He smiled at me, and as I leaned back in my chair I realized that Alicia was right.
I was in love with Josh.
But there was nothing I could do about it.
Chapter 18
Josh
“Oh my goodness! I can’t believe how many people are here,” Rylan exclaimed, his eyes flashing with excitement.
“I know, it’s an amazing turnout,” I replied, sharing his enthusiasm.
We had just arrived at the party, and it was already in full swing. The dance floor was crowded, and people were milling about all over the property. It was heartening to see so many people from the town here to support Brenna, along with many unfamiliar faces likely from surrounding communities. Conversations filled the air, with people admiring the property and praising the changes Brenna had made.
“Hey!” Rylan said excitedly. “Some of my friends from school are here! Can I go see them?”
“Of course,” I said, smiling as he ran off to find his friends.
I began scanning the crowd, looking for Brenna. After a moment, I spotted her by the entryway, and my breath caught. She looked absolutely stunning in a simple black dress that fit her perfectly, exuding both sophistication and fun. She still wore her walking boot but had paired it with a sparkly sandal on her other foot. Her hair was pulled back, and she wore simple jewelry that added to her elegance.
I made my way towards her, pausing briefly as a few people stopped me to chat. I kept the conversations short, eager to be next to her.
“Hello,” I said when I finally reached her side.
She turned and smiled at me, and my heart pounded at the sight of her eyes lighting up.
“Hello! You’re here!” she said.
“Yes, I am. You look absolutely beautiful,” I said.
“Thank you,” she replied, blushing. “You look very nice yourself.”
“Thank you,” I responded.
“I mean it,” she insisted. “Your shirt matches your eyes completely. You look gorgeous.”
“Wow,” I said, taken aback by her compliment. It felt good to hear her say that, but even better was the way she was looking at me.
I glanced around the crowd before turning back to her. “You have to be thrilled with this. It’s a resounding success!”
“I am,” she said, beaming. “I’m so happy with how many people have turned out! But can I show you the coolest thing?”
“Of course,” I said.
She led me inside and pointed to a beautiful bouquet of flowers on a corner table.
“The Reynolds family sent those to me this morning. They included a sweet card wishing me all the best of luck and said they were so happy that the B&B was now in my hands.”
“Oh, that is wonderful,” I said. “That’s so sweet. I’m not surprised, though; they are a lovely family.”
“They really are," she agreed. "Oh, and I need to show you this!”
Brenna walked over to her desk and opened the reservation book. It was fully booked for the next three weeks.
“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed. “That is wonderful news! Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” she said. “I am so surprised because I haven’t even started advertising or anything. This is all just word of mouth!”
