Epilogue

EPILOGUE

E lsie rolled over and snuggled closer to Dean. His body radiated heat. Something she craved to warm her from a cold front the crisp December weather had brought to town. Even the cream-colored duvet couldn’t chase away the morning chill.

Dean wrapped her up tight. “Good morning.”

The huskiness of his voice heated a different part of her body. She ran her bare foot up the side of his leg. “We could find a way to go from good to great.”

“I like the thought of that.” In a flash of motion, Dean clamped his hands around her wrists and pinned her against the mattress. He pressed lazy kisses along the curve of her neck.

Desire exploded in her core. She groaned and arched her back, eager to start her morning off the same way she had every day for the past month and a half.

“Elsie!” Impatient pounding slammed against her closed bedroom door. “Are you awake?”

Dean fell to the bed at her side with a groan. “Well, at least the kid has learned to knock before running in here.”

“The lock might deserve more credit than Jimmy.” Elsie chuckled and hopped out of bed. She found her plush, white robe and slipped it on before answering the door, a hand fisted on one hip. “Can I help you?”

Jimmy bounced up and down on his toes. “We need to go. Now.”

“Go where?” she asked, frowning.

“It’s a surprise. Hurry up! Mama’s waiting!” He disappeared down the hall before she could wrangle any more answers from him.

She turned back toward Dean, surprised to find him out of bed and nearly dressed. His hair was a tousled mess and whiskers filled out his jawline. The butterflies in her stomach went crazy.

“You heard him. We’ve got to go.” He pulled a sweatshirt over his head, planted a kiss on her cheek, and left her with her mouth open and confused. “We’re heading downtown so take a minute to do whatever you need to do.”

Boo trotted inside and stared at her, as if also urging her to hurry.

“Wait?” She threw her hands in the air. “You’re in on this secret as well?”

He whined and ran out the door.

Chuckling, she dressed in a warm sweater and jeans before finding her fur-lined boots and tying her hair in a ponytail. She made a pitstop in the bathroom to brush her teeth and add a little make-up. By the time she made it to the living room, Dean, Jimmy, and Boo all waited by the front door with coats and shoes in place.

Dean reached for her hand before stepping into the cool, morning air. He whistled as they walked along the quiet sidewalk, Boo at their side and Jimmy slightly ahead.

She stared up at him and a hundred questions sat on the tip of her tongue. It didn’t take a genius to realize nothing she asked would get answered. So instead, she enjoyed the way the cool breeze chased the warm rays of sun from her face and Jimmy’s carefree laughter as he skipped toward town.

At the town square, Dean led her to her storefront and stopped before the front window came into view.

“What in the world is going on?” Bewildered, she stared up into the face she loved so much.

“Elsie Sweet, you make the world a better place by just being in it. You’re selfless and loyal and committed to doing whatever you can to help others. I thank God every damn day that He brought you into my life. And then I thank Him for everyone else that came along with your cute little package.” He threw a wink in Jimmy’s direction. “Before we get to the reason Jimmy wanted you down here so quick, I had something I wanted to ask you with a little more privacy.”

All the questions about why she’d been brought to downtown Pine Valley to stand beside her store vanished. Excitement rippled through her body in big sloppy waves.

He slipped his hand from hers and grabbed a ring box from his pocket before dropping to one knee. “Elsie, my best friend and love of my life, would you do me the greatest honor of all time by becoming my wife?”

Her excitement grew and tears hovered over her lashes. “Yes! Absolutely yes!”

Jimmy squealed and clapped his hands.

Dean slid a princess cut diamond onto her finger. He rose and swept her into his arms, kissing her soundly before spinning her in a wide circle.

She laughed, happier than she ever imagined possible. “I love you, Dean. I love you so much.”

“And we all love you, Elsie!” Jimmy shouted before waving her forward. He opened the door to Sweet Repeats.

Brows knitted, she glanced at Dean then took a step forward. A gasp caught in her throat. Inside, her store was not only packed with all her family and friends, but every last detail of the space had been refurbished, replaced, and repainted. Racks of beautiful clothes took up the center of the room and shelves filled with knick-knacks and decorations lined the walls. A new glass counter boasted jewelry inside its case and a register on top.

Elsie turned in a wide circle, her hands pressed to her mouth. Between recovering from her injures, taking care of Mila, and looking after Jimmy, her broken store had slipped through the cracks. Low on her list of priorities, but always at the back of her mind.

“How is this possible?”

Mrs. Collins approached and placed a kiss on Elsie’s forehead as Mila walked to her side to give her a hug.

“You do so much for everyone else,” Mila said. “We wanted to do something for you.”

Dean hooked a hand around her waist and snagged her close to his side. “Everyone pitched in.”

Emotion clogged her throat. Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to find the right words. “But everything was destroyed. Shattered. All of it was gone. This must have taken so much time. So much money.”

“All it took was a community of people who wanted to give back to one of their own,” Dean said.

She stared at the smiling faces of that community. Of her friends and family. The women she volunteered her time with at the shelter, and some she’d helped there as well. Children giggled and ducked in and out of hiding spots, and Boo wagged his tail at Jimmy’s side.

“Thank you all so much. How did I ever get to be so lucky?”

Dean leaned down and gave her one more kiss. “It’s not luck, babe. It’s love. Everyone here loves you so damn much, but I love you most of all—and will continue to love you for the rest of your life.”

Elsie wrapped her arms around him, savoring every second of time she was given with him—with everyone else in the room. “You’re right. My life isn’t built on luck. It’s built on choices, and every choice I made led me straight to you. You’re worth every bump in the road.”

“Honey, if I have anything to say about it, there will be no more bumps for us. From here on out, nothing but smooth sailing.”

Jimmy rushed forward and threw his arms around them both. “Yeah, Elsie. Smooth sailing and plenty of ice cream.”

The Safe Haven Women’s Shelter Series continues with Clara’s Secure Hideaway .