Never Bargain with the Boss: Epilogue

“Hey, girls, how was everyone’s day?” Cameron says as he comes into the kitchen after work.

Grace and I went to her riding lesson today and got home about an hour ago. I’ve been slowly working on dinner ever since, and she’s been telling me about her and Liam, who are still ‘talking’ exclusively.

“Great! You won’t believe what Bella did at lunch though!” Grace says before launching into a story about Bella mixing milk and Coke and drinking the whole thing down. The idea of it turns my stomach, but Grace says Bella reports it was pretty good. I’ll have to take her word for it. “She’s a straight-up savage!”

Her friendships with Bella and Trinity are more cemented now, and she hasn’t mentioned Hannah in weeks, which in teenage life is an eternity. There were no big fireworks, no fights, and unfortunately, no dance battles, because Grace would’ve rocked that. My girl can move. But ultimately, it’s for the best. Hannah and she were friends for a season and hopefully learned something from the experience. I know Grace did, and she’s putting that lesson to work, being a better person and friend to Bella and Trinity.

“Definitely sounds savage,” Cameron agrees, looking at me to make sure that’s the right answer. I nod discretely, just once, and he grins, excited to have gotten it right. “What can I do?” he asks me, moving to wash his hands.

“Stir the chili,” I direct, pointing at the big pot on the stove.

This is part of our routine. Cooking dinner together.

After Cameron’s Christmas Day proposal in front of his whole family, we celebrated New Year’s alone, just the three of us watching the ball drop on the big screen in the media room. Grace started back to school, and we mostly kept things pretty much the same, maintaining our morning and afternoon schedules and keeping our family dinners. Cameron and I still sit on the patio nearly every night too—and yes, he drinks tea—but after, we go to bed together.

What’s changed the most is actually Janey. After nearly nine months at home with Emmett, she decided to go back to the Ivy Care Center on a part-time basis, which means I have a new job as a nanny for Emmett two days a week.

My weeks are the perfect mix of caretaking, thrift store scouring, online selling, and most importantly, mothering Grace. It seems fate does always work out, leading me to right where I’m supposed to be, precisely when I’m supposed to be there.

“I talked to Cole today,” Cameron says, his tone light, but I can hear something harder in it.

“About?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

“It’s done.”

The two little words are an immense relief.

I stuck to my word and pressed charges against Austin. He took a plea deal that gave him no jail time, only probation, unless he violates the restraining order and comes within one hundred feet of me, which I don’t think he’ll do. I stood up to him and now, he knows he has no power over me and I won’t hesitate to stand up to him again. Plus, I have a powerful support system that has my back. His plea deal also meant that he was no longer able to foster, and Cole’s been keeping tabs on each child as they transition to their new placements, making sure they’re as good as they can be. It’s not ideal and I wish I could do more, but the kids are safe and in stable placements, which is what matters most.

“Really?” I ask.

He nods. “The last child was moved into a group home situation that specializes in successful transitions out of foster care. He’s already signed up for a work-study program that’ll let him graduate with a welding certificate.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s only one child, but each and every one getting set on a path to a better life matters. In a twisted sort of way, it’s almost what I did—leaving care with a skill that would take me further than I dreamed. Because I never would’ve imagined I’d go from trash bags of clothes to living in a home like Cameron’s. Like ours.

“That reminds me, I talked to Miranda today.”

“What’s MeeMaw H doing? Are we going to get our nails done?” Grace interjects.

Cameron shakes his head. “That’s only for special occasions and you know it. Otherwise, you can paint your nails yourself.”

He doesn’t tell her no very often, but when he does, she usually accepts it pretty easily. She really is a great kid, and Cameron has done a fantastic job with her. Some credit has to go to the previous nannies too, of course, but mostly, I think it’s Cameron, and Grace herself. And me too, of course.

“Miranda had an idea she wanted to run by me.” I’m already smiling. I have been since she told me her great idea. Well, as soon as I picked my jaw up from the floor, I’d smiled.

“What’s she up to now? Did she contract a venue without asking?”

Miranda would never do anything like that, though she is excited for the wedding. I haven’t had the heart to tell her that I think I want a small ceremony with the Harringtons there and no one else. Certainly not an event of the season like she once mentioned. I know Cameron has lots of work colleagues and associates, but they don’t really care about our getting married, and I want to be surrounded by people who care for something important like that.

“She wants to do a suitcase drive for National Foster Care Day,” I tell him. He blinks, and I realize I might as well have been speaking another language. He doesn’t get it. “She wants to collect suitcases and donate them to foster children so they don’t have to use trash bags when they move. There’s about twenty thousand kids in the state and she figures each suitcase will be around fifty dollars, which is a million dollars. She said she’ll get some donated, and do some fundraising too, so that as new children come into the system, they’ll get a suitcase too. But she’s on a mission to do away with foster kids’ trash bags for the state.”

I feel shocked, even as I say it again. When Miranda asked me if that would have a beneficial impact on the children in care, I’d been utterly gobsmacked. I think I muttered ‘yeah’ a couple of times before it fully sank in what she was offering to do.

“That’s awesome. Tell her we can help with that too, financially or with coordination efforts or delivery.” Cameron shrugs. “Whatever she needs.”

Just like that. Poof. With a snap of his fingers, he’s on board and between him and his mom, they’re going to improve things for so many children.

I still don’t have a grasp on the type of wealth the Harringtons have, but it doesn’t matter. It’s Cameron’s money and I don’t want it. I’m fine with what I make selling clothes, and Cole pays me well… very well, saying it’s worth it to keep me exclusive to them, as if I would work for anyone else. But the Harringtons have wealth beyond comprehension and do good things with it, like the suitcase deal. Miranda also does a bunch of other philanthropic work, which I don’t quite understand either, but seems to be a way she gives back to the community.

All in all, they’re a great family to have and I’m thankful they’ve taken me into their ranks.

I set down the knife I’m using to cut onions to top our chili and wipe my hands on a towel. I walk right up to Cameron and get in his space. “You are amazing. I love you.”

“I love you too, and I’m pretty sure you’re the amazing one,” he corrects, placing a quick kiss on my lips.

“Ugh, get a room,” Grace groans, suddenly paying attention to us after tuning out through a boring conversation about luggage.

I freeze for a moment, thinking we’ve gone too far even though we’ve kissed in front of her dozens of times at this point. “You should see your face, Riley,” she says, laughing. “You’re fine. Be all lovey-dovey if you want. It doesn’t gross me out at all,” she teases. But she’s smiling happily.

So is Cameron.

And so am I.

The End.