by Cach, Lisa
I shook my head.
He bent his head down and laid his lips close to my ear, whispering, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
I closed my eyes, the pain in my heart releasing in a flood of warmth.
“I realized that I didn’t want to remember you: I wanted to be with you. My life suddenly felt false, like it was a poor copy of something that could have been much better. I realized I was never going to find someone who could make me feel as happy and alive as you do, Tessa. I was never going to find someone so real, so true. You challenge me. You surprise me. You make me laugh. And it feels so damn good when I see you smile.”
I smiled.
“Do you think there might be a chance for the two of us?” he asked softly. “It would mean that one of us would have to relocate. I know that university teaching positions aren’t easy to come by, so perhaps I could work from here.”
“Are you sure your boss would go for that?”
He laughed, lifting his face. “Boss? I am the boss.”
I blinked in confusion. “But you said you were a shopkeeper.”
“Yes. But I’m not an employee. I own a chain of faux luxury goods shops. I came to the U.S. to see about expanding into this market.”
“Oh.” The information tried to sink into my stunned brain and failed. Not that it really made any difference, except that it gave him a certain amount of control over how he spent his time. “The fax you got, it was about that?”
He shook his head. “That was something unexpected. A major retail conglomerate has offered to buy my stores for a considerable sum, leaving me in place as president. At a hefty salary, of course.”
“Just how many stores do you have?”
“Twenty-six.”
“And the offer was for how much?”
He smiled. “Let’s just say that I don’t need to worry about being able to afford a wife and kids, if it should ever come to that. Might it, Tessa?”
I stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly. “It might.”
“Do you think you might ever be able to love a scoundrel like myself?”
I laid my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I already do.” His arms came around me and I closed my eyes, feeling truly home at last.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Dear Rachel,
Merry Christmas!
A lot happens in a year, doesn’t it? This picture is of me and husband Ian in Bora Bora. Yes, husband! We eloped in October. I know, I know, you’d think that I of all people would have had a huge wedding, if only so that I could have the fun of designing my own dress, but I’ve discovered that all those girlhood dreams of the big day don’t mean so much once you’ve found the one. Being married is all that either of us cared about. We’re planning on a smashing big reception and open house when the remodeling is done on the home we bought together in Seattle (our other house is in London; I’m drooling all over myself at the costume museums and theatre opportunities in the UK), though, so expect an invitation to be coming your way soon!
Much love,
Tessa
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