Picking up the spoon he had brought her, she managed to take a couple of bites then placed the spoon back down. He was right; the rice had gotten the awful taste out of her mouth. However, when she realized it was Owen’s smoking body she was breathing in, her stomach rolled.

Jerking out of her seat, she ran into the bathroom and threw up. Matthew followed her, dampening a towel and placing it around her neck as she heaved over the toilet.

“Breathe this in.” Matthew held an open alcohol bottle next to her face. “It’ll help.”

She breathed in the fumes, and her stomach eased enough for her to straighten.

Pulling the washcloth from around her neck, she used it to wipe her face. The coolness eased the last of her heaves.

She lowered the cloth from her face. “Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Don’t ever burn anyone near me again.”

Matthew pretended to consider the promise. “I’ll try not to.”

The man she loved couldn’t be serious for five minutes. Matthew would brighten even the cloudiest of days. He was the exact opposite of Greer.

“Do I want to know what has you smiling?”

“I was just thinking how you’re always in a good mood, joking around, and always making everyone around you feel happy. You’re kind of the opposite of Greer.”

Matthew made a strange face at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She placed her hands on her hips threateningly. “What?”

“I don’t suppose this would be the time to tell you that the Porters and the Colemans are cousins.”

Epilogue

Epilogue

Against her better judgment, Alanna knocked on Ginny’s door. She should have texted her that she wasn’t feeling well today and take the afternoon off. If today wasn’t her first day back at work after returning from her and Matthew’s honeymoon, at a small bed and breakfast in the Caribbean, she would have. Just a couple of hours, then she would go home and make some soup to settle her queasy stomach. Had she picked up a traveling bug?

“Come in.”

Hearing Ginny’s voice, she opened the door and headed inside.

Standing behind the kitchen counter, Ginny took one look at her face and went to the cabinet to grab a cup. She poured some hot water into it then opened a box and grabbed a teabag, plopping it into the cup.

Alanna went to the long-legged barstool to sit next to Freddy’s highchair.

“Missed you, bud.” She smiled at the child gnawing on his cracker and fist.

Ginny slid the teacup in front of her. “I hope you had a better time than you look.”