busy Bee while Grandma make them milkshakes.
She choked up as he cleaned her up, then snuggled into the bed with her. And as she fell asleep in his arms, Maggie knew she wouldn’t need the full year to invite him to move in.