“We’re going to move, Gray. We’re all going to move! And Simone… She asked if you would be her dad if we lived with you, and I hope it’s okay that I told her you’d probably like that.”

“God, Emma, of course I would. Am I having some sort of post-bone-marrow-donation dream or something?”

“No,” she said, laughing. “Your matchmaking uncle has made us offers we can’t possibly refuse.”

“I love him so much. Almost as much as I love you.”

“It’s not the job that’s taking me to Vermont, Gray,” she said softly. “You know that, don’t you?”

“It’s not? What else could it be?”

She smiled. “There’s this guy, you see. He’s wonderful to my daughter and sweet and sexy, and I can talk to him about anything, and when he touches me…”

“What happens when he touches you?” he asked gruffly.

“Everything happens. I love him so much. I had no idea this kind of love even existed in the real world.”

“He didn’t know either, baby. It’s the best thing to ever happen to him. And to know he gets to have forever with you…”

“Is that what he wants? Forever?”

“That won’t be long enough for him.”

Emma sighed with contentment. For once, everything was absolutely perfect and about to get even more so. “Are you still coming on Tuesday?”

“I’ll be on a plane the second I can, babe. I’ll be there on Tuesday and every single day from now on.”

“I can’t wait for Tuesday and every day afterward.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Well, three actually…”

His low chuckle made her smile. “To start with.”

The possibility of having more kids with him made her feel giddy rather than overwhelmed. “Guess what else I found out?”

“What’s that?”

“My dad called your mom to check on her about you donating for your dad.”

“Is that right? Maybe he has more than one reason to move to Vermont, too.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” After a pause, Emma said, “I haven’t even asked how you’re feeling.”

“I have never, in my entire life, felt better than I do right now.”

Epilogue

Elmer was already at their usual table in the diner when Lincoln came in wearing a smug smile. “You’re looking far too pleased with yourself, my boy,” Elmer said to his son-in-law.

“With very good reason.”

“I gotta give you credit,” Elmer said begrudgingly. “Offering Ray a job was a nice touch.”

“It was the only way Emma was going to accept the offer I made her, and it’s not like we don’t need someone with Ray’s experience to oversee the warehouse project. It’s a win-win all around. Orders are through the roof since the website went live, and our foot traffic in the store is up by ten percent in January.”