Epilogue

Some time in the future…

Her long brown hair bounced as she confidently strode down the sidewalk.

So entranced, he didn't notice her stopping short and he proceeded to crash right into her. "I am so sorry," he apologized as he bent to help her pick up her fallen dry-cleaning.

She smiled, though she hadn't yet looked at the man helping her, and shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't've stopped like that. You'd think I'd know better when it's a pet peeve of mine about people who just stop in the middle of walking and -- I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"I don't mind," he assured her as their eyes locked.

And they froze. She mesmerized by the hidden depths of his blue eyes and he spellbound by the mysteries captured in her brown ones.

It took a stranger nearly tripping over them to cause them to snap from their reverie. He quickly helped her to stand and apologized once again for not watching where he was going.

"Don't worry about it," she replied in a dazed voice. "I'd, I'd better be going…"

Still stunned, he watched her continue walking away before he suddenly called after her, "Don't I know you?"

She turned around in confusion and waited for him to jog up next to her. "Isn't that line a little old?" But she saw the look in his eyes and knew she'd felt something too, "Sorry…" She shook her head, "I've got no idea why I'm acting like this."

"I'm Ben, Ben Thompson," he quickly told her. "Are you sure we've never met?"

"Melinda," she revealed with a smile, "and, believe me, you'd remember if we'd met."

"Oh," he uttered before apologizing, "my mistake then."

"Nope," she flirted some more, "not yet anyway."

"Oh?" he questioned with amusement. "Then it's your duty to tell me how to prevent my mistake from happening."

"Simple," she instructed, "ask me for my number."

"Didn't your mother warn you about that?" he teased as she fished through her handbag.

She handed him her business card and smiled, "But my Grams warned me that it was more important to always keep the door slightly ajar."

He smiled with confusion, "Ajar for what?"

"For love," she winked in return.

He eyed her, unsure if she was truly kidding, "Sounds like a smart lady."

"She was," Melinda wistfully commented. "Like me, she'd been burned a lot by love. But she never gave up."

"And neither should you," he told her. "Love transcends everything."

She stared at him in surprise, "That's what he would tell her."

"Who?"

"The great love of her life," she warily revealed. "She loved him and lost him but then they found each other again…"

"Sounds intriguing so you'll have to tell me all about it over dinner." Ben's eyes sparkled in amusement as a retort formed on her lips and he quickly pressed a finger to the pale pink gloss, "No good to argue, I'm a lawyer. I'll pick you up at seven." And he strode away before she could say a word.

Dumbfounded, she watched him cross the street without once looking back at her. And, as she watched, her frown became more of a smile. "You were right, Grams," she glanced up to the sky, "you never know just who'll walk through the door." His name was Ben and there were sparks between them, that much was certain. She shook her head as he began to turn the corner and she gasped when he suddenly looked back and caught her gaze.

Ben grinned at her sheepish expression. He hadn't sensed any demonic traces from her so maybe the connection he'd felt was pure. He winked at her and hoped that the fates might be making up for his past heartaches. He held up seven fingers and nodded when she smiled in return.

She watched him disappear around the corner. Love? Maybe not. But it was definitely magical. And maybe, just maybe, Ben would turn out to be her very own Cole. Maybe Ben would be the one she was destined to love forever.

The End