Epilogue

Max’s heart overflowed with joy. Aggie sat next to him in a booth located in the back of Vinos and Pinots. They’d met here with a client. Not any client. Max’s pain-in-the-ass client. David Long. The one Aggie met with the day of the cat incident.

David had asked to meet with Max and insisted he bring Aggie. He’d just left.

“I can’t believe everything worked out,” she said, her voice full of awe.

Neither could he. Not the contract part, that was icing, but with him and her. “I still can’t believe you came back to fight for us.”

She fluttered her lashes at him. “You know…there comes a time in a woman’s life when she realizes she really is capable of being that woman, so if a man says he likes-her, likes-her, he actually means what he is saying.” She raised her glass of wine. “Here’s to your newest contract.”

“Here’s to the wonder who turned one of my most difficult clients into my finest client.” David had given him a contract so big, had he won the bid on the other contract—the one not filed on time—he would have had to say no. Together, they would turn the amusement park into a tiny-house community, complete with its own shopping center and business opportunities. A community for people who wanted a hand up in life instead of a handout.

“I am a wonder, aren’t I?” She giggled and sipped her wine.

“In the office and in the bedroom.”

She blushed. “I could say the same about you. I won’t, because it will give you a second big head, but I could.”

“Are you ready to get out of here and go home and celebrate?” He loved the fact his home now contained female touches and dresser drawers full of female things. Like panties. Lots and lots of panties.

…

Aggie’s new phone rang. She glanced at Max. “It’s Meemaw. What do you want to bet she’s with Ms. Grace and they are in the midst of scheming something?”

“I know better than to take that bet.”

She answered the call. “Hi, Meemaw. What’s up?”

“I’ve got you on speakerphone. Grace is here with me. Are you, by any chance, with Max?”

She put her phone on speaker. “You know I am. Don’t think we didn’t notice you’ve both turned on the tracking apps on our phones.”

“Oh. That. Well, it’s for safety. You can track me, too, if needed. Unless I turn it off. In that case, be minding your own business.”

“Hello, Grandmother and Ms. Hazel,” Max said.

“Hello, darling,” Ms. Grace said. “Hello, Aggie.”

Max dropped an arm around Aggie’s shoulders. “You’re cheerful, Grandmother. Is there something going on in your life you’ve failed to tell me about? Like the double-date you and Ms. Hazel went on over the weekend?”

Aggie elbowed him in the ribs. She’d filled him in on how Meemaw ended up with one date too many Saturday night, and she had turned a lemon into sweet lemonade tea. But that had been said in confidence. Good thing she hadn’t told him the best part of that story. Halfway into the evening, the women realized they’d divvied up the men wrong. Ms. Grace was better suited for the police chief and Meemaw for Richard Harris. So they had swapped out dates right then and there.

Max gave her a very unapologetic shrug.

The grandmothers were silent for an unusual length of time.

“Grandmother? Cat got your tongue?” Max teased.

She gave a happy sigh. Not only did he like-her, like-her, but Pompous Ass was beginning to use some of her idioms. She’d conducted more research into the compatibility of a Reformer and an Enthusiast and came across a link that explained how the two types could actually be a really good mix if their values meshed and they were working for the same things in life.

“That’s not what we called about,” Ms. Grace finally said. “If you want to know what’s going on in my love life, stop by and see me more often.”

Max glanced down at Aggie and mouthed “love life.” His whole face a picture of shock.

“I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“I’ll come, too,” Aggie added. If Ms. Grace had fallen into instant love, she wanted to hear the whole story from her, not Meemaw, who would leave out the sex bits.

“Aggie, darling, you’re welcome to drop by any time.”

“Thank you, Ms. Grace.”

“You two be a peach and call before you drop by my place,” Meemaw said. “I just might be entertaining a guy.”

Aggie laughed. “Meemaw, why did you call?” She and Meemaw were once again okay. Aggie discovered just because someone’s mad at you didn’t mean they stopped loving you.

“Bless your heart. You never have taken a hankering to the idea of my dating.”

Her insides went gooey. Meemaw had put herself on the shelf for far too long worrying about being dumber than dirt. “You’re stalling. What’s up?” She tried to sound sharp and skeptical. Failed. It’s hard to be either of those things when your life is a bed of roses stripped of their thorns.

“Are you two sitting down?” Meemaw asked.

“Sitting,” Aggie and Max said in unison.

“Max, dear,” Ms. Grace said, “Hazel and I have come up with the most delightful plan, and we need your help.”

“What kind of help?” he asked.

He dropped a kiss on Aggie’s nose. She loved when he did that. There wasn’t much he did that she didn’t love. Not that he’d suddenly become flawless. How boring would life be if you fell for a perfect person?

“We want you to find us a spot to open our new business. At a discount, of course.”

“What new business would that be?” Aggie asked.

“We’re going to open a new matchmaking business. It will be called Singles Mingle,” Meemaw said.

“Or Love the Old-Fashioned Way,” Ms. Grace chimed in.

“It will be a place for people to meet without the help of an app. Your fate no longer lays in the up or down swipe of a screen,” Meemaw said. “We’ll have a venue for holding singles functions. Grace and I will host the events, and with our eagle eyes for love, we’ll guide those together who are meant to be together.”

“Doesn’t that sound delightful?” Ms. Grace said. “We’re hoping the two of you will give us permission to use your story as a testimonial of our skills.”

“This is a wonderful idea. Meemaw, you’re going to finally have a job that makes you happy.” A tear landed on Aggie’s cheek.

Max pulled her into his arms. “Aggie and I will be delighted to help.”

She glanced at him. “They could set up business in one of the shops we’re including in our new project.”

“What’s that about a new project?” Meemaw asked.

“We have some great news of our own,” Aggie said.

The grandmothers laughed.

“Bless your heart, are you pregnant? Max, did you go and knock up my granddaughter?”

She rolled her eyes. That wasn’t happening. She was determined to be the first Johansson to get the cart and horse scenario in the right order. In that vein, she’d recently purchased a new box of hot-pink condoms, and at the rate they were going through them, next time, she’d have to buy them in bulk quantity.

“Ms. Hazel—” he said. His cheeks were a bright red, and his Adam’s apple was working overtime.

“Call me Meemaw.”

“Meemaw, I promise to make an honest woman of Aggie before I make you a great-grandmother.”

Aggie beamed up at him. They’d talked plenty about love but not marriage. Not that she was worried. As it turned out, she did indeed meet every one of his qualifications of the perfect woman.

“Maxi Treadwell, are you going to tell us your news or what?” Ms. Grace said.

Aggie placed a hand on Max’s. “Yes, Maxi, why don’t you tell them our news?”

He gave her a strange smile. “If you insist.” He stood, went down on one knee, pulled a ring box out of his jacket pocket and said, “Aggie the Horrible, Aggie the Lovable, Aggie the very most perfect bane of my existence, would you do me the honor of being my wife?” He opened the ring box, showing her an insanely large, square-cut diamond wrapped with tiny lavender-blue stones.

Sweet baby Jesus. She nodded, a tear dangling on her lashes. “Be a peach and slide that on my finger. Let’s see how it fits.”

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