EPILOGUE: MAGGIE
Tyler poured his second cup of coffee and leaned back against the kitchen counter to sip it. I was sitting at the kitchen island going through the morning mail. I glanced at him and smiled. It seemed like just yesterday that he was standing in that exact spot with his junk hanging out and a salacious grin on his face.
Now, a year later, he was wearing jeans, work boots and a denim shirt with the Jenner logo on the pocket.
He had decided to stay in Mountain View to personally oversee the construction of the new hotel downtown. And to be with me.
The boys and I had moved into the mountain lodge shortly after Tyler and I reunited. They worshipped Tyler and he doted on them. It was like having three teenagers in the house.
Tyler was the big brother and father figure they so desperately needed and deserved. We were all one, big happy dysfunctional family. I’d never been happier in my life.
The entire city block where Carl and Doris’ restaurant was located, along with the other shops, had been razed almost a year ago. It was a bittersweet day, watching the construction equipment make short work of the old buildings. Now, the new hotel was just a few months away from opening and there were a million things to get done. On top of that, we made a two year plan to begin the construction of Maggie’s Garden, my very own steakhouse at the heart of downtown. I had to pinch myself. A year ago I would have laughed at the idea, but here I was.
It was important to me that I earned my way up the ladder and I asked Tyler to treat me like any other business partner when it came to working together. He respected my wishes.
“What’s that?” he asked, nodding at the postcard in my hand.
“It’s a postcard from Carl and Doris in Florida,” I said, fanning it at him. The front of the card had a picture of a sandy beach at sunset. On the back, Doris had written “Wish you were here!” and drawn a happy face.
I pretended to read the back of the card.
“Tyler, please do everything Maggie says and give her lots and lots of sex. Love, Carl and Doris.”
“Wow, that’s my kind of postcard,” Tyler said with a grin.
There was a thick envelope in the stack of mail from a law firm in Denver that I didn’t recognize. Tyler’s in-house lawyers handled his business affairs. I held it up for him to see.
“You have a letter from Baxter & Chase, Attorneys at Law.” I cut my eyes at him. “You’re not in trouble again, are you?”
He smiled at me and rolled his eyes. “That’s the firm I hired to set up the foundation we talked about.”
I blinked at him. “The foundation?”
“The James J. Jenner Foundation,” he said, taking the envelope and sliding a finger under the flap to tear it open. He handed me a document that was too full of legalese for me to understand. “Those are the articles of incorporation.”
“This is the foundation you set up in memory of your father,” I said, giving him a warm smile. “The one that will donate camping equipment and set up summer outdoor programs for underprivileged kids across the country.”
“That’s it,” he said with a sigh. His eyes went dreamy for a moment. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my dad. I wouldn’t have all this and I would have never met you. I wanted to do something in his memory.” He gave me a smile. “You’ve taught me how important family is, Maggie. How important people are. My dad knew that. I think I did a long time ago, but I lost sight of it. It took you to remind me of it.”
“Yes, well, what can I say? I am quite the motivator!”
“Yes, you are.”
I grinned at him and slipped the papers back into the envelope. “This is wonderful, Tyler. Your dad would be so proud.”
He nodded at the laptop sitting open on the bar next to me. “Have you got everything ordered for the hotel kitchen? I’m meeting with the city inspector today for the final inspection on the electrical and plumbing, so we’ll be ready to install the appliances as soon as they arrive.”
“Yes sir, I have coordinated with your buyers in Denver and everything is on its way,” I said with a salute and a smile. “It should arrive next week.”
“Awesome,” he said, draining the cup and setting it in the sink. He wiped the tips of his moustache with his fingers and glanced toward the door. “I’m going to take the boys to the construction site with me again today. They’ve been a huge help, and I think they’re having fun learning how things work.”
“I appreciate you taking them under your wing,” I said with a smile. “They really like you.”
“They’re good boys,” he said. He let his eyes linger on my face for a moment. “How about you? Are you ready to go to work once the hotel restaurant is open?”
“I am,” I said.
I’d been taking the online classes from the culinary school in Denver for almost a year and was finally on my way to getting my dream degree.
“I think I’ve put on fifteen pounds being your test dummy,” he said, rubbing his flat stomach.
I smiled for a moment, then made a serious face. “Are you sure your head chef isn’t going to have a problem having the boss’ fiancé working in his kitchen? I mean, this is going to be a five-star restaurant and he is one of the top chefs in the country. Are you sure he’s not a little resentful of having me in his kitchen? This is a very big deal for you and him. I don’t want to do anything to screw it up.”
“Jean Claude is a consummate professional, Mags,” Tyler said with a nod. “He and I had a long talk and he is totally cool with having you in his kitchen. Just don’t expect any favors from him. If anything, he’ll be harder on you than the other chefs, but it’s only because he wants you to learn to be the best, from the best. He knows you are being groomed for running Maggie’s Garden in a few years. It will be the perfect.”
“As long as he’s willing to teach me, I’m willing to shut my mouth and learn. It’s important that I’ve worked the trenches and earned the right to run my own restaurant. I couldn’t be more grateful for your help, but as you know, I have to do that part for myself” I said.
Tyler came around the island and I swiveled on the stool to face him. He wedged himself between my knees and I put my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest.
“I love you,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
“I love you, too,” I said with a sigh.
I listened to his heart beating in my ear.
It was a most wonderful sound.
Who would have thought that Maggie Dean would be the one to tame the Billionaire Mountain Man?
THE END