Epilogue

EPILOGUE

“You got a real Christmas tree!?” Mina exclaimed, barreling through the door, kicking her shoes off before she ran to the tree Leo had surprised me with a couple weeks before. “It smells so nice!” she exclaimed, examining the lights, tinsel, and vintage ornaments Leo had unearthed from the basement, where the prohibition tunnels had been safely blocked off.

“We never got a real one growing up.” I smiled, following her into the living room.

“Me neither.” Mina glanced back at me before her attention shifted to the larger room. “Wow, Pen, you really outdid yourself here.” She took a couple minutes to slowly wander around the open living room and into the kitchen, inspecting the craftsmanship and little details. “You’d put some of the senior designers at my company to shame.” She shook her head.

“Really?” I felt a blush creep along my cheeks; that was a compliment I hadn’t expected to receive. It meant a lot coming from her—she was honest to a fault with me.

Mina nodded earnestly. “I know I’m biased, being your best friend and all, but I can’t believe you did all this yourself.”

“Well Leo helped, and Danny, the lead contractor—”

“Penny.” Mina stopped me. “Acknowledge your accomplishments.” She reminded me of the mantra she had learned in therapy and passed along to me somewhere along the way.

“Thank you, Mina.” I smiled bashfully. “Lunch is ready, if you’re hungry.” I motioned to the takeout containers on the counter. “You said this was your favorite in the area.”

“You are so thoughtful.” She squeezed my arm as she passed me to make herself a plate. “And where is the dashing Leo West today?”

I shook my head, taking a seat at a barstool. “Said he had some business in town.”

Mina’s shoulders slumped. “I was ready to grill him about his intentions.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. If he happened to return before we finished lunch, he’d be in for quite the interrogation. “Another time, perhaps.”

“I’ll settle for you telling me every minute detail of what you’ve done to redesign this space.” She grinned from ear to ear, eager for me to complete the request.

“Twist my arm,” I joked sarcastically before launching into a full postmortem of the specifics of the process, planning, and execution for the entirety of the project.

There were, after all, only minor details left to complete, a delayed purchase here and there, or random bits, like a living room side table lamp which Leo had been picky about, wanting to wait until he found one he felt was perfect for the space.

“And what about you, Penny?” Mina hedged. “Now that you’re an action hero with a legit scar from an actual bullet…” She joked, but the question was serious.

“Better,” I simpered, unsure of how to share the full breadth of how I was feeling a month later.

After the police found Margot and me, things were still quite a blur. I remembered waking up in the hospital room, where Leo was waiting at my side, having recovered from the Rohypnol Quinn had slipped in his drink, leaving him half-conscious and practically paralyzed under its control.

He remembered nothing after his first cocktail at the gala and was beyond horrified when I recounted the events of the evening from my point of view.

“You have to know—I would never…” Leo had choked, holding my hand across the hospital bed.

“I do now—I’m sorry I didn’t then. Margot plied me with so much champagne—”

“I don’t care—just so long as you know now—sober, that I couldn’t do that to you,” he pleaded, as if it was somehow his fault for what Quinn and Margot had done to him.

“Leo—”

“I love you, Penny,” he blurted out, holding back tears from guilt over something he didn’t remember, something that hadn’t been his doing at all.

“I love you too,” I replied with a watery smile, squeezing his hand to let him know that we were okay.

After being discharged from the hospital the next day with dressings over the gash at my side and multiple doctors telling me how lucky I’d been that it hadn’t been a millimeter this way or that, Leo had doted on me back at the house, afraid to leave my side for more than a couple minutes at a time, before I had to gently let him know that I was okay, and while his smothering was sweet, that he didn’t need to hover.

Margot was behind bars while awaiting her trial, having been denied bail because she was not only a flight risk, but also a danger to the community, according to the appointed judge. Leo’s lawyer was worried she might try to plead insanity, but assured us that even if she succeeded, she’d still be under lock and key.

“There may be some benefits to a sentence at an institution versus a correctional facility for someone like Margot, but considering the lifestyle she’s used to, either will be just as bad,” the lawyer had commented.

Thankfully, the DA decided my quick thinking in recording Margot’s unhinged villainous manifesto toward Leo was more than enough for a conviction. But Quinn had also turned on Margot and would be a witness for the prosecution, in exchange for a lesser sentence—likely only probation, according to Leo’s lawyer, because of her connections. Leo wasn’t nearly as worried about Quinn as he was about Margot, but he got a restraining order against her just to be safe.

Most of the time, it felt like a bad dream, but sometimes, a visceral memory would unleash itself, shaking me to my core for a split second. It would be enough to send me reeling for a while, having to focus on my breathing and remind myself I was safe.

Even my parents reached out after hearing what had happened. Of course they brushed off the lapse in communication like it was nothing and instead probed me about my relationship with Leo.

Once again, I found myself disappointed in them. But with Leo’s support and so much on the horizon, I found it hard to let that disappointment bring me down.

Things went quite differently with Sloan.

Over an emotional visit, she tearfully explained how the thought of coming so close to losing me had made her realize how bad she felt about the state of our relationship. It wasn’t just how we had been constantly pitted against each other, but how we’d both used that as an excuse to keep our distance, even as adults.

“Do you think we can start over? Is that even possible?” She’d held my hands across the kitchen counter. “I feel like we’ve wasted so much time, and I miss you.”

Her confession was sobering, but I found I felt the same way. “I’ll always be your sister,” I told her, squeezing her hands in mine.

Things had been nice between us since then. Mostly brief texts and the occasional meme about narcissistic parents, but it was more of a connection than we’d had years. I felt optimistic about forging a new kind of relationship with her—one that was on our own terms.

I threw myself into completing work on the house, trying to keep my mind off everything that had happened that night. The kitchen was completely done, the flooring refinished through the entirety of the home, the library reorganized and cataloged, and all bedrooms and bathrooms updated.

Willowbrooke was pristine.

She was, quite simply, my masterpiece.

I didn’t know how I was ever going to top this project.

Leo was a very welcome distraction as well. And although the image of him with Quinn would occasionally plague me, I found myself thinking of it less and less the closer Leo and I became.

Still disappointed that she had missed Leo, Mina and I eventually said our goodbyes, agreeing to another lunch date after the new year. Eager to get home to her own partner and spend Christmas Eve with his family, we lingered in the entryway in a tight hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she whispered. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

I pulled her even closer. “Thank you.”

And with that, she was gone. My heart was always so full after spending time with her. I was still so distracted by thoughts of our conversation and her enthusiasm over how the house had turned out, that I didn’t hear Leo saunter in near dinnertime. He startled me when he gave me a soft kiss at my temple before dropping a bag of groceries on the counter.

“Everything alright?”

I nodded, changing the subject before he had time to probe further. “You sure you want to cook?” I had hoped we could relax together, and there were plenty of leftovers from lunch.

But cooking was one of the ways Leo relaxed, so I relented when he insisted.

“Can I help?” I offered instead.

“Sure.” He smiled, pointing to vegetables that needed to be rinsed and diced.

Working seamlessly together, we danced around each other in the kitchen in silence, until I couldn’t bear it any longer.

“What were you up to today?” I tried to keep my tone light, but hiding my curiosity was impossible. Leo wasn’t terribly secretive with me about anything, certainly not since the incident with Margot. He was now an open book—which was beyond refreshing.

Leo laughed, but didn’t respond.

“Mina thought you might be avoiding her,” I suggested.

“I would never avoid the Spanish Inquisition,” he joked. “I was asking William’s advice on a new business venture.” Finally he answered my initial question. I thought perhaps only to avoid more of my badgering over him conveniently being out of the house during Mina’s visit.

“Oh.” I was surprised by his answer. I noticed Leo had become increasingly antsy now that the major house work had been completed, and wondered if perhaps it was because he was rudderless without work to focus on, but I hadn’t mentioned my suspicions to him yet.

“I’ve been waiting for the right thing to come along, and I think I’ve found it.” He remained cryptic.

“And William agrees?”

Leo nodded. “He loves it, actually.”

I smiled at the thought of Leo finding something more fulfilling to do with his time. “You’re not going to share?” I nudged him, careful to do so when he wasn’t holding a knife.

He smirked. “Not yet.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but allowed him to get away with the transgression, knowing he wouldn’t keep it from me for long, and likely had a good reason for doing so.

“So how did lunch with Mina go?”

“She loves the house.” I couldn’t help but grin, remembering her kind words.

“Of course she does—anyone who doesn’t love what you’ve done clearly has no taste.” Leo spoke so matter-of-factly, it made me blush. As if I was some famous designer who’d been in business for years working for the rich and famous, not Penny Abbot, with a singular professional project to my name.

“Thank you.” I rubbed my palm against the small of his back while he worked.

“Speaking of the house, we need to start talking about the exterior work so we’re ready to go in the spring.” He began to throw the cut-up ingredients into a pan, masterfully tossing the vegetables as he sauteed them, a skill that was both impressive and well beyond where my cooking abilities would ever be.

“I didn’t realize you wanted to start work outside so soon—I thought I’d start looking for a place as close as possible within my budget.” I hadn’t mentioned it to him before, but I didn’t want to wear out my welcome in his home.

Leo stopped abruptly and turned to me. “What are you talking about?”

I froze, unsure how to respond.

“You want to—to move out?” he stuttered.

“I just figured when the work was complete, you wouldn’t want…”

I stopped when Leo’s expression became a mixture of bewilderment and anxiety.

“Do you want to move out?” he repeated himself.

“No.”

Leo released an exasperated breath, then made eye contact with me again. “Please don’t look for an apartment.”

“Okay.” I winced as I instinctively added, “I’m sorry.”

Leo paused again, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into a hug, letting the food crackle on the stove. “I want you here,” he said simply, before kissing my temple and returning to the frying pan.

“Besides”—his tone returned to its naturally jovial state—“if you would have bothered to read the updated contract you signed last month, you would have noticed there was a clause that stipulated you have guaranteed housing while you’re working on the estate.”

“Oh, remind me to send any future paperwork you give me to my nonexistent lawyer,” I retorted.

“I will,” he jested.

I was surprised at the immediate flood of relief that washed over me, knowing that I could stay with him…that he wanted me to stay. I hadn’t realized until that moment, but since Margot was safely situated behind bars, Willowbrooke had begun to feel like home. Leo had always felt that way, but the house had resisted me—or rather, Margot had made it feel that way.

So I had convinced myself over the last few weeks that it would be best if I assumed I would be asked to leave when the project was complete. I had been protecting myself—taking action before the other shoe could drop.

There was still a part of me that remained guarded…the last vestiges of my relationship with Adam and the disappointment and shame that radiated from being with him for so long. But hearing Leo say that he wanted me—that he wanted me to stay…I felt the last bits of whatever wall was left crumbling.

After dinner, we made our way over to the living room, like most other nights, wineglasses in hand, cuddling up next to each other on the couch, enjoying the light of the fire and the tree as much as each other’s company.

“So now that your stay has been extended indefinitely—”

“Indefinitely?” I raised a brow; I hadn’t realized he was that serious, but it secretly made me warm to think about remaining at Willowbrooke, with him, without some looming deadline hanging over me.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Indefinitely.”

I giggled at his indignance, taking a sip of my wine.

“Is there anything you’d change?”

“We’ve barely finished.” I laughed.

“I know, but I’m asking—as the lady of the house—”

I just about spit out my wine at that comment.

Leo narrowed his eyes at me, but there was a glimmer of humor behind them. “Now that this is your home, is there anything you would change?”

“It’s your home,” I countered teasingly.

Leo pursed his lips. “It’s just as much yours as mine. Now answer the question.”

“Well…” I took a moment to think. “We might consider moving to the upstairs master. It has an ensuite and much more closet space.”

“Turn our room back into a study?” His use of “our” was not lost on me.

I nodded.

“Then you’d have an office,” he offered.

I laughed, because why would it be mine? “Or it could be your office.”

“Or we could share,” Leo compromised.

I snorted a laugh. “Like I would get any work done if we shared an office.”

“Why is that?” Leo raised an eyebrow. He knew exactly why, he just wanted to hear me say it out loud.

I refused.

But the blush creeping across my cheeks was more than enough to give me away.

“You naughty little thing,” Leo snickered, nuzzling against me.

I shoved him, rolling my eyes when he feigned an injury.

“So what else? What else are we editing?” He smiled impishly as he sipped his wine.

There was one last thing, though I was apprehensive to mention it.

But Leo seemingly already knew. “Just say it,” he commanded, eyes still twinkling.

I glared at him, but didn’t reply.

“The solarium?” he guessed correctly.

I remained silent.

“I know,” he sighed, finally letting the facade falter.

“I wasn’t so much thinking of redecorating as I was thinking about rebranding.” I tried to spin my idea to seem more appealing.

My plan worked. Leo quirked a brow, curious at what I had in mind.

“What if it wasn’t the solarium, but rather, a conservatory,” I proposed. “We could fill it with plants, comfy furniture, and a telescope for stargazing.”

I stopped, surprised by Leo’s wide grin. “I love it.”

“Really?” I asked earnestly.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he said conspiratorially, his voice low as he leaned forward.

I nodded slowly.

“I’d agree to any changes you wanted to make, as long as it meant you were staying.”

Careful not to spill my wine, I gently wound my arm around Leo’s neck and pulled him to me. He always seemed to know exactly what pace I required. His lips were slow and soft, lightly pressing and tugging…he had become an expert at unwinding the tight coil inside me.

When a quiet whimper escaped me, he pulled back. “We should go to the room,” he breathed against my skin, unable to separate himself any farther.

“We could just stay out here,” I murmured, placing soft kisses along his jaw. I didn’t want to move. I wanted him right where he was.

“Santa won’t come if we sleep in the living room.” Leo managed to unwind my arm from around him, and took my wineglass from me.

I narrowed my eyes at Leo. We’d discussed this weeks ago. “Santa better not be coming, because we agreed no presents,” I threatened.

Leo chuckled. “I feel like I should make some kind of innuendo about our precise use of words.”

“Leo…” I warned.

He sighed, removing himself from beneath me as he stood. “Come to bed.”

“You promised,” I pouted. I hadn’t gotten him anything. And I knew whatever he had done would be over the top and expensive, and something I had no chance of reciprocating, even if I had bought him a gift.

“It’s not what you think.” He extended his hand and helped me from the couch, then led me down the hall to the bedroom.

My brow furrowed as I tried to parse his words.

“Don’t be upset all night,” he whispered before kissing me again, then tugging my shirt over my head. “Give me the benefit of the doubt.”

“Leo…” But the indignance in my voice turned into a moan when his fingers slipped below the elastic of my panties.

He was distracting me.

I wasn’t strong enough to argue when I wanted to give in so badly.

Skin against skin, any lingering anger or annoyance with Leo for definitely going back on our deal left me as his body rocked against me. The building climax between us was enough to make anyone forget themselves.

I fell asleep to whispered vows of love and adoration, tucked into Leo’s side, cozy under the covers.

Waking up the next morning, I sighed, feeling the emptiness of Leo’s side of the bed. I had hoped for a slow, sleepy lovemaking session before breakfast. But the smell of strong coffee permeating the closed bedroom door dashed that plan.

I threw on Leo’s discarded sweatshirt from the day before, hoping that I might still be able to persuade him to come back to bed with my bare legs, a trick that usually worked.

Hearing Leo rummaging around in the storage room behind the kitchen, I glanced at the tree, letting out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was still empty. But I had been too quick to jump to conclusions, because as I turned back to the kitchen, there was a blue velvet box sitting on the counter.

My heart skipped a beat. My thoughts ran a mile a minute.

It was too soon.

Wasn’t it?

Did I want a ring?

A proposal?

What would Mina think?

What would my family say?

But as I approached, I realized the box was too big—or at least larger than a typical ring box, but perhaps too small for a necklace. Shit—a bracelet.

More thoughts raced through my mind.

How much had he spent?

Would I even be able to wear something so expensive?

I didn’t question his taste, but would I like it?

Leo cleared his throat.

Caught up, I hadn’t noticed him return to the kitchen, staring at me while I spiraled.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” He laughed, clearly observing my crisis.

“Hi.” I swallowed.

“It’s not jewelry.” He looked down at the box, then back up at me, before turning his attention to pouring me a cup of coffee.

I felt my spine relax at the admission as I warily approached the kitchen counter. “I thought we’d sleep in…” I tried to ignore the box.

Leo smirked, sliding the coffee mug across the counter, past the gift. “We can go back to bed in a bit.” His tone was suggestive, as I had hoped.

I took a large gulp of the warm, bitter liquid after taking a seat on a barstool.

“Are you going to open it?” Leo raised a brow.

I stared at him, not wanting to look down at the box. “You agreed—”

“Just open it, Pen.” Leo laughed.

He’d said it wasn’t jewelry. He’d thought the whole thing to be funny. Maybe it was just a gag gift. I took another sip of my coffee before giving in.

Within the box sat a single card, wedged between the folds of more of the same blue velvet fabric.

It read: Penny Abbot Designs

Immediately I felt tears welling in my eyes and a lump forming in my throat.

I picked up the card from the velvet box, examining it.

He had listed my cell phone, the address for Willowbrooke, it even had a website with my own business email address using the domain.

The design was simple and elegant. The cardstock was matte, textured, and thick. It was clear he’d put a lot of thought into it.

I loved it.

I couldn’t comprehend how someone could know me so well when I had spent so long trying to hide myself from others. But I could never hide from Leo. He always found me.

I looked up at him again, through my tears, trying to put to words what I was feeling inside, but found the task impossible.

Leo West had been one of two people in my entire life to believe in me and to love me for exactly who I was without expectations.

But he had been the only one capable of giving me the opportunity to prove myself, to show my skills, to start my career, to live my dream, to feel loved unconditionally.

He had given me everything.

I felt him at my side as he took a seat on the stool next to me. I looked up at Leo, who produced a small cardboard box that I assumed contained the rest of the cards he had ordered. He set a binder down on the counter on his other side, still out of my view.

“You didn’t have to do this,” I whimpered, brushing away the tears that had begun to fall.

“I should have ordered them a long time ago,” he replied, running his hand up and down my back, trying to comfort me. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“They’re happy tears,” I protested. “I love it.”

Leo chuckled before leaning in and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“What’s that?” I motioned to the binder.

Leo’s eyes darted to the portfolio nervously. He took a deep breath as he slid it across the counter in front of me.

The cover used the same font and style as the card, but read: Penny Abbot Designs Business Plan.

Leo’s hand found mine, and I looked up at him curiously. “This is what you were meeting with William about?” I asked.

Leo nodded. He was usually better at hiding his anxiety. Whatever he was about to say, he was scared. I waited patiently for him to speak.

“You know I’ve been thinking about what was next for a while. I knew it had to be a good fit— something more permanent.” He paused. “You and I make a good team—at least I think we do,” he fumbled.

I smiled at him, agreeing.

Thankful for the acknowledgement he continued. “What I really want to do is keep working with you,” he admitted.

I couldn’t stop my brow from rising at the revelation.

Leo swallowed, trying to maintain the courage to keep going. “I think we’ve been able to keep a good professional relationship, aside from our personal relationship—”

“They’ve both been pretty good,” I encouraged him.

Leo smiled. “I was hoping you’d be interested in a joint-partnership.” Having finally got to the part he was waiting for, he launched into full sales mode. “You could design your heart out, and I could bring in leads through my network, and run the business side. I have a ton of contacts I can leverage, and with my business acumen and your talent—”

“Yes,” I interrupted him.

“Yes?” He blinked.

“Yes,” I repeated.

“You don’t need to hear the rest of the pitch?” he blanched, seemingly in shock that I had already agreed to his proposal.

To be fair, I was usually more argumentative and inquisitive. But I was so sure. I didn’t hesitate, because it was right. For once in my life, it was all right. I didn’t need time to consider his proposal.

“You can keep going if you like—but yes to all of it.” I leaned forward and kissed Leo, unable to keep myself from moving closer to him. Leo cupped my cheek in his palm, letting his thumb gently stroke along my bottom lip, our foreheads together.

After a moment, I pulled back. “You’re still in trouble for getting me a present,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Leo’s face contorted into the widest grin I’d ever seen, before we broke down in a fit of giggles together.

“Well, you’re still in trouble for thinking I was going to kick you out after the restoration—so maybe we can call it even,” he suggested through more laughs.

“Alright.” I pulled Leo in for another kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered against my mouth.

“I love you, too.”