Extended Epilogue

JENNY

The restaurant is still empty except for Jackson and me. All the staff is in the kitchen, and I can hear their conversations and the clanging of pots and pans.

I look around and take it all in, trying to see the restaurant from the eyes of my potential customers. Would they love it or think it’s too much? Is it cozy enough or trying too hard? Is the chandelier a lovely or tacky touch, especially with the pendant lights?

God, my anxiety is through the roof. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in the weeks leading up to the opening. It’s driving me nuts, and I don’t know how Jackson managed to keep up with my craziness.

The walls are sage green, my favorite color, and adorned with framed paintings of rolling fields, flowers, and fruits. A young local artist hand-painted all twelve of those in just six months.

The bespoke chairs are perfectly arranged around the matching tables—all made to order. Jackson was adamant about sparing no expense, and I couldn’t be more thankful for him.

While I love to say this is a product of hard work, that’s not actually true. It’s Jackson’s hard work, and he’s the one who helped me achieve this lifelong dream. I always try to tell him that, but he insists that this is all me.

“What if nobody comes?” I ask Jackson as I twist the wedding ring around my finger, my gaze flicking to the door.

Jackson pulls me to him, and I breathe in his scent. “They will.”

“You don’t know that.” I tug on one of his buttons, nervousness chipping away at my excitement. “And if they do come, what if they don’t return? What if they don’t like the food?”

“They’ll come, and they will love it. So much so that they will come back every day.”

I step back and stare at him, my palm on his chest. “You’re so confident. What did you do?”

He fixes his tie and avoids my eyes. “Nothing.”

I prop both hands on my hips. He’s such an awful liar. “Jackson.”

Jackson looks up with a sheepish grin. “I may have told the tenants they’re getting fifty percent off their rents this month if they come on opening night.”

“Oh my God!” Jackson owns two three-story buildings in the city. They’re all occupied, and I count off the number of tenants. Twenty!

Flush creeps along his neck as he scratches his cheek. “I may have also told them that if they refuse, they can start looking for a new space.”

I clamp both hands on my mouth and burst out laughing. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t like my wife being disappointed.”

“How can they give me honest feedback? You bribed them.”

“No. What’s the difference between what I did and offering discounted prices on opening day?”

My shoulders shake as I continue to laugh, and Jackson takes me into his arms. I look up at him, his eyes shining with happiness and love. “You’re going to eat everything if no one shows up.”

Jackson grins from ear to ear. “That’s not really a punishment. I love your cooking, and when you say I’m going to eat everything, does that include your pussy?”

My skin burns as I smack his arm lightly. “The staff might hear you!”

“So? I make it no secret that your pussy is my favorite thing to eat.”

I clamp a hand on his mouth, but when he sucks my palm, my core automatically clenches. All these years haven’t dimmed our desire for each other. If anything, I only want him more. “Ugh. You’re impossible. You’re lucky I love you.”

“And I love you, baby girl. You and me forever. You are my home.”

“And you are mine.”

The glass door swings open, and a couple I have never seen enters. One of the servers rushes to them and leads them to a table.

At this, Jackson presses his mouth to my temple. “See? I told you someone will show up, and they’re not one of my tenants.”

With tears in my eyes, I wrap my arms around his waist. “I’m a damned good chef.”

“You’re a damned good chef, and it won’t take long before the whole city knows it.”

In moments like this, I always think back to that night when Jackson showed up at the bar and rescued me. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, but that was exactly what happened to us. It changed both of our lives in the best way.

Before him, I was just a girl with dreams. But after? I’m living every single one of them.

The End

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