Page 46 of Battle of the Exes

Beau’sDear Ivyletter went viral, racking up nearly a million views and shares. Turns out people love a second-chance story, especially one that reads like a love letter and ends with the girl waking up before it’s too late.

Thanks to how Beau signed the letter, Silver Pine became a symbol of romantic do-overs. Word spread about a small-town bookstore called The Silver Quill and its fight for survival.

Then came the call from the New York publishing house offering the Quill funding and abranding campaign built on “authentic American voices.” Rue cried when she signed the contract.

Beau cut Jasper loose. No shouting, no drama. Just a quiet, final conversation in the hotel lobby. Last I saw, Jasper was posting reels from a rooftop in L.A., his arm around a woman half his age.

Main Street is livelier these days. Mae’s café is bustling, and Joe’s Bar and Grill is booked weeks out. Beau and I are lucky to have scored tickets to tomorrow night’s production at the community theater.

Inside, I hear the clatter of a pan and Beau humming off-key. It smells like garlic and warm bread. He steps onto the porch, drying his hands on a dish towel.

“This time next week,” he says, eyes soft and steady, “we’ll have beat our three-day record.”

I smile as he settles beside me, the swing dipping under his weight. Our shoulders touch.

He’s talking about our upcoming wedding. We’ve planned a small ceremony in Moose Meadow. My parents and Mimi are coming. And then I’m moving in—for good. Here, to our house. The one we used to walk past when we couldn’t afford a mower, let alone a mortgage. Beau’s even sharing his office with me. He already set my desk by the big window.

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” I say, “now that we’ve got a lifetime.”

I lean in gently, my lips finding his in a soft, lingering kiss.

The sun dips below the ridge, casting long shadows across the porch.

The swing rocks gently forward, as do we. This time forever.