Page 190 of A Very Merry Enemy
“Holy shit,” he mutters. “Congrats, HoHo. This is what you’ve always wanted.”
It hits me all at once, and I burst into tears. I’m not crying because I’m sad, but because I’m so overwhelmed with joy, I can’t control it. Too many emotions hit me, all at the same time.
“Aw, sweetheart,” Lucas says, wiping my tears away.
“I can’t accept this.” I pull back, wiping my face. “I need to call her right now and tell her she can’t do this.”
“It’s late.”
“I don’t care!” With shaking hands, I grab my phone from my pocket.
Lucas stops me. “Listen to me. Emma isn’t going to let you give it back to her. I know her.”
“It’s too much,” I whisper.
“She’s a billionaire,” Lucas says. “Her dream was to be a mom. I’m sure the twins made her realize that owning the bakery isn’t something she wants. You’re the best choice, and it helps that you’re family. She could build a thousand bakeries if she wanted. The recipes you created, the way you light up every morning when you walk through those doors—that’s all you. You made it special, and Emma—hell, the whole town—saw that.”
I’m so full of emotion, I can barely speak. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Tomorrow, or actually, later today, you’ll call Emma and tell her thank you.”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Is this real?”
“Based on this paperwork? Fuck, yeah.”
I wipe away more tears. “I get to have it all. The man I love, my dream business, and a lovingfamily.”
“Lucky girl,” he whispers in awe.
I collapse back onto the bed, still holding the documents. Lucas sits beside me and takes my hand. “I am so happy for you.”
“Thank you. I think I’m in shock.”
“Me too.” He captures my lips. “We should go home and ring in the new year the right way.”
“Thought you’d never ask,” I say.
We walk back into the living room, hand in hand. The party is still going strong. The music is pumping, people are dancing, and the champagne is still flowing.
We say quick goodbyes to Jake and Claire, making excuses about being tired. Nobody questions it because it’s almost one in the morning and everyone is winding down.
The drive home is quiet. I clutch the documents in my lap, still trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Lucas keeps one hand on my thigh, making sure I know he’s right there with me.
When we pull into our driveway, I look at the house he built for us, how he planned for a future he wasn’t sure he’d ever get. This is our house. And in the morning, I’ll wake up as the owner of Jolly Cookie Shop.
This doesn’t feel like real life.
Inside, Lucas locks the door behind us and turns to me with that look in his eyes that makes my stomach flip.
“Come here,” he says.
He leads me upstairs, and we take our time undressing each other. His lips find my neck, my collarbone, and my shoulder. Every touch feels more meaningful. Like we’re celebrating, not just the new year, but everything our future holds.
When we finally make love, it’s slow and full of emotion. Our breaths and panting mix together until we chase our end. We lie in bed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispers as we lie tangledin the sheets.
“You know what’s wild?” I say into the darkness.
