Grace turned that bright smile onto him and finished with her phone. Felix caught Luke’s look of sympathy and shook his head. Grace would never see him as anything more than a friend.
Epilogue
Movingdaydawnedbrightand early, with Maggie downstairs at the Haven with Virginia.
“Good morning, Maggie.” She hustled out of the kitchen with her buffet set. Tourist season had started months ago but Virginia kindly let her continue to pay the discounted rate. However, their intimate breakfasts were now relegated to the middle of the week, since the Haven was full on the weekends.
Even though she missed chatting with her new friend, Maggie was thrilled at the additional business. The social media marketing was working. Poor Virginia felt terrible that she’d rented a room to Maggie’s now-ex, apologizing profusely when Maggie finally came back from the hospital. But Maggie hadn’t given her full name at check-in, or told her anything about why she was there, so she couldn’t blame Virginia in the slightest.
Luke didn’t leave her side for two days after the incident, but she’d kicked him out to relieve Shorty at the diner. She slept most of that time, anyway. Grace came over when he couldn’t be there to keep her company, and she’d been adamant that Maggie rent the other apartment in her building.
“I’m not even posting the opening, once my current tenant moves out, it’s yours.”
“Okay,” she’d grumbled. “But you’re letting me borrow your clothes.”
Grace had giggled maniacally and then done some online shopping for her to replace what Sean had destroyed.
Alex, that angel, had handled selling the house for her. With Sean in prison, his lawyer had no argument against anything Maggie wanted. She wondered if she’d gone too far, taking the entirety of the proceeds from the house after they paid the mortgage off and cleaned the house out.
Grace, of course, disabused her of that idea.
His parents agreed to store his belongings in their garage, begrudgingly. They’d never liked Maggie, thinking the sun shone out of their son’s ass.
Her bruises faded, Grace’s tenant moved out, and the cleaning service was all done. Maggie couldn’t wait to get started. Since she was starting over,again, it hadn’t taken her long to pack up.
Grace, Felix, Joe, and Luke met her behind Too Sweet Bakery. They cheered as Maggie pulled into her official parking spot behind the building.
Her best friend flew up to her, silver keys dangling from her hand. “Welcome home!”
Maggie found herself swallowed into Grace’s hug, laughing. “Let’s get this stuff upstairs, then get some furniture put together.”
The guys carried boxes of flat-pack furniture out of Grace’s apartment and into Maggie’s while she hung up her clothes in the closet. Her mattress was one of those mail-order ones that came rolled up in a box. She wasn’t sure how she’d get it all out when her year was up, but that was a problem for Future Maggie.
Once the guys got her dresser put together, with lots of swearing and not a lot of reading the directions—until Grace pointed them out—she put her other clothes away.
“Why aren’t you using all the drawers, sweetheart?” Luke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Well, I figured you’ll be sleeping over a lot, so I better leave room for your stuff.”
He kissed the spot behind her ear that made her knees weak. “Just say the word, and I’ll move in.”
She shook her head. “I need to do this on my own. At least for a year.” It was just a one-bedroom apartment, maybe six hundred square feet. Much smaller than the house Sean bought for them. But Maggie had sworn when she ran that she’d never put herself at the mercy of another person ever again. Living alone was part of her healing. And her therapist approved.
“And I reserved the right to convince you to change your mind.”
Maggie leaned back in his embrace. “I know. But I need to prove this to myself.” She needed to invite him in from a place of having, not one desperation.
“I know, sweetheart. And I’m so proud of you.” Another kiss to her cheek, and he left her to her work.
Grace was putting her brand-new pots and pans away in the kitchen, where Maggie spied two things she definitely hadn’t ordered. “What are these?” She picked up one of the ceramic squirrels.
“Salt and pepper shakers! They’re part of your housewarming present.” Grace produced a small gift bag from her purse. “Anna found the shakers and held on to them for me.”
Maggie pulled two potholders out of the bag, with images of squirrels on them. “They’re adorable!”
Grace grinned. “One of the local ladies makes them and sells them in the general store. I asked her specifically if she had any squirrel fabric.”
“I love it!” She hugged her friend and laid the potholders in a drawer. “Thank you.”
