Page 14 of Pieces of Perfect
“I’m still here. After so long, I just…can’t believe we might have the answer. Thank you,” she said. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“So you want me to continue?”
“Absolutely! I’m putting another check in the mail today.”
“You got it.”
After Lorelei pressed the End button, she let herself collapse onto the bed. Mitch probably thought he’d gotten away with murder. But she was going to see to it that wasn’t the case.
“Bastard,” she muttered. But then she smiled. If she had anything to say about it, he was going to prison. “This is for you, Mom,” she whispered to Sarah as she got up and wrote Rutledge another check. Even though she knew Sarah couldn’t hear her, she was glad to be giving something back to the poor woman who’d tried to take her in, love her and raise her.
She’d just finished unpacking when she heard a knock. Assuming it was Mark and Francine bringing Lucy back, she stepped over her empty suitcase and hurried to the door.
But it wasn’t Lucy. It was Finn.
“You said I should come to Florida,” he said with a grin. “So…here I am.”
EPILOGUE
Unable to quit smiling, Lorelei shaded her eyes against the sunlight glinting off the sea as she watched Finn and Lucy playing down the beach, in the surf. She’d just gotten a series of nasty texts from her ex—Mark was furious that Finn was staying at the house—but she was so love-drunk she didn’t care. Maybe it’d be different if Lucy didn’t like Finn. But she was almost as excited to have Finn around as Lorelei was.
When her phone went off yet again, Lorelei ignored it. No doubt it was Mark, sending her another hateful message. She wasn’t going to allow him the opportunity to ruin this magical afternoon or any of the time she had to spend with Finn. Mark was living with her former best friend. Certainly, she had the right to move on, too. She’d been trying to rebuild her life ever since the divorce; she just hadn’t been able to get to a place where she felt whole, complete and happy.
Until now.
Finn made all the difference.
“Come out with us!” he called, waving for her to join them.
She got up, but when she bent to slide her phone under her chair to protect it from the hot Florida sun, she saw that the message she’d received was from Serenity, not Mark, and it’dbeen sent to the group text she and Serenity had going with Reagan.
Can’t wait to see you both in a few weeks. Sawyer and I are at the cabin now, and being in Tahoe is making me look forward to our reunion even more.
Lorelei paused to send a response.I can’t wait. Mark has a family trip planned at the same time and is demanding to take Lucy. I know how much you both wanted to see her, and I’d rather bring her, but I think I’ll let her go with him this time. I have her way more than he does, and it might help keep the peace.
A reply appeared from Reagan.Totally understand. We’ll have to plan a sisters’ trip to Florida this fall so we can spend some time with her.
Serenity:I’d be down with that.
Reagan:What about Finn? He still coming?
Lorelei glanced over her shoulder, where she could see Finn helping Lucy come closer to shore, so she wouldn’t get too tumbled by the waves.He is.
How are things going between you?Serenity asked.
There was so much Lorelei had to tell them both, but she didn’t have the time or the privacy to go into it right now. So she sent them a simple emoticon that summed it all up anyway.
Reagan:LOL! A smiley face is good. Is he still in Florida with you?
It’d been two weeks since he arrived, but he hadn’t mentioned leaving. Lorelei was beginning to wonder if he might stay until they were supposed to go to California. His job allowed him to be that flexible.Yeah.
Is he thinking of moving there?Reagan asked.
Lucy’s voice interrupted. “Are you coming, Mommy?”
“One second, honey,” Lorelei called back.I think so,she wrote.Eventually.
Reagan:Whoa! Seriously?
