“Me either. I’m going to take such good care of you.”
A deep laugh rumbles in his chest. “You know, I like the sound of that.”
“Are you hungry? Or thirsty? What can I get you?”
He winks at me.
“How about some ice cream?”
EPILOGUE - HAILEY
Six months later
Daisy wheels the chair around to the mirror.
“Okay! Time for the big reveal!”
I smile at my reflection. Daisy’s added purple, pink and orange streaks to my hair. It’s even more vibrant than the hair I had when I worked in the city and I love it.
“This is perfect! Wait until Atlas sees it.”
“I had a hard time stripping that old color out. Why did you dye it darker? This seems more like you, it fits with your style.”
I run my hand through my shiny new hair. “It was Lenny. I guess I wanted to hide, trying not to do anything to stand out.”
She puts her hand on my shoulder. “I understand. He’s in prison now?”
“That’s right. Not only did he get fifteen years for arson, he already had an outstanding charge on his record.”
“He caused so much destruction. But it’s good to see Peppermint Lodge rising from the ashes. Are you going to the re-opening party?”
“You bet. How about you?”
Her cheeks flush. “Um…I think so.”
I know Daisy well enough to tell when she’s hiding something.
“Is your date a tall, handsome sheriff, by any chance?” I tease.
She clears her throat and looks away. “It might be. But it’s not a real date.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “A fake date?”
“Yes. I’m not meant to tell anyone. You know he’s my brother’s best friend? I should probably stop there. Anyway, it’s complicated.”
“But you like him?”
“Yes. But I don’t think he feels the same way.” She shrugs.
“He’d be a fool not to, Daisy.” I stand up and hug her. “Thank you for my beautiful hair. I can’t wait to wow Atlas.”
The trees are bright with the red and yellow fall colors as I drive back home. Singing along to a love song on the radio, my stomach flips at the thought of seeing Atlas again.
My boyfriend raises his hand as I drive up. “Hey, little comet! Are you hungry? The dogs are helping me make dinner.”
There’s a chorus of barks as the animals greet me. Atlas adopted Huggy from the shelter and Ember’s calmed him down so much. He’s stopped trying to escape and become a happy, loving little dog now he’s secure. Living with Atlas makes me secure too. I’m sleeping through the night, not waking up and worrying. I only need one alarm to wake up now, not three.
He scoops me up into his arms and carries me into the living room, kissing me until I’m breathless.
