Epilogue

One Year Later

WINNIE

“Working on any new stories?” I asked Hallie, dropping onto the foot of her bed. It was the night before Christmas Eve, and we’d spent the evening wrapping presents and baking Christmas cookies at Dex’s place. Snow was falling outside the girls’ bedroom window.

“I’m finishing an old one,” she said, hugging her stuffed penguin.

“Oh yeah?” Dex tucked Luna in and sat on the edge of her bed. “Which one?”

“The one about the ogre and the princess. It’s turning into a love story.”

“Oooh,” I said. “Tell me about it.”

“Well, they’ve been very good friends for a while, but the ogre would like to marry the princess.”

“But he’s an ogre,” Dex argued. “Are they even allowed to marry a princess? I thought her parents wanted her to marry the cruel prince.”

“They did, but this princess doesn’t care what other people say. She makes her own decisions.” She thought for a moment. “She’s a feminist princess.”

I laughed. “Good for her.”

“So do they get married?” Luna asked eagerly.

“Well, at first the ogre is afraid to propose. He thinks she’s going to say no because he’s not a prince. But he asks her anyway.”

“Because he’s learned to face his fears?” asked Dex.

“No, because her cottage is much nicer than his cave, and he really wants to live there with her.”

Dex harrumphed. “This ogre gets a bad rap in your stories.”

“What does she say?” I thumped Hallie’s feet through the blankets. “Don’t leave me in suspense!”

“She says yes, because she loves him and believes even ogres deserve a happily ever after.”

Luna grinned. “That’s a good ending.”

“It’s a perfect ending.” Smiling, I rose to my feet, kissed my fingers and touched Hallie’s forehead, then did the same to Luna. “Love stories are my favorite.”

“What about you, Daddy?” Hallie asked. “Are they your favorite too?”

“They’re growing on me.” Dex kissed his daughters goodnight while I leaned in the doorway. “See you in the morning.”

“You’re coming early in the morning for presents, right, Winnie?” Hallie asked.

“Yes,” I promised. “Just have your dad text me when you wake up.” Since the girls were spending tomorrow night with their mom, we’d told them Santa would drop by early to bring some gifts to open here.

“And you’ll come in your pajamas?”

“I’ll come in my pajamas.”

“And we can make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?” Luna asked.

“Yes—my mom’s secret recipe.”

“Goodnight, girls,” said Dex. “You have to go to sleep or else Santa won’t come.”

“You’re sure he knows to come early?” Luna sounded worried.

“Positive.” As Dex walked toward me and reached for the light switch, I saw both girls look at each other and wiggle their noses before the room went dark. I laughed softly as we went down the stairs.

“What’s funny?” he asked.

“The girls. I think they’re trying to cast another spell.”

We reached the bottom and he put his arms around me. “What could they possibly want now that they have a cat, the ogre has the princess, and I have you?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “but I definitely saw some nose wiggling in there.”

“Hmm.” He kissed the top of my head. “Maybe they were just making a Christmas wish.”

“True. Santa is coming tonight.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Should we give it an hour before we bring their presents over from my place?”

His hands slid down over my butt. “Can we spend that hour making out on the couch?”

I laughed, running my hands up his chest. I always wanted to be close to him. “Definitely.”

The following morning, I went over to Dex’s in my flannel pajamas, as promised. It had snowed about eight inches overnight, so I had to wear my boots, but I took them off at the door and tugged on the fluffy cat socks the girls had given me last year for Christmas.

While holiday music played from the speakers and snow flurries continued to drift, Dex and I drank coffee and watched the girls sit by the tree and tear open presents from Santa, their dad, me, and even from my parents. Over the last year, Hallie and Luna had become almost like grandkids to them—my mother adored when I’d bring them over to the bakery, and my dad was always excited to see us when we popped over to Cloverleigh Farms. Last week he’d gotten the old horse-drawn sleigh out of the barn and taken us all on a ride through the snow. He said it reminded him of my sisters and me growing up with their endless questions and squeals of excitement.

My parents got along well with Dex too. My mother loved how happy he made me, and my father respected his military career, his job as a first responder, and his devotion to his daughters as a single dad. We all went to Sunday dinners at their house as often as possible.

I’d grown close to his sister as well. Bree and I had bonded over our shared frustration with Dex’s grumpy moods and stubborn nature, and he often had to put up with teasing coming at him from both of us at once. If Dex and Justin had a Saturday night off, we often spent the evening at their house playing cards. Bree was especially grateful to me for supporting Dex when he decided to visit their father a couple times before he died last spring. While he hadn’t ever brought the girls with him, he said he’d found some peace in forgiveness and would always be grateful for the letter. I noticed him talking more about his mom and dad with the girls afterward, describing good memories from his childhood—that made me happy.

Millie sometimes jokingly asked when she should start planning our wedding, but I told her we weren’t in any rush. As much as we loved each other, it wasn’t just about us, and we wanted to make sure the girls were ready for us to take that step.

But as far as I was concerned, Dex would always be the only man for me.

When all the packages had been unwrapped and paper, ribbons, and bows littered the floor, Hallie and Luna sat amongst it all and exchanged a distressed look. “But Daddy,” said Hallie, “there’s something missing.”

“There is?” Dex calmly sipped his coffee.

“Yes. The thing we got for Winnie,” Luna whispered, as if I wasn’t sitting right there.

I smiled at them. “But you got me plenty! The book I wanted, the new sweater, the toy for Piglet, the gift card for the salon. You spoiled me!”

“But there’s something else,” she insisted.

“Hmm.” Dex frowned. “You know, you’re right. There is one more thing.”

Hallie popped to her feet. “Where is it?”

“I think it’s in her stocking.”

“My stocking?” I looked at the banister, where yesterday three stockings had hung, personalized with Daddy , Hallie , and Luna . Today there was a fourth one hanging alongside them, and it said Winnie across the top. “Oh my goodness!”

Luna jumped up too. “Go look in it!”

I glanced at Dex—he said nothing, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. Setting my cup on the table, I went over to the stocking and stuck my hand inside.

My fingers curled around a small box.

Gasping, I looked back at the three of them. Hallie and Luna were jumping up and down.

“Is anything in there?” Hallie asked.

“Yes.” My heart raced as I pulled it out—it was gift-wrapped in shiny silver paper with a red velvet ribbon tied into a bow.

“What did you get?” Dex asked casually.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Who’s it from?”

I looked at it again. “There’s no tag. It’s a mystery.”

“Well, bring it over here. Let’s see if we can solve it.”

The entire room felt like it was tilting and spinning as I walked back over to where Dex sat on the couch and the two girls clutched each other in nervous excitement by the tree. When I reached him, I held it out. “Any ideas?”

He glanced at the box as he set his coffee cup on the table next to mine. “Hmm. I might know something about this.”

“He does!” Luna cried.

“Shhh,” Hallie admonished.

“Maybe you should open it,” Dex suggested.

With my pulse pounding hard, I untied the ribbon and unwrapped a small white gift box.

“Keep going!” shouted Luna.

I lifted the top off—inside was a black velvet hexagonal box. My breath caught and I looked at Dex.

“Keep going,” he said.

With trembling fingers, I removed the lid, and gasped at the diamond ring that winked at me in the tree lights. I blinked at it in disbelief, and when I looked up again, Dex had gone down on one knee at my feet.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

He took the velvet box from my hands and plucked the ring from the cushion. Taking my left hand, he said, “Winnie, the last year has been one of the happiest of my life. You’ve brightened every single day with your smile and your spirit and your heart. All three of us agree you belong in our family.”

“Is it time for us now, Daddy?”

Dex glanced at Luna with a rueful smile. “I wasn’t quite done, but okay.” He looked up at me again. “The girls helped me pick out the ring, and they wanted to be part of this. I couldn’t say no.”

“Of course not.” My eyes filled as Luna and Hallie came and stood behind their father.

“Winnie, my favorite thing about you is your hugs,” said Hallie, as if she’d practiced her lines. “You always make me feel good if I have a bad day. Even if kids at school aren’t nice or I’m frustrated about something, I always know that when I see you, you’ll give me a hug and make me feel better.”

I sniffed. “Thank you, Hals. I love your hugs too.”

“My favorite thing about you is how you always have fun Band-Aids at your house,” said Luna. “And good snacks. I also like when you play salon and Barbies with me.”

I smiled at her through tears. “I’ll always have fun Band-Aids for you. And I love our playtime too.”

Dex spoke up next. “My favorite thing about you is the way you see the good in everyone, the way you treat people with generosity and kindness, and the way you love with your whole heart.” He slipped the ring on my finger. “I know I’m just a big hairy ogre who doesn’t deserve a princess, but it would make me the happiest ogre alive if you’d ride off into the sunset with me.”

“With us!” Luna added.

“We told him to say that part,” Hallie whispered.

I half-laughed, half-sobbed. “It’s good.”

“What do you say, Winnie MacAllister? Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” I squeaked, because I could barely find my voice. “Yes!”

I only looked at the ring for a moment before leaning down to kiss him. He stood up, wrapping me in his embrace, and I looped my arms around his neck.

As my feet left the ground and his little girls cheered, I felt his heart beating against mine and knew I was safe.

I knew today was just the beginning of our life as a family.

I knew I’d never forget this moment as long as I lived, and it would be a story we told our grandchildren someday.

Overcome with emotion, I buried my face in his shoulder and shed tears of joy—I was loved, I was cherished, I was home.

THE END