The Secret Admirer Next Door (Love Next Door Series Book 1) *Editing*

Epilogue

One Year Later...

"How can I focus when you keep doing that?" Giggled Valerie.

"I though you were supposed to be a professional." He replied kissing her along her neck. He couldn't help it, the year flew by and he had only been able to kiss her out in the open around the kids for the past few months. He was making up for lost time.

"I am going to come to the shop and start bothering you while you're doing your job, Abe. See how you like it." She continued to stir her Gumbo pot

The thought only excited him. Truthfully, he'd missed her at the shop. He'd definitely missed the view of his lady. Waiting for his lunch break and dinner was always too long. He'd always missed holding her and kissing her, amongst other things. He slid his hands down to his favorite curve squeezing gently as he kissed her neck.

She turned with a wooden spoon, "Here taste this. Something to distract that mouth of yours." She giggled.

Valerie drew the spoon to his plump lips and watched his tongue roll over them, that was all the approval she needed. "Now hurry up and set the table, the kids are going to be here. She smacked her man on the ass.

"Melanie, you look fine. Why do you even care? We're all family here." He said into his phone walking up the drive way. As if it wasn't bad enough he hadn't seen his best friend since her play opened back in August. Seeing her face light up his iphone was as good as it got, but he had to admit showing up with it to Christmas dinner felt a lot like he was on a date with his phone and taking her to meet the family.

"You couldn't have caught a plane out here for two days?" He didn't mean to sound mean, but he had been looking forward to seeing her for Christmas all year and for her to just flake out was a low blow for him.

She scoffed.

He pushed the door open. Valerie's house had been an extension of his own house for the past year, it was actually pretty cool. He never really got the chance to know her until the past year, and better than that, he had never seen his father happier since his mother.

"Hey Issac." Cam waved as came down the stairs.

"Is that Cam?" He heard Melanie squeal.

"Hey Melanie." Cam said leaning into the camera on his phone.

"Oh my gosh! Look at you! You have to tell me everything."

Issac pushed the phone to his chest and winked at Cam, "Well discuss that later."

"Shaggs." She whined.

"This is what you get for not coming in person, Mel."

"Excuse me for getting snowed in, in Detroit."

Issac looked around the table and everyone was present at dinner all but one, as much as he loved his family, she was the one person he had been looking forward to seeing in person and he had his reasons.

Before dinner his dad and Valerie sat around Issac's phone talking to Melanie. Issac was hoping that didn't become a new tradition, he didn't like being the designated camera holder, he would have rather been the designated Melanie holder.

Valerie sat on his dad's lap in front of the camera.

"So what's this news I'm hearing about?" Melanie said.

"You know, you would have already known if you dropped in from time to time." Valerie teased.

"I'm touring, Val. That's what plays do." She sounded like she was really getting frustrated. Issac thought it served her right.

"You should stop in New York. I hear it's beautiful at Christmas. " His dad suggested only pouring salt on a fresh wound. Issac's lips thinned.

"That's the plan." Melanie said, "Now dish."

Valerie scratched the side of her hair as a ring glittered from her finger. "New?" She played off, "Abe, is there anything new going on with us."

He smiled, "Same ol' same ol' babe." He brought his fingers around her stomach pulling her into hi,.

"Holy inclimate weather, " Melanie giggled, "When did you get that iceberg?"

"What what this old thing." She fluttered her red fingernails in front of the camera giggling like a girl at a sleep over, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"When? How?" Melanie said.

"I'll tell you when you get here." She said.

Melanie pushed her lips together. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, someone has to plan our wedding." Valerie smiled.

Melanie squealed.

"We'd only trust your vision, baby." Abe added.

"Oh my gosh! I love you guys!" She sighed, "I'm so happy for you."

"So hurry up and finish with this tour." Valerie said, "Abe and I don't want to wait until forever to get married."

Issac could have kissed Valerie for that. Melanie's creativity couldn't resist the chance to plan her sister's wedding day.

"So what else is new with the restaurant?"

"Liv-Joyce's is doing very well, I just hired a certain hot biker bartender."

Her eyes lit up."Oooh, eye candy!"

Valerie bit her lip and nuzzled her fiance, "I have all the eye-candy I need."

"For me." She rolled her eyes.

"More of a reason for you to come home."

Valerie's eyes lit up,"Oh! Did Shaggs tell you about the little league winning the championship."

"Yes he did. I even got the pictures."

Issac's cheeks burned at what Melanie had said about him being sexy in his assistant coach outfit and getting sweaty. He couldn't wait for her to see him in his element, and working with the kids.So she could see for herself the father potential he had.

"Wow! You two really are staying in touch." She smiled at Issac and then back at the screen.

"Of course." Melanie giggled.

"Good." She said, "So when are you coming."

Issac lingered on that answer as well.

Melanie shrugged, "As soon as I can. I promise."

She cocked her head. "Okay." She looked at Issac giving him the okay to take the camera. He took it into the guest room down stairs. He had something he needed to get off his chest.

He smiled "So, trying to get out of our deal, huh Bubbles."

Her pink lips twitched up, "What deal?"

"The bet." He looked at her. "I didn't forget." He shook his head.

Even on the screen he'd noticed the color shift in her cheeks to a bright red. "I won."

"What does your girlfriend think about that?"

"No girlfriend." He pointed, but she already knew that as much as they talked there was never another woman and he knew there would never be.

"Don't worry I won't tell your boyfriend when you pay-up!" He taunted.

"Like I have time for one of those." Her lip curled.

He smiled, "Never to busy for me."

"Never."

"I have to go." Issac noticed a sadness in her eyes, he was sad too, "I'll talk to you later okay."

"Bye Bubbles. Merry Christmas."

The phone went black and Issac sank on the bed and let himself wallow in the the empty space in his heart he knew only she could fill. This wasn't over, he thought as he rose to his feet and left out of the room.