35. Lila
THIRTY-FIVE
LILA
I check out my reflection in the peach minidress and spin to watch it twirl. It’s probably too much for a late lunch at Magnifico, but I want to dress up a little for Grant. If these are our last few days together, I’m going to Live, Laugh, Love the heck out of them. That includes wearing cute dresses and doing my hair because that’s just how I am.
My phone buzzes on the dining table. It’s gone crazy ever since I posted my Instagram update. It turns out a lot of women can relate to having to start over. I’ve received hundreds of comments and DMs with a similar theme:
I’ve been there.
I’m cheering for you.
You can get through this.
Yes, I’ve also had quite a few saying my ex is probably better off without me, I’ll never find anyone better, etcetera. My follower count has dwindled some, which I expected. But for the most part, the people who interact with me are encouraging and supportive, and I’m a tiny bit embarrassed that I felt like I had to keep up the big city girl act for as long as I did.
Like my cheesy boyfriend said—I just had to be myself .
My phone rings, and I peek at the screen. Mom. Probably gunning for that family dinner Hope mentioned. I would appreciate the way she’s wholeheartedly welcoming Grant if that dinner weren’t going to cut into our do whatever we please time.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Lila, I’ve got great news.”
Hmm. Not a family dinner push then.
She sounds out of breath like she’s been running somewhere. Makes no sense because she’s the one I got my anti-athletic genes from. “Henderson’s finally got a taker.”
“Really? That is great news. What’s going in there?” She hasn’t mentioned showing it to anyone lately. Oh. “Is it another thrift shop?”
Not that I have anything against them. I’m just holding out for a little more variety downtown. I’m not naive enough to think my Sephora wishes will come true, but a business we don’t already have would be ideal.
“Not a thrift shop. Come down and see for yourself.”
“I can’t, I’m meeting Grant for lunch.” I check the time. “Actually, I need to leave right now.”
“You can swing by on your way.”
“It’s not on my way. Just tell me who it is.” Usually, she crows about new business tenants the minute she’s able to. Her urge to surprise me is weird and poorly timed.
She makes a giddy humming sound. “It’s much more dramatic to see for yourself. I know you’ll be thrilled.”
“I’ll be even more thrilled if you just tell me so I’m not late for Grant.”
“Lila Kathleen, if you don’t come down here right this minute, you will be disappointed you weren’t first to hear the news. I would think as Sunshine’s tourism coordinator, you would want the inside scoop on who’s moving to town. ”
I sigh but grab my purse. “ Probable tourism coordinator. I’ll be there in five minutes. But you’d better make it quick.”
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll mind a delay,” she says before hanging up.
Okay, that’s not cryptic at all.
Five minutes later, I stroll up to Henderson’s. Mom’s out front staring up the block and clasps her hands as soon as she sees me. She’s absurdly happy for something as simple as a commission and a new business moving into Sunshine.
In fact…the last time I saw her this happy was at Hope’s engagement party.
I slow down as I close in on her. “What’s going on?”
Mom shakes her head, but I swear she has tears in her eyes. Are Hope and Griffin pulling a surprise wedding or something? Seems unlikely, but nothing else explains her reaction.
“Go inside and see for yourself.”
A frisson of nerves skates through me. I stare at the glass door I papered over with Fourth of July themed wrapping. The window next to it still shines in all its patriotic glory. I’ve been in here half a dozen times. It should be no big deal to walk through that door. But Mom’s acting extremely fishy.
“Go on.” She nods at the door. “It’s a good thing. And if you don’t agree, well, that’s okay, too.”
I peer at her, trying to make sense of this, but she’s too giddily mysterious for me to make sense of her. So I pull the door open?—
And find Grant walking around the empty store. His smile eases the worst of my nerves.
“Hey, princess.”
“Hey.” I meet him in the middle of the store. “What’s going on?”
“I have something for you.” He reaches into his gloriously bulky cargo shorts and opens his hand in front of me .
A wooden dahlia bloom rests on his palm. Its layers of petals are rustic and uneven, but perfectly smooth. I reach out a hand to trace one finger over the delicate points.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I still need to stain it and seal it, but I wanted to give it to you now.”
“You made this?” I take it from him and clutch it to my chest.
“I’ve been working on it since I saw your tattoo. Well, I was working on it before then, but that’s when it started to take shape.”
“You whittled it?” Doesn’t seem the right word for such a beautifully carved little piece.
“I hope you like it.”
“I love it.” I love it so much, I’m struggling not to cry over it. “But why are you giving it to me in here?”
The heavy-duty cleaning solution still fills the air inside the old department store, and our words echo around the big, empty space.
“Because I’m taking your advice. I want a life I don’t need a vacation from.” He takes a step closer to me, his hands going to my waist. “And I want that here. With you.”
I suck in a breath. I’ve been telling myself for weeks not to wish for more than what we have right now, and it’s hard to let his words sink in.
“I always thought my parents’ story of love at first sight was exaggerated. Then I met you, and I realized it was possible. I started falling in love with you from the first time I saw you.”
I laugh, but my heart feels like it could fill this whole store. Grant Irwin loves me! Nothing ever sounded better. “In all my hiking chic at Horizon?”
I wasn’t exactly at the top of my game during our first few days together .
“You were in your hiking chic, but not at Horizon.” He flexes his fingers against my waist. “I saw you at the coffee shop earlier that morning. Something right here—” He taps two fingers over his heart. “Unlocked when I saw you. I was immediately attracted to you, but hope glimmered there, too. I hadn’t felt that kind of hope in years.”
I know exactly what he means.
He takes my hand and laces our fingers together. “Lila, I’m in love with you. We haven’t known each other long and I’m not asking for promises today, but there’s no way I’m leaving Sunshine without trying for something with you.”
I throw my arms around his neck, clutching my flower tight in one hand. “Something?”
His smile tilts to one side. “ Everything would be even better.”
Oh, this man. He leans down and presses his mouth to mine. I’m not sure which of us grins harder, I only know this is a kiss made out of happiness and light. And a little tongue. But my brain buzzes with one important fact I forgot to tell him, and I pull away.
“I’m in love with you, too. You’re so good and kind, and you have the sweetest heart. And sexy? Hoo boy, you knock me out. I don’t want you to leave, either. But what about your family business and becoming CEO?”
I still don’t want to keep him from his dreams, even if his dreams keep him from me.
“I’ve heard that Sunshine is a thriving town drawing in outdoor enthusiasts year-round. But the nearest outdoor gear supplier is in the next town over. I figure this space is the perfect location for a new Irwin Outdoors store.”
I freeze. “Are you serious? You’re going to open one of your stores here? ”
His smile quirks. “I thought you would have seen through that already.”
“I hoped, but I didn’t want to assume.”
He pulls me closer to him. “I talked to my parents. I told them I love working for our business, but I want my life to be here with you. There’s a lot of logistics to work out, but they like the idea of expanding into a new state.”
I make a sound of disgust. “They didn’t say anything about you being happy?”
His grin hits me straight in my overloaded heart. “I love how quickly you jump to my defense. They’re thrilled that I found you and want to build a life here. They asked me to bring you to Texas soon so they can meet you.”
“I’d love to.” I smooth my empty hand over his chest. “These are big changes for you. Are you sure about this?”
He slides one hand into my hair to cup my head, looking into my eyes so intensely my stomach dips. “For the first time in a long time, I’m not doing the next thing I think I should do, or the next thing that’s expected of me. I’m following my heart. You are my happiness, Lila. In every possible way.”
“Really?”
“Genuinely.”