She nodded. “More than okay, Chloé. I’ve never felt better.”
I smiled, so pleased that tears rose in my eyes, too. “I’m so glad, Amelia. I love you so much. I want you to be happy.”
She nodded, still choked up, and I settled back down onto her shoulder.
We stayed that way long into the night until we both finally dozed off.
Epilogue
The caterers were late, the wine hadn’t arrived, and our guests were due any minute for the housewarming party we were throwing. We’d been in our new house exactly two weeks and were finally unpacked. Renovations had taken all summer and most of the autumn, but that had ended up being a good thing, as we were both so busy. Between wrapping up my art show, staging and selling Amelia’s house, getting Amelia’s new branch of Art for the People up and running downtown, and starting my new job, we hadn’t had time to move before then anyway. The extra months had also allowed us to spend time together as a new couple before living together, which was a very good thing. We moved into the house exactly a year to the day after we’d gotten together the first time. It seemed like a good omen.
We were strictly designers on the renovations, and I’d found the experience quite interesting. Amelia had a little familiarity with house renovations, as she’d worked with her dad in high school and early college doing just that, but it was all new to me. We wanted to keep the house as authentic to its original time period as possible, which meant going all over the state to look for antique tile, wood, and fixtures. We agreed on two contemporary updates: central heating and air-conditioning and a new kitchen, but the rest of the house was as close as we could get to the original as possible.
We had the outside painted in the bright reds and yellows I remembered from before, and Amelia’s gardeners completely renovated the yard. They transplanted some of her rose bushes from her old place, and I think that tiny nod to her past life was enough to help her ease into the more modest home. Amelia had made enough money during her years running Winters Corporation to live comfortably in her Garden District mansion the rest of her life, but she’d wanted to make the change for me—for us, really. She knew I would never be comfortable in her old house, and our new place meant that we could meet somewhere in the middle. It was a larger house than any I’d grown up in, but it wasn’t ostentatious. The first day we walked through the front door, each of us carrying a box, we already felt like we belonged here.
Everyone and everything arrived all at once, of course. The caterers from Teddy’s came in directly behind Aunt Kate and Jim, and Meghan and Zach walked in with the wine sellers. To avoid the awkwardness it would cause, Amelia’s mother had agreed to come over later in the week for a smaller, one-on-one dinner with us. The rest of Amelia’s family, however, was shortly in attendance. Emma and her now-fiancé Billy showed up a few minutes after Aunt Kate, and by the time Amelia’s dad, brothers, nieces, and nephews showed up, chaos reigned. At one point, while the children played a lively game of tag around the new furniture, and while Aunt Kate and Amelia’s dad had a loud debate about college football, I looked over at Amelia and saw her elation. We’d had dinners and cookouts with everyone fairly often over the summer, and it appeared that our efforts had paid off. Despite marked differences, our families were finally comfortable with each other. Instead of two separate entities, they already seemed like one.
This was, of course, exactly why we finally felt comfortable enough to share our news with them. We’d already had our private conversation about it two days ago, but we’d waited to make an announcement until everyone was here together. Amelia let the chaos continue a while longer, and then she knocked a knife against her champagne glass. Emma was passing out glasses of bubbly to all the adults, and Amelia’s brother Bobby had poured some sparkling juice for the kids. Once everyone was holding a glass, they turned to us, waiting expectantly. Amelia and I clasped hands, and I let her begin.
“Welcome, everyone, to our new home.”
The room echoed with cheers and shouts, and Amelia let them go on for a while before continuing.
“As you know, this year has been one of big changes for both Chloé and me, and no more than in the last few months. Now that the two of us have moved in and are starting new jobs, we both decided that we wanted to take the next step in our lives together.”
The room was silent for a moment, everyone waiting, and I hesitated as long as I could to build up tension.
Finally, I held up my left hand to show off the ring. “We’re getting married!”
The room erupted into a cacophonous melody of joy and jubilation, and I was instantly pulled into a series of hugs and kisses from our closest friends and family members. By the time I finally made it around the room to my aunt, she was crying freely, her face stuck in a permanent smile. Her hug was fierce, and when we drew apart, she didn’t seem to want to let go. She clasped my shoulders and stood there, gazing into my eyes. She didn’t say anything and neither did I. We didn’t need to. She knew how happy I was, and she shared my happiness.
Amelia joined us a moment later, and Kate gave her a similar hug. When she let Amelia go, Amelia turned toward me, and I saw little tears sparkling the ends of her eyelashes. She and I took a couple of steps away from Kate to the front of the room, our hands clasped, unable to stop touching.
I could never get enough of looking at Amelia. It didn’t matter who or what was in the room. She was always the loveliest thing there. Even after all these months, months we’d spent almost sutured together every moment of the day, I could barely stand to look at anything or anyone else. She was my heart, my love, and my happiness, and she would be until the day I died.
When we kissed a moment later, I barely registered the cheers and cries of happiness from our friends and family. There in her arms, I was in the only place I wanted to be.
I was home.
About the Author
Charlotte Greene grew up in the American West in a loving family that supported her earliest creative endeavors. She began writing as a teenager and has never stopped. She now holds a doctorate in English, and she teaches a wide variety of courses in literature and women’s studies at a regional university in the South. When she’s not teaching or writing her next novel, she enjoys playing video games, traveling, and brewing hard cider. Charlotte is a longtime lover and one-time resident of the City of New Orleans. While she no longer lives in NOLA, she visits as often as possible.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Canvas for Love by Charlotte Greene. When ghosts from Amelia’s past threaten to undermine their relationship, Chloé must navigate the greatest romance of her life without losing sight of who she is. (978-1-62639-944-0)
Heart Stop by Radclyffe. Two women, one with a damaged body, the other a damaged spirit, challenge each other to dare to live again. (978-1-62639-899-3)
Repercussions by Jessica L. Webb. Someone planted information in Edie Black’s brain and now they want it back, but with the protection of shy former soldier Skye Kenny, Edie has a chance at life and love. (978-1-62639-925-9)
Spark by Catherine Friend. Jamie’s life is turned upside down when her consciousness travels back to 1560 and lands in the body of one of Queen Elizabeth I’s ladies-in-waiting…or has she totally lost her grip on reality? (978-1-62639-930-3)
Taking Sides by Kathleen Knowles. When passion and politics collide, can love survive? (978-1-62639-876-4)
Thorns of the Past by Gun Brooke. Former cop Darcy Flynn’s heart broke when her career on the force ended in disgrace, but perhaps saving Sabrina Hawk’s life will mend it in more ways than one. (978-1-62639-857-3)
You Make Me Tremble by Karis Walsh. Seismologist Casey Radnor comes to the San Juan Islands to study an earthquake but finds her heart shaken by passion when she meets animal rescuer Iris Mallery. (978-1-62639-901-3)
Complications by MJ Williamz. Two women battle for the heart of one. (978-1-62639-769-9)
Crossing the Wide Forever by Missouri Vaun.
As Cody Walsh and Lillie Ellis face the perils of the untamed West, they discover that love’s uncharted frontier isn’t for the weak in spirit or the faint of heart. (978-1-62639-851-1)
Fake It till You Make It by M. Ullrich. Lies will lead to trouble, but can they lead to love? (978-1-62639-923-5)
Girls Next Door, edited by Sandy Lowe and Stacia Seaman. Best-selling romance authors tell it from the heart—sexy, romantic stories of falling for the girls next door. (978-1-62639-916-7)
Pursuit by Jackie D. The pursuit of the most dangerous terrorist in America will crack the lines of friendship and love, and not everyone will make it out from under the weight of duty and service. (978-1-62639-903-7)
The Practitioner by Ronica Black. Sometimes love comes calling whether you’re ready for it or not. (978-1-62639-948-8)
Unlikely Match by Fiona Riley. When an ambitious PR exec and her super-rich coding geek-girl client fall in love, they learn that giving something up may be the only way to have everything. (978-1-62639-891-7)
Where Love Leads by Erin McKenzie. A high school counselor and the mom of her new student bond in support of the troubled girl, never expecting deeper feelings to emerge, testing the boundaries of their relationship. (978-1-62639-991-4)
Forsaken Trust by Meredith Doench. When four women are murdered, Agent Luce Hansen must regain trust in her most valuable investigative tool—herself—to catch the killer. (978-1-62639-737-8)
Letter of the Law by Carsen Taite. Will federal prosecutor Bianca Cruz take a chance at love with horse breeder Jade Vargas, whose dark family ties threaten everything Bianca has worked to protect—including her child? (978-1-62639-750-7)
New Life by Jan Gayle. Trigena and Karrie are having a baby, but the stress of becoming a mother and the impact on their relationship might be too much for Trigena. (978-1-62639-878-8)
Royal Rebel by Jenny Frame. Charity director Lennox King sees through the party-girl image Princess Roza has cultivated, but will Lennox’s past indiscretions and Roza’s responsibilities make their love impossible? (978-1-62639-893-1)
Unbroken by Donna K. Ford. When Kayla and Jackie, two women with every reason to reject Happily Ever After, fall in love, will they have the courage to overcome their pasts and rewrite their stories? (978-1-62639-921-1)
Where the Light Glows by Dena Blake. Mel Thomas doesn’t realize just how unhappy she is in her marriage until she meets Izzy Calabrese. Will she have the courage to overcome her insecurities and follow her heart? (978-1-62639-958-7)
Her Best Friend’s Sister by Meghan O’Brien. For fifteen years, Claire Barker has nursed a massive crush on her best friend’s older sister. What happens when all her wildest fantasies come true? (978-1-62639-861-0)
Escape in Time by Robyn Nyx. Working in the past is hell on your future. (978-1-62639-855-9)
Forget-Me-Not by Kris Bryant. Is love worth walking away from the only life you’ve ever dreamed of? (978-1-62639-865-8)
Highland Fling by Anna Larner. On vacation in the Scottish Highlands, Eve Eddison falls for the enigmatic forestry officer Moira Burns despite Eve’s best friend’s campaign to convince her that Moira will break her heart. (978-1-62639-853-5)
Phoenix Rising by Rebecca Harwell. As Storm’s Quarry faces invasion from a powerful neighbor, a mysterious newcomer with powers equal to Nadya’s challenges everything she believes about herself and her future. (978-1-62639-913-6)
Soul Survivor by I. Beacham. Sam and Joey have given up on hope, but when fate brings them together it gives them a chance to change each other’s life and make dreams come true. (978-1-62639-882-5)
Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden. When Margaret Beringer’s first love Courtney Carrington returns to their small town, she must grapple with their troubled past and fight the temptation for a very delicious future. (978-1-62639-867-2)
The Girl on the Edge of Summer by J.M. Redmann. Micky Knight accepts two cases, but neither is the easy investigation it appears. The past is never past—and young girls lead complicated, even dangerous lives. (978-1-62639-687-6)
Unknown Horizons by CJ Birch. The moment Lieutenant Alison Ash steps aboard the Persephone, she knows her life will never be the same. (978-1-62639-938-9)
The Sniper’s Kiss by Justine Saracen. The power of a kiss: it can swell your heart with splendor, declare abject submission, and sometimes blow your brains out. (978-1-62639-839-9)
Divided Nation, United Hearts by Yolanda Wallace. In a nation torn in two by a most uncivil war, can love conquer the divide? (978-1-62639-847-4)
Fury’s Bridge by Brey Willows. What if your life depended on someone who didn’t believe in your existence? (978-1-62639-841-2)
Lightning Strikes by Cass Sellars. When Parker Duncan and Sydney Hyatt’s one-night stand turns to more, both women must fight demons past and present to cling to the relationship neither of them thought she wanted. (978-1-62639-956-3)
Love in Disaster by Charlotte Greene. A professor and a celebrity chef are drawn together by chance, but can their attraction survive a natural disaster? (978-1-62639-885-6)
Secret Hearts by Radclyffe. Can two women from different worlds find common ground while fighting their secret desires? (978-1-62639-932-7)
Sins of Our Fathers by A. Rose Mathieu. Solving gruesome murder cases is only one of Elizabeth Campbell’s challenges; another is her growing attraction to the female detective who is hell-bent on keeping her client in prison. (978-1-62639-873-3)
Troop 18 by Jessica L. Webb. Charged with uncovering the destructive secret that a troop of RCMP cadets has been hiding, Andy must put aside her worries about Kate and uncover the conspiracy before it’s too late. (978-1-62639-934-1)
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