After Happily Ever After Once Again


 
 
 Table of Contents Foreword Another Roll in the Hay by Lola Keeley The Way Home by A. L. Brooks Whiskey and Dark Chocolate by Fiona Zedde A Wedding to Remember by Rachael Sommers Don’t Say Yes by Chris Zett Something New by Jess Lea Pop-Tarts and Rice by Quinn Ivins Seasons of Change by Harper Bliss The Name Game by Cheyenne Blue Where the Heart Is by Roslyn Sinclair Other Books from Ylva Publishing About the Authors Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new and upcoming releases. www.ylva-publishing.com Foreword In April 2020, Ylva published the first After Happily Ever After anthology, giving readers a peek into what happened to their favorite couples after their happily-ever-after ending. Did they stay together? Are they still madly in love? This first anthology was such a success and the feedback so overwhelming that we’re doing it again. Our authors wrote ten “what happened next” short stories that allow you a glimpse into what their lives are like now. Once again, these charming, funny, and entertaining tales can be read as standalone pieces to whisk you into new worlds…or immerse you in universes you already know and love and can’t wait to revisit. We had a lot of fun editing this anthology. Now we hope you’ll enjoy it! Astrid Ohletz CEO Another Roll in the Hay by Lola Keeley On another day, Lady Susannah Karlson might have enjoyed the long and winding drive through the stunning countryside of the Scottish Borders. The sun was still high in the sky, the road dry beneath her reliable Range Rover, and each number that came on the radio seemed to be a half-forgotten old song that she could sing along to as she handled the long curves and sharp bends in the road from muscle memory. With the window rolled halfway down, the wind jostling her curled blonde hair, and the rev of the engine rumbling in front of her, this drive was practically a recipe for contentment. If only! Instead, she found herself crunching the gears as she shifted up and down in reaction to the wild, mostly deserted roads, agitated that they were too bendy to risk breaking the speed limit. Occasionally she would pass a tractor or a compact car heading in the opposite direction, relieved not to be stuck behind them at least. She couldn’t bear going any slower, being definitely, and officially, in a rush by that point. In her hurry, she almost missed the turning she needed. The farm, one of the most visited on her sprawling estate, was home to Susannah’s irreplaceable assistant, Finn, who kept most of the Midsummer business running on a daily basis. They had settled on the farm with their partner, Dave, and the couple had turned a ramshackle few buildings and a handful of tired fields into the kind of idyllic home that convinced people they could quit the big city for a life in the country. Once the gravel crunched under her wheels, Susannah parked the car and hopped out. She was greeted by a distant, familiar barking, and moments later a large golden Labrador came bursting through a hedge, barrelling straight at her. Susannah braced for impact. Waffles collided with her at almost top speed, physics no match for his boundless enthusiasm. Thankfully she was used to wrangling horses, so although the dog’s cuddle could have counted as a tackle, Susannah braced herself and stood firm as he wagged his tail hard enough to take off. He belonged first and foremost to her fiancée, Tess, but Susannah had quietly allowed herself to start thinking of him as her dog too. It was hard not to when he greeted her with scrambling, woofing, face-licking declarations of puppy love. “Hey there, handsome.” Susannah gave him the rough tickles behind his ears that he loved so much, finally calming him down a little. His tail was still wagging like helicopter blades, but at least all four paws were back on the ground. “Now, where is that owner of yours? And what trouble has she got herself into now?” It didn’t take long to answer her own question. As soon as Susannah strode out in the direction of the barns, Tess’s predicament made itself very clear. Her soft Scottish accent, more pronounced now after two years living back in the country she called home, had taken on a distinctly harsh quality as she called across the farmyard to her approaching fiancée. “Took you long enough!” “Hold your horses. I’m here, aren’t I?” Susannah picked up her pace all the same, glad she’d changed into her heavy-duty black wellies before heading over. The ground was slick with churned-up mud, not helped by the various livestock running free on it. Quickly enough, she was within grasping distance of Tess, Waffles dancing around her in a circle of excitement. “Are you hurt, darling?” “Not physically, no. My pride is taking a kicking by the second though.” Tess gestured vaguely above her head, where her well-worn red overalls had snagged on an assortment of hay hooks that hung over the barn door, most of them rusted and unused. In spite of her petite size, Tess had somehow contrived to be lifted fully off the ground, and even as she twisted and turned, the hardy material did not give. “How did you even manage to get up there like that?” Susannah performed a cursory inspection, running her fingers down Tess’s sides, before checking as best she could for bleeding or any signs that the metal might have broken the skin. Apart from a trickle on Tess’s thigh, it seemed the rugged unofficial uniform of a country vet—thermals, thick wool and overalls made of something close to burlap--had protected Tess’s body from real injury. As perhaps the number one fan of that body, in all its curvy and solid glory, Susannah had to admit she was relieved. “There was a stool,” Tess said, gesturing with her left foot, similarly