(Joanna)
Joanna sat in the front pew with her sister during their mother’s funeral. Paulo and Devlin sat directly behind her. Joanna knew that her two guys didn’t know her mother for very long, but it meant the world to her to know that they were there if she needed their strength.
It was a lovely ceremony. Most of her mother’s friends from college and childhood were there. Afterward, both of her boys stood behind her as the parishioners offered Joanna their condolence. It was a rough day for her, but having the two of them there with her every step of the way made an impossible day possible.
Knowing that it had been her mother’s dream, the opening of the candy store was only delayed until after the funeral. From the day it opened, it was a sensation. The New York Times had written an article about Paulo’s incredible work and the entire piece hinged upon the amazing candy that he had used as paint.
Believing that Paulo was the next great master, a number of New York’s Who’s Who ended up in attendance. Not only did Paulo sell all of his paintings for more money than he knew what to do with, they sold out of candy. Everyone had to chip in as they spent the next six-hours making candy for the following day.
The real success for Island Candy didn’t happen that first day, however. It happened once word-of-mouth began to spread. Newspapers around the world picked up the New York Times story and it wasn’t long before the website was in back order for what turned out to be three months.
To make things more efficient, Devlin suggested that they move their candy making operation to the source of the honey. Neither Joanna nor Molly had a problem with that. Molly would remain in North Carolina taking care of the business stateside while Joanna watched over production in Exuma.
Each morning Joanna got up, stood at the window admiring Exuma’s incredible beach view, and then started her day making candy. It was a greater life than she could ever have imagined. But what made Joanna’s life better still, was who she was living it with.
Every morning she woke up next to Devlin. When Paulo didn’t have a show in some distant part of the world, he was there with them. Every so often they took Devlin’s yacht out and sailed it under the pirate flag. They were becoming a bit of a legend. While visiting Nassau, she would hear stories about a sailboat that was sailed by three pirates. If they stopped you, they would rob you of all of your alcohol. Whenever Joanna heard it, it made her smile.
How had Joanna ended up with everything she’d ever wanted in life? She wasn’t sure. But with both Devlin and Paulo in her life and her bed, she wasn’t about to question it. She loved her two boys as much as they love each other and her. And when Joanna found out that their threesome was about to become four with their first pirate baby, Joanna knew that she was about to live her life happily ever after.
The end.