He grinned, pulling me close, his tone softening as he looked into my eyes. “Whatever it is, I promise, it’ll be unforgettable. This is just the beginning.”
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
It turnsout fifty thousand dollars buys you a truly unforgettable date—or at least an unforgettable redo.
Topher had insisted on planning our long-promised “fifty-thousand-dollar date” to celebrate my Tulane graduation. So, when we pulled up to the lake near City Park and I saw a row of swan boats bobbing on the water, all decked out with twinkling lights and tiny bouquets tied to the bows, I burst out laughing.
“You really went all out,” I teased, glancing over at him.
Topher grinned, reaching out a hand to help me into one of the boats, then sliding in next to me. “I figured our last swan boat experience was a little lacking.”
“Lacking?” I laughed. “We nearly capsized!”
He chuckled, easing us out onto the water as a gentle breeze caught the lights, sending shimmering reflections dancing across the lake. “This time, no near-death experiences. I promise.”
We drifted under the soft glow of lanterns strung along the lake’s edge, and it felt both absurd and perfect—so veryusin every way.
“So,” I said with a playful smile, “this is what a fifty-thousand-dollar date looks like?”
He leaned back, giving me a smirk. “Romantic, right? I mean, it took a year to pull it off, but I think I finally nailed it.”
He’d nailed everything he’d done as my boyfriend in the last year. I’d never doubted he would get this right, too.
I squeezed his hand, grinning. “Now I get to say I’ve been on two swan boat dates with you, which has to be some kind of record.” He hung his head, hiding a small smile, and I nudged my elbow into his ribs. “Another record—how quickly you’ve launched your new company, Topher. I’m proud of you.”
He chuckled, then glanced around. “Turns out helping people out of debt is a little harder than renting swan boats.”
“You seem to be managing all right.” After being kicked out of the company he founded, Topher turned right around and worked to help transform the industry, giving aid to the people who had been hurt by his lending practices. He started a profitable business focused on helping people overwhelmed by debt, like my parents and his mom had been. He was still relentless, still a workaholic, but now his work was as meaningful as it was successful. And, somehow, he still found time forus.
He gave me a soft look. “What about you? The amazing work you’re doing with your kids?”
I smiled, thinking of the young people I was helping as a newly graduated social worker. “It’s intense but rewarding, helping them process their grief and find a sense of stability. So many of them are going through what I did, trying to understand why life can change so quickly when a parent dies, but I can see them starting to heal. I finally feel like I’m doing what I was meant to do.”
Now, as we planned the next holiday season together, we were already scheming to deck out Josephine’s tiny house with more lights and garland than it could handle. She’d made it very clear she wasn’t moving out anytime soon. At least not until, as she’d hinted, there were grandchildren.
As we drifted on the lake, watching the twinkling lights reflect off the water, I looked around the swan boat, grinning. “So, tell me, how exactly does one eventryto spend fifty grand on a swan boat date?”
Topher smirked, leaning back with a faux-serious look. “Oh, I’ll have you know, it wasn’t easy.”
I glanced around. “You didn’t… buy these swan boats, did you?”
“Tempting, but no,” he said, shaking his head. “The swan boats remain available to the public. Although I did think about it.”
I snorted. “So what, you bought the lake?”
“It’s a public lake!” He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “I don’t think they’re selling it.”
“Then whatdidyou buy?” I squinted suspiciously.
He grinned. “Oh, just a little something to make this date truly unforgettable.”
Just then, a man in a rowboat paddled over and handed Topher a small picnic basket.
I raised an eyebrow. “Topher, we already ate. What’s in here?”
He gave me a mischievous smile, holding the basket up as if it were the crown jewels. “Let’s just say this time, we’re keeping everything well above the waterline. No near-capsizing incidents.”
