I swallow each surge down, moaning at the warm taste of him.
Best. Job. Ever.
When we’re all done and cleaned up, we sneak back into the bakery, wash our hands, and Malcolm unlocks the door.
Todd from the gas station down the street bursts in.
“What up, beautiful people,” he says as he struts in with his hands in the air. “You never came to visit me.”
Malcolm lets out a low warning growl as his friend eyes me. “I told you she’s mine.”
My heart hums in my chest. I love it when he’s all badass possessive beast for me. I know I shouldn’t like it, but I do.
“But she hasn’t heard my offer!”
“What?” Malcolm says with a derisive snort. “A pack of gum?”
“Nope!” Todd says as he reaches into his pocket. “Two packs of gum!”
He pulls them out triumphantly and looks at me expectantly. Does this guy actually think I’m going to swoon over gum?
“We should have left the sign on the door,” Malcolm mutters before he charges over and kicks Todd out.
“Tell your friends about me!” he shouts as Malcolm grabs the back of his shirt and tosses him onto the sidewalk.
We’re both laughing when Malcolm walks back in, dusting his hands.
“My hero,” I say with a bat of my eyelashes. “What would I do without you?”
“You’ll never have to find out,” he says as he comes around the counter and kisses me.
God, I hope he’s right. I couldn’t live without him.
Not anymore.
He’s my family now. My father is in prison and I only get to see him about twice a year.
The media obsession with the story has died down, so there are no longer reporters snooping around town anymore.
I’m free.
I’m free to live my life and I choose to live it with him.
Every day for the rest of my life, I’ll choose him.
It’s the easy choice I’ve ever had.
EPILOGUE
Charlotte
* * *
One year later…
* * *
“What is this?” Aunt Tracy asks as I take my hand off her eyes. “That’s my bike!”
She looks thrilled as she rushes over to the pink bike with the colorful streamers coming out of the handles.
It’s a similar bike to the one my father stole from her when she was a kid. I’m trying to make amends for some of the harm my family has done and I figured this was a good place to start. From the touched look on her face as she gets on it, I think I’m on the right track.
“This is amazing!” she shouts as she peddles out of the driveway and onto the road. I smile and slide an arm around Malcolm as we watch her go.
“Feel better?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say as I squeeze him extra tight. Our adorable five-month-old Tara is in the Baby Bjorn strapped to his muscular chest, squealing in happiness. She giggles at me as I kiss the top of her head and breathe in that wonderful baby scent.
As soon as we found out that I was pregnant last year, Malcolm married me and we bought a house a few blocks away from Aunt Tracy.
I was so happy to finally get off that cat hair covered futon and into a big warm bed with Malcolm every night, but I still come and visit Aunt Tracy all the time.
I’m making my home here. New York is in my past and that’s where it will stay.
Over the past year, I’ve realized that I don’t need a luxurious condo in Manhattan to be happy. I have everything I need to be happy right here. Malcolm. Tara. My job. This incredible town. It’s more than enough.
I’ve met so many nice people while working at the bakery and I feel like I’m finally a member of this small idyllic town. Bridgeworth Pines is home to me now.
Lindsay retired and moved to Florida three months ago. She gave us the bakery as a wedding present and now Malcolm and I are running it together. We still close it in the middle of the afternoon at times to have some fun in the stockroom, only now we don’t have to worry about anyone barging in.
I’ve never been happier. Malcolm is so much fun and I adore the way he treats me and Tara. He makes me feel so special and wanted every single day.
It’s taken all of this to realize that having my life blown up was a blessing in disguise. It was all fake. Fake friends, fake money, fake happiness. This is real. It’s as real as it gets.
And I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Aunt Tracy squeals in delight as she rolls back onto the driveway with her feet extended in front of her. “Thank you, Charlotte! Want to try?”
“Oh, I can’t,” I say, feeling a bit embarrassed. I still haven’t learned how to ride a bike. Malcolm was supposed to teach me last summer, but then I got pregnant and he was super protective of me, so that was out of the question.