Page 36 of Strictly Yours

I freeze. “Wait—seriously?”

He nods. Wow, I guess I did better on my fake interview than I thought…

Willow studies my face as the wheels in her mind turn. “That’s… actually… a good idea. I can see it.”

“You can?” I say, shocked that I can actually contribute to this giant complicated company in a meaningful way.

“I think it will work,” she says. “I’ll have to ask Greg if she can stay with us?—”

“She’ll stay with me,” Logan says like it’s not up for discussion.

Willow looks at me like she still can’t believe it.

But I can.

Logan and I are meant to be together.

We fit so perfectly.

I’m not going back to Vermont. Not now anyway. Not without him.

I’m staying right here as long as this hot, sexy, grumpy CEO will have me.

EPILOGUE

Logan

Twenty-Five Years Later…

It’s the perfect weather for a family weekend.

There’s not a cloud in the sky or a drop of rain in the forecast. The ducks are gliding on the lake, following the two kayakers who are paddling by. I love Vermont. It just feels like home in a way that New York City never did.

I finish adjusting the string lights over the back patio, making sure the last bulb is secure. Amber loves them. She says they make the yard feel like magic. She's always been right about the small touches that make a house feel like home or a moment feel like forever.

She’s inside, humming along to the oldies playlist she’s had on since this morning, probably slicing fruit into a Pinterest-worthy pattern. I can hear her off-key singing drifting through the screen door and it makes me smile. It always does.

After two and a half decades, she’s still my dream girl.

I love her more than I ever thought a man could love anything.

And I still can’t believe she’s mine.

We’ve been through a lot over the years and I cherish every moment of it. Three kids, two dogs, and one fuzzball cat who Amber is convinced is a reincarnated Munchies. I don’t ask questions.

My company is long gone. I sold it fifteen years ago, shortly after our third child was born. I built an empire, but it was all-consuming. There was no time for the new priorities I had, so I traded it all in for bonfires, Saturday morning pancakes, soccer games, and fall hikes through golden woods.

But mostly for her.

I’d give up everything for her.

People told me I’d regret it. That I’d get bored. That I’d miss the thrill of running a company.

But they don’t know Amber. Not like I do.

She’s the only thrill I need.

I’m so grateful for this woman. She’s given me joy, peace, laughter, and a home full of love and muddy boots and noise and warmth. I would’ve worked myself into a heart attack alone on the 47thfloor of Eastmont Center if she hadn’t crashed into my life, causing chaos in a sunflower sundress.

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