Epilogue

Sierra

Eight months later

 

LEMME TELL ya, building a small town in eight short months ain’t easy.

From the minute we signed the contract with Charles — the very same day Jacob had declared that he loved me — Pillers hit the ground running. We didn’t have a lot of time to get this puppy on its feet, and we had promises to keep, which meant that the entire company was devoting itself to getting the village built. People were working in different sectors, picking up slack where it was needed, and generally pitching in however possible. It was an all hands-on-deck situation, and like the company we were, each hand showed up ready and willing to lift more than the next.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like the perfect environment for young love. Not like the storybooks, right?

But trust me, it’s way better than any enchanted forest or forbidding tower.

Because working with Jacob meant that we got to constantly see one another in our elements, see each other succeed, accomplish tasks, solve problems, feel confidence. It’s like dating a basketball player and going to watch them play a game where they make endless shots. Their victories feel like your victories, their prowess a thing you get to rejoice in off the court.

And, yeah, it didn’t hurt that Jacob was usually sweaty and shirtless on the job. Don’t let me fool you — I’m rarely that high-minded. When you get down to it, I’m probably thinking about boning as much as the average teenage boy.

Anyways, together — and with the help of the amazing team and local contractors — we’d erected what amounted to over seventy different individual structures — townhouses, condominiums, three community centers, a gym and grocery store. It reminded me of when I used to play Sims as a kid, except in this version, all the Sims were old, and the houses didn’t just magically appear out of thin air.

We’d worked day and night, catching sleep and sex where we could, and yet, Jacob and I had thrived in the fast pace. Maybe living and working together made our relationship move faster — we’d essentially moved in together less than a week after we’d agreed to start to try dating again. Ginger, who I had adopted after the end of our first relationship, came with me to Jacksonville and followed Jacob around the house whenever he was home. I’d forgotten that Jacob had grown up with dogs and the favorite of his dogs was a Frenchie called Mary Ann.

Now we were thoroughly, unapologetically in love, and the words ‘husband and wife’ no longer felt so foreign or unexpected, but a natural conclusion to our story. Maybe it wouldn’t be used for another month or another year, but it was coming, and every time the thought crossed my mind I shared with myself a small, secret smile.

Meanwhile, the present was an excitement all its own. That is to say, today was the day we’d finished the village.

Jacob had stayed behind to help some of the painters and landscapers. His job had been finished a week or two ago, when he’d built the final frame of a building, this one for an office for the staff and security, but being the guy he was, he chipped in on any other project he came across. According to him, it was because I was now on the job site every day, so he didn’t mind coming in to pick up slack.

“So long as I get this view,” he’d said, gesturing to me.

What a romantic. I found myself constantly swooning, which was a thing I didn’t know I could even do.

As I strode through the village, knowing I’d find Jacob somewhere, working on some last finishing touches, I ran my hands over the bricks of houses, the white paint on picket fences, the precisely trimmed foliage of the hedges. We’d built this, him and me. We’d built this big, beautiful thing together — with help, of course — the same way we could build a future together.

“Jacob,” I called out, my voice echoing through the narrow streets that I can only describe as being Munchkinland-like. All the buildings within town had been relatively miniaturized, not vastly, but just enough that residents got the feel of living in a normal city, without actually having to cross huge distances. A babbling brook ran close to the town center, not so close that anyone might fall in, and the sound of lapping water cocooned me.

“Jacob,” I repeated as I rounded the corner, moving towards the central grassy knoll around which the main road curved. On the knoll there were a handful of benches and a few clusters of wildflowers — we’d convinced Charles, against all his instincts, not to put anything crass and showy in the spot, like a statue or a huge water feature. We were going for quaint English village, not a Vegas hotel. Besides, wildflowers make a place feel like home, like you can be wild and grow your own way, too.

I climbed up the red brick steps inset in the knoll, a very gentle incline that reached its maximum height at about five feet off the ground, and took a seat on a wooden bench. I’ll wait for him, I thought. He’s bound to be around here some—

“You hollering for me?”

I twisted to look over my shoulder, and there he was.

Jacob was striding shirtless through the center of town, a sweaty white tank top tucked into the top of his jeans, one hand mysteriously behind his back. With his free hand, he raked fingers through his hair to get it off his sun-kissed face and winked.

“See anything you like?” he joked as he reached the bottom of the knoll and quickly climbed its steps.

“Mmm, maybe,” I replied, coy as ever.

“How about now?” he asked as he sat down beside me on the bench and took his hand from behind his back to reveal a glistening bottle of expensive Champagne.

My eyes bulged — he’d clearly asked for the finest bottle. “What’s this all about?”

He shrugged. “Figured we needed some kind of celebratory thing all our own before the big shindig tomorrow.”

Jacob was referring to the ribbon-cutting ceremony that was scheduled to take place the following morning, where there would be press, catering, the works. It would be plenty of hoopla, but not much time to rejoice in our personal efforts.

“That’s so thoughtful,” I replied at last, momentarily startled out of words by the kindness of his gesture.

He waved away the compliment, but I could tell from the way he beamed that it was all he’d wanted to hear me say.

“So, should I pop this puppy?” he asked with a rascally grin.

“Hell yeah. Let her rip.”

We stood up, and Jacob carefully turned away from me as he unwrapped the golden foil, tucked it into his pockets, and undid the wire binding.

“Okay, now I’m really gonna let this fly,” he warned, “so stand back.”

I rolled my eyes at his exaggerated concern for my safety, saying, “Oh, yeah, right—”

And suddenly, the cork was arcing through the air, followed by a rainbow of bubbles bursting forth as if in slow motion, each individual molecule catching the light and refracting a thousand times over.

I shrieked with glee, then clamped my hand over my mouth, surprised I’d made such a silly noise.

Jacob caught my gesture and laughed before promptly using his spare hand to lovingly pull my fingers off my mouth.

“You don’t have to hide your light under a bushel,” he explained. “Not around me. Besides, we earned this. Go on, scream some more.”

I raised one eyebrow, not sure this would be the most ladylike exercise, then immediately thought, Fuck ladylike. Prim ladies don’t work overtime every day a week. Prim ladies don’t build fucking villages. To hell with their whole lot.

So I tossed my hands up in the air, and Jacob’s strong arms immediately encircled my waist, the Champagne bottle in his right hand pressing into my back as he lifted me up, twirling me around while somehow still balancing the bottle.

After several dizzying spins around the knoll, he set me down, and we were both out of breath from laughing so hard.

“Okay,” he panted. “You have the first drink.”

He passed me the bottle, and his fingers caressed my hand.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I remarked, holding his gaze as I lifted the bottle to my lips before closing my eyes and tilting my head back. The Champagne coursed down my throat, sending blips of pleasure to my brain, like continual mini orgasms.

After a deep imbibing, I lowered my chin, wiped the excess from my mouth and passed the bottle to him.

“Your turn.”

“How does it taste?” he asked, curious.

“Like heaven.”

He grinned. “That’s what I was going for.”

Jacob drank from the bottle and pronounced it the finest liquid that had ever past his lips.

“Besides, of course, your liquid,” he clarified, looking at me with a wink.

My mouth fell open as I glanced around the town center before returning my eyes to him. “Jacob!” I said, shushing him. “We’re in public! And there are workers all over the place, finalizing—”

“Nope,” he corrected me. “I’m the last one. Well, we’re the last ones.”

I absorbed this information. “So we’re… alone?”

“Absolutely,” he said with a devious grin.

Well that was the last straw. I threw my arms around his shoulders, the cold bottle grazing his neck and making him shiver, and pulled Jacob in for a long, deep kiss that tasted of Champagne and dreams.

Even though we kissed every day, multiple times a day, each kiss felt like a new discovery that revealed a delightful, unexpected layer.

As our lips framed each other’s, our tongues darting in and out, I thought about how hard I’d tried to keep bliss out of my life. I’d been willing to let my anger, justified as it may have been, block my way to potential happiness. I’d shut down instead of trying to work through it. How often had I let my frustration limit me from moving past frustration and into joy? The answer wasn’t one I wanted to consider, and more importantly, it was no longer one I had to.

Because with Jacob by my side, I was a new woman, and he a new man. I never said ‘no.’ I said ‘yes’ and I let love in, and it flooded my body. In just eight months, I’d learned how to loosen the reins and let the unexpected thrill me. And Jacob? Well, Jacob had learned that just as my past with him didn’t define our relationship, his parents’ past didn’t define his future. There were moments when I caught him doubting us, just fleetingly, wondering if I’d hurt him the way his mother had hurt his father, if we’d end up a similar mess. And yet, every time, within the same breath, I’d see his face go clear, his expression brighten, as he remembered that our relationship was built on trust, not convenience. We weren’t going to repeat their mistakes.

And letting me in was easier now that Jacob’s business was thriving. From the rumored success of the Pillers’ project, rumors which I can verify are accurate, a number of companies and individuals had already approached him about future collaborations. He had more offers than he could possibly field. Don’t tell Joe or Tom, but I was considering, maybe down the line, leaving Pillers to help take Got Wood Inc. to a national level.

Shh. That’s our little secret.

I snapped back to the present moment as Jacob’s bit down on my lower lip. Oh, that tease. He knew I liked it when he got nippy.

“Are you trying to cause me to lose all self-control?” I murmured between his lips.

“The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but now that you mention it… definitely. One hundred percent.” He bit down harder, and this time, I moaned.

I took my hand from behind his back, and pressed the Champagne bottle to his lips. He suckled from it thirstily, droplets from his mouth splashing on my own, taking several gulps before I moved it from his lips to mine. After slaking my thirst, I deposited the bottle on the ground nearby, and pulled Jacob down with me, until we were coiled around one another on the smooth new brick of the knoll.

“What are you doing?” he whispered as I tucked the bottle beneath the bench.

“What does it look like? We’re going to christen the town.”

“By breaking the bottle? There’s still Champagne left—”

“No,” I replied firmly, with a pointed expression. “The other kind of christening.”

Jacob gulped in understanding, and with a now practiced eye, I could see the shading of his jeans change as his cock grew hard.

“A toast,” he said, grabbing the bottle once more. “To new beginnings. And to future orgasms.”

“To future orgasms!” I cheered. He discarded the Champagne and grinned as he pounced on top of me.

The following morning we were up bright and early for the ceremony. Jacob put on a nicely pressed navy suit, and I a white dress. As we grabbed our coffee mugs and strode out the door together, Jacob noted, “You’re looking rather bridal.” His hands fluttered at the faux pearl-encrusted hem of my A-line skirt.

“And you rather groom-y,” I laughed in reply, not taking his comment too seriously, though it did make my heart excitedly skip a beat or two.

Our hands clasped as we walked the several blocks to the village — we’d been stationed close to the project as a means of convenience, but it had turned into a rather romantic little situation. We walked to work together every morning and walked home together every evening. Not a lot else you can want in life.

But today, when we strode into our — or, ahem, Charles’ — community, instead of seeing guys in dirty coveralls and hearing R&B blasting from inside some construction zone, we saw a giant ribbon taped around the entrance, around which stood a veritable horde of people.

“Oh my God,” I whispered in Jacob’s ear as we joined the throng. “I didn’t expect it to be so…”

“Bumping?” he asked.

“A group of media folks and rich investors is hardly bumping… but, uh, yeah.”

He squeezed my hand. “It just means we did a really, really good job.”

I smiled, and nestled my head onto his shoulder. “We did, didn’t we?”

Joe and Tom had invited me to introduce the village to the public, to make some statement for the company, but I’d declined. I wanted to spend the morning by Jacob’s side, celebrating our mutual achievement. Besides, giving speeches is boring, and my man was way more fun.

Case in point — as the ceremony progressed, Jacob whispered little jokes in my ear, making me giggle and causing heads to turn. But nobody’s eyes lingered for too long — we were, very clearly, just two kids in love.

At last, the moment we’d all been waiting for arrived.

“Let’s hope they remembered the giant scissors,” Jacob snickered as Charles stepped behind the enormous red ribbon.

A nearby assistant produced the aforementioned giant scissors and Jacob snapped his fingers. “Shoot, I was really hoping Charles would look like a bumbling tool.”

I gave him a tiny shove. “That would make us look bad. Me, especially.”

He groaned. “But that guy deserves to take an L on something, anything!”

I elevated my shove to a slap on the shoulder, and Jacob resigned himself. “Fiiiine, if you insist.”

When Charles cut the ribbon, for what it’s worth, and for as much as he may have tried to stifle it, Jacob’s face did in fact spread into a small, proud smile.

The crowd cheered around us and Charles welcomed them into the village, throwing the gates open and letting folks stream in. People would spend the rest of the day wandering the community, hopefully stumbling on each special something we’d built into the fabric of the town.

A few colleagues stopped nearby and waved to me and Jacob.

One called out, “Hey, come join us! We’re gonna go celebrate in the mini-mall.”

The two of us laughed, and I was about to accept the offer, but Jacob shook his head. “We’ve got some business of our own to take care of first.”

The group nodded with understanding and walked away as I turned back to Jacob, about to ask what he’d meant by that, when my heart stopped beating.

Jacob was kneeling on the ground in front of me, and brandishing a black velvet box. I placed my hand over my chest, just to make sure I wasn’t going to pass out.

“Is this a good time?” he joked, though I could the tremble in his voice.

I nodded, and tears of joy immediately began to spill over my cheeks.

His tone turned concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes I’m okay!” I cried. “I’m just very, extremely excited, so go on and propose to me before I turn into an absolute blubbering mess!”

We laughed together at this, me through a haze of tears, before Jacob sprung the box lid open and my throat closed up again.

It was a beautiful emerald set within an ornate, complex web of thinly woven gold, which was burnished with age but no less than beautiful for its darkened markings. It looked like an object of history, a thing with a past all its own.

“This was my grandmother’s,” he explained. “And I know it’s not a diamond, or whatever, but I think green makes your eyes sparkle, so I figured maybe the ring would suit you.”

I wanted to respond, to tell him that it was absolutely perfect, that the ring made me feel seen, understood, that it had encapsulated me, but the tears cut off all possible communication.

He paused, waiting for me to speak, before at last continuing. “Sierra, these months with you have been undoubtedly the happiest of my life. Every morning I wake up next to you is a good one. I had a whole proposal speech planned, but looking at you, now, all I can think to say is that I love you, I love you so much it terrifies me. And I’d never bought into the idea of soulmates until I met you. You make me believe in big, daunting things like that, like soulmates.”

He swallowed and continued before I could interrupt him. “I should’ve proposed on the first day I met you, years ago, or when we met again at the mansion. I should’ve proposed when we made love in the garden, or that first night in our little Jacksonville house together. Every moment I haven’t proposed has been a moment wasted. And I’m not going to waste any more time.”

He took a deep breath, and in a low voice, asked, “Sierra, will you marry me?”

“None of those moments have been wasted,” I told him breathlessly. “Because we’ve spent them together.”

Jacob’s eyes shone. “Is that a—”

“A yes?” I replied, beaming wide. “Of course it’s a yes.”

He catapulted to his feet, his arms encircling me as he tugged me close for a chaste kiss on the lips, not unlike the one we’d be having at the end of an aisle someday soon.

Jacob took my hands gently into his own, splaying my fingers out, and furnishing the ring from its velvety compartment.

“And you like the ring,” he questioned, his voice uncertain.

I rolled my eyes sardonically. “You knew I would.”

“Yeah,” he grinned back. “I kinda did.”

And with that, Jacob slipped the ring onto my finger, then enmeshed his bare fingers with my own, one of which now glittered with promise of love, laughter and a beautiful future together.

 

***

 

 

 

Please keep reading for more.