“Well, I won’t keep you since you’ve got a lunch date.”
“Dylan’s joining us,” Sarah noted.
“He is?”
“Yes. And he’s asked his kids to come as well. So we can tell them together.”
“Are you nervous?”
Sarah shook her head but then laughed. “Of course I’m nervous. These are his children. I want them to like me.”
Elaine’s smile was so warm Sarah could practically feel it. “You’re a strong, independent, highly intelligent woman. You’ve got a good heart, Sarah. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Doesn’t mean you won’t.” Elaine chuckled. “But you’ve come through this stronger. I know you can handle anything that crosses your path.”
Sarah got to her feet when Elaine did. “That means a lot,” she told her therapist. “But I hope you know you’re not off the hook. I have every intention of continuing these sessions. Dylan even mentioned he’d like to come with me.”
“I’d like that,” Elaine said. “And I’ll still be here. Ready to listen whenever you need me.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Elaine’s eyebrows slanted.
“For listening, for guiding me in the right direction.”
“Oh, honey, I might’ve listened, but your heart led you in the right direction. Now you have to simply follow it.”
Swallowing hard, Sarah hugged Elaine and then turned on her heel and headed for her car.
Now, if she could make it through lunch, she might just be all right.
DYLAN SHOULD’VE REALIZED THAT PUTTING Nate and Jake at the same table was going to cause some friction. Thankfully, they had Stacey to keep things moving. She hadn’t stopped talking since she took a seat between the boys.
“So, why’d you bring us here?” Nate asked, his forehead creased. He was clearly uncomfortable as he glanced between Dylan and Sarah.
“We wanted to tell you that we’re getting married.”
Yes, well, that was one way to get his children to be quiet. Even Stacey didn’t seem to know what to say. Granted, Dylan assumed by the smile on her face that she wasn’t completely horrified by the idea.
“You love him?” Jake asked Sarah.
“I do,” she confirmed without missing a beat.
Jake peered over at Dylan briefly, then back to his aunt. “Then I’m happy for you.” A small smile curved his mouth. “You deserve to be happy, Aunt Sarah.”
“Thank you.”
Dylan could see the tears forming in her eyes.
“Well, I had absolutely no idea you were in love,” Stacey announced. “But I only have one thing to say.”
Dylan waited and he felt Sarah stiffen beside him.
“It’s about damn time.”
They both choked out a laugh.
“Nate? Do you have any questions?” Dylan prompted his son.
Nate seemed to consider that for a moment, then met Dylan’s eyes. “Only one.”
“What’s that?”
A smile formed on his son’s face and Dylan’s chest constricted at the sight. It had been so long since he’d seen Nate smile.
“Does this mean that the guest house will be vacant?”
Dylan chuckled and Sarah squeezed his hand. “It’s possible.”
“Cool.”
“Have you told Aunt Ashleigh yet?” Stacey asked.
“Not yet. But I’m sure she’ll know before the day is out.”
“She will,” Stacey confirmed. “Because I already texted her.”
Dylan shook his head. His daughter was something else. He glanced from one face to the next. Stacey, Nate, Jake. “Y’all are really okay with this?”
Nate nodded, Stacey said, “Of course,” and Jake smiled.
“Are you gonna tell them about the new job?” Sarah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“New job? Where?” Stacey asked, her attention fully on Dylan now.
“I’m going to be working for … Trent Ramsey.”
Three pairs of eyes widened as all the kids stared back at him. Dylan was pretty sure they wouldn’t remember the part about him and Sarah getting married.
“Do we get to meet him?”
“Oh, my God! Trent Ramsey from the Dillon Chronicles. Are you serious?”
“Wow. That’s cool.”
And just like that, the three kids were now talking amongst themselves, chattering on about Trent freaking Ramsey.
Dylan glanced at Sarah.
“I told you we should’ve led with that,” she teased.
For the first time in his life, Dylan felt completely at peace with himself. It had taken a long time to get to this point, but as he stared at the woman he loved, he knew that this was a new beginning.
One he was definitely looking forward to.
EPILOGUE
Eleven months later
SARAH FELT AS THOUGH SHE was living on an entirely different plane than she had just a few months ago. Ever since the night she’d run into Dylan at the CISS party, her world had been turned upside down. And that had been only the beginning. These days, she felt … different.
She wasn’t sure what the difference was though. Aside from the fact that she was now married, living in a cute little four-bedroom house not too far from Trent Ramsey’s new BDSM club with her husband and her two cats. Okay, so maybe the fact she was working at a BDSM club was what felt so different. The very same BDSM club that was officially opening tonight.
And yes, all was in place. She’d assured Trent of that on the phone, when he called her for the tenth time this morning. That was another big thing that had changed. She talked to Trent freaking Ramsey damn near every single day on the phone or in person.
Seriously, how could she not? The man had offered her a job. A fantastic one making good money. But more importantly, she got to work alongside her husband. Trent hadn’t only wanted her to co-manage the place with Dylan—something she and Dylan had talked about long before she finally accepted the position—but he’d also wanted her to work with his designer, who just so happened to be married to Luke McCoy, the owner of Devotion.
Apparently, Trent had liked Sarah’s design ideas so much he had scrapped his own and implemented the changes. Needless to say, for the nine months it took for them to complete the club, Sarah hadn’t had much time to sit around and think.
Which was a good thing.
“Are you ready for this?” Dylan asked, moving up behind her as they stood near the main bar at … yes, you guessed it … Dichotomy.
Trent had loved the idea. Not only because it defined him so perfectly but because it also defined the club.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she told him, going on her toes to kiss him. “I mean, we are in a BDSM club, so who knows what’s gonna happen when those doors open.”
Dylan chuckled. “Good news is there aren’t people waiting on the other side of those doors. But they’ll be arriving soon.”
Through the garage, Sarah knew. The front doors were simply for show. If someone wandered up to that part of the building, they’d be greeted by a receptionist, who would handle their issue and send them on their way.
The paying clientele were given individual pass codes that would let them in through the underground parking garage. Their anonymity was of the utmost concern, and the club had been built with that in mind.