Page 159 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
Her laughter filled the night air as I pulled her to me.
“I love how you can make me laugh,” Robyn said.
“Didn’t think I had it in me, did you?” I shook my head. “How did you see past the stick I had lodged up my ass?”
“It wasn’t lodged as tightly as you think.”
“Obviously.”
“When will you return?”
I glanced down, so I didn’t have to look into her eyes. “Would it be wrong to say as soon as possible? The thought of being away from you makes my heart hurt.”
She lifted my chin, and our eyes met. “Only if it’s wrong if I said please hurry back because I’ll miss you terribly.”
Joy coursed through my body. I was deeply and madly in love with the most unlikely woman. Maybe there was such a thing as serendipity after all.
EPILOGUE
EMMA - ONE YEAR LATER
I followed Vera downthe hallway of the lodge at the Blissful Breeze Retreat. Blake had kept the name Blissful Breeze, but she’d dumped sanctuary for retreat. I never admitted it to her, but I agreed sanctuary made it sound like a place for homeless pets.
Vera paused outside the door and stood awkwardly to the side. “Blake wanted me to get you settled in.”
I glanced at the door, but Vera made no move to open it.
“Uh, I don’t have a key,” I said, patting my pocket for emphasis.
“Hold on.” Vera dug in her pocket. I expected her to take out a keycard, but she pulled out her phone instead. “Since Blake got tied up, she said I had to take a picture.”
“Of?”
Vera held up her phone and pointed at me. “Ta-da,” she said, stepping back.
I burst out laughing when I saw the gold plaque on the wall:Serendipity Suite.
When I turned to Vera, she still held the camera up. I pointed at the lens and moved my face closer. “I’m glad you came to your senses.”
Vera laughed and lowered her phone. “Are you ready to go in?”
This would be my first time seeing where Blake now called home. She’d had the top floor of the lodge turned into living quarters for her and Robyn. It’d been under construction when I’d visited at Christmas, six months ago, and Blake had refused to let me peek.
Vera opened the door, and I wheeled my bags inside.
Wow.I was pleasantly surprised. I’d figured Blake would replicate her penthouse in New York City, but I’d been wrong. Besides the large bank of windows on the south and east sides, there were no other similarities. This space was homey, just like the rest of Blissful Breeze. Done in honey-colored wood, it gave the appearance of a log cabin. Where Blake’s living room in New York was enormous, this space was modest. Not small by any stretch, but not sprawling like her former home.
“What do you think?” Vera asked.
I forced myself to stop gaping and turned to her. “It’s gorgeous, yet so simple. I see Robyn’s influence.”
“You should have seen the two of them.” Vera gave me a huge smile. “They were adorable picking everything out together. Many nights, they’d have samples covering the lobby tables.” Vera walked across the living area. “I love the kitchen.”
It was utilitarian but well-equipped with an abundance of storage space. “Robyn?”
Vera nodded. “Yep, Blake would have been fine relying on the lodge kitchen for their meals. She’d lobbied for only having a refrigerator and microwave.”
“That’d be Blake, but I see Robyn won.”
