Page 17 of July

Epilogue - Charity

Garrett and I have settled into a new routine of meeting Jillian each week at Pizza King, our favorite pizza place, to pick up Silas and catch up on the week’s events. She and I have become fast friends, and we are all being mature adults about what could have been an incredibly awkward, contentious situation.

The three of us getting along is what’s best for Silas. We all love that boy to pieces and will do anything to ensure his happiness.

Plus, I truly like and respect Jillian and want only the best for her. That’s why I keep badgering her about joining us for the August Man of the Month Club meeting.

“I don’t know…” She tries again to shoot down my invitation. “It sounds like a hokey way to meet someone.”

“Hokey?!?” Garrett splutters. “I’ll admit, I had my doubts about it, too. But that matchmaking app has made seven successful matches in a row. You can’t argue with those results.”

“You guys don’t really count, since you already knew and loved each other.” Jillian says dryly.

“The app still properly matched us. If it didn’t work, I would have been matched with one of the other eligible ladies from the group,” Garrett says.

Jillian narrows her eyes at him. “Besides, didn’t your sister meddle to make sure you were both in attendance at that meeting?”

“Yes, she did.” Garrett grins before adding, “That reminds me… I need to send Summer some chocolate to properly thank her for her part in getting us back together. I owe her my life.”

He lifts our locked hands and presses a sweet kiss to the back of mine as the waitress delivers our piping hot breadsticks with cheese sauce.

Jillian lets out a wistful sigh as she stares at us from across the table. “I’d give anything to have someone love me like Garrett loves you.”

I tear my gaze away from Garrett to say, “That’s exactly why you need to come to next month’s meeting.”

“Ugh, you’re relentless,” she says as she takes a breadstick from the basket, tears it into small pieces and blows on it before placing the plate in front of Silas. The boy happily grabs for the food.

Although her words are harsh, I can tell by her tone that she is on the verge of giving in. I lean across the table to say, “You deserve happiness and true love. Besides, you might be as lucky as I have been and find the man who makes your soul flutter.”

“I make your soul flutter?” Garrett asks me with a look of pride shining bright on his face.

“You do,” I assure him.

We lock gazes with our foreheads close together. In a quiet, serious tone, he says, “That’s a good way to describe how I feel. You make my soul flutter, too. You always have and always will.”

After turning away to pick up a breadstick, he shakes it at both me and Jillian as he says, “But that sounds rather unmasculine to admit out loud. If either of you ever tell anyone I said it, I’ll deny it.”

We both laugh at the ridiculous man, who is the epitome of strength and masculinity. Silas joins in the hilarity and lets out a happy giggle, even though he doesn’t understand why we’re laughing.

Once our chuckles subside, Jillian says, “Don’t worry, Garrett. Your soul fluttering secret is safe with us. The three of us are your family.”