Eight months later
Melinda taped up the last box and set it aside. Her house was finally all packed up and ready to go on the market. With a satisfied sigh, she glanced around the room and smiled. Some of the furniture would stay to make the house look more lived in. The pieces she couldn’t live without would be shipped to Belize.
“I still can’t believe you’re doing this.”
She turned to smile at her brother, who leaned against the entryway into the formal living room.
“Moving to Belize or marrying two men?”
“Both.”
Melinda snickered and set the tape on top of one of the boxes.
“I have to admit, though,” Marcus added. “You look amazing.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“But it’s more than looking healthy. You’re no longer reed thin, but you have this glow about you. You’re happy.”
“I am happy. Is that so hard to believe?”
His lips twitched. “Not when I look at you.” He pushed away from the wall and walked toward her. “I have to say that your telecommuting for work has been the perfect fix. It’s so much quieter at the office. We should’ve thought about this a long time ago.”
She slapped his shoulder, making him laugh.
“Is he giving you a hard time again?” Erik asked with amusement as he walked into the room and dropped another box onto the pile. “Just say the word, and I’ll kick his ass for you.”
Marcus snorted. “Dream on.”
Chuckling, Marcus slapped Erik on the back of the shoulder before looking around at all the boxes to be shipped down south. “I sure hope you guys bought a big enough house for all this crap.”
“Hey, it’s not crap,” Melinda chided.
“Oh, no,” Marcus drawled. “Of course not.”
“The house is probably bigger than we really need, at least right now,” Erik said, then smiled. “But I’m sure we’ll grow into it.”
Marcus curled his lip, making Melinda giggle.
“Plus we needed extra room for when you come to visit,” Melinda said as she gave her brother a pointed look.
Marcus scowled, but Melinda didn’t miss the spark of devilment in his eyes. “I see you all the time over the computer whenever we have meetings, what do I need to come down there and visit you for?”
Melinda frowned and tried to slap her brother on the shoulder again, but he laughed and dodged, making her miss.
“I think Melinda has hopes that you and Andrew will find the perfect girl. She’s in that if-I’m-happy-then-everyone-should-be-happy phase,” Erik said with amusement.
Melinda put her hands on her hips. “And what is wrong with that?”
“Not a thing, baby,” Erik said as he walked past her and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Boy, she’s got you whooped,” Marcus teased.
“Damn straight,” Erik said with a grin as he left the room and headed down the hall for more boxes.
Marcus was laughing as Jon stuck his head in the door and shouted, “Truck’s here.”
“Well,” Melinda said as she let out a slow breath. “Looks like we’re almost done.”
Jon walked over and put his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a squeeze as he leaned in and kissed the back of her head. “Is this everything that goes?” he asked.
“Most of it,” she said with a nod. “I think Erik went to get the last two boxes from the master bedroom.”
Marcus headed toward the hallway. “I’ll see if he needs a hand.”
“Thanks, Marcus,” she called out.
Jon wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back against him. “So this is it?” he whispered. “The official start of our lives together. No second thoughts?”
She lifted her hands and gripped his arms. Leaning into him, she smiled. “No. You?”
He kissed her temple and made the butterflies in her stomach flutter to life. “Not a one. The house is finished and the wedding is planned. Now you just have to pick where you want to go on your honeymoon.”
She snorted. “Why do we need to go anywhere? We have a gorgeous house on a beautiful beach.”
“If a honeymoon at home is what you want…”
She turned her head and rested her cheek against his strong chest. “Why not? I have everything I could ever want at home.”
“Me too, sweetheart, and I know for a fact, Erik concurs.”
Melinda smiled. She did have everything she’d ever wanted. In spite of all the crap she’d been through, she’d still managed to find her fantasy.
The End
Publisher’s Note
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