23. Chapter 23
I chose a mauve slip dress that sits on my shoulders with beautiful silk ribbon straps that tie into a bow for tonight.
“Girl. You are going to look banging tonight.” Emma leans over my shoulder taking in the dress hanging in front of me.
I spin, facing her, taking in her tight black bodycon dress. “Damn! Talk about banging!”
She spins around for me to see, and there is not one ounce of her body that is left to the imagination. Her brothers are going to lose their shit.
“Who are we impressing tonight?” I ask her.
“No one special.” She winks.
But there is someone special. I just haven’t been able to figure out who it is yet. I’ve seen her sneak in a couple mornings, and someone sneak out a few others. I just don’t know why she’s keeping him such a secret.
I untie my robe and slip into the dress. The silk cascades down my body.
“Let’s gooooo!” Emma yells from the bed. “The boys are getting impatient and Willow just texted me.”
“Coming!” I sit on the chair to put on the champagne glitter heels to match the dress.
Strutting my way out to the stairs, I channel all my sass for the night. I want to look like the sexiest woman at the dance for Liam.
“Wait here, let me make sure that Liam is downstairs. You need a She’s All That moment.” She references one of our favorite movies from our pre-teen years.
She runs down, making sure that he is in the living room waiting. He must already be there because she yells that I can come down now.
I carefully walk down the staircase, trying to not fall on the wooden steps. Liam is leaning on the mantle of the fireplace, looking sexy as hell in a suit.
As soon as we make eye contact a grin spreads and he pushes off the mantle to come meet me at the stairs, looping his arm around my waist.
“Mm, I can’t wait to rip this one off you too,” he whispers low enough that no one else hears him.
My skin pebbles at his words. I can’t wait for that either .
He ushers me to join everyone else in the living room and, like I thought, her brothers are not happy about Emma’s choice in dress.
“You can practically see your—” he leans in to whisper, “—vagina, Em!” Stepping back from her he runs his hands in his hair. “How the fuck are you going to bend over!”
“You need a sweater.” Cooper points to Mrs. Keaton. “Ma, go get one of your sweaters for her. Do you see this? Are you really going to let this happen?”
“Oh boys, Emma is a grown woman, who has a beautiful body. She can wear what she likes.” Mrs. Keaton stands up for her daughter.
“Oh, Jesus. You know who else is going to like what she wears? Every single body with a penis in that room. And I’m going to be in jail. I’m a cop, Ma. I can’t be in jail.” Wyatt is losing his mind more so than anyone else, pacing back and forth.
Hunter chimes in, “Don’t worry, Roman will be there working. He’ll keep an eye on Em.”
The way Emma’s cheeks blush, I don’t think Hunter should be putting the faith in Roman that he is but I keep my mouth shut. Who am I to stop a girl? Roman is hot…objectively.
“Okay, let’s go! I want to be there first so we can make sure everything is going well, and that there are no mistakes or problems.” I usher everyone out the door, waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Keaton who will come later with Gran and Esther.
Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran comes over the speakers. This is the song that Liam first pulled me onto the dance floor for when he thought Roman was trying to flirt when I first came back. Then unceremoniously dropped us to the floor.
“Violet, may I have this dance?” I turn from the dessert table I’m restocking to see Liam standing there with his hand held out.
Placing my hand in his, I follow him to the dance floor. He smoothly places my hand on his shoulder, and clasps the other with his. He moves gracefully across the dance floor with me.
“Why Liam Keaton. Did you learn to dance for me?” I gush.
“I might have asked Mom to help me learn a few moves. I didn’t want to drop us again.” He pushes me out and spins me back in, gripping around my waist with his arm and dipping me on the dance floor as the crowd cheers out.
“You are full of surprises lately aren’t you?”
His secret project got delivered to wherever it was going a few days ago. He still won’t let me see it, but he told me I could see it soon when the owner gives him the okay.
“Have to keep my New York girl on her toes.” He winks and we continue floating around the dance floor.
This is the best dance I’ll ever have, better than any gala or debutante ball in the city.
“...do I? What is?” Tap. Tap. Tap.
All our eyes turn to the stage where Esther and Gran are standing with microphones.
“Who trusted those two on stage?” I shoot a glare over to Roman who just shrugs his shoulders and gives me a what are you going to do look.
“Oh, it’s working, Margaret.” The crowd chuckles at the two of them .
“Hi Balsam Cliffs! We are so glad you came out for our Valentine’s Day Dance.” She waits for the applause to die down. “We wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without our three young guns, Liam, Violet, and Roman.”
We wave on cue at everyone looking around to find us.
“We have one more thing we want to show you, and it’s something that has been a labor of …love…” she pauses for people to laugh at her play on words. “We’ve put together a movie of all the love stories that started, and continue in Balsam Cliffs, so please enjoy!”
Behind her the wall fills with the video we made. I look around at groups of friends huddled together, couples swaying in each other’s arms, and I’m thrilled that everyone has smiles on their faces. They’re excited to see their own stories featured, and laugh at all the right places.
Everyone claps when it’s over as Gran and Esther tell everyone to continue to party.
“That video came out great.” Liam kisses me on the forehead. “But next year we’ll need to add ours.”
Nothing would make me happier than to add our love story next year. I reach up, capturing his lips with mine, relishing in the perfection of this Valentine’s Day.
The bakery finally reopens today. Gran and I have been in the kitchen all morning preparing for the new ribbon cutting.
I’ve been in the kitchen and haven’t been able to see the new table and shelving that is being installed this morning. But I can’t wait to see it completely done and filled with yummy items. We chose a beautiful espresso case. The furniture designer never called me back so I had to settle with something from the restaurant warehouse in Portland.
“Violet, can you come out here please?” Gran calls me to the front.
When I walk out, I see Liam, and a cloth over the table.
“What is going on?” I ask both of them.
“I have a surprise for you. Are you ready to see what I’ve been hiding in the barn?”
I clap my hands together. “Yes!”
If the cloth is covering our new shelving and table, I’m hoping that he had the furniture company he uses for the inn design it for us.
He removes the cloth and I am right. The most beautiful piece hides under the cloth. I walk closer to inspect it, tiny violets line the edges.
“Go check out the front,” he urges.
I walk around and gasp at the bouquets of violets that are carved and painted into the front. It hits me. Liam had to be the one to do this beautiful carving. It's so similar in style to the carvings he's made me over the years.
“I made it. I don’t have a furniture company, I am the furniture company. I build and hand carve each piece.” He fidgets with his hands, a nervous tell for him.
“Holy shit.” I snap up from leaning over to run my fingers along the beautiful flowers. “This is all you? You’re the talent that I love so much?”
“I am. I wanted to do something special for you, show you how much you mean to me. I know it’s not much but– ”
I jump into his arms. “Is there anything you can’t do, Liam Keaton?”
“Take you home right this very second?” he asks.
I laugh at his need to have me in his bed. “Sorry, we’ll have to settle for later.”
“This is why I never heard from them. I can’t believe all that furniture is you!” I pull him to me for a kiss. This is more beautiful than anything I could have ever dreamed of, and he made it just for me.
Gran and I work to fill the shelves with everything we baked this morning. It seems like every single person in Balsam Cliffs is out front waiting for us to open the doors.
And my dreams are officially complete. Working beside Gran at the bakery, and spending my nights with Liam.
Nothing could be better.