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He shakes his head. “No. I did it for us.”
As we head back inside the shop, Mike leans against the counter and grins like he’s got something else up his sleeve.
I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“Oh, just thinking,” he says. “Now that I’ve got my happily-ever-after, might be time to help a few others find theirs.”
I stare at him. “You? The guy who used to say romance was a distraction?”
“Times change,” he smirks.
I cross my arms. “Who exactly do you think needs matchmaking?”
Mike straightens. “Nathan, for one. That guy spends too much time working. He needs someone to shake things up.”
I snort. “Nathan has a cat. He’s fine.”
“And Pete,” Mike continues, undeterred. “He’s been single too long.”
“Oh my word,” I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna rope Ellie into helping me out with this side project.” Mike wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close, his voice low in my ear. “What can I say? Being in love is pretty great.”
My laughter fades into something softer, warmer, as I look up at him. “Yeah. It really is.”
That evening, I curl up in our cozy living room, flipping through the box of my grandmother’s letters. The fireplace crackles softly, casting flickering shadows across the walls.
Mike sits beside me, his arm draped around my shoulders, B. curled up in his lap. I pull out one last letter, one I must’ve missed before.
My dearest Becky,
"Love is not about perfection. It’s about choosing each other every single day, even when things aren’t easy. It’s about finding someone who makes you feel at home, no matter where you are. Trust in that, and love will always find its way back to you."
I close my eyes, letting the words settle deep inside me.
Mike presses a kiss to my temple, his voice soft. “What did it say?”
I smile, resting my head against his shoulder. “That I found exactly what I was meant to.”
He squeezes my hand, and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel uncertain about what comes next.
Because this—this love, this life, this town—is exactly where I belong.
THE END
As we head back inside the shop, Mike leans against the counter and grins like he’s got something else up his sleeve.
I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“Oh, just thinking,” he says. “Now that I’ve got my happily-ever-after, might be time to help a few others find theirs.”
I stare at him. “You? The guy who used to say romance was a distraction?”
“Times change,” he smirks.
I cross my arms. “Who exactly do you think needs matchmaking?”
Mike straightens. “Nathan, for one. That guy spends too much time working. He needs someone to shake things up.”
I snort. “Nathan has a cat. He’s fine.”
“And Pete,” Mike continues, undeterred. “He’s been single too long.”
“Oh my word,” I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna rope Ellie into helping me out with this side project.” Mike wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close, his voice low in my ear. “What can I say? Being in love is pretty great.”
My laughter fades into something softer, warmer, as I look up at him. “Yeah. It really is.”
That evening, I curl up in our cozy living room, flipping through the box of my grandmother’s letters. The fireplace crackles softly, casting flickering shadows across the walls.
Mike sits beside me, his arm draped around my shoulders, B. curled up in his lap. I pull out one last letter, one I must’ve missed before.
My dearest Becky,
"Love is not about perfection. It’s about choosing each other every single day, even when things aren’t easy. It’s about finding someone who makes you feel at home, no matter where you are. Trust in that, and love will always find its way back to you."
I close my eyes, letting the words settle deep inside me.
Mike presses a kiss to my temple, his voice soft. “What did it say?”
I smile, resting my head against his shoulder. “That I found exactly what I was meant to.”
He squeezes my hand, and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel uncertain about what comes next.
Because this—this love, this life, this town—is exactly where I belong.
THE END