Epilogue
Lucy
One Year Later
When Lucy opened the door and walked into the Little Free Library, she found an envelope addressed to Island Girl in Logan’s now familiar handwriting. Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but smile. They still enjoyed leaving books for each other with little notes in the Little Free Library. Lucy felt the same fluttering in her chest each time she opened the library as she had when it all began a year ago.
Logan had hinted that she should visit the library today after work, and the curiosity nagged at her all day through the children’s reading hour and a handful of afternoon customers. Summer was just beginning, and the store was busier with each passing day. Even though she now had a fully operating online store that brought in as much revenue as the physical store, she was still excited each time the bells on the front door jingled and a potential customer walked inside. She loved helping people find the exact book they wanted, and sometimes she even helped them find the book they didn’t know they needed.
Flipping over the envelope, she noticed a tag taped to the back that said, “Open Me.” It looked like the tags from the movie Alice in Wonderland that said things like “Drink Me” and “Eat Me.” What was he up to?
Running a finger under the seal on the envelope, she took out the note.
Island Girl,
“Every adventure requires a first step.”—Cheshire Cat
Meet me at the library.
Gatsby’s Ghost
Lucy broke into a wide smile. Logan had remembered that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was her favorite book.
In the nearly twelve months they’d been together, he’d proven to be incredibly thoughtful and attentive, taking note of things she said she liked and surprising her with a favorite meal or the earrings she’d seen in the jewelry store window when she least expected it.
The grand opening for the new library was still a week away, and Logan hadn’t allowed her inside in weeks. He’d said he wanted the final product to be a surprise. She loved his enthusiasm for the library, and she couldn’t wait to see what he’d done with the old Hill House.
Lucy practically skipped across the town square on her way to the newly renovated building that would now be the town library, thanks to Logan and his friend Cameron. When she arrived, another tag dangling from the door handle caught her attention. “Open Me.”
The door creaked as she turned the handle and pushed it open. The formal living room and dining room sat on each side of the entryway, and the walls were covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A small desk sat in what had previously been the dining room to her right and would be occupied by Rosalie, a librarian Lucy had worked with in Ocala. She still couldn’t believe one of her best friends from her time as a librarian had moved to Heron Isle to run the library. Rosalie had moved into her new place last week, and they’d picked up right where they left off, as if no time had passed.
Lucy was so busy taking in everything around her, she nearly missed what was sitting on the desk a few feet ahead: A single flute of champagne with a tag that read “Drink Me.” Picking up the glass, she looked around again.
“Logan?”
She didn’t hear anything or anyone in the house. As she walked toward the back where two more rooms were filled with books, she saw a piece of paper in the shape of an arrow on the floor. “Follow Me.”
Following a second arrow down a hallway into what had been a bedroom, she looked back over her shoulder for Logan and called his name again. When she got no response, she wandered around the room looking at the books that filled the shelves lining all four walls. She was about to give up and go looking for Logan when she noticed a book sticking out from the others. It was a hardbound book with a tag hanging from the top of the spine that said, “Read Me.”
She looked around the room again. Where was Logan? Was there a camera somewhere and he was watching her reaction to the surprise? He did love his gadgets and had recently installed cameras in her bookstore. When he’d first brought them in, she told him people didn’t break into stores on Heron Isle, and she was pretty sure no one had ever stolen from her. But then he said the cameras were so they could watch the cats from anywhere, and they could post the live feed on her website so visitors to the store could keep tabs on Lizzy and Alice even after they left town. He’d been right. Her customers loved the Kitty Cam feature on the new website Logan had somehow found time to build between running the city’s new tour boats and other waterfront businesses and getting the library building restored and ready to open.
She set down her champagne and pulled the book off the shelf. Footsteps approached behind her just as she opened the book only to discover it wasn’t a book at all. Instead, it was one of those books that held an open space inside for storage. Wedged into the navy-blue velvet that filled the opening in the center was a sparkling princess-cut diamond flanked by sapphires on either side—the ring she’d seen in Rothchild’s with Jack.
Her mouth dropped open and she turned to find Logan behind her on one knee. His green eyes sparkling and his one-thousand-watt smile beaming, he asked the question she’d dreamed of hearing since he moved the last of his things into his rental house on Heron Isle.
“Lucy Sullivan, will you marry me?”
Tears spilled down her cheek as he took the book from her hands and plucked out the ring. He reached for her left hand, and she placed it in his, trembling as she put her right hand over her mouth. He’d barely gotten the ring on her finger before she pulled him up to wrap both arms around his neck.
“Yes. A million times yes.”
“Good, because I’ve already decided on our honeymoon.” He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
She scrunched her eyebrows together. “We don’t even have a wedding date yet, and you’re planning the honeymoon?”
“I think it’s time someone finally made it to Paris.”
She squealed with joy, jumping up and down in his arms. He had just lowered his lips to hers when she heard the front door open and voices started spilling inside. She pulled away, curious who had arrived.
“Mm, one more.” His voice was low and deep, his desire for her turning her insides to mush. He pulled her back in for a longer kiss, ignoring the familiar voices calling out their names up front.
She’d never felt happier or safer in her entire life.
Leaning back, he looked down at her, his green eyes locked on hers in a way that said he wished they were alone.
“Okay, so I’m rethinking inviting everyone.”
Someone called her name from up front, and he laughed.
“Your public awaits.” Motioning toward the front of the house, he took her hand in his and pulled her into the hall.
The front entryway was filled with their friends. Pete held Milly, who barked when she saw Lucy, Frank by his side beaming. Pam, Bob, Mildred, Marty—her friends clapped and cheered as she and Logan walked down the hall toward them, yelling out their congratulations.
“Show us the ring!” Pam exclaimed as she stepped forward from the group to hug Lucy.
Lucy had barely looked at the ring herself, so she admired it as she held out her hand and everyone surrounded her. She’d completely forgotten she had ever mentioned to Logan that sapphires were her favorite stone, but of course he remembered. He was always surprising her like that.
As she looked around at the group, she couldn’t help wishing Taylor could be here too. It was moments like this when she missed her the most, but Lucy had just seen her in Nashville a few weekends prior when she and Logan went for a weekend getaway before the busy season. She couldn’t wait to call and tell her she was engaged.
No sooner had she thought it than Taylor rushed through the front door with Jack on her heels. Seeing the look of surprise on Lucy’s face, Taylor stopped in front of her and put her hands on her hips.
“You didn’t think I was going to miss this, did you?”
Bursting into a smile, Lucy hugged her best friend. Taylor had promised that moving to Nashville wouldn’t change their friendship, and she’d kept her word. Lucy had visited a couple times—Logan had convinced her to hire someone to help at the store—and Taylor was back frequently for brides who flew her in to do hair and makeup for them and their bridesmaids.
Looking around the room, Lucy couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in a year.
Even more, she couldn’t believe how much all the change had improved her life. Her store was doing better than ever, and she was officially the owner of a historic building downtown. She was engaged to the man who’d saved the Heron Isle waterfront from development. And in just a few months, she’d be a published author. Leona had secured her a two-book deal and a very healthy advance at the auction—which, thankfully, her former editor, Sarah, had won for the new publishing house where she’d been hired.
Standing at her side, Logan squeezed her hand. As she looked around at all the people who’d come to celebrate their engagement, she vowed never again to say she had no family. Friends were the family a person chose, and she’d chosen well. She was surrounded by people who had believed in her until she’d figured out how to believe in herself.
She had always been enough. They’d always known it, and now she did too.