Page 71 of Peaches and Cream


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“There’s good news, though,” Sabrina said.

Adley tipped her head. “That I own a vibrator and can take care of myself when I get home? I suppose…”

She smiled at this beautiful woman who’d changed her life in so many ways. “I mean, yeah. But that’s not what I was talking about. The good news is this.” She grasped the belt loops on Adley’s jeans and pulled her between her knees so their noses almost touched. “We have all the time in the world.”

Adley’s smile blossomed across her face like the sun coming out after a rainstorm, big and bright and gorgeous. “We do, don’t we?”

And this time when they kissed, instead of a fluke or a test or a questionable decision, it was a beginning.

It was a beginning.

Epilogue

Early December

A Second Scoop wasn’t open on Sundays in the offseason, but that was okay with Adley. That meant her kitchen was quiet, and she could concentrate on the holiday dessert for next Friday’s dessert special. It was a fun thing she’d instituted in the fall, a revolving dessert special every Friday, made fresh that day and only available until they ran out. It had ended up being a hot product, and since the first one in October—a Halloween pumpkin and chocolate cheesecake sundae—they’d sold out every single Friday.

The cranberry compote was cooking down nicely on the stove, and the entire kitchen smelled lovely, warm and inviting and rather Christmasy. She gave it a stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan, then picked up her phone and scrolled to some holiday music, turned on the speaker on the shelf to her left, and soon Kelly Clarkson was singing about being wrapped in red.

Adley took a moment then. Just stopped moving, stopped working, put her hands on the counter and just inhaled. Closed her eyes. Felt what was so prevalent in the air around her lately.

Happiness.

She’d always thought she was fine. When she’d owned Get the Scoop on her own, she’d been stressed, of course, but happy. Or so she’d thought. The reality was, she’d had no earthly idea what true happiness was, because she was living it now. What she’d done in some other life to deserve what she had now—a thriving business and an amazing woman who was also an amazing partner in every way—shehad no idea, but it must’ve been something. She gave the cranberry compote another stir. No, life couldn’t get much better than it was right now. She was an incredibly blessed woman.

The back door opened then, startling her, and in walked that amazing woman herself, stomping snow off her boots.

“Hi, babe,” Sabrina said, giving Adley a peck on the lips. “Cold out there.” She peeked over Adley’s shoulder. “Ooh, that smells divine.”

“I’m trying to come up with next week’s dessert special,” Adley said. “I think they all need to be holiday themed in some way from here until the first of the year.”

“Agreed.” Sabrina had a big manila envelope with her, and she held it up. “Got a minute? I’d like to go over something with you.”

“Oh. Sure.” She clicked off the burner, the compote pretty much done, wiped her hands on her apron, and turned to Sabrina. God, she’d never get enough of simply looking at her. Sabrina had let Scottie cut her hair last month, taking some of the length, and it only made it look thicker and more lush, and it seemed to catch the various colors of the Christmas lights Adley’d strung around the kitchen and toss them back. She wore jeans and cute black ankle boots with a sherpa lining. Her sweater was black and hooded, her puffy vest cream. She looked like the cover model on any given winter clothing catalog, and Adley often had difficulty understanding that this woman was hers. Hers alone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Sabrina asked with a soft smile.

“’Cause you’re gorgeous.”

“You’re biased.”

“True. I also have eyes.” She indicated the envelope. “Whatcha got?”

Sabrina opened the envelope and pulled out a small stack of papers. Without a word, she handed them over to Adley, who scanned them quickly, then let out a little gasp. Her gaze snapped up to Sabrina, who was grinning widely. “This gives me half ownership.”

Sabrina nodded. “Doesn’t feel right for you not to be a legal owner of this place. It just doesn’t. Plus, it’s been six months now, and I’m pretty sure you’re not going anywhere.”

Adley laughed. “Not in my plans, no.”

“Good. We share everything, fifty-fifty, right down the middle. The building, the business, and everything in it.” Sabrina produced apen with a flourish. “Brian put little highlightedX’s everywhere you need to sign.” Brian was their lawyer, and Adley realized that Sabrina had been working on this for a while. She took the pen and held her girlfriend’s gaze for a moment.

“Thank you, Sabrina,” she said quietly. Spreading the forms out on the counter, she flipped through and signed where eachXwas, not bothering to read any of it because she trusted Sabrina that much. If she said it was split right down the middle, it was. She signed her name several times, and when she finished and straightened the papers back into a neat pile again, she said, “There. You’re never getting rid of me now.” She turned to look at Sabrina and gasped.

Sabrina was down on one knee, a black velvet box open in her hand, the ring inside sparkling in the lights. “I never, ever want to get rid of you.” Her voice was trembling, as were her hands, and Adley’s heart warmed. Sabrina wasn’t a person who got nervous, but it was clear she was now. “I know it’s fast. I know it’s soon. But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I love you, Adley, more than I ever thought I’d love anyone. I don’t know how it’s possible to feel this much joy with somebody, but you…you’re the whipped cream on my sundae. You’re the sprinkles on my cone. You’re the very best part of everything, and if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of my days standing next to you and making you the happiest you can possibly be.” Her blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Will you marry me?”

Itwasfast. Itwassoon.

It didn’t matter because it was also perfect. More perfect than Adley ever could have imagined her life to be.