Total pages in book: 11
Estimated words: 11137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
I open the box and show her the diamond ring inside. “Will you marry me, Kara?”
Her lips quiver as she nods. “I will. I will marry you.”
Happiness cracks me open as I slide the ring onto her finger and stand to pull her into my arms. She buries her face in my chest, and I lift her chin to me and seal this moment with a kiss.
“I love you, Kara. You make me whole.”
“I love you too, Kevin. I’m yours, always.”
Damn right.
Kara is mine, and I am hers. That’s the way it will be until my last breath.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
KARA
Five Years Later
Istand at the back of the room, heart pounding in my chest, my hand gripping the stress ball.
Then it happens.
The sales manager turns to me, her smile wide, as she shouts, “The collection sold out in ten minutes!”
The entire office erupts. Cheers and laughter fill the air while my employees whoop and give each other high-fives. Someone uncorks a champagne, but the popping sound is drowned out by the roar of the celebration.
My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes. I bite my lip to stop its trembling, but the overwhelming rush of happiness and pride makes it impossible to hold back.
It’s happening. It’s really happening. Years of late nights, thousands of sketches, hundreds of meetings and trial and error, and moments of doubt. My lifelong dream has just become a roaring success.
Dad stands quietly beside me, and when I turn to look at him, his face lit up with pride, I can no longer stop the tears falling down my cheeks. He opens his arms to me, and I fall into them, hugging him as tight as I can.
“You did it, Kara. I’m so proud of you.” His voice is thick with emotion.
I’m ugly-crying now, and I don’t care.
It’s such a huge personal achievement for me, and I wouldn’t have had the guts to actually pursue it if not for Kevin and Dad, who eventually came around and supported me. Like Kevin, Dad only needed a solid business plan. It was what convinced him to take a risk and invest in my company.
“Are you sure Kevin didn’t buy all of them and distribute them to his employees? Threatening to cut their salaries if they didn’t agree?” Dad mumbles, and I chuckle.
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” Kevin says from behind, and Dad lets me go.
I step into my husband’s arms and cry into his shirtfront. I was never a crybaby, but here I am, bawling my eyes out in full view of my employees.
Trying to rein in my emotions, I look up at his face—all sharp edges. “Tell me you didn’t buy them.”
“I didn’t, but Craig and I planned to wear them to our meetings if they didn’t sell the first week. You know, as part of our marketing strategy.”
“Oh my God.” I cup my hands over my mouth, my shoulders shaking in mirth. “Thank goodness everything sold out.”
“Spares you the humiliation of having your father and husband parade your designs.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“I’d do anything for you.” Kevin lowers his mouth but stops when his phone rings. He frowns and starts to ignore it, but I kiss him quickly.
“Maybe that’s your father.”
He checks his phone. “It is. I told him today was your launch. I’ll go tell him the good news real quick and let him know he wouldn’t need to wear it at the country club.”
I watch his retreating back as he leaves, and Dad drapes an arm over my shoulders. “Are you happy, Kara?”
I lean into him. “Very much.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“Does it still bother you? Me and Kevin?”
He has a thoughtful look on his face, and then a smile tugs on the corner of his mouth. “No. I was worried at first that he’d take advantage of your youth. You said before that what you had was no different than what I had with your mother, but that’s not accurate. Your mother was well on her way to becoming one of the most well-known fashion editors even before she met me. She had a life experience. She experienced the different sides of humanity. I was scared that, because you hadn’t experienced those things and I sheltered you, you’d be blinded by Kevin.”
“And now?”
Dad wraps me in a bear hug. “I see that he loves you, and he goes out of his way to make you happy. So I rest my case.”
“Oh, Daddy.”
I don’t know if I saved the world in my past life, but I stopped questioning my luck a long time ago. I have people who love me, believe in me, and are willing to bend over backward to make me smile.
I have a beautiful life, and I can’t ask for anything more.
Thank you, universe.
The End