Nothing.
It was still early. Maybe he was sleeping in. Or maybe he needed some distance while he processed things.
I wanted him to sell his shares and move here. I wanted to be able to see him without hopping on an airplane and flying halfway across the country.
I wanted to tell him that I was in love with him.
But it wasn’t the right time.
I didn’t want to be the reason he upended his life. I didn’t want to influence his decision.
The ‘Welcome to Briar Glenn’ sign came into view, and I pulled onto Main Street. While I loved visiting Colorado—and missed Alistair—I was happy to be home.
There was something special about this little town, and now that I’d traveled outside of it, I could finally appreciate it.
I turned onto my street, and right as I was about to pull into my driveway—I saw him.
Alistair Reid was sitting on my steps, his hands in his pockets and his face buried in the scarf I gave him.
My favorite scarf.
When he saw me, he flashed me that signature lopsided grin.
I couldn’t park the car and hop out fast enough.
“What are you doing here?” I sputtered, rushing up the driveway toward him.
He shrugged—like it was such a casual thing that he was here. “Well, since I’m retiring, I thought I’d relocate to Briar Glenn. I was hoping you could help me find a place to stay.”
Chai’s words echoed in my head.
I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon.
Thiswas why she had been so insistent about the hot yoga class.
He opened his arms wide, wrapping me in a tight hug as tears welled up in my eyes.
“You accepted Jonathan’s offer?”
“Mhmm,” he mumbled against my hair. “The morning after you left, I called him first thing. Pam—” He wrapped his hand around the column of my neck, tilting my face to meet his gaze. “I should have told you this at the airport, but I’m in love with you. I love every single thing about you. The romance books, the mantras, the little snort you do when you laugh, the love you give to the people around you. I don’t want to do the long-distance thing. I want to behere. I don’t want to waste a single second I could be spending with you.”
I never thought I’d have something like this. Some surprise, impassioned declaration of love like you saw in movies and read about in romance books. Yet here I was, having my ownWhen Harry Met Sallymoment, standing with the man of my dreams while he professed his love for me.
And I knew he meant it.
“I love you, too.” I ran my fingers through his curls and pressed my lips to his, my body fitting against his like we were two halves of the same whole.
It was one of those cinematic kisses where time stops, the background fades to a blur, and the only thing that matters at that moment is the two of you.
We’d found what our lives had been missing. This was our love story—and it was just the beginning.
EPILOGUE
ALISTAIR
Pam: Are you on your way? Everyone is here waiting.
Me: We just left. Chai couldn’t decide on an outfit.
