Page 69 of Restless Ink

Epilogue

Thea looked down at her loan paperwork, cursing but trying not to cry. She’d been denied twice. The fire and Molly’s efforts in taking her down had left their wounds. Apparently, before Molly had been arrested, she’d indeed turned in a letter to the loan office. Only it wasn’t a recommendation. It was a scathing review from a family with money and connections. With Molly dealing with her own issues from behind bars now, however, that letter should have done nothing. However, that paperwork added on to the fire and everything that had gone on meant that the bank didn’t see Thea as a good candidate for expansion at the moment. She’d barely been able to get the insurance money to repair her bakery as it was.

Colorado Icing was going to stay as it was for now, and Thea would just have to deal.

She’d just eat a few cupcakes first.

“I’m sorry, babe,” Dimitri said, kissing her neck from behind. “I know you really wanted this.”

She shrugged as if indifferent, but she knew he saw through the lie. “It’s okay. I’ll deal.” She shook herself, then pulled away. “It’s game night anyway, we might as well get to work and have fun. It’s an anniversary of sorts, right?”

Dimitri smiled, and while it reached his eyes, she knew he was still sad for her. The expansion had been her dream, and now it was going to be put on hold. But only for a couple of years. She’d find a way to make it work. She wouldn’t give up. Not yet.

“It’s the first game night at your house since we started dating. Can we end it the same way with Twister?”

She bit her lip. “Only if we do it naked.”

“I’m still here, you know,” Shep growled. “I mean, look around you when you have a full house on the way. Seriously.”

Shea laughed by Shep’s side and patted her husband’s chest. “Poor baby is so surprised his baby sister and her live-in boyfriend have s-e-x.”

“Shush, you.”

“Or, what? You’ll take away our s-e-x?” Shea fluttered her eyelashes, and Thea laughed. Soon, the house was filled with MontgomerysandCarrs. Abby, Ryan, Landon, and Kaylee were there, too. So many people, and so much love and food in the room, she couldn’t feel sad about having to wait a couple of years before she expanded Colorado Icing.

The only thing that put a damper on the night was the fact that Roxie and Carter weren’t there. They had things to work out for themselves, and Thea was truly afraid they’d never come to game night again.

She pushed those thoughts from her mind, though, knowing they didn’t help anyone. Not right then. So, she held out her cheese plate, grinned at the man she loved, and went back into the living room to officially begin their night of fun.

Dimitri was right behind her, his hand on her hip as she stood in her living room with so many people she loved surrounding her. She’d lost a friend this year, one Thea had thought had her back. But Molly wasn’t the woman Thea thought she was. Despite the loss, Thea had gained so much more in the end.

She’d gained her love, her future, and the man who made her smile. She’d spent so long looking for her happiness in her work, that she’d left the thought of forevers behind. Now, she had both, even if it took work and wasn’t finished yet. But she didn’t want it to be finished. She wanted to work hard for Colorado Icing, and Dimitri.

Nothing good ever came with luck, and now she had the two—three if she included Captain—things she loved.

She let out a breath, trying to focus. “Okay, how do we want to do this? What teams?”

“Montgomerys, Carrs, vs others?” Landon asked. “Though I don’t know if that evens out.”

Ryan snorted. “Yeah, Montgomerys come out of the woodwork it seems.”

“He’s not wrong,” Adrienne said with a laugh.

“Well, what if there was one more Carr?” Dimitri asked, and Thea turned, confused.

“What do you mean?”

Then she froze, and the room went silent as she looked at Dimitri down on one knee, a ring between his fingers. It was a square-cut diamond surrounded by yellow citrine gems and had more diamonds along the band. It was a perfect mix of old and new and she’d never seen anything like it.

“Thea Montgomery, will you be with me until the end of our days? Be by my side and let me be by yours? I know it’s fast, and we can spend years on the next step if you want to, but when I saw this ring, I thought of you and I couldn’t wait any longer. You said tonight was an anniversary of sorts, and you were right. Will you marry me?” Captain barked from Mace’s side. “Captain is asking, as well.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she tried to catch her breath. She knew it was too soon, knew they had so much to learn about each other and so many other things that told her to say no. But she couldn’t. Not when she knew deep down in her heart that this was the man for her. The man for her forever.

“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Dimitri kissed her then, sliding the ring onto her finger as their families and friends cheered, clapped, and in some cases, cried.

“Looks like we get another Carr,” Devin said.

“She’ll always be a Montgomery,” Adrienne added.

And while she listened, she kissed the man she loved, the man who would be her husband, and knew she’d made the right choice. They both had.

They’d taken a chance on fate and love, and now they were taking a chance on more…together.

With cheese plates, cupcakes, and a golden retriever on Team Captain by their sides.

THE END

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