EPILOGUE
Tara
Paisley wiggled away from me as I tied her hair back at the base of her neck. She usually loved when I did her hair, but tonight, she was anxious to leave. I smiled at her impatience and hurried to finish her hair. It was curled slightly and braided down the sides. I tied it back and let the curls cascade down her back. She looked beautiful in her little yellow dress. I couldn’t believe how big she was getting.
With her tenth birthday right around the corner, she was already turning into a little lady. She’d come so far from the little eight-year-old I met almost two years ago. Her entire life was different now. Living with Sean was now normal for her. She started calling him Dad a long time ago, and it was obvious that she couldn’t imagine living with anyone else. They were closer than ever, and I knew that they would only grow closer as time went on. I loved to watch them together, knowing that I was there for their beginning.
Paisley was finally ready, and I quickly checked myself in the mirror. My black dress was long and almost reached my feet. I adjusted it, making sure it laid down flat, before I fluffed my curls and checked my lipstick. When I was sure everything was perfectly in place, I grabbed my purse and turned back to Paisley. She watched me closely with curious eyes, the way a daughter would watch her mother get ready. Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the sight. I didn’t ever want to assume anything, but I already felt like Paisley was my daughter, too. After nearly two years of spending time with her, I loved her like she was my own.
“What are we celebrating again?” Paisley asked with a frown as we made our way downstairs.
“You know the company I run?” I asked.
“Yes.” Paisley nodded.
“Well,” I said. “We just made the top ten of the fortune 500 companies.”
“What does that mean?” Paisley asked.
“It means that Tara is incredibly successful and beyond amazing,” Sean said as we stepped into the living room.
“Stop it,” I said with a roll of my eyes. Sean leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips.
“You look gorgeous,” he said.
“Thank you.” I smiled. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”
“I try,” Sean joked.
“Are we going?” Paisley asked. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. No matter how old he got, she never lost her childlike excitement. Just the mention of a celebration and she vibrated with energy.
“Yes.” I laughed. “We’re ready to go.”
“My ladies,” Sean said, offering each of us an arm. He led us out the front door and down through the yard. As he stepped into the driveway, a limo pulled up in front of us. It stopped on the street, and the driver stepped out. He hurried over to open the door for us. Paisley and Sean walked forward, but I stayed still. I was speechless.
“What’s wrong?” Paisley asked.
“A limo?” I asked, looking at Sean with wide eyes.
“Of course,” he said with a laugh. “This is a celebration, Tara. You deserve everything.”
“This is too much,” I said. I took a step forward, finally following them. We ducked inside the limo and sat side by side.
My eyes roamed around the car, taking in the bright lights and fancy decorations. The seats were a deep, dark purple, and the walls were shiny black. I could see my reflection in the them. When I turned, a saw a mini bar set up near the front of the limo. There were champagne glasses and a bottle chilling in ice. I gaped, completely shocked by the turn of events.
“I thought this was just dinner,” I said.
“It is.” Sean shrugged. “This is just how we’re getting to dinner.”
“You are crazy.” I laughed.
“Maybe,” he said. “But you deserve this.”
Sean slid to the front of the limo and poured us both a glass of champagne. He then reached below the bar and grabbed a small bottle of sparkling cider. He poured Paisley a glass and came back over to us. He handed us our drinks and sat down with a grin.
“To Tara,” he said, raising his glass. Paisley clinked hers against his, and I followed suit. “Congratulations baby.”
“Thank you,” I said. I took a sip of my champagne and let the bubbles work their way down my throat. I felt them in my chest and then my stomach. I smiled wider, taking in the moment. Sean was completely insane for planning such a lavish evening, but I had to admit that I was having fun. The night had only just begun, and already, I was in heaven.
The last time I was in a limo was for my high school prom, and then, I shared it with nine other people. It wasn’t nearly as nice or expensive as this one. Sean sat beside me and held my hand while I sipped my champagne and continued to look around me. As the new owner of a Fortune 500 company, I should have been more used to this kind of treatment, but I wasn’t. Everything was so new for me.
I didn’t feel worthy of such an amazing night. When I told Sean about the company’s success, I expected him to be pleased. I knew he would be proud of me. I knew he would want to celebrate, but I imagined a quiet dinner at home with him and Paisley. I thought it would just be the three of us sitting around the kitchen table like always. That would have been perfect. I couldn’t have asked for anything more, but Sean had other plans.
As the limo pulled up to the restaurant and we stepped out, I was once again surprised. The restaurant was the nicest one in town. It had a French name that I couldn’t pronounce, and I knew it was insanely expensive. Money was no longer a worry for Sean and me, not since Ray made sure we were taken care of, but we still tried to live humble lives. We never splurged on a restaurant this nice. Ever. Our usual celebratory place was a steak house close to the house. It was nice and just fancy enough to feel special. This place? It was on an entirely different level.
My mouth hung open as we walked through the front door. I glanced around, suddenly realizing that we weren’t alone. Everywhere I turned were familiar faces. The entire company was here, as well as Niki and a few of my other friends. I whipped around to face Sean with shock on my face.
“What did you do?” I asked breathlessly.
“It’s a party,” he said simply. “I wanted to make sure everyone had the chance to celebrate with you.”
“Did you rent out the entire restaurant?” I demanded.
“Yes,” Sean said. He looked at me with a blank expression. He could see the emotions flashing across my face, but he didn’t react. He knew I was shocked.
“This is way too much,” I said. “You shouldn’t have done this, Sean.”
“You deserve this,” he said again. “You deserve everything. I can’t believe how successful you’ve been with the company, Tara. You have absolutely blown my mind. I am so proud of you, and I just wanted to show you that. I wanted to give you a night you would never forget. I hope that’s okay.”
For the first time, Sean looked worried that he might have upset me. He frowned and looked in my eyes with concern. I smiled and kissed him.
“Are you kidding?” I asked. “This is amazing. You are amazing.”
Sean grinned and led the way to our table. I stopped by to say hello to everyone as I passed. Niki ran forward and hugged me quickly. She ranted about how proud she was of me, but how much she still hated large corporations. I couldn’t help but laugh. Niki would never change, and I loved her for it. My employees all hugged and congratulated me, each gushing over how much they admired me. By the time we sat down, I felt flushed and happier than I could ever remember being.
Sean, Paisley, and I had a table to ourselves. We ate slowly, enjoying every bit of our food. The people around us ate and talked, getting up to visit with everyone around them. It quickly became more of a party than a fancy dinner, and I loved watching everyone enjoy themselves. I hadn’t been the only person making Yates’ a success. Everyone there did their part, and they all deserved the credit just as much as I did.
I looked around me, grinning widely, when I noticed that Paisley was bouncing in her seat. She fixed Sean with a meaningful look and he laughed. Finally, Sean sighed and shrugged.
“Okay,” he said. “Go get it.”
Paisley squealed and ran away from the table. I watched her go, confused. She disappeared to the back of the restaurant, and when I turned back to Sean, he was watching me with a smile on his face.
“What’s she getting?” I asked
“Tara,” Sean said. He took my hands in his and held them tightly. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, more confused than ever.
“Since the first day we met, I knew you were someone special,” he said. “Even when I didn’t like you, I could tell that you would change my life. Back then, I thought that change would be about business. When you brought me on to work for the company, I knew it would make mine and Paisley’s life so much better. I never imagined how much you would change my life personally, though. I didn’t see it coming.”
I blinked. My heart was racing as I slowly began to realize what Sean was doing. I couldn’t believe I had missed all the signs before.
“I didn’t intend to fall in love with you,” Sean said. “But when you became so attentive to Paisley and to me, I didn’t have a choice. I fell for you hard and fast. Tara, you are the reason I am who I am now. You helped me become the man I was always meant to be. You brought me back to my father, and you helped me become a real dad to Paisley. Without you, Paisley and I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as we are now.”
“Sean,” I said softly. Tears pooled in my eyes.
“You’re my soul mate, Tara,” Sean continued. “You make me so happy. I couldn’t think of a better person to be a mom to Paisley and to be a wife to me. Tara, I love you and I will love you until the day I die. If you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.”
Just then, Paisley walked up behind us and handed a box to Sean. He smiled at her and turned back to me.
Opening the box, he asked, “Tara, will you marry me?”
My mouth fell open at the sight of the ring. The tears finally fell from my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks. Paisley stood beside Sean and me, grinning from ear to ear. I smiled at her and turned back to face her father.
Sean’s eyes brimmed with tears of his own and his hands shook slightly. I kissed him hard and fast, laughing against his lips.
“Of course,” I said as I pulled away. I reached over to grab Paisley. I pulled her against me and the three of us hugged. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
THE END
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