Unwrapped (Sugar & Spice #1)

Epilogue

IVY-ONE YEAR LATER…

I stand in the quiet bakery, soaking in the peaceful stillness that only comes after hours. The winter sun has already begun to set, casting long shadows through the front windows of Sugar & Spice. The glass display cases, usually filled with an array of colorful treats, sit empty after another successful day. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we sold out of everything - plus hit our maximum capacity for custom orders.

A year has passed since Asher and I first reconnected, since that magical holiday season that changed everything. Now, as I cradle a warm cup of chamomile tea, I can't help but smile at how beautifully life has unfolded. The bakery is thriving beyond our wildest dreams, and my heart feels so full I think it might burst.

The cinnamon-scented air wraps around me like a cozy blanket as I wander through the space that has become my second home. Tessa and I poured our hearts into every detail - from the warm wood accents to the twinkling lights that stay up year-round. It's everything we dreamed of and more.

Setting down my tea, I head to the kitchen. Even though we're closed for the next few days, I have one more batch of cookies to make - Asher's favorite gingerbread. The recipe card is worn now from frequent use, though I hardly need it anymore. The familiar motions of measuring and mixing ingredients center me, bringing back memories of that first batch I made for him.

The bell above the door chimes, startling me from my reverie. I peek my head out from the kitchen to see Asher letting himself in with his key, his cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Hey, beautiful," he says, his smile warming me more than any cup of tea could. "I thought I might find you here."

"Just couldn't stay away," I admit, watching as he shrugs off his coat. "I'm making your favorite."

His eyes light up. "Gingerbread?"

I nod, and he crosses the room in a few quick strides. "Can I help?"

"You want to bake with me?" I raise an eyebrow, remembering his previous attempts in the kitchen.

"I've learned from the best," he says, rolling up his sleeves. "Plus, I like spending time with you, even if I'm terrible at it."

My heart swells as he joins me at the prep station. I guide his hands as he measures ingredients, showing him how to properly cream the butter and sugar. He's actually improving, though his attention keeps wandering to me instead of the task at hand.

"Focus," I laugh as he nuzzles my neck instead of stirring.

"I am focusing," he murmurs, "on the most important thing in this room."

I turn to face him, ready to protest, but he dabs a bit of the butter-sugar mixture on my nose. "Asher!" I gasp, retaliating by flicking flour at him.

He grins, pulling me closer despite the mess. "Now look what you've done. I'm all dusty."

"You started it," I remind him, but I'm already melting into his embrace.

"I love you," he says softly, brushing flour from my cheek. "You know that?"

"I love you too." The words come so easily now, as natural as breathing.

We manage to finish the dough between stolen kisses and playful banter. As we roll it out, Asher helps me cut out traditional gingerbread shapes along with snowflakes and stars. The kitchen fills with the smell of spices and warmth as the first batch goes into the oven.

"This has been the best year of my life," Asher says as we wait for the cookies to bake. "You know that?"

I lean into him, nodding. "Mine too. Sometimes I still can't believe how lucky we are."

"It's not luck," he says, his voice serious. "It's us. We make sense together, Ivy. We always have."

The timer dings, and we pull out the perfectly baked cookies, setting them aside to cool. As we start decorating them with royal icing, Asher suddenly perks up.

"Hey, I want to make a special one," he says. "But you can't look. It's a surprise."

I laugh but play along, turning my back to him as I continue decorating the other cookies. I can hear him moving around behind me, the familiar sounds of dough being rolled and cut.

"No peeking," he warns as he slides something into the oven.

"I'm being good," I promise, focusing on piping delicate patterns onto a snowflake cookie.

We work in comfortable silence, broken only by quiet humming and the occasional laugh when one of us makes a decorating mistake. When the oven timer rings again, Asher retrieves his mystery creation.

"They need to cool before you can decorate them," I say, starting to turn around.

"I know," he says softly. "But maybe you should look anyway."

I turn, and my heart stops. There, on the cookie sheet, spelled out in small letter-shaped cookies, are the words "MARRY ME?"

My hands fly to my mouth as Asher steps closer, taking my flour-dusted hands in his.

"Ivy Calloway," he says, his voice thick with emotion, "you've made every day of this past year better than I could have imagined. You're my best friend, my partner, my everything. I want to spend the rest of my life baking cookies with you, laughing with you, loving you. Will you marry me?"

Tears blur my vision as I nod emphatically. "Yes," I manage to say. "Yes, of course yes!"

He sweeps me up in his arms, spinning me around as joy bubbles up inside me. When he sets me down, he slides a beautiful ring onto my finger - one I hadn't even noticed he was holding.

"You're the best Christmas present I could ever ask for," I tell him, pulling him down for another kiss.

He grins against my lips. "Just wait until you see what else I have planned for Christmas."

We stand there in our flour-covered clothes, surrounded by the sweet smell of gingerbread and happiness, trading kisses and whispered promises. The bakery that brought us together now witnesses this perfect moment, and I know that this is just the beginning of our story.

Outside, snow begins to fall, dusting the world in white, but inside Sugar & Spice, we're wrapped in the warmth of our love, planning forever together. And I can't think of a sweeter ending—or beginning—to our holiday tale.