EPILOGUE

GRACE

Not for nothing, Suitor's Crossing may be the best town in America. It's adorable and quaint with its local shops and friendly citizens. Nature is at your fingertips with mountains rising on the horizon.

And, oh, yeah, it's got a magical legend about soul mates.

You can't get much better than that.

Especially when I met my heart spark the very first day I arrived in town.

The wind buffets across my body as we wind through the mountains. After a fifteen-minute lecture on safety, Wes is finally giving me that motorcycle ride he promised at the carnival.

No surprise that I love it.

The rush of adrenaline. The blast of invigorating air as we cruise down the open road. It's everything I ever dreamed of.

Wes is everything I ever dreamed of, and more.

We're wild and free together, just like I told him we could be.

And as we cross the replica of the famous Suitor's Crossing bridge, the one that welcomes visitors to our town, a laugh of pure joy bursts from my chest.

Happy and in love with my heart spark .

Life doesn't get much better than this.

***

Curious about Elsie's story? Wondering if it involves a certain single dad and town sheriff?

Here's a tiny snippet of what's to come in Foolish Hearts !

ELSIE HAWKINS

"If I was a rich girl. Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na… NO!"

Gwen Stefani continues singing in the background, but our duet comes to an abrupt end with the flash of police lights in my rearview mirror. Banging my fist against the steering wheel, I turn on my hazard lights and pull into the parking lot of a gas station on the edge of Suitor's Crossing.

Please don't be him.

Please don't be him.

Sheriff Lawson keeps our small town safe, but I need him to not be the cop currently pulling me over.

Because he's also the single father of one of my students.

And the man I have a huge, secret crush on.

It's embarrassing enough that he had to break up my kerfuffle with his ex-wife last year. I really don't want to add to my bad reputation by getting a ticket from him, especially because I was too distracted belting out the lyrics to Rich Girl , instead of paying attention to... Whatever it is I missed that prompted this stop.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm that lucky.

A familiar salt and pepper crew cut appears above the police vehicle's door as it swings open, and I brace myself for impact.

***