I let my dad choose the song we’d dance to, and he chose “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw. I complained the whole time about how cheesy it was, but with his arm in a sling he had to wear because he was protecting me, I had a hard time holding back the rush of tears as I listened to the words that told me that I’d always be his little girl.
Parker and Kimmy danced to “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill. My dad and Parker must’ve coordinated music, or else it was an adorable coincidence that they’d chosen two songs by country music’s biggest super couple.
Our small group danced to a few songs, ate some pasta that Delilah had magically procured, and danced some more.
Parker and I were sampling the variety of cupcakes when Barry approached us to say goodbye. He held an envelope in his hands.
I stood to give him a hug. “Congratulations, Roxy. I hope you’ll be the happiest wife because you deserve it.”
“Thanks, Barry.”
Parker stood and shook his hand.
“You take care of my Roxy girl, okay?” Barry was so cute. He was the least intimidating person I knew, but somehow his words hit Parker. He nodded. We all knew he would.
“I was stuck on what to get you. What do you buy for the daughter of Gideon Price? I got you this card,” he said, handing me the envelope in his hand. I took it and turned it over in my hands. Parker and I both stared down at it. “Go on, then. Open it.”
I tore the paper of the envelope and opened the card. It was a traditional wedding card, but inside were the words I’d been hoping to hear from Barry.
Whenever you get back from your honeymoon, set up a meeting with my lawyer and me. I’ve stopped moving forward on bankruptcy and want to sell Vintage to you, to someone who I know will put her love into it and will save it from destruction. Thank you for loving my baby as much as I do.
Parker and I both looked up at him at the same time. Tears were in my eyes, and they were in Barry’s, too.
I was about to ask if he was sure, but I realized that those words would give him an out. I didn’t want to give him an out.
I threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you, Barry. Thank you so much. This is the best gift ever.”
He hugged me back. His voice was full of merriment when he spoke. “If you consider an offer to purchase a failing business a gift, then you’re quite welcome.”
I laughed at the same time as my husband.
My husband and my future business partner.
Team James.
epilogue
Sometimes people come into our lives to make them brighter. Some people come in to make them darker.
When I lost Katie and Damien, I was terrified that letting someone else in could only end one way. I was terrified of the rule of three, until I realized that living life based on superstitions wasn’t really living at all.
If I hadn’t let Parker in, I never would’ve had the opportunity to experience the true and forever kind of love that comes with marrying your soul mate.
I may never have had someone push me out of my mechanical existence toward discovering my real ambitions.
I wouldn’t have had the joy that came with mothering two perfect boys with Parker, the first born just two years after our wedding and the second born two years after that.
I’d never have experienced the satisfaction that came with reorganizing a failing business with so much success that Parker and I were able to open three additional thriving branches of Vintage—a store that had become part of my soul—all across the country.
I had written off musicians at one point in my life, but being married to Parker was never hard. I was able to travel the world with my husband as Flashing Light gained popularity. We brought our boys with us, because backstage at a Flashing Light headliner tour was a lot like it had been for Black Shadow—a family atmosphere.
If I had pushed Parker out of the way like I wanted to when I had first met him, there would never have been a wedding day for Randy to show up and ruin. Who knows what would’ve happened then? Maybe Randy would have been successful in killing me as his act of revenge on my father.
Instead, Randy was rotting away in prison, serving a life sentence not just for murdering Damien Williams, but for many other crimes he’d committed while skirting the law—like starting that fire at Vintage. I’d also finally established that his men had been the ones who had stolen my journal and planted it in Jadyn’s bag.
And just as a final act of revenge on the slime that was Randy Marino, my dad’s therapy went better than doctors ever expected. His full recovery had only taken six months, but he’d been playing guitar after three. Black Shadow was on another world tour, and Jadyn had become a close friend to me over the years.
My relationship with my mother never changed, but I realized that she would have to change in order for that to happen. My boys knew their grandma and loved her, but she was busy in Europe doing whatever it was that she did. They knew Grandpa G and Grandma J much better since they saw them as often as possible. It did, however, take Jadyn almost a year before she allowed us to call her “Grandma.”
Parker taught me many things, but most of all, he taught me that sometimes we have to let go of the past that weighs us down so that we can find love in the present that will last long into the future.
We definitely worked through our own “Trial and Error,” but with Parker, I ultimately found “My Forever.”
THE END
acknowledgments
I have so much thanks to give for all of the amazing blessings that helped make this book what it is!
First, to my husband for reading, listening, helping, suggesting, encouraging, and supporting. I couldn’t do this without your love. And of course to Sadie, the world’s best dog.
To Louisa at LM Creations for creating the perfect cover for this book. I never thought I could love a cover as much as I love Vintage Volume One, but you created an amazing counterpart that really shows the emotional connection of Roxy and Parker.
To my awesome beta readers: Jen, Alissa, April, Crystal, Johnnie-Marie, Anna, Kelly, Jenna, and Sheri. Your notes and feedback are always valuable.
To Jen from Just One More Page for hosting the awesome cover reveal for this book. To Kylie and Beth from Give Me Books and to Debra from The Book Enthusiast for hosting the release blitzes. To Kellie from Eye Candy Bookstore for being an all-around awesome PR lady. Thank you to every blogger who takes the time to post about my books, to read my books, and to review my books. Your time is valuable, and I appreciate all you do to support me.
To the beautiful women of Team LSD (Lisa Suzanne’s Darlings) for being supportive not just to me, but to each other. You make me smile every day, and I appreciate each of you.
As always, thank you to you, the person reading this. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my words. I hope that they left an impact on you and that they made you feel. I would love if you left a review on Amazon. I read every review that is posted, and I appreciate your thoughts.
This may be the end of Parker and Roxy’s story, but there’s always more from Lisa Suzanne just around the corner. Keep an eye out for Not Just another Romance Novel, my new romantic comedy releasing later this year.
XOXO,
about the author
Lisa Suzanne started handwriting her books on yellow legal pads after she took a creative writing class in high school. She still has those legal pads full of stories, but now one of them is published under the title How He Really Feels. She currently works as a full time high school English teacher, and her favorite part of the year is summer. She has been blessed with the world’s best dog, a supportive family, and a husband who encouraged her to publish after reading one of her novels. She likes the advice of Ernest Hemingway’s famous quote, “Write drunk. Edit sober.”