Chapter Thirty-Two
The next few days in Willow Bend were my busiest ever.
I hung a sign in the bookstore window announcing Help Wanted , right beside a sign announcing It’s a Girl! The response to both was wonderful. I reviewed applications between phone calls to contractors and local pet-related companies. I’d even contacted a real estate agent, because my new rescue dog, aptly named Emily, would appreciate a little more room to run and stretch her legs on the regular. The moment I’d looked into her eyes, it was love at first sight. When I read the name on her kennel, I knew she was destined for me.
Cecily zipped through the door, sending the bell overhead into a frenzy. She wore her usual scrubs and toted two steamy lattes. “I did it! Applications opened for Relatable Romance: Regency Era , and I applied to be a liaison!”
I met her with a hug, then took my latte. “You’re going to kill it.”
“I know!” She sipped her drink in pure delight. “I just have to brush up on local history facts during the era and be ready to talk about nuances of dress, speech, and culture here at that time.”
“No problem,” I said, unable to hide my indulgent smile.
“I love this stuff!”
A familiar hatchback pulled against the curb outside, interrupting our chat. I blinked to confirm I wasn’t imagining it.
“What?” Cecily turned to follow my line of sight. “Who’s that?”
“The flower delivery person from Amherst,” I said, jaw falling open as the young woman got out. She collected a massive vase of honeysuckle and daisies from the back, then marched to the bookshop door, barely able to see around the blooms.
“Goodness!” Cecily gasped, hurrying to help her inside.
“Emma Rini?” she asked, craning her neck until she spotted me. “Delivery.” She had a huge smile as she set them on the counter. “One more thing.” She pulled an envelope from her hoodie pocket and passed it to me. “Have a great day,” she said, then turned on her toes and walked away.
My eyes trailed to Cecily’s.
“Apology flowers,” she said. “Like the others?”
I shook my head. Annie had sent the apologies. These were from someone else.
“Do you think they’re from him?” she asked, deftly avoiding the D-word, or mentioning Forever Yours.
Cecily and I had an unspoken agreement never to mention Davis’s name. I’d cried my eyes out over what might have been, on the night Virginia was born. My emotions ran high after leaving the hospital, and Cecily helped me sort the good from the bad. Good: Annie and her baby were both healthy and happy. Bad: I texted Davis the night I left Amherst, wishing him well on his television debut, but he hadn’t responded.
I’d done my best not to think of him, but it wasn’t easy. Thankfully, I stayed so busy visiting with Annie and my new niece, plus making changes at the store, that I fell asleep quickly most nights. I’d also accepted the true identity of Forever Yours would remain a mystery. My best guess was that Paul wrote the letters, then chickened out before our meeting. If I was right, it was for the best, because I didn’t care for him in that way.
Besides, I found the big love I’d gone in search of, right where I started. I had incredible friends, a great job, and a devoted, growing family all around me. Not to mention the dog I’d always wanted in my very near future. I stood with an open mind and heart, ready for whatever came next.
But I never imagined receiving this particular bouquet again.
“Open that envelope, or I will,” Cecily said, moving in close, fingers spread wide between us.
I released a shaky breath, suddenly overcome with adrenaline and anticipation. I unearthed the letter, typed this time instead of handwritten, and read aloud.
Dearest Emma,
Please accept these flowers as an unending apology for all the times I’ve fallen short. You deserve better, and you make me want to be better. I want to spend a lifetime thanking you properly. I should’ve been braver and revealed myself to you as planned at the café, because I’m madly, epically, in love with you.
I gasped as I read the signature. “Forever Yours.” Cecily grabbed my arm, vibrating with energy as she read over my shoulder. “Oh my goodness. It’s not over. The flowers. The letter.” She made a small squeaky noise as I struggled to breathe.
Was this real? The letters and flowers from Amherst reached me all the way in Willow Bend?
“What are you going to do?” Cecily asked.
“I don’t know.” The paper rattled in my hand as I turned to pace. I wasn’t sure what I could do.
Behind me, the bell above the door jangled, and I took the moment to compose myself.
“Emma.” Davis’s voice scattered goose bumps across my flesh.
I spun to find him in jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt, an expression of hope on his handsome brow.
Beside him, Cecily covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide, looking exactly the way I felt.
“I’m sorry I missed you on the day you left town. I was in Chicago.”
My hands fell to my sides, and air rushed from my lungs. Davis was in Willow Bend.
“I got your text,” he said when I didn’t speak. “You didn’t respond to me the night your sister arrived. I thought you’d never speak to me again. I slept with my phone almost every night after that.” His smile turned self-deprecating. “Then you wrote to me when I was on set for the interview, but I didn’t know. I didn’t have my phone all day, and when it was time to go back to the hotel, no one on set could find my phone. They finally found it. I just got it back yesterday.” He scraped a hand through his messy hair. “I tried to get a flight, but I couldn’t, so I panicked and rented a car. I started driving. In hindsight, I’m not sure I saved any time. Waiting on a morning flight might’ve gotten me here sooner, actually.” He barked a laugh. “I wasn’t thinking. I just needed to act. I ordered flowers when the shop opened today, and I dictated a letter.” His gaze darted to the giant bouquet on the counter. “You got them.”
“You drove from Chicago?” I croaked. Tears pricked and stung my eyes. “That’s like fourteen hours.”
“Thirteen and change,” he said. “I took liberties with the speed limit through the night.”
Joy filled my heart to the point of pain as I let the truth of the moment settle in. “The letters? The flowers? Those were from you?”
He nodded, a heady mix of emotion on his handsome face. “I think I started falling in love with you the moment we met,” he said. “Your goofy jokes online gave me reasons to smile long after the moments had passed. Your advice when I struggled with one thing or another gave me strength. Your compassion, your love of history, your family, and books left me in awe.” He dared a small smile, taking one step closer. “Granted, I thought you were your dad for a while.”
I laughed. “I guess I’m lucky he’s taken.”
Davis brushed the backs of his fingers across my cheek. “You were one of my favorite people long before I ever set eyes on you. Getting to know you has changed everything for me.” Sincerity burned in his gorgeous gray eyes. “You inspire me to be brave.”
I wet my lips, willing my body not to move. I wanted to hear every word he had to say and more. “How?”
“I’m selling my house,” he said. “And my portion of the family architectural firm. I’m moving back to Hearthstone Manor, and I’m opening a historic restoration company.”
My jaw dropped. “That’s incredible.”
“You taught me it wasn’t selfish to chase my dreams.”
I smiled as I wiped a falling tear from my cheek. “It’s not.”
“I’d love to help you renovate your bookstore,” he said, taking another baby step in my direction. “You’re not too far away, you know.”
A small laugh burbled from my lips. “A very reasonable commute,” I agreed.
“Far better than Chicago.”
My smile widened impossibly farther. He’d driven all night to get to me. Careful, thoughtful Davis had needed to see me that badly. “And an incredibly generous offer.”
Emotion twisted his features as he moved closer. “Anything for you. I am Forever Yours, after all.”
“Davis.” A lump formed in my throat, stopping my words. So I rose onto my toes, and I kissed him. “I really wanted it to be you,” I said, pressing my forehead to his.
“Is that a yes on the help?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “It’ll mean spending lots of time together for the next fifty years or so.”
“That’s an extensive renovation you’re planning.”
“You have no idea.” Davis kissed me again, taking his time and holding me close.
I wobbled slightly when our lips parted. “You should bring Violet to meet my new rescue dog, Emily. I’m picking her up soon.”
“Emily, huh?” He laughed. “Aptly named.”
“I thought so. We’re house hunting too. I think my apartment will make an excellent office space for the new store.”
“Sounds like a lot of change ahead for both of us,” he said. “I want to experience it all with you.”
“Me too.” I set my cheek against his chest as I thought of my new rescue dog and the woman whose poetry had brought me to this point. I wasn’t sure what would happen between Davis and me in the future, but I knew something with sudden clarity. “I’m going to call the shop ‘Emma and Emily,’” I said. “For lovers of pets, books, and poetry.”
“‘Emma and Emily,’” he repeated, smiling, then pressed his lips to mine. “Perfection.”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Went searching for love
And found it everywhere
Just opened my eyes
—Emma Rini