Page 115 of The Snuggle is Real
Sometimes, you could tell when something was missing in your life—and when you found that missing piece, you held on tight.
That’s exactly what I planned to do.
I turned to Ford in the foyer. “Well, honey, you’re home.”
He grinned and pulled me in for a kiss. “Home has never been so sweet.”
EPILOGUE
THREE YEARS LATER…
Mason
I sippedmy daiquiri in the Swallow’s Nest Resort pool while Ford smirked at the little umbrella sticking out of my glass.
“Enjoying your hot girl summer?” he teased.
“Shut up!” I said with a laugh. “We’re on vacation. I’m trying to embrace it.”
We’d all packed up and driven down to the Ozarks to see my family—and enjoy some time at the lake. Charlie loved going out on the lake with Sawyer, so we came down every summer.
Ford’s eyes roamed over my bare chest, just visible above the water and more tan than it had been in years. “I’m enjoying it too.”
He relaxed against the side of the pool, arms spread over the ledge, broad chest on display. Water droplets glinted in his chest hair. I licked my lips. Yeah, I was enjoying the view even more than the drink.
A wave of water smacked us both in the face. “Cut it out,” LuAnne said. “I swear you two are worse than me and Zach.”
Likely story. LuAnne and Zach were still in the honeymoon phase a year into their relationship.
But she’d certainly earned her happiness.
LuAnne’s first year of recovery had been rocky. She had been inconsistent, making plans to visit Charlie then not showing up, and within six months she’d had a relapse and started abusing amphetamines, buying street versions of prescription pills.
“I just needed a little boost to keep up with my night shift,” she’d told Ford later. “I thought I could handle it this time. I could justnottake it too much or become too reliant.”
Of course, she couldn’t keep it under control. That was the whole challenge of addiction. She’d ended up back in rehab a second time—a longer stay with more therapy.
Thankfully, it had seemed to help, and she’d been sober two years now.
She met Zach at an NA meeting a few months after she’d moved to Springfield to get away from negative influences and be closer to Christmas Falls. They’d hit it off right away, but they hadn’t started dating until they were both in a good, stable place.
He’d been sober seven years to her two, and he seemed to be a really good influence in her life. He worked a steady job, he supported her sobriety, and he was a genuinely good guy.
When she’d first brought him along for a visit, Ford and I had both gotten nervous. What if LuAnne wanted Charlie back now that her life had stabilized? What if Charlie wanted to go? The custody agreement meant that LuAnne couldn’t justtakeher daughter, but if Charlie wanted to go, we’d never stop her.
Even if it did break our hearts.
Luckily, we’d seen that everyone was happier this way.
LuAnne and Charlie were always excited to see each other. They gabbed like best friends for the first day, went shopping, and caught up on missed time. But by the third or fourth day,LuAnne was anxious to move on, Charlie was annoyed by her mom’s “drama,” and they seemed content to part ways again.
“You and Zach are way sappier than us,” I told her. “I think everyone here has seen you make out.”
“No lies there,” Brooks called from the bar. “I caught an eyeful just last night.”
He was one of Sawyer’s good friends and helped run the resort in the Ozarks with his boyfriend, Skylar.
LuAnne stuck a tongue out at us, and I did the same to her. We’d become pretty good friends—she was like the annoying sister I’d never had. It was an unconventional family, maybe, but it worked for us.
