“I can’t believe he’s here,” he breathes.
I finish checking out my high school history teacher. He’s leaving with his free book and flower—an autobiography of one of the founding fathers and a daisy for his wife—and a whole stack of others that brought his total to over one hundred dollars. He flat-out refuses a discount, then and slides anenvelope across the counter labeledDonation. It’s the fourth one I’ve gotten tonight.
When my former teacher finally leaves, I spin to look at Grey, whose face is tight. “Do you want him to leave?”
He tears his gaze away from his dad, pale blue eyes fixing on me. A soft smile touches his lips, and he shakes his head. “No, this is your day. If you’re fine with him being here, then I am.”
I keep my eyes focused on his, looking for a twinge of discomfort, but when I can’t find any, I let out a sigh, my hand slipping into his. “You sure?”
His chin dips in a nod. “Of course.” Then he reaches into his back pocket and procures another worn paperback.
I shake my head at him, unsure of when he put this in there. It wasn’t there an hour ago, and I know this because he bent down to get a book from the bottom shelf for an elderly woman with a cane, and I was unable to tear my eyes away from his ass.
My hands fold around the book. This one is an old western with a mean-looking cowboy on the cover. Just like the one from earlier, there’s a word circled in the title. This one isYou.
But before I can mention it, Mr. and Mrs. Sutton are there. Grey slips the book from my hand, placing it beneath the counter with the one he brought me this morning.
“Finley,” Mr. Sutton booms. He hasn’t warmed up to me since that disastrous dinner at their house last year, but in public, he’s never going to let on. “Congrats on the store.”
I smile at him, and I’m sure Grey is the only one who can tell it’s forced. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him suppress a grin of his own. “Thank you, Mr. Sutton. Glad you could make it.”
And I am. I’m never going to be his biggest fan, but it means a lot to me that he would come. I don’t think it has anything to do withme, but I’m hoping it’s because he knows I’m important to his son.
“Glad we could be here, Finley,” Mrs. Sutton says, her smile soft, almost tentative. She’s seemed to come a little more alive over the last few months, now that she’s spent more time with her son. I wonder if Grey has noticed, if he’s figured out that time with him is what’s bringing her back to life. If he’s realized that his parents have regretted a lot in life, but never him.
Another customer shows up at the counter, and Grey presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “I’ll go talk with them for a bit,” he says into my ear.
I catch his eyes and quietly ask, “You’ll be okay?”
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart.”
Over a year later, and that nickname still makes me melt.
I sink into the flurry of the opening party, holding back tears as people from town slip donations into my hands when they check out, already buying more books than they’ll be able to read. Fontana Ridge takes care of their own, and I’ve never been prouder to be one of them. I only hope I can make them proud. Prove I’m worthy of all the investments they’re making in me.
The hours pass by in a blur, and before I know it, the crowd is emptying out. I haven’t talked to Grey since his parents stopped by, although I’ve seen him flitting about, refilling drinks and helping out where needed. When the last of the customers trickle out, it’s just Wren, Holden, and me. Nora left hours ago to put the kids to bed, and my mom left with June and Wilder so Wren and Holden could stick around.
My back is sore, and my feet are killing me. I’m exhausted, but in the beautiful way when your heart is full and your soul feels tended to. Like nothing could make this moment better, more like magic.
“It was perfect,” Wren says, hiding her yawn behind a hand and leaning against Holden for support. I can’t believe they stayed out this late. Wilder is only six months old and still isn’tsleeping through the night, so neither of them has slept a full night in half a year.
I shake my head, feeling tears prick the back of my eyes. Holden grunts at them, and it stops the tears in their tracks and replaces them with a laugh. “Thank you both for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Holden comes around the counter and tugs me into a one-armed hug. The most affection I’ve gotten from him in ages. “Proud of you, Fin.”
I dig my face into his side, breathing in his familiar sawdust scent. “Thanks, Holden.”
He gives me one last squeeze and backs up. “See you tomorrow. Wren and I have about two hours before Wilder wakes up.”
“Love you,” I say as he opens the door, guiding a half-asleep Wren through it.
“Love you too.” Then he seems to remember something, backing up into the store. He pulls a worn paperback from his back pocket. “Grey told me to give this to you.”
Then they’re gone, and I’m left staring at the book on the counter. It’s got a word circled on it too.Marry.
My heart thunders in my chest as I stare at it, and my hands shake when I reach beneath the counter to pull out the other books Grey and I stashed there today. I line them up on the butcher block counter, not breathing as I stare at them.
The circled words spell outWill You Marry. My blood is rushing in my ears so loudly I don’t hear Grey as he stops in front of the counter and places one last book at the end of the line.
