Forty
FOUNDER’S DAY, ONE WEEK LATER
Everyone she loved was standing somewhere in this crowd, mixed in with strangers, people she sort of knew, and ones she’d known her whole life. Most of the guests from the lodge had been eager to join in on the two-day celebration that started today. A few of them had opted to remain at the lodge for downtime. With all of the rooms opened and streamlined activities, the first week had felt much easier than last summer. They had their feet under them now. Every day posed new challenges, but all of them were okay with that because it felt like, together, they were making it work. Mr. Dayton was due to arrive later today and the entire Keller family was excited to see him, especially Ollie.
As everyone congregated on the front lawn of the museum, the double doors open, a podium set up on the wide stone porch, energy hummed through the air.
Gramps walked to the podium. “Look at this beautiful crowd.”
Everyone cheered and clapped. He waited until they quieted down. “I’ve lived in Smile for seventy-three years. My whole life. I’ve watched it grow and change. I’ve seen people come and go. I’ve been other places and always come home. We have a special community here and it’s growing every day. I’m grateful to live here with all of you.”
Toying with the bracelet Lainey had given her for Levi today, Jill scanned the crowd looking for him. He’d been serving up samples of lodge fare and connecting with tourists and locals. Like he’d sensed her missing him, his hand slipped around her waist, his face dipping next to hers. “I love you,” he whispered.
A full-body shiver went through her as she tipped her head back to look at him. “I love you.”
He kissed her, and she marveled at how surreal it all felt to be standing here with him, like this. That this was her life.
Gramps continued after stopping briefly for the murmuring. “As I was saying, we’re more than a community. We’re a family. And one of the biggest influences for all of us in our family and in this community are Pete and Gwen Reid.”
Jillian looked over to where Pete stood a head above several others. She couldn’t see Gwen but had no doubt she was next to him.
“What are you doing?” Pete called out.
“Don’t interrupt and I’ll tell you,” Gramps shouted back.
Even Pete laughed.
“Sometimes we don’t realize the impact people have on us until we really sit down and think about it. Or, until they get someone to clean out their garage and those kids, who I guess really aren’t kids anymore, end up on a trip down memory lane. Pete, it started with Levi needing a place to stay, which turned into the Keller siblings jumping on board. Then it trickled down and out because you’ve touched so many hearts and lives with your waffles and Gwen’s kind heart. Some spring cleaning took on new meaning. Pete, Gwen, we decided to honor you and all you’ve done for our community by doing a retrospective of sorts in the museum.”
The crowd, including Levi, Jillian, her brothers, and Presley, who had found their way to standing together, started clapping.
Gramps looked out at Pete. “You matter. You watched half the people in this crowd grow up.”
“Because I’m old,” Pete yelled, his gruffness tinted with humor.
“That you are. But that just means you’ve got more history here. People have so many great memories of the place you’ve held in our community. Thank you, Pete and Gwen, for being leaders in the community. For being part of our family.”
Huge cheers and whistles filled the air. Pete, on the urging of Gramps and probably Gwen, came up to the podium.
He looked out into the crowd. “Get up here, Gwennie. I’ve never done this alone and I’m not starting now.
“Who did this?” Pete demanded of the crowd, his voice cracking just a little. “What’s in there?” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward the museum as Gwen joined him on the stage. “If it makes me cry I’ll be putting chili flakes in your waffles for a month.”
Gwen wrapped her arms around one of his, leaning into him. Pete leaned down and kissed the top of his wife’s head.
Pete looked out at the crowd. “All I ever wanted was to live in this town, marry Gwennie, and have our girl. I know I can be a grumpy bas—”
Gwen tugged on his arm.
Pete frowned. “A grump . But you all come to my diner all the time and let me do exactly what I want to wake up and do every day. The fact that you’d honor me and Gwennie for the privilege of living here and being part of your lives is too much. But we appreciate you. All of you.”
Everyone clapped. Pete and Gwen hugged Gramps and each other. Then Gramps led them forward into the exhibit. People dispersed, some to get to their booths and tents, others to visit the museum, and still others to set up on the shore with picnic spots.
It would be a long and wonderful day, and there was absolutely nowhere else in the world Jillian could imagine being happier.
As the day slipped into night, a band played a slow song. The moon rose in the sky, sharing the space with thousands of stars. Jillian had eaten way too much food, bought too many things, and given out every last one of her Get Lost Lodge business cards. Grayson would be returning to the lodge shortly. Shane had already gone over to make sure the few guests who remained on the island had dinner.
She saw Ollie moving through the crowd with her parents following behind. She carried a mostly eaten swirl of cotton candy.
There’d be no sleeping again tonight with all that sugar. Leaning into Levi’s embrace, she wasn’t sorry. Life was too wonderful in this moment to worry about sleep. She didn’t want to miss a thing.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the thin black leather bracelet that she’d had Lainey make. It had dark and light blue beads with silver spacers.
“What? You got me one?” He stared at it, his eyes shimmering with the kind of love she not only recognized but felt in her bones.
“Lainey mentioned you wanted to match. I’m guessing you know what it says?”
He laughed as he slipped it on. “I love you.”
Pushing her hands up to curl them around his neck, she sighed into a kiss before whispering the words back to him.
As she and Levi swayed, not really dancing since he moved behind her, her parents and Ollie joined them. Grayson found them at the edge of the makeshift dance floor. Levi’s parents were dancing slowly over by the gazebo. As she continued to hold Levi close, Ollie right there, she scanned the crowd until one sight made her brows arch. Lainey was dancing with Graham. He held her close and they moved together like there was no one else around them. Hmm. Maybe everyone will get a happily-ever-after. She’d be asking her friend about that later.
“Excellent crowd,” Grayson said. “Our guests are having a great time.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” Ollie asked, pulling off another hunk of cotton candy. “This is awesome.”
Everyone laughed, and Jillian saw Beckett and Presley right in front of them. Her brother was twirling Presley, whose head was tipped back as she laughed at something he said.
When she looked at him, Jilly felt the love Beckett had for her emanating off of him, in his gaze, his stance. Maybe it was easier to recognize because of the man behind her. The one who made her believe she’d have what Presley and Beckett were headed for.
As the band switched to a more upbeat number, Presley and Beckett joined the family.
“You two,” her mother said, staring at them with love and hope in her gaze.
“This is so much fun. I love it here,” Presley said. Her eyes were shining with happiness, and Jilly felt so much gratitude that she’d dropped into their lives last summer, then decided to stay. No one would have predicted it, but Beckett and Presley were a perfect fit.
Tilting her own head back on Levi’s shoulder, she looked at him, smiling as he gazed down at her.
“I love you, Presley,” Beckett said. He was probably loud to make sure she heard him over the music, but standing as close as they all were, it felt like he’d shouted it.
Presley’s eyes opened comically wide. “I love you, too, Beckett. Is there a reason you’re declaring that in this particular moment?”
Beckett nodded, planting himself in front of Presley, taking both of her hands. Jilly’s heart seized in her chest. She stood straight.
Beckett’s voice was a little shaky but his gaze was sure. “Like Gramps said, life is short. I don’t want regrets. I’ve never loved anyone in my life the way I love you, and I’ve been racking my brain trying to plan the perfect engagement. One that would make it impossible for you to say no to spending your life with me. But there’s no perfect. Life is hard and messy and there are no guarantees.”
He dropped to one knee and Jilly gasped. She wasn’t the only one.
Grayson muttered under his breath. “Holy shit.”
Presley had one hand covering her mouth, the other in Beckett’s. With his free hand, he dug in his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
Letting go of her hand while she stared down at him, her eyes glassy, he opened the box to reveal a sparkling princess-cut diamond ring with a thin band of tiny diamonds surrounding it.
“I love you, Presley. Now, tomorrow, for the rest of my life. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I want to marry you. I want to spend every single day showing you how much I love you. We’ll fight and mess up but I’ll always work to show you how much you matter. You’ll never be lonely because you’ll always have me and the rest of these guys hanging around.” He gestured to his family standing around him, watching with happiness and love and excitement.
Beckett looked back up at Presley. “Marry me?”
Presley nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks as she went down on her knees and Beckett slipped the ring on her finger. She hugged him with so much force he went back on his knees and fell to his butt, taking her with him. She sat in his lap, kissing his face repeatedly, making everyone laugh as she kept saying, “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”
Jillian swiped at her own tears, leaning into Levi. Ollie leaned into their side, sort of between them.
Beckett helped Presley to her feet, keeping her close as everyone moved in to congratulate them.
When Jilly stepped back from hugging them both, she tripped over someone’s foot. Levi was right there, catching her in his arms. She wrapped hers around him and closed her eyes as his breath warmed the shell of her ear.
“I’ve got you, Jilly,” he whispered into her ear, his hand moving up to her shoulders and squeezing. “Always.”
When she gazed into his eyes, she both saw and felt the truth of it.
“Same,” she whispered.
Hugging him tight, Jillian tried to commit the happiness she felt to memory. It would remind her, in hard times, that he was someone she could believe in. They were in this together. For good.