Epilogue
Hadley
I’d been floating around on a cloud since the reaction from the crowd at the Kids Speak gala. I was brimming with excitement and couldn’t wait to talk to Dylan about the new direction we were taking.
“Stop daydreaming.” Cade pulled to a stop in front of my office.
“It’s hard not to after the weekend we had.” My stomach plummeted when my father revealed he intended to pull his support, but I quickly pulled myself together, intent on winning everyone back with my ideas for Kids Speak’s future.
“I have a surprise for you.” Cade smiled and his knee was bouncing.
I tilted my head. “Does that have anything to do with bringing me to work earlier than I need to be here on a Monday?”
Cade leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. He pulled back slightly to say, “Yes. Come on.”
Then he was out the door and rounding the hood to help me out. He was relaxed and happy.
We stood on the sidewalk holding hands. “Is the surprise in the karate studio or the office?”
“Your office. Still no idea?”
“None.” I was stumped. “Did you procure a thousand new clients for us, and if so, are they waiting in the office to jump out and yell surprise?”
He laughed. “No. Can you unlock the door?”
“How is there a surprise in here when you don’t have a key to the office?”
“I don’t. But I may have enlisted Avery’s help.” At my raised brow, he added, “And Nolan’s since I was gone this weekend.”
I pushed open the door. “The carpet’s different.”
The old carpet was gone. The walls were still the same color we’d painted them last week, but there was crown molding on the ceilings. My mouth dropped open when I saw the gold letters mounted on the wall—Arrington, Gannon, & Winters in the same script as our website.
“Wow. This looks amazing. You did this?”
“I commissioned the sign with a local company and asked them to rush it, but Nolan handled everything else while we were gone.”
“Why would you do this?”
His fingers gripped my hips and pulled me into his body. “Because I love you and I’d do anything for you. After the fight we had, I wanted to do something for you.”
“Okay.”
“Nolan also designed built-ins. He does custom work.”
“What built-ins?” I looked around, not seeing any new additions to the reception area.
He tugged me down the hall until we were standing in front of my office. He leaned over and flipped on the overhead lights. Behind my desk were two floor to ceiling shelves on either side of the window, lined with my law books, and my degrees hung on the newly painted wall. “The sign and shelves are mounted to the wall but can be removed.”
“What happens when the lease is up? The landlord didn’t want us doing any renovations.” It was great that the built-ins were removable, but the carpet and crown molding were not.
“Avery’s working on that.”
“You didn’t have to do all of this.” I stroked his cheek and leaned into his body. “But it’s everything. Thank you.”
Then it hit me. This was real. My dream had come true. I was a partner of a firm and worked with my friends. The possibilities with Kids Speak were endless. I was with the man I loved and starting a new life—one without the constraints and judgment of my old one. Here, I could be happy.
“I’d do anything for you. Anything to make you happy,” Cade said.
“I’m starting to get that.”
Cade kissed me before pulling back slightly. “I want to erase the moment I said I wasn’t sure what I could offer you because I was scared. I’m not now. I know what I want. I want you in my life forever.”
I didn’t think it was possible to be happier, but I was wrong. “Me too.”
“There’s only one thing left to decide.” His tone was light and playful.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” My heart beat faster in anticipation even though he couldn’t possibly propose. We’d only been together a few weeks.
He tilted his head slightly. “Do you want to move into my house one day and live, or do you think we should flip it?”
The fact that he wanted my opinion on his home hit me directly in my chest. My heart clenched. “You really want to know what I think?”
“Yeah, we’re together now. We make these big decisions as a couple.” His hand cupped my cheek and his eyes were sincere.
The idea of us planning a future together when I hadn’t been sure Cade would want that with me was everything. “I want to live in that house with you. I love the water and the porch. I love that you picked it.”
A small smile played on his lips. “Then that’s what I want too.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” I tilted my head slightly, considering him. Was that what I wanted? Maybe not this second, but someday I did. I wanted a house, marriage, and kids.
“Not today. But someday soon. In the meantime, I’m going to need your help picking out the finishes.”
My eyes widened. “I can pick anything I want?”
He held his hand up. “Within reason, of course. I’m not sure what kind of taste you have.”
I slapped his arm. “I have good taste.”
“Uh huh.” He stepped away from me and placed his hand on the desk. “Are you ready to break in this office? Avery might have mentioned that she’s in court this morning and Dylan has a client meeting outside the office. I made sure I locked the door when we came in.”
I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. “You’ve clearly thought of everything.”
His eyes darkened as he stepped into me and placed his hands on either side of my face. “I love you, Hadley Winters. Never forget that.”
“As long as you don’t let me
