Page 86 of The Reading

She let out the sweetest laugh ever. “Happy New Year.”

“Hey, look at me.”

Alessa pulled back, those grey eyes doing crazy things to me again. “Yeah?”

“Madam Brousseau was right,” I said, and she let out a soft chuckle. “I’ve always been here, baby.”

Her face softened tenderly. “Yeah, you have.”

Epilogue

Madam Brousseau – (One Year Later)~

They were drunk again.

Like everyone else on the planet, my business had its own social media sites, and these eight ladies had become faithful followers. It was also how I’d known that they were going to be back in town, knocking on my door tonight.

Ah, Las Vegas.

Since I was located off the strip, I didn’t walk out into a sea of neon lights. Instead, I opened the door, then walked down a crooked stoop and onto the pebbled path that led to the gate that surrounded my little building. Lined along the fence, there were eight ladies that had managed to become quite special to me in a way that made me smile.

They also weren’t alone.

They were also all wearing those bridal sashes, and I had to laugh. Vivian’s read ‘Bride’, but instead of the other sashes reading ‘Bridesmaid’, they all read ‘Bride-To-Be’.

“So, all good news, I take it?” I said, greeting them all.

“You’re a miracle worker,” Sloane gushed. “An absolute miracle worker.”

I waved her compliment away. “I did nothing,” I insisted. I glanced around at the handsome men that were with them. “I suspect that these gentlemen should probably get the credit for those sashes that you’re wearing.”

“Nope, it was you,” Hattie insisted. “If it weren’t for you, I never would have given Ethan a second look.”

“Hey,” Ethan objected.

Hattie just shrugged. “Just saying,” she muttered. “You were a jerk until…well, until you weren’t.”

“Amen,” Kit muttered.

I glanced over at Alessa. “Better than Cortland Culpepper’s dick fallingoff?”

She laughed. “Way better.”

“And the toilet paper roll test?”

Rachel started laughing over all the affirmatives racing out of each man’s mouth. “Passed with flying colors.”

“We just had to come by and see you again,” Chanel said after each man felt positive that his test results had been acknowledged. “We owe everything to you.”

“While I am thrilled to see you all again, you ladies had a hand in all this more so than I did,” I assured them. “Trust me.”

“Nope,” Zara argued. “And you’ll never be able to convince me otherwise.”

Before I could comment, Vivian was reaching out and taking my hand. “I’m getting married tomorrow, and I’d really like for you to come.”

“A Vegas Wedding?” I asked, surprised that she wouldn’t want something a little more special. Most women dreamed of big, lavish, sentimental weddings.

“I’m getting married here, on the same date that your predictions changed my life,” she said, and there was so much emotion in her voice that it was hard not to get misty-eyed or argue the fact that I really didn’t have anything to do with their love stories. All I’d done was tell them what I’d seen.

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